Fresh line-caught mackerel with beetroot

My father-in-law has always had a huge passion for fishing, whether clad in waders in a small river way up a track in the Central Highlands, on a spate river, in a boat on a calm loch or out at sea.

He knows and has visited every fishing tackle sale in the local area and regularly updates the selection of creative and beautifully-made flies he uses to bring in his next catch.

He’s an avid reader of all things fishing-related too and the attic has at least one bookcase full of books about this river or that, flies and techniques.

Last Saturday, along with other members of the Mackintosh clan, he headed out to sea from the Cromarty Firth and landed five boxes of beautifully fresh mackerel.

This being more than any reasonable sized family could deal with, he called me up and offered two boxes for Bruno to use at the hotel.

As a result, that evening’s dinner menu had a starter of Duncan Mackintosh’s line caught mackerel with beetroot salad, beetroot jelly and petit salad.

Pan-fried to perfection with the earthy flavours of beetroot, the dish won warm praise that evening.

Bruno himself said it was the freshest fish he had worked with. It had literally been in the sea only three hours before!

A huge thank you to Duncan and his fishing companions for such wonderful fish to serve to our guests.

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