Happy Dydd Gwyl Dewi- St David’s day to all my Welsh friends and readers!
St David, the patron Saint of Wales, is celebrated all over the World on the 1st March and is an important part of the heritage of Wales, as its history and traditional food.
To help get in the celebrations, London has showcased different events celebrating Welsh culture and traditional products over the weekend. Lead by award-winning Welsh chef and restaurateur Bryn Williams, Taste of Wales is the perfect occasion to learn more about the history of one of the most beautiful and fascinating regions in UK.
Chef Williams has been critically acclaimed for his award-winning dishes at Odette’s restaurant in London, and at his new restaurant on the North Wales coast. Chef Bryn loves to showcase his passion for Welsh products and ingredients, which are wisely married to create modern dishes, often inspired by his travels around the world.
To help you celebrate St David’s day at the best, I’ve teamed up with Chef Bryn to recreate one of his beautiful recipes for you.
This simple Welsh Salt & Vinegar Mackerel Carpaccio is extremely light and pleasantly delightful to the palate. All the ingredients are superbly balanced and deliver an elegant starter with very little effort. Ready in less than 15 min, this stunning dish will make you look in front of your guests like an award-winning chef!
This recipe requires just few simple ingredients, so make sure to choose them wisely. Go for the freshest mackerel available. If you have never cut a fish carpaccio-style, ask your fishmonger to clean and portion it for you, most of them will be happy to help.
When it comes to the vinegar, don’t just use that white stinky vinegar sitting in your pantry for who-knows how long. The chef recommends to use Chardonnay vinegar, which is very mild, sweet and delicate in flavour, and doesn’t overwhelm the fish.
Last but not least, sea salt is one of the key ingredients to make this elegant mackerel carpaccio. Under Chef Bryn advice, I’ve used organically certified Helen Mon Anglesey Sea Salt, an unique Welsh salt which really brings dishes to another level.
Then, all you have to do to recreate this fantastic recipe in the comfort of your home, is combine the ingredients together. It really couldn’t be easier than that!
This salt & vinegar mackerel carpaccio requires very little effort and delivers a fantastic starter for an elegant dinner. Perfect to celebrate St David’s day and any other special occasion!
So, how are you going to celebrate St David’s day? Join in on the celebration by sharing with me your favourite Welsh recipe and how you plan on spending this special day! Tag your pictures #tasteofwales on Instagram and Twitter! Looking at your fantastic creations always makes my day :).
- 6 large mackerel fillets, skinned and sliced as thinly as possible, like smoked salmon
- 50ml chardonnay vinegar
- 100ml olive oil
- a large pinch of good, Welsh sea salt
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 shallot, peeled and sliced into rings
- 2 radishes, trimmed and sliced
- 50g cress
- beetroot puree (optional)
- Place the sliced mackerel straight onto your serving dish.
- Mix the vinegar and oil together in a bowl, and brush all over the mackerel. Season with a good pinch of the Welsh sea salt.
- Dress the shallot rings and sliced radish with the remaining dressing. Arrange them evenly over the mackerel. Scatter with the lemon zest, the cress salad and a good grinding of fresh pepper.
- Serve with an optional beetroot purée drizzled around the fish.
Chardonnay vinegar is now widely available, but, if you can’t get it, use the best white wine vinegar you can find. You don’t want something that’s too sharp.
This post is sponsored by the Welsh Government. All opinions above represent my own, and I truly enjoy and can only recommend Welsh products. Thank you for supporting the brands and organizations that support The Petite Cook!