Pro-Q Smokers & BBQs
Pro-Q Smokers & BBQs
Hot Smoked Mackerel Burger
This smoky mackerel burger fuses sweet apple woodsmoke to a deep whiskey malted flavour. The crunchy pickled veg provide a splash of colour and nice balance of acidity and the yuzu mayo lifts the stack with a fresh zingy edge. Enjoy this Asian inspired ProQ burger with seasonal Cornish mackerel this summer.
OVERVIEW
METHOD
Hot Smoking
Prep Time
2 Hours
Cooking Time
1 Hour
Serves
4
Suggested Wood
Apple
Ability
Beginner
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE MACKEREL
- 2 Cornish Mackerel, gutted and filleted or 4 mackerel fillets
- FOR THE CURE
- 1 Stick of Lemongrass
- 1 tsp Cracked Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Five Spice
- 2 Tbsp Smoked Sea Salt
- 2 Tbsp Golden Caster Sugar
- 1 tsp Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese Spice)
- 1 tsp Seaweed Flakes
- FOR THE SOY GLAZE
- 3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1 Tbsp Ponzu
- 1 Tbsp Yuzu or Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp Whiskey
- 50ml Whiskey in a spray bottle to spritz
FOR THE PICKLED VEG
- 75ml White Wine Vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Yuzu or Lemon Juice
- ½ Red Onion, finely sliced
- ¼ Red Cabbage, shredded
- 1 Carrot, grated
- 1 tsp Shichimi Togarashi
FOR THE YUZU MAYO
- 4 Tbsp Garlic Mayo
- 1 tsp Yuzu or Lemon Juice
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE MACKEREL
- 2 Cornish Mackerel, gutted and filleted or 4 mackerel fillets
- FOR THE CURE
- 1 Stick of Lemongrass
- 1 tsp Cracked Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Five Spice
- 2 Tbsp Smoked Sea Salt
- 2 Tbsp Golden Caster Sugar
- 1 tsp Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese Spice)
- 1 tsp Seaweed Flakes
- FOR THE SOY GLAZE
- 3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1 Tbsp Ponzu
- 1 Tbsp Yuzu or Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp Whiskey
- 50ml Whiskey in a spray bottle to spritz
FOR THE PICKLED VEG
- 75ml White Wine Vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Yuzu or Lemon Juice
- ½ Red Onion, finely sliced
- ¼ Red Cabbage, shredded
- 1 Carrot, grated
- 1 tsp Shichimi Togarashi
FOR THE YUZU MAYO
- 4 Tbsp Garlic Mayo
- 1 tsp Yuzu or Lemon Juice
METHOD
STEP 1
Mix your mac cure together in a pestle and mortar and rub into your fish fillets to cure. Leave for 1-2 hours in the fridge.
STEP 2
Light up your smoker for hot and fast barbecue. You’re aiming for a smoker temp of around 300-350°F/150-175°C.
STEP 3
Make your BBQ soy glaze by heating soy, maple syrup, ponzu and yuzu in a small cast iron pan over the hot coals. Then add in a splash of whiskey. Reduce this mixture for 5-10 mins until it thickens slightly and starts to reduce. You will brush this onto your mackerel fillets when they are hot smoking later.
STEP 4
Heat your pickling vinegar and sugar solution over the hot grill and add in yuzu. Stir to dissolve and then add in the onion, cabbage and carrot. Bring to the boil and season with schichimi. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
STEP 4
Wash your cured mackerel under cold running water and pat dry. Add a large handful of apple smoking wood chips to the smoker and cover with a lid to generate smoke. Then place the fillets onto the hot grill skin side down. Allow to hot smoke for 3-4 mins then brush regularly with your soy and whiskey glaze. Add a little more apple smoking wood chips if you like a heavy smoke on your fish. Spray the mackerel with whiskey and then cover again with the smoker lid. Repeat 2-3 more times for a one way trip to flavour town!
STEP 5
Toast your burger buns and combine the garlic mayo and yuzu. Start building your burgers with yuzu garlic mayo on the base then a large handful of pickled veg followed by the glazed hot smoked mackerel fillet and a final spray of whiskey over the buns to serve.
