Barbecued mackerel with green tomato and lovage salad

Serves 4

(Photographs by Jason Lowe)

What's wild and foraged about mackerel you may well ask, but if you have a passion for fishing and have access to the coast, those scavengers the mackerel can be pulled out of the water easily and plentifully. And as for the green tomatoes and lovage, that's all down to your gardening skills.

A nice way to cook your mackerel is to butterfly them like kippers and remove as many bones as you can – then they cook in no time and you get by the dinner guests and kids who have a problem with fish bones. If you're not a dab hand with the filleting knife, get your fishmonger to tackle them.

4 mackerel weighing about 300-350g, prepared as above or left whole and gutted
4 medium-sized green tomatoes
2 shallots, peeled, halved
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1tbsp good-quality cider vinegar
1/2tbsp extra-virgin rapeseed oil
A few leaves of lovage, torn

Pre-heat the barbecue or ribbed griddle. Slice the tomatoes thinly and mix with the shallots, cider vinegar and oil, season and leave to sit for about 15 minutes.

To serve, season and lightly oil the mackerel and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or longer if you have left them whole. Toss the lovage into the tomato mix and arrange on plates with the mackerel.