Name: Istanbul’s mackerel sandwiches (balik ekmek)
Total time: 20 min
Yield: Serves 2
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: ¼ small red onion, sliced; 2 ciabatta rolls, halved; 2 mackerel fillets; olive oil; a small handful of leaves mint, roughly chopped; ½ carrot, grated; a large handful rocket; 1 ripe tomato, finely sliced; 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses; ¼ tsp sumac; ¼ tsp pul biber chilli flakes or other mild chilli flakes; ½ clove garlic, bashed

¼ small red onion
sliced
2 ciabatta rolls
halved
2 mackerel fillets
olive oil
a small handful of leaves mint
roughly chopped
½ carrot
grated
a large handful rocket
1 ripe tomato
finely sliced

DRESSING

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
plus more to serve
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
¼ tsp sumac
¼ tsp pul biber chilli flakes or other mild chilli flakes
½ clove garlic
bashed

Method

step 1
Put all the dressing ingredients in a jar with ¼ tsp each of salt and black pepper. Seal, then shake vigorously and set aside for 5 minutes.
step 2
Put the onion in a shallow bowl, pour over the dressing (removing the garlic) and leave to marinate – this removes some of the onion’s astringency. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Heat the rolls in the oven for 5 minutes until lightly toasted.
step 3
Spoon a couple of teaspoons of the dressing over the fleshy side of the mackerel fillets, then season generously with salt. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the fillets, skin-side down, for 3-4 minutes. Once the skin has begun to crisp up, flip the fillets and cook for another 1-2 minutes on the other side until just cooked through. While the fish is cooking, put the mint, carrot and rocket in the bowl with the onion and toss well.
step 4
When the mackerel is ready, transfer the fish to a plate lined with kitchen paper and begin assembling the sandwiches. Drizzle the cut sides of the toasted rolls with extra-virgin olive oil, then layer on the mackerel, followed by the tomatoes with a pinch of salt, the carrots, then a couple of teaspoons of the dressing. Put on the tops of the rolls and serve.