mackerel, Mediterranean style with a Halloween-inspired twist

I’m a sucker for pumpkins. They’re just so cute, sitting in big crates, bright orange and yellow and green, calling out to me. Saying “Jen, buy me, carve me!” I give in each year. I’ve got a big orange pumpkin waiting to be souped on Wednesday. But last night, I used munchkin pumpkins, roasting them in their little wedges until soft and sweet.

I roasted them with harissa paste to give them a deep and spicy flavour, though any spice of your choice would work well. Be creative.

Grilled mackerel with parsley salad and harissa-roasted pumpkin
(serves 2)

2 whole mackerel or mackerel fillets
2 lemon wedges
2 healthy pinches of cumin powder
olive oil spray
2 handfuls of parsley, chopped fine
2-3 tomatoes, chopped
75-100 g cucumber, chopped
juice of ½ a lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
250 g munchkin pumpkins
dried cracked chilli pepper
2 tablespoons of harissa
olive oil spray

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Combine the pumpkin, chilli pepper, harissa and olive oil spray in a foil-lined roasting tin. (Just a handful of sprays will do.) Roast for 30 minutes.

While the pumpkin is roasting, make the parsley salad by combining the tomato, cucumber, parsley, lemon juice and seasoning. Let it sit.

Preheat the grill. Dress the mackerel with lemon juice and cumin and cook for about 12 minutes, turning once.

A friend mentioned to me that she doesn't have mackerel often, because of the high fat content. It's true, it isn't low in calories (I'd reckon it's about 400 calories for a large fillet. But by grilling it, and not eating the skin, you get a lot of good omega 3 oils. Just be sure to serve the mackerel with other, low-fat, low calorie options. The parsley salad is great, and the pumpkin helps to balance out the protein and fat with fibre and carbohydrates.