Lemony Orzo with Mackerel, Capers & Parsley
Upgrade your standard tuna-and-pasta dish by combining al dente orzo (a kind of pasta that looks oddly like rice) with the rich flavour of mackerel and the zing of lemon, chilli, capers and parsley. Take care not to overcook the orzo – you want it to retain a bit of bite.
Lemony Orzo with Mackerel, Capers & Parsley
Upgrade your standard tuna-and-pasta dish by combining al dente orzo (a kind of pasta that looks oddly like rice) with the rich flavour of mackerel and the zing of lemon, chilli, capers and parsley. Take care not to overcook the orzo – you want it to retain a bit of bite.
- Serves: 2
- Prepare: 10 Minutes
- Cook: 15 Minutes
- Difficulty: easy
WHO ARE THE ORGANIC BUTCHERY?
Starting life as an organic farm in the heart of the West Country, The Organic Butchery is proudly founded on a long history of organic principles. We source the best quality organic grass-fed and wild meats, sustainable fish and organic free-range poultry from trusted local suppliers and like-minded brands to guarantee the highest standards of animal welfare and environmental stewardship. Our mission is to approach butchery with a whole-carcass perspective, to make the most of every animal that crosses our blocks, which means we offer you cuts that you will never see on the supermarket shelves.
WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE FISH?
Working with carefully chosen suppliers, we have focused on providing fish that we are able to keep in stock throughout the year. As with all of our produce, it’s paramount that it’s sustainably sourced. For the management of our marine ecosystems, in order to respect fish levels and ensure overfishing doesn’t occur.
Ingredients
- 120g can of mackerel fillets, drained
- 150g dried orzo
- ½ small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 2 tsp of capers
- 10 baby plum tomatoes, halved
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- a handful of fresh parsley
- zest and juice of a small lemon
- grated parmesan to serve
- olive or rapeseed oil
- salt and pepper to season
Method
- Cook the orzo for about 8 minutes, or a minute less than the pack instruction. Test to make sure it’s just al dente, then drain, reserving a cup of the cooking water
- Heat a good glug of oil in a shallow pan and sizzle off the garlic and chilli. This will only take a moment so be careful not to burn the garlic. Over a gentle heat, throw the orzo into the pan, stirring the garlic and chilli through. Add a splash of the reserved cooking water to stop the pasta getting too sticky
- Mix in the tomatoes and capers then flake over the mackerel fillets, stirring everything gently and letting all the ingredients warm through
- Remove from the heat, stir through the lemon zest and juice and the parsley. Add a sprinkling of seasoning then divide into two bowls and served with plenty of grated parmesan
WHO ARE THE ORGANIC BUTCHERY?
Starting life as an organic farm in the heart of the West Country, The Organic Butchery is proudly founded on a long history of organic principles. We source the best quality organic grass-fed and wild meats, sustainable fish and organic free-range poultry from trusted local suppliers and like-minded brands to guarantee the highest standards of animal welfare and environmental stewardship. Our mission is to approach butchery with a whole-carcass perspective, to make the most of every animal that crosses our blocks, which means we offer you cuts that you will never see on the supermarket shelves.
WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE FISH?
Working with carefully chosen suppliers, we have focused on providing fish that we are able to keep in stock throughout the year. As with all of our produce, it’s paramount that it’s sustainably sourced. For the management of our marine ecosystems, in order to respect fish levels and ensure overfishing doesn’t occur.
Frequently asked questions
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There is a wide spectrum of ways that fish can be caught or farmed, certification schemes help you identify which standards the fish you are buying has been subject too. At Coombe Farm Organic we stock sustainable fish – all either organically certified or approved by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an independent non-profit organization which sets a standard for sustainable fishing, look out for their blue label on fish products which reassures you it was caught by a responsible fishery in a sustainable way, ensuring healthy oceans and safeguards seafood supplies for the future.
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Sustainable fishing is important in the management of our marine ecosystems, in order to respect fish stock levels and ensure overfishing does not occur. With fish being one of the most popular choices of animal proteins at mealtimes, its no wonder that popular fish species such as cod are in decline. Overfishing to meet the demands of the consumer have meant certain stocks of fish have gone into decline, the demand has been so high that the fish stocks have not be given time to replenish. It is said that 1/3rd of fish stocks are overfished, which really is quite shocking. Sustainable fishing allows fisheries to work closely with scientists to look at the patterns of growth and decline of fish stocks, these occur through births, deaths and migration. By analysing this data, the ‘maximum sustainable yield’ (this is how much a fish species can be fished before overfishing occurs) is calculated and this allows responsible fishing to occur, working with nature, instead of against it.