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Boxty with mackerel

An average of 5.0 out of 5 stars from 1 rating
Prepare
less than 30 mins
Cook
30 mins to 1 hour
Serve
Serves 4

Simply fried mackerel served with crisp potato pancakes makes an easy treat for a weekend lunch.

Ingredients

For the boxty

  • mashed potato: 250g/9oz colcannon or mashed potato
  • potatoes: 250g/9oz potatoes (such as Rooster), peeled and grated
  • plain flour: 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú plain flour
  • milk: 125ml/4fl oz milk
  • butter: knob of butter
  • rapeseed oil: rapeseed oil, for frying
  • black pepper: sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the mackerel

  • mackerel: 4 small mackerel, gutted and butterflied or filleted
  • olive oil: 2–3 tbsp olive oil
  • garlic: 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • butter: knob of butter
  • dill: dill, chopped, to garnish
  • : 1 lemon, juice only, to serve

For the salad

Method

  1. For the boxty, put the colcannon (or mash), grated potato and flour in a bowl and mix until combined. Stir in the milk, little by little, until you have a wet dropping consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

  2. Heat a frying pan over a medium–high heat. Add a little butter and oil, when the butter begins to foam, spoon heaped tablespoons of the mixture into the frying pan and fry for 3–4 minutes on each side until golden-brown.

  3. Remove and place on a warm plate lined with kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Keep the pancakes warm in a low oven, if necessary.

  4. For the mackerel, coat the mackerel fillets with a little oil and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

  5. Heat a frying pan over a high heat and add a splash of oil and the butter. When the butter is foaming, add the mackerel skin-side down and fry for 3–4 minutes until the skin is crisp and the flesh is opaque.

  6. Meanwhile, make the salad. Place the lettuce leaves in a large bowl. Mix the oil, vinegar and mustard in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and pour over the leaves. Toss to coat.

  7. Serve the mackerel with the potato pancakes. Finish with a little dill over the pancakes and a squeeze of lemon juice on the fish.

Recipe tips

If you don't have any leftover mashed potato, you can buy frozen mash from the freezer section of most supermarkets.

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