
Mackerel pâté & pickles on rye
Prep
20 mins
Cook
10 mins
Servings
4
Difficulty
Medium
This is one of my favorite quick weeknight suppers because it comes together in just thirty minutes, yet feels utterly special. Hot smoked mackerel is packed with omega 3 fatty acids, which are brilliant for your heart and brain, and it takes the hard work out of cooking since it's already smoked and ready to go. I simply blend it with soft cheese and a bit of horseradish for warmth, then pile it onto rye bread alongside quick pickled radishes that add a zingy crunch. The whole thing is surprisingly simple, genuinely delicious, and costs far less than you'd expect for something this elegant.
Ella x
Ingredients
- 300 gramshot smoked mackerel(Essential Hot Smoked Mackerel Fillets)
- 80 gramsreduced fat soft cheese
- 1 tsphot horseradish sauce
- 1salad onion(finely sliced)
- 1lemon(scrubbed, zest of all and juice of 1⁄2)
- 25 gramsflat leaf parsley(finely chopped)
- 1rye bread(Toasted rye bread or crispbreads, to serve)
- 120 mlscider vinegar(Aspall Organic Cyder Vinegar)
- 40 gramscaster sugar
- ½ tspfine salt
- 8black peppercorns
- 1 tspfennel seeds
- 200 gramsradishes
- 1shallot
Detail level
Instructions
- 1
Start by making the pickles. In a small saucepan, combine 40ml water, the vinegar, sugar, salt, peppercorns and fennel seeds. Warm until the sugar has dissolved, then boil for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, trim and thinly slice the radishes and shallot, then put in a jar or bowl. Pour over the hot pickling liquor and set aside until completely cool.
- 2
Discard the skin from the mackerel and flake the flesh into a small food processor. Add the soft cheese, horseradish, salad onion, lemon zest and juice, parsley and a grinding of black pepper. Whizz to make a smooth pâté. Transfer to a bowl and chill for at least 20 minutes.
- 3
Serve the pâté and pickles with rye toast or crispbread.
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