Potted Mackerel

A trip to see Gordon the fishmonger at the weekend saw me skulking away with a bag of Mackerel fillets.


Mackerel is truly my favourite fish, hubby is a bit ambivalent about it though, so I have to make dishes with mackerel when he is not around or in this case, something that lasts a few days and can easily be used for lunch or nibbles. I picked this recipe out from the Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall book on Fish, I adapted the dish slightly to suit.


Potted Mackerel

4 Mackerel Fillets
2 Fat Cloves Garlic
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tsp Mace
1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
125g Butter
1 Tsp Dried Thyme
1 Tbs Fresh Chopped Parsley
S&P

Put 2 fillets, skin side down in an oiled backing tray, place a clove of garlic and bay leaf on each and then the other fillets on top. Bake in oven for 15 minutes, turning once. When cool enough to handle remove the skin and bones and flake into a bowl. Discard the bay leaves and one of the cloves of garlic.

Add mace, thyme, cayenne, parsley & lemon juice to mackerel and season with S&P.

Take the butter and melt in a pan, add the remianing clove of garlic, finely chopped, the butter will separate into white solids, which will sink to the bottom and clarified butter on top. Pour 2/3rds of the clarified butter over the mackerel, mix gently.

Put the mackerel into small ramekins, press down and pour over the remaining clarified butter.







Leave to cool, then refrigerate. The ramekins will keep in the fridge for several days as long as the butter seal is not broken. Perfect with toast.