15-MIN MACKEREL & HONEYED CHINESE LEAVES RICE BOWL

An interesting, satisfying meal in 15 minutes

Smoked Mackerel Rice with Honeyed Chinese Leaves, an Almost Instant meal

Quick, easy and tasty, the dish goes from kitchen to table in a flash.  It highlights salt & sweet -- in a healthy way-- and textures from soft through firm to crunchy.  

The dish is pretty healthy with omega-rich mackerel, vitamin-heavy veg, health-giving garlic and antibacterial honey.  It isn't a slimmers' dish -- too many carbs for that.  Reducing a rice portion can help but the delicious sauce from the honeyed leaves makes the rice irresistible.  

Costs: £3-4
Feeds: 3-4

Ingred:
   1 builder's mug raw quick cooking rice (the kind that's cooked in 10-12 mins)
   250-350gms/9-14oz smoked mackerel, peeled & de-boned
   300gm/10 1/2oz Chinese cabbage leaves, separated
   groundnut or other light veg oil

Garlic-Honey Sauce    
   2-3 cloves garlic, grated
   1-2 tbsp honey
   1 tsp soy sauce
   2-3 tsp dry sherry/white wine/grape juice
   1tsp toasted sesame oil (opt) 
   small chilli, de-seeded & membraned, finely sliced or pinch of chilli flakes (opt)

Method:

Equipment: a large pot or pan with tight-fitting lid

1. Mix sauce ingred; set side
2. Cook rice according to packet instructions
3. Break mackerel into large flakes.
4. Slice the bottom quarter inch off the Chinese leaves; slice the leafy green part of the stalks (at the top) in 2inch/4cm strips; drop into cold lightly salted water 
5. Slice the stalks in 1/4in/1/2 cm strips; if the stalk has plenty of leafy bits remove them and add to the others in the salted water
6. When rice is 5 minutes from the end of cooking; scatter mackerel on top; replace lid
7. Heat pan/pot on high; drain Chinese cabbage
8. When pan is smoking hot, spray generously with oil; toss in stalks and stir fry for 1-2 mins or until beginning to soften
9. Reduce heat a little; add leafy bits & sauce; cover; leave to cook 1-2 mins, shaking occasionally until leaves are wilted and stalks are cooked but still crunchy 
10. Fork mackerel into the rice trying not to break up the fish
11. Pile mackerel rice into the centre of a platter and surround with Chinese leaves; pour part of the juices over the rice

                                                      

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This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission