Nigel Slater's Recipes for Lemon Grilled Mackerel and Spinach Baked Polenta

The words, chalked in capital letters on a gray board, greet me from afar: CARLINGFORD OYSTERS. Cornish mackerel. For once, my decision is made before I even set foot in the shop. I take a look at some appetizing sea bass and a bag of tiny mussels, tightly closed shells, but I'm the recommendation. You learn to trust your local traders.

I do almost nothing with the oysters, except a little squeeze of lemon. They have a briny, slapping freshness and set us up for a supper of grilled mackerel fish with cider vinegar and paprika, and a plume of grilled spring onions. I sometimes have trouble removing the mackerel from the bars of the griddle, so decide to cook it with the heat from above, under the broiler. The fillets are flipped halfway through cooking, to crisp up the skin, which I savor, even though others don't.

While the fish cooks, I brush it with a cider vinegar vinaigrette, caster sugar – just a pinch – and introduce a smoky note with a dusting of strong paprika on its flesh. The warmth, acidity and smoky notes are just what the fatty flesh of a silvery-blue mackerel needs.

Despite welcome sunshine, evenings are still a Bit fresh and I'm still making carb-centric dinners. This week, a dish of baked polenta with cream and cheese, a dinner I tend to save for winter and early spring nights. To mop up the blue cheese sauce on our plates, a crisp, curly and crunchy conference pear salad.

You can also cook the mackerel on the bone. In this case, I would roast it rather than using the grill. You need a very hot oven for the skin to be crispy, 200C/thermostat 6 is best, and a cooking time of about 20 minutes (check by detaching the flesh from the bone, it should detach easily if it is ready), return halfway. Generously brush the fish with the dressing as it roasts and continue cooking until the skin is lightly crispy.

With oily fish such as mackerel, j I tend to line the drip pan with aluminum foil, to make cleaning easier, but it responds exceptionally well to cooking directly on the bars of a griddle. Just be sure to brush the skin with some oil to prevent sticking. If your spring onions are large, cut them lengthwise and turn them once during cooking. Serves 2

For the vinaigrette: white wine or cider vinegar 50 ml lemon juice 1 tbsp thyme leaves 1 tsp caster sugar 1 tsp peanut or vegetable oil 50 ml

For the mackerel: spring onions 4 mackerel fillets 4

In a cooking pot jam with an airtight lid, put the vinegar, lemon juice, a little salt and black pepper powder. Add thyme leaves, sugar and oil and shake to combine. Pour half the dressing into a small bowl and set aside.

Line a baking sheet with foil. Preheat a top grill (oven). Cut the spring onions in half lengthwise, cutting off the darker green leaves as you go. Brush them with a little dressing, then place them under the broiler until they are tender and golden brown. Remove to a warm place.

Season the mackerel fillets and place them skin side down on the foil-lined baking sheet. Brush with a little dressing, then place under the broiler for 6 to 8 minutes until the flesh begins to brown. Gently flip the fillets using a palette knife.

Transfer the mackerel and spring onions to plates, drizzle with the reserved dressing and serve.Baked polenta with spinach and gorgonzola