Food writer Jenny Jefferies talks about mackerel in her column this month.

Mackerel are the fastest swimming fish in UK waters; they’re able to swim up to 50 metres in 10 seconds and up to 11.25mph.

But what about the taste? Mackerel is just landing on our shores and coming into season now.

Inka Cresswell, a film maker and marine biologist says in For The Love Of The Sea II : “As a kid, we used to catch mackerel with my dad locally and my mum Jo would put together the most incredible jerk seasoning and barbecue them on the beach over the bonfire.

As a mixed Jamaican/British family it was the perfect fusion of culture and home.”

Jo's Jerked Mackerel

Preparation time: 20 min, plus marinating, Cooking Time: 15 mins, serves four.

This mackerel dish is from Jenny's book From the Sea II.This jerked mackerel dish is from Jenny's book From the Sea II. (Image: Jenny Jefferies)

Ingredients:

Two limes, 1 juiced and 1 quartered

4 mackerel, cleaned (heads on or off )

2 large onions

2-3 cloves of garlic

For the jerk seasoning

1 scotch bonnet pepper, seeds removed

(use half if you don’t want it too hot)

1 onion, quartered

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp vegetable or olive oil

1 tbsp dried thyme

2 tsp allspice berries or powder

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp brown sugar

Method:

For the jerk seasoning, blend all the ingredients together in a blender or pestle and mortar.

Combine this with the lime juice in a bowl. Use a sharp knife to make two diagonal cuts on one side of each mackerel, then place the fish in the bowl of jerk seasoning and rub all over until completely coated. Halve and slice the remaining onions, then mix them with the fish and jerk seasoning.

Peel and crush the garlic cloves, add them to the bowl, then leave to marinate for a few hours.

Lay the marinated mackerel on a baking tray in a row or head to tail, cut side up. Scatter the sliced onions all around the fish, then cover the tray with foil or greaseproof paper.

Bake in a hot oven or on a barbecue for 15 minutes. Remove foil for last few minutes.

Serve the baked or barbecued mackerel with the lime wedges. Goes well with plain boiled rice and a lovely mixed leaf salad.

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