Try these crowd-pleasing smoked mackerel-potato cakes. Meaty and intense fish chunks and creamy potato on the inside and a crusty breaded crust on the outside. They make a lovely comforting midweek lunch or dinner. Quick to make, healthy and delicious.
Yes, it is fish time! I love fish. What is your favourite fish? My favourite top three were salmon, trout and dorada. I said “were” because I found another fish that I like. Not long ago, I discovered mackerel. Oh, this fantastic fish.
Mackerel lives in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea and the Atlantic ocean. It is a luxurious fish. Even more luxurious than salmon. Wink. It is funny how the supermarkets are packed with different cuts of salmon, sometimes trout and dorada. I found this lovely fish on a bottom shelf almost covered with tons of salmon fillets. What a shame.
And, what makes it so special? Firstly, mackerel is a very meaty and firm-fleshed fish. The meat is creamy and intense in flavour (especially when smoked). The outer meat is red, while the inner meat is white.
Secondly, mackerel is very high in oil content (along with other nutrients) and in omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, a mackerel has twice as much omega-3 as salmon. Healthy, healthy healthy.
Thirdly, compared to other fish, like salmon, trout or dorada, it costs five times less. Woohoo! I am so glad that I found it.
More, the mackerel I bought was smoked. A smoked fish is basically cooked through smoke and as a result, it gets infused with a lovely subtle smokiness. It’s just amazing. Smoked mackerel is one of the tastiest and cheapest fish you can find.
Therefore, next time you are at the supermarket or by a fishmonger, check for the mackerel. This fish is full of flavour, healthy and it tastes absolutely delicious. I am sure you’ll love it.
And large chunks of this tasty fish come inside the potato cakes. Potatoes pair wonderfully with fish. More, when mixed with an egg, they get fluffy and puffy. Wink. However, you can swap them with lentils or chickpeas. Also, if you prefer something else to fish, check out these cheese-stuffed potato cakes.
Ingredients for 8 smoked mackerel-potato cakes (3 cm large):
- 300 g potatoes
- 300 g smoked mackerel
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp of breadcrumbs (plus for coating)
- sunflower oil for frying
- half a lemon
- 3 handfuls of mixed salad greens
- a handful of fresh basil
- salt
- vinegar
- olive oil
To begin, wash and cook the potatoes. Once tender, drain and peel them. Then, place them in a bowl, mash them with a fork and let them cool down for 15-20 minutes.
In the meantime, skin the fish and place the chunks of flesh into a bowl. Make sure you remove all of the thin and long bones.
Furthermore, add a beaten egg and two spoons of breadcrumbs to the potatoes. Mix well with a wooden spoon to combine. Season with salt and carefully stir in the fish chunks, in order to keep them large.
Then, slightly wet or oil your hands and form 3 cm large balls, lay them on a plate lined with parchment paper. Add ten spoons of breadcrumbs (or as needed) to a flat plate and roll each ball into them until the whole surface is breaded. Place the smoked mackerel-potato cakes in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, wash the salad greens and basil. Let them drain until ready to serve.
At this point, add the sunflower oil into a pan (about two fingers high) and heat it up. After the oil is hot (when you put the tip of a toothpick in and there are small bubbles around it, it is ready), carefully add the smoked mackerel-potato cakes in it. I suggest frying it into two patches.
When the cakes are golden brown, lay them on some paper towels to drain the excess oil. Put the salad and basil in a bowl and toss it with some olive oil and vinegar.
Finally, divide the salad between two plates or on one serving plate and top with smoked mackerel-potato cakes. Some lemon juice drops make these crispy but tender fish cakes really tasty. Make them either for lunch or dinner.
Enjoy.
