For the sousing liquor:
1 Make a dry caramel with the sugar till it turns a walnut brown colour
2 Add the water and remove from the heat
3 Add the vinegar, star anise, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and toasted sesame seeds
4 Leave the liquid to cool completely
5 Place all of the mackerel fillets into the liquid for 2 hours
6 Remove the fish from the liquor, then rinse well removing all of the seeds and spices and pat dry with kitchen paper
7 Keep 4 fillets whole and set aside, then remove the skin and dice into ½ cm cubes
Beetroot pickled shallots:
1 Peel the shallots into separate layers and set aside - this is done best by cutting each shallot into quarters and using a small knife just tease the layers apart
2 In a heavy based pan add all of the pickling ingredients and bring to the boil
3 Pour the boiling liquid over the shallots and leave to go cold
For the mackerel tartare:
Mix all of the ingredients together and check for seasoning, it shouldn’t need much because of saltiness of the capers and the sharpness of vinegar
For the soused and blackened mackerel:
1 Trim the 4 whole mackerel fillets into uniform rectangles, then score the skin with a very sharp knife 7-8 times
2 Blow torch the skin side to a caramelised blackened colour this will add sweetness and in effect cook the mackerel
3 Alternatively flash the fillets skin side up under a really hot grill
To Serve:
Plate all elements of the dish as per the image