Mackerel fillets for tea - suggestions?

[d000hg]

In case you were dying to know, I went for:

• Pan-fry 2 fillets for 3 min each side... made the skin nice and crispy
• Mix one teaspoon of horseradish into my left-over mash, shape into a patty and dry-fry each side for 3 min
• One poached egg, done Heston's way (let all the yucky bits escape)
• Some loosely chopped cabbage, fried for a minute or so
• One glass of some Italian white that came in our Xmas wine case

Thanks for the suggestions, the horseradish potato cake was very nice and both it and the creamy yolk complemented the rich fish well. Sadly, I over-poached my egg so the yolk was set but still soft. Bizarrely, though I love eggs and eat them all the time, I have never poached one before!

700 kCal for those who care.

[TykeMerc]

I'm pretty partial to Mackerel fillets myself, they seem to be really versatile.


Assuming not fresh from the sea (in which case grill, butter, season, bread NOM!)
Cold with salad and crusty bread or cream crackers.
Fishcakes.
Flaked with some olive oil and garlic, heated through then over pasta.
Flaked with rice (and a few veggies) in a kedgeree style.
Paella.
Grilled, loads of pepper and crusty bread and butter.

Any number of tasty options tbh.

Probably a load of chinese, thai and japanese options too now I think.

[d000hg]

Hmm, that sounds good although I may have to skip the sauce as the first ingredient "100g butter" is not going to play well towards my diet - 100g butter has the same calories as the two fish fillets and the mashed potato!

[cojak]

When I can't eat straight from the line, I'll cut them straight out of the plastic.

RS's suggestion of poached egg and hollandaise sauce sounds smashing.

[d000hg]

I have some smoked mackerel fillets as it happens; had them over a week but I think they're still good. Nice just with salad.

Yeah, the smoked kind last quite a while. I like them cold with salad and crusty buttered bread, maybe alongside some smoked cheese (the kind that often comes in an orange sausage).

[VectraMan]

I have some smoked mackerel fillets as it happens; had them over a week but I think they're still good. Nice just with salad.

Fish cakes does sound good. Probably a bit too much effort for me.

[Gibbon]

Interesting idea, fishcakes. Cook the fish first and then knead it into the potato before frying?

I wouldn't have thought of putting mackerel and horseradish together though.

Keep your mash dryish and add an egg to help bind (don't forget to season). Best if shaped and put in the fridge to firm up and then flour egg and breadcrumb. BBC food have some recipes.

You'll never buy a pre-made fish cake agin!

[Gittins Gal]

I wouldn't have thought of putting mackerel and horseradish together though.

It is a classic combination if you like mackerel.

If it were springtime, the forager in me would say go out with a spade and find some wild horseradish - grate it up and make your own sauce. Be warned though if you try it - it packs a punch!

[d000hg]

Mackerel fishcakes loaded with horseradish.

Interesting idea, fishcakes. Cook the fish first and then knead it into the potato before frying?

I wouldn't have thought of putting mackerel and horseradish together though.

[Gittins Gal]

Feed them to the cat or chuck em in the bin.

Your post kind of implies they've been hanging around a while.

I don't touch mackerel unless it's been line caught off the beach at Eypes by Mr G. It's the only guarantee of freshness. Any more than a couple of hours out of the water and it's quite rank IMO.

I seem to recall Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall mackerel fishing somewhere down in Lyme Bay - he prepared mackerel sashimi with lime juice on the back of the boat. That, I must stress, would have been ultra fresh and not the recommended recipe for those fillets you've had knocking about in the back of your fridge for who knows how long.

If you must eat them, how about currying them. With a lot of spice.

[Gibbon]

I have a couple of mackerel fillets which need eating. I've also got some left-over mashed potato. I plan to make the latter into fried potato cakes but I'm not sure about the fish. I was thinking to simply pan fry it on a high heat for a couple of minutes each side, seems like I saw this on TV once.

Ideas welcome - nothing too time-consuming though since I need to eat it quite soon

Mackerel fishcakes loaded with horseradish.

[RedSauce]

I have a couple of mackerel fillets which need eating. I've also got some left-over mashed potato. I plan to make the latter into fried potato cakes but I'm not sure about the fish. I was thinking to simply pan fry it on a high heat for a couple of minutes each side, seems like I saw this on TV once.

Ideas welcome - nothing too time-consuming though since I need to eat it quite soon

Pan fry, and at this the potato cake a poached agg and a bit of hollandaise.

[d000hg]

I have a couple of mackerel fillets which need eating. I've also got some left-over mashed potato. I plan to make the latter into fried potato cakes but I'm not sure about the fish. I was thinking to simply pan fry it on a high heat for a couple of minutes each side, seems like I saw this on TV once.

Ideas welcome - nothing too time-consuming though since I need to eat it quite soon