Literally ‘fish bread’, this Turkish sandwich is simple, quick and utterly delicious – perfect for an impromptu barbecue. Just make sure your fish is spanking fresh – if ever there was a fish that should be eaten straight from the sea, it’s a mackerel.
Fire up your barbecue until it’s hot and add the whole peppers to the grill, turning them regularly until they are lightly charred and soft. Depending on the heat, this should take about 10 minutes or so.
Season the mackerel fillets on both sides with a sprinkle of sumac and chilli flakes and a little salt and pepper. Drizzle over just a little olive oil and grill over hot coals for 2–3 minutes on each side, skin-side-down first. Use a fish grilling cage if you have one as there is less chance of the fish sticking and you can turn the fillets over all in one go.
Open out the pieces of baguette, but leave top and bottom hinged together, and lightly toast the cut sides on the grill. To serve, add a whole pepper to each piece of bread – don’t worry about removing the stalk and seeds, simply leave that end poking out of the roll and discard when you eat up to it. Top the pepper with a couple of small mackerel fillets (or 1 large) and squeeze over a little lemon juice. Finally, add a little salad – lettuce, tomato, red onion – and finish with a dollop of mayo, if using. Fold over the top of the bread and tuck in immediately.
