Potted mackerel with cranberry jelly and potato mustard salad
Item 1 of 1
- medium
- 4
- 2 hours 30 minutes
This beautiful potted mackerel recipe from Adam Gray is visually stunning with its vivid crimson cranberry jelly topping, which makes a sweet counterfoil for the smoky mackerel underneath. A simple mustardy potato salad on the side is all it needs to become an elegant dinner party starter.
First published in 2015
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
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
SAVE RECIPE
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
- 4 ramekins
- Muslin cloth
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
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
First published in 2015
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