Mackerel, sticky onions and pickled plums

Having moved from London to Yorkshire four years ago, I’m discovering what rural cooking and sourcing ingredients really means. With farmers working in all directions, our area is dotted with weekly markets and there’s a staggering coastline with fish shacks to drool over. Our nearest shop is several miles away, so we have to travel farther to find what’s worth eating. We are now growing some of our own vegetables, motivated by being able to pick them fresh, and friends share their own homegrown produce with us. This is the time of year for a lovely late-summer feast.

For this dish, pick up the freshest mackerel – I’m lucky because there’s plenty caught on the coastline near me – when their eyes are clear and skin bright. Cook them on a grill or barbecue, and serve with peppery, sweet-sour relish, perhaps with crispy potatoes or stuffed into bread rolls. For a shortcut, use smoked mackerel.