Smoked Mackerel with Apple

A fresh, creamy smoked mackerel salad with apple, gherkin and chives. Delicious as a simple lunch on toasted bread, and also very suitable as a small bite with drinks.

Serves: 4
Preparation: 0 minutes
Cooking: approx. 15 minutes
Total time: approx. 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 smoked mackerel
• 8 slices of sturdy white or brown bread
• 1 tart apple (for example Elstar or Jonagold)
• 3 gherkins
• 1 small shallot
• 125 g crème fraîche
• A small bunch of chives
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• A few drops of lemon juice

Preparation

• Carefully remove the skin from the smoked mackerel.
• Remove the fish flesh from the bones and carefully check with your fingers for any remaining bones.
• Put the clean fish flesh in a bowl.
• Cut the gherkins into small dice.
• Peel the apple, remove the core and cut the flesh into small dice. Sprinkle with a few drops of lemon juice to prevent discolouration.
• Peel the shallot and finely chop it.
• Slice the chives into fine rings.

Method

1. Add the crème fraîche to the mackerel in the bowl.
2. Roughly mash the fish with a fork so that the mackerel and crème fraîche combine well but still retain some texture.
3. Add the diced gherkin, the diced apple and the finely chopped shallot.
4. Gently mix everything together.
5. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
6. Toast the slices of bread in a toaster or in a dry frying pan until golden and crisp.
7. Spread the warm toast generously with the mackerel salad.
8. Sprinkle with the finely sliced chives just before serving.
9. Serve one to two slices per person as a lunch dish, with any extra salad in a small bowl on the side.
10. For drinks, you can spread the toast first and then cut it into smaller pieces (for example triangles or strips) and arrange on a platter.
11. The salad can be kept, well covered in the fridge, for up to a day; stir before serving and, if needed, lightly re-season.