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Mackerel is one of those types of food that, in my life, I have always just taken for granted, like pasta or potatoes. We have been catching them just off Howth head since I was a kid, and they have always been there reminding us that summer has started. With the first catch, comes that familiar fresh taste, lost in the months of winter, and savoured with every bite, but which regrettably soon becomes the norm and less of a novelty for lazy summer evening meals.

With the last days of this years summer well and truly behind us, and mackerel season coming to a close, last weekend we cooked up the final humongous pile of mackerel which were all individually, neatly wrapped in tinfoil and thrown in the freezer, upon their arrival from boat to land. The fish tasted almost as good as fresh and only needed the simple additional flavouring from a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of smoked sea salt and ground black pepper.

BBQ Mackerel with lemon and Smoked Sea Salt

There are so many things that you can do with fish on a barbecue, but sometimes its nice to keep things simple, a few herbs, maybe some garlic butter or just plain lemon and salt will bring the natural flavours alive. If you are freezing mackerel, freeze the same day you get it, make sure to use within 3 months, and defrost in the fridge. You may notice a change in the texture of the fish but it shouldn't be too significant.

1-2 gutted mackerel per person, depending on size
A drizzle of olive oil
2 lemons
A good pinch of smoked sea salt
A good pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Tin foil to cover the mackerel

Wrap the mackerel individually in tinfoil, and place on a hot barbecue.
Cook for 4-5 minutes either side, it's a bit of a guessing game but open the tinfoil to check if the fish is cooked through.
Take the wrapped fish off the barbecue and remove the tinfoil.
Place the fish on a large serving dish and drizzle with a little olive oil.
Generously squeeze lemon juice over the fish, and season with smoked sea salt and black pepper.
Serve straight away!

I'm pretty much settled back into the land of the living after the last few busy weeks and loving being back in my own kitchen. I'm especially loving the amazing weather Ireland has been having all week, summer is most definitely on the way and I am already thinking of more summer orientated dishes, with really fresh flavours! This is is the recipe for this weeks column in the Cork News, with a really simple recipe to make the best of one of my favourite fish, mackerel!

Simple Mackerel Fillets with Chilli, Garlic and Lemon
I grew up on mackerel! It was and still is one of the easiest fish to catch just off Howth head. I have some of the most amazing childhood memories of sunny mackerel filled summers with my grandad Do on his boat, where my cousins and I would be busy racing to pull in rods with heavy lines, fish on each hook, while my grandad would gut them and fillet them like the pro he was, belly laughing at the fact that we were all to squeemish to take them off the lines ourselves. For me, mackerel dishes always have to be simple with really fresh flavours, and I love this quick and simple lunch which has a great kick of heat thanks to the chilli. People get a bit worried when it comes to cooking fish, but go to the fishmongers and ask them to do all the hard work and you will be left really lovely fillets of fish which are no more complicated to cook than pan frying a chicken breast!

Serves 4
4-6 mackerel fillets
2 red chillies, finely chopped with the seeds removed
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Juice of 2 lemons
A good drizzle of olive oil
A good pinch of sea salt and cracked black pepper

Place the mackerel fillets on a large plate and drizzle with olive oil and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Don't use all the lemon juice here, as it's nice to give the fish an extra squeeze of lemon while it cooks and then at the end to serve.
Sprinkle over the chilli and garlic and gently rub into the fish on both sides, turning to coat in the lemon and olive oil.
Season the fillets with sea salt and black pepper and cook on a hot, non stick griddle pan, over a high heat, for 2-3 minutes either side, depending on their size or until they are cooked through. Halfway through the cooking time, give them another splash of lemon juice.
Serve the mackerel fillets with a spicy tomato salsa or a fresh side salad for a really light and healthy lunch!

I reluctantly agreed to go on a fishing trip over the weekend with my dad, I say reluctantly because he asks every weekend! Anyway I agreed mostly because my girlfriend jumps at chance every time she's asked and then gives me the eyes which say you better come, but mostly because I'd get the chance to use my new camera which hasn't really had much use since I got it.

I think when you grow up with the sea as part of your life you become accustomed to it and maybe even take it for granted, but even though I moan about being dragged out on the boat, I think there is an element of secretly enjoying it! I also think as I get that bit older I begin start appreciating surrounding's more and more!

The intention was to take some pics as the fish were being caught and then picture them as they were being cooked but my battery ran out! But hey that's life! So instead some pics of a Galway Hooker, the fisherman and woman, Howth pier, and Cod in it's last few moment's of life.

Fishing trip part two will come when, the girlfriend attempts to cook the mackerel later this evening!

EDIT: the girlfreind just messaged me asking if eating fish which hadn't been cooked properly could harm her. I asked her had she heard of Sushi.

Hey folks! Just to let you know I will be appearing on Nationwide on RTÉ 1 at 7pm tonight doing some shopping around Howth, and cooking up some mackerel! While over on Good Food Channel (Sky Digital 249) at the same time on Market Kitchen, I will be cooking up my Lime and Mint Mohito Chicken! Let me just warn you that this is my first outing on television cooking so fingers crossed it goes well, and if not... well I'll be hiding under a rock somewhere! :)

In case you didn't know already I'm from Howth, which, for the benifit of foreign readers, is a really picturesque fishing village just north of Dublin. I've grown up here all my life, and I have to admit that it is only recently that I have really started to appreciate the natural beauty of the area. There is so much to see, amazing cliff walks, boat trips to the nearby island, Ireland's Eye, a super collection of fresh fish mongers and some really well respected restaurants.

During the summer months we try and get out fishing as much as possible, mackerel is normally the fish of the day, but sometimes pollack is pulled out of the blue too. Early on most sunny Sunday mornings, hidden from the sight of land lovers, there is a eclectic little group of small fishing boats from Howth, which can be found floating just off the back of Ireland's Eye, all with one aim, the day's catch. Rods and lines at the ready in the calm blue, the process of fishing takes pride of place, but of course amongst the peaceful calm there is the secret competition for the first fish. Even the most relaxed individual can't deny the envy of another boat with a line full and heavy with fish. Our most recent trip, in the first week in June, unfortunately did not produce any fish, so we arrived back to land with food on the brain.

For the past few years, traders and food producers from all over Ireland come to Howth to the farmers market which is set up every Sunday to provide locals and tourists with tasty treats, fresh vegetables, and quality meats. Although the quality of produce is generally high, it can be quite expensive, so I normally only purchase something I can't get in the supermarket. With the suprisingly good Irish summer fully in swing, there was a huge selection of fresh summer fruits on offer and I couldn't resist. Fresh cherries were my fruit of choice as I had been contemplateing a cherry clafoutis for the last few weeks, so the opportunity couldn't be passed.

Also on offer, was an incredible full cooked pig which was slowly being roasted on a spit, which they were slowly slicing pieces off, for sandwiches which were being sold.

If you are ever in Howth make sure to come on Sunday, the market is open from 10am - 4pm pretty much all year round.

So much of cooking is born out of necessity, aimed solely to feed a hungry belly, it becomes easy to forget about those slow cooking days where pleasure and comfort can be found in simple tasks like measuring ingredients or rolling homemade pastry. With all these cosy food dreams swirling around my mind I took the time to spend some long overdue quality time in the kitchen this weekend.

I managed to get my hands on large box full of ripe, juicy pears which were begging to be devoured instantly. The benefits of having a food stylist for an aunt means there is always left over food from photo shoots, which she is desperately trying to get rid of before it spoils. I had no objections to taking this box of fruit off her though, they were used, quite nicely, if I do say so myself, in a delicious rustic pear tart for dessert, served with some cold vanilla cream. Sliced thinly the pears were a luscious addition to a large, rocket, parmesan and toasted pinenut salad, which was served in a handmade bowl by a very well known Wexford artist! Mackerel was also on the menu, more out obligation than anything else, as they've been sitting in the freezer since they were caught during a recent fishing trip a few weeks ago. Wrapped in tinfoil, barbequed and served with smoked sea salt, olive oil and a drizzle of lemon provided a light and fresh flavoured main meal.

Spending time on producing some really taste tingling dishes has me even more inspired than before I started on Saturday morning. I'll post the recipes for the dishes above during the week! Stay tuned :)

You know one of those days where everything seems to be a little bit off center? The days where everything just doesn't go as planned? Well yesterday was definitely one of those days, it started off with a phone call from my dear old mammy, claiming she couldn't find her booking on Ryanair and wanted help to locate it. Being the ever accommodating son, I spent the next forty minutes, trying every combination of reference number, credit card number, and email to try and retrieve it from the Ryanair website to absolutely no avail.

I eventually gave up after the website told me I had too many unsuccessful login attempts, and gave her a call to inform her of this. But was she bothered? No! And let me tell you why- during the time I was banging my head against the computer screen, she had gone back too her notes and realised that her booking was with, wait for it.... AER LINGUS!!! You see this is what I have to deal with! Anyone else out there with parents suffering from technical difficulties? I'm sure there are!

(Sorry Mammy...)

As I arrived home, I went to get the lift up to the apartment, but the electricity seemed to be on half voltage, so it wasn't working. Got up to the apartment, NO WATER AND NO ELECTRICITY! That was my grand plan for baked Mackerel in tinfoil out the window. But the panic of the blackout seemed to have gotten to poor little Sofie, who develops a serious problem when she is hungry- she looses the ability to think rationally and until she gets food, goes into severe depression. So we needed food fast, and despite all my cold food suggestions- we had to eat out!

After a lovely meal at the Orangerie in Malahide (always order the specials), we got home and went to get the lift up, which still wasn't working. I had given my security key for the outside doors to our visitor, so I didn't have one on my bunch, which meant disaster struck one more time, when we realised no one else had their keys with them, which resulted in standing outside until someone came out!

It was definitely one of those days...

That's my little rant over for now, sorry to put all of that on you! To make up for it, here is a really handy little dressing to make when you're short on ingredients and time.

Quick Mayo Caesar Style Dressing

1. 2 Tbsp of Mayonnaise.
2. 1 Tsp of English Mustard Powder.
   
3. 1 Tsp of Worcester Sauce.
4. Juice of Half a Lemon.
5. 1 Clove of Garlic Finely Minced.
6. A Good Pinch of Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper.

As I mentioned I am on Market Kitchen all this week cooking down at the world famous Borough Market in London, a real haven for food lovers! I really loved the day recording down in the market as it was a lot more hands on, and we got to actually shop around for some of the ingredients, plus there was a bit of time for me to nose around the great selection of veg and food products on offer. We recorded all five shows in the one day, so let me just say it is a LONG day! I arrived at about 8am and didn't leave till around 9pm that night, but despite the long hours and the freezing cold, the amazing team really made recording an absolute pleasure.

There was a crack team of five food super heroes producing the content for the show down in the market and these guys really work hard! I have a feeling they have posed together for a photo before because when I told them I wanted a picture, they very naturally assembled themselves in that formation! Let me introduce you to them, Leonie in the middle is the home economist and she spend loads of time compiling info on each of my recipes, the woman is like a human food encyclopedia and was on hand with great one liners to stick in to my piece! Rasheed there with the clipboard is the producer and made sure everything ran smoothly and kept my spirits high throughout the day, he is a former chef and he too has a fantastic and extensive knowledge of food!

Robin with the glasses and hoody, is the hard core camera dude, who is clearly an expert at his job, as he showed no signs of loosing his patience with me even after my 15th take on one shot! He was full of advice and really helped me keep things moving along throughout the day. Olga is the foodie equivalent of a rockstar music video director and kept me so motivated all day long! She is a bundle of energy and was lots of fun to work with. Last but not least in blue hoodie is Dan, and he is literally a professional feeder! I think I saw a documentary about people who kept their partners overweight by feeding them a constant supply of junk food, and I am fairly sure Dan could be guilty of this. (note: I just googled feederism and apparently feeders derive a sexual pleasure in feeding their partners, sorry Dan maybe your not one!) He is solely responsible for introducing me to curly wurly cake! (I know, I know, recipe coming soon!)

In terms of recording, I much preferred cooking direct to camera, although, I've watched the slots last night and tonight and I'm kind of coming across like a duracell bunny! Extremely excitable but I blame the cold! One of the biggest problems of the day was keeping the frying pan hot, because of the bitter cold weather, every time I would add something to the pan, it would cool down, but Leonie did come to the rescue by erecting a portable metal guard which she would stick around the hob and we would stop filming in order for it to heat up.

I was actually flying to Sweden the following day to go skiing, so luckily had packed thermal underwear (I know, sexy right?) which after about five minutes of arriving I ran across to the nearest toilet to to change into them! So if you are wondering just how many layers I am wearing, I think the total came to seven, but I was still cold! We finished up after a long day with high spirits and lots of laughter! The dishes I cooked which will be coming up on the show this week are mackerel with chorizo potato salad, healthy Singapore noodles, healthy paella, aromatic duck salad, and one more which I has completely slipped my mind, so it will just have to remain a suprise for us all for now! :)

I first tried this salad as a kid, and back then I was never really convinced on the addition of pears. Even going as far as insisting on the pears having to be picked out, but then again I was a pretty, particular, little brat! I guess you could say, my palate has slightly expanded since then, and I can truly say that I now appreciate this punchy flavour combination. We had this with barbequed mackerel for dinner on Sunday and I'm not sure about the combination, but this salad really stands strong alongside whatever dish you choose to serve it with.

Rocket, Pear, Parmesan and Pine Nut Salad
Toast the pine nuts in frying pan for a minute or so until they turn a nice golden brown. Make sure to keep your eye on them as nuts cook really quickly, I can't tell you how many times I've burnt a pan of nuts and I still haven't learned my lesson!

Serves 4
120g of rocket
2 pears, peeled, cored and sliced wafer thin.
A good handful of parmesan shavings
50g of pine nuts, toasted

Dressing:
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
1 clove of garlic, minced
A good pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper

In a large salad bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper.
Add the rocket and toss in the dressing until evenly coated.
Scatter the toasted pine nuts, parmesan shavings and pear slices on top of the rocket.
Serve straight away and enjoy!