Potted mackerel with cranberry jelly and potato mustard salad

by Adam Gray
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servings4
2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Potted mackerel

  • 1 mackerel fillet
  • 2 smoked mackerel fillets
  • 2 tbsp of natural yoghurt
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 dash of paprika
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1 tbsp of horseradish cream
  • 30g of butter, softened

Mackerel stock

  • 1/2 tsp anise seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 6 mackerel carcasses
  • 1 shallot
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 celery stick
  • 1/2 bulb of fennel
  • 1 leek
  • 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 4 stalks of tarragon
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cloves
  • 1/2 dried chilli
  • 1 star anise
  • 12 black peppercorns
  • 150ml of white wine
  • 75ml of white wine vinegar

Cranberry jelly

  • 500g of frozen cranberries
  • 125g of caster sugar
  • 6 gelatine leaves

Potato salad

  • 2 Désirée potatoes
  • 1 tbsp of chives, chopped

White wine mustard dressing

  • 5 tbsp of mayonnaise
  • 3 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 50ml of walnut oil
  • 50ml of groundnut oil
  • 1 tbsp of white wine vinegar
  • salt
  • pepper

To plate

  • 4 slices of granary bread

Method

1
To make the mackerel stock place all the dry seeds in a frying pan and heat until they are toasted to extract the flavour. Remove the eyes and gills of the mackerel carcasses, then chop and rinse
  • 1/2 tsp anise seeds
  • 6 mackerel carcasses
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2
Prepare the vegetables by peeling and cutting the shallot into eighths, peeling and chopping the carrot, chopping the celery, fennel and the white of the leek
  • 1 shallot
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 celery stick
  • 1/2 bulb of fennel
  • 1 leek
3
Put all ingredients in a saucepan, add just enough water to cover everything and bring to a simmer. Simmer, skimming for 15 minutes, then strain carefully through a muslin cloth
  • 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 4 stalks of tarragon
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cloves
  • 1/2 dried chilli
  • 1 star anise
  • 12 black peppercorns
  • 150ml of white wine
  • 75ml of white wine vinegar
4
To make the cranberry jelly, put the frozen cranberries in a bowl with the sugar and cover with cling film. Place the bowl over a saucepan of boiling water for 30-40 minutes, until the cranberries are soft and have broken down
  • 500g of frozen cranberries
  • 125g of caster sugar
5
Tip the cranberries into a muslin cloth to drain. Adjust the cranberry juice with more sugar if necessary but retain a tartness
6
To make the potted mackerel, skin and pin-bone the fresh and smoked mackerel. Gently poach the fresh mackerel in the stock until just cooked, then leave to cool in the fish stock. Drain, reserving the stock
  • 1 mackerel fillet, fresh
  • 2 smoked mackerel fillets
7
Place the fresh and smoked fillets of mackerel in a food processor. Add all the other ingredients except the soft butter and blitz until smooth
  • 2 tbsp of natural yoghurt
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 dash of paprika
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1 tbsp of horseradish cream
8
Beat the butter, and add to the mackerel and pulse until just mixed. Make sure you don't over process this, as it will split
  • 30g of butter
9
Remove the potted mackerel from the food processor and place in a bowl. Check the seasoning and add a little stock if you need to. Any final mixing must be done by hand with a spatula
10
To make the cranberry jelly, measure the cranberry juice and add an equal amount of mackerel stock, little by little. Taste as you measure - what you want is a balanced flavour
11
Measure the full amount of liquid and use 3 leaves of gelatine for each 600ml. Soak the gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes, drain and stir into the liquid (make sure it is still hot)
  • 6 gelatine leaves
12
Divide the potted mackerel between 4 small ramekins and top with a thin layer of cranberry jelly. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving
13
To make the dressing, mix the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard together in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the walnut and groundnut oils. Whisk in the white wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper
  • 5 tbsp of mayonnaise
  • 3 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 50ml of walnut oil
  • 50ml of groundnut oil
  • 1 tbsp of white wine vinegar
  • salt
  • pepper
14
To make the potato salad, cut the potatoes into 1/2cm dice then cook in simmering water for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool
  • 2 Désirée potatoes
15
Gently mix the potatoes with the chives and 4 tablespoons of white wine mustard dressing, ensuring not to crush the diced potatoes
  • 1 tbsp of chives
16
Place the small pot of potted mackerel at the top of the serving plate and spoon a small pile of the potato salad at the bottom. Serve with a slice of toasted granary bread
  • 4 slices of granary bread