The Danish element in our family means there’s a deep love of smoked fish but I’ve not always found it easy to get mackerel into my diet. My Dad used to fish for mackerel in Loch Fyne and cook it straight away on his boat with just salt and olive oil. This is the very definition of fresh but at home in Suffolk, hundreds of miles away from the Scottish lochs, I make this easy smoked mackerel pate to get the benefits of this oily fish. This protein has two mental health nutrition heroes: Vitamin B12 and Selenium. In keeping with the Danish style I serve Smoked Mackerel Pate with beetroot
INGREDIENTS
Serves 2 Adults and 2 Kids
3 smoked mackerel fillets
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tbsp prepared horseradish
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
sea salt
chives
edible flowers (optional)
pickled beetroot slices
par baked ciabatta loaf or rye bread
Iron helps to regulate blood sugar which in turn regulates energy and mood; an essential part of managing depression. SPINACH
Like iron, fibre helps to regulate blood sugar and your body uses it for the production of serotonin, an essential chemical for mental health.
- Pre-heat the oven for the bread as per the instructions. Then cook according to the instructions.
- Remove the skins from the three mackerel fillets and break up into a food processor. Add the cream cheese, sour cream, horseradish and salt then grate in the zest of a lemon and squeeze in half the juice. Keep the other half to serve with the pate.
- Secure the food processor lid and pulse the ingredients for a minute then set the processor to high and allow to blend for 2 minutes. Check the consistency and scrape down the sides then blend for another minute if necessary.
- Spoon the pate into a serving dish, sprinkle with sea salt, chopped chives and edible flowers (if in season). You can chill the pate while the bread finishes.
- Slice the bread and serve on a large platter with a dish of sliced pickled beetroot. It’s such a delicious and filling mid-week dinner.
