3458. WARM NEW POTATO, ROCKET, BACON and SMOKED MACKEREL SALAD

serves four


400 grams (14 oz.) new potatoes, halved if large
6 unsmoked streaky bacon rashers, sliced into 1cm strips
splash of olive oil
50 grams (1.5 oz.) bag rocket leaves
1 packet (about 330 grams) smoked mackerel, skin removed, flaked
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
juice of ½ lemon

Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for 15 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, cook the bacon with a splash of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat until crisp. Put the cooked potatoes in a bowl with the rocket, bacon and mackerel. Drizzle over the olive oil, add the lemon juice, season and toss together. Serve straightaway.


bacon recipe source: Charlie Clapp, delicious. magazine, Seven Publishing Group, Sea Container’s House, 20 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PD

3277. SMOKED MACKEREL, BACON and DUCK EGG

serves four 


For the bread
200 grams light malthouse bread flour
300 grams white bread flour
300 ml beer
35 grams fresh yeast
10 grams (2/3 tablespoon) butter
20 grams (4 teaspoons) salt

For the topping
2 fillets of smoked mackerel
8 rashers of cooked lean bacon, sliced
4 duck eggs
200 grams watercress leaves 

For the mustard dressing
½ teaspoon finely chopped shallot
½ teaspoon English mustard
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
100ml rapeseed oil

For the bread, mix together all the ingredients, except the salt, to form a dough. Knead for five minutes. Add the salt and knead for a further two minutes. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for half an hour. Remove the dough, divide and roll into shape for two loaf tins. Place in the tins and cover with a damp cloth. Leave in a warm place for 45 minutes and preheat the oven to 235°C. Remove the cloth from the loaves, dust with flour and add a splash of water to the top, to create steam in the oven and a crusty top. Bake for 20 minutes. To make the topping, flake the smoked mackerel into large pieces and mix together with the bacon and watercress. Combine the mustard dressing ingredients together and drizzle over the salad. To serve, toast four slices of the beer bread, place the topping on the toast, poach the duck eggs for three minutes, season and add to the bread.


bacon recipe source: The New West Country Cookbook; Stylist Magazine

3156. GRILLED and SMOKED MACKEREL with WATERCRESS, BACON and WALNUT DRESSING

makes two servings


2 fresh mackerel fillets, trimmed and cut into 3 pieces
2 smoked mackerel fillets, lightly broken
100 ml olive oil
2 grams thyme leaves
2 grams coarse sea salt
8 turns fresh black pepper
40 ml sherry wine vinegar
1 teaspoon caster sugar

For the salad:
50 ml vegetable oil
100 grams smoked bacon cut into 2mm slices then cut into neat lardons or cubes

Bacon and Sherry Vinaigrette:
250 ml vegetable oil
110 grams smoked bacon lardons
4 banana shallot, finely sliced
12 turns of milled pepper
50 grams walnuts, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
160 ml sherry wine vinegar
40 grams soft brown sugar
10 grams Dijon mustard
2 egg yolks
50 ml single cream
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

To finish the salad:
100 grams walnuts halves, lightly toasted and chopped
6 spring onions, coarsely sliced
350 grams baby watercress, washed

Mix together the olive oil, thyme, salt, pepper, sherry vinegar and the sugar. Place the fresh mackerel fillets onto an oiled baking tray and brush with the olive oil mixture.

Heat a non-stick saute pan on a high heat then add the oil. When hot add the bacon and cook for 3-4 minutes till nice and crispy. Tip the bacon into a sieve and keep all the oil. Drain the bacon onto some kitchen paper.

Pour the oil from the drained bacon into a non stick saute pan along with the extra 100ml oil. Heat the pan and add the smoked bacon lardons. Cook gently, add the shallots, pepper, walnuts, garlic and thyme. Cook for 2 minutes until they are soft.

Drain the bacon lardons and shallots into a sieve keeping all the oil from all the cooked bacon too.

Place the pan back onto the stove with the bacon, shallots and garlic mix then add 100ml sherry vinegar, soft brown sugar and reduce until it has all evaporated, keep aside in a bowl.

Place the mustard, remaining vinegar, egg yolks and freshly milled pepper into a bowl. Whisk for a minute until it thickens. Add the oil from the cooked bacon and the remaining vegetable oil. Whisk all the time as it starts to thicken. If the dressing is too thick add a little warm water. Add the cream and parsley and check the seasoning.

Place the mackerel under a hot grill to cook and cook for approx 3-4 minutes till golden.

Put the watercress in a bowl, with the sliced spring onions, chopped walnuts, first cooked bacon and shallot mix. Add enough of the dressing to bind the salad together, taste the salad then add a little salt and pepper if required.

Mix the salad well and add the smoked mackerel. Place into a bowl or plate, top with the cooked mackerel and sprinkle over the top the remaining crispy bacon and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Tom Aikens for Selfridges; via River Cottage

3048. BAKED SWEET POTATOES with OLIVES, CHILLI, BACON and SMOKED MACKEREL

serves four


4 large orange-fleshed sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
150 grams unsmoked back bacon, thinly sliced
6 spring onions, sliced
2 red chillies, seeded and sliced
200 grams smoked mackerel fish fillets, skinned
75 grams black olives, pitted and chopped
25 grams butter

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Roast the sweet potatoes for 45 minutes to one hour, or until a knife slides easily into them. When almost ready, heat the oil in a pan and fry the bacon for four minutes over a high heat, until golden. Add the spring onions, chilli, mackerel and olives, and cook for two to three minutes more. When the potatoes are ready, cut a slit down the middle and place a knob of butter in each one. Fill with the mackerel and bacon mixture, and serve hot.

bacon recipe courtesy of: Tonia George, Red Magazine online; Hearst Magazines UK/National Magazine Company Ltd, 72 Broadwick Street, London, W1F 9EP

2481. SALAD of MACKEREL, BACON and POTATOES

serves 4 as a light main course


For the salad:
1 small and sweet onion
3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
500 grams small salad potatoes
mixed leaves frisée, watercress, rocket

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons groundnut oil
1 heaped teaspoon capers
4 bushy sprigs dill

For the fish:
6 thin rashers smoked streaky bacon
4 fresh fillets mackerel
plain flour a little for coating
groundnut oil a little

Peel and finely slice the onion into rings. Put them into a small bowl with the white-wine vinegar and set aside for 30 minutes or more, tossing occasionally. This removes any harshness and will slightly soften the onion's flesh.

Boil the potatoes in deep, generously salted water for 15 minutes until they are tender. Drain, and when they are ready, slice each thickly and add them to the dressing below.

While the potatoes are boiling make the dressing by putting a generous pinch of salt in a bowl, adding the cider vinegar and stirring to dissolve. Mix in the mustard, oil and then add the capers, rinsed briefly. Chop the dill leaves and stalks finely then add to the dressing and set aside. Add the drained and sliced potatoes as soon as they're ready.

Drain the onion rings, discard the vinegar, add the onions to the potatoes and stir gently. Set aside.

Warm a little oil in a nonstick frying pan over a moderate heat. Add the bacon rashers and fry until crisp, rest them briefly on a piece of kitchen paper, then snip into pieces the size of a postage stamp. Turn the heat off under the pan, but leave any bacon fat in the pan for cooking the fish.

Put a thin layer of flour on a plate and season with salt and finely ground black pepper. Lay the fillets in the flour, pat firmly then turn and coat the other side.

Warm the bacon fat, lower the fillets into the pan skin side down and leave to brown lightly. When the skin is just starting to crisp, slide a palette knife under the fish and turn it over. Lightly brown the other side, remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Gently break or cut each fish fillet into four or five rough pieces.

Divide the salad leaves between four plates or shallow dishes. Pile the potatoes and onion rings on top leaving any dressing behind in the bowl. Add the pieces of warm fish and scatter over the bacon. Spoon over any remaining dressing from the potato bowl and serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Nigel Slater, The Observer, March 19, 2011

2232. SMOKED MACKEREL and BACON CAKES

serves four


400 grams floury potatoes
150 grams smoked streaky bacon
3 spring onions
1 tablespoon melted bacon fat
250 grams smoked mackerel flesh
oil for cooking
flour for dusting
lemon halves, to serve

Peel the potatoes and boil them in deep, salted water. When they are tender, drain and mash them thoroughly.

Discard the rind from the bacon rashers. Put the bacon into the bowl of a food processor with the roughly chopped spring onions. Blitz till you have a rough, crumbly mixture. Pour the oil into a shallow pan and fry the onions and bacon till golden and fragrant. Tip into the mashed potato.

Crush the mackerel lightly with a fork and stir it into the mash. Check the seasoning, adding salt and black pepper as you think fit, then, with floured hands, make 8 thick patties with the mixture. Leave them on a floured tray for 20 minutes in a cold place.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. Dust each cake with flour then slide into the hot oil. Fry for a few minutes on each side till golden. They will probably take about 8 minutes. Serve with the lemon halves.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Nigel Slater, The Observer, March 14, 2010

2026. MACKEREL with BACON and CREAMY MUSTARD SAUCE

serves two


For the mackerel and spinach
2 mackerel fillets
salt and pepper
4 slices unsmoked streaky bacon
20 grams sage leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
50 grams butter
400 grams spinach
sea salt

For the sauce
25 grams butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 small glass of white wine
1 teaspoon coarse grain mustard
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
100 ml double cream

Remove the top part of the bone from the mackerel and season inside with salt and pepper. Wrap the mackerel in the bacon and sage leaves, overlapping as you go.

Lay the mackerel in a baking tray with the olive oil and 25g of butter, and roast in the oven at 200°C for 10 -15 minutes until golden.

Meanwhile melt another 25g of butter in a pan over a high heat. Add the spinach and sautée for about 1 minute until wilted and tender. Drain in a colander before serving.

For the sauce melt another 25g of butter in a pan and sweat the shallot until soft. Add the white wine vinegar, bring to the boil, and reduce for a couple of minutes. Add the white wine, bring back to the boil, and reduce again by a third (about 6-7 minutes). Then add the double cream and bring to the boil. Stir in the mustard and season to taste.

Serve the mackerel with the spinach and mustard sauce.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Matt Tebbutt, The Foxhunter, Nantyderry, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire NP7 9DN Wales | LifeStyle FOOD

1068. MACKEREL EGGY BREAD with BACON, WATERCRESS, RADISHES and SAFFRON AIOLI

serves 4


1–2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 rashers smoked streaky bacon
100 grams watercress, washed and drained
12 radishes, quartered
250 grams smoked mackerel fillets, skinned and mashed with a fork
8 slices white bread, crusts removed
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 large eggs
100ml single cream

Saffron Aioli
a pinch saffron threads
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 large egg
150ml light olive oil or extra virgin rapeseed oil

For the aioli, put the saffron in a small bowl with the lemon juice and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and soak for a further 5 minutes. Separate the egg and add the yolk to the saffron mixture. Whisk this with a fork, then add half the white too. Whisk in the oil, ½ tsp at a time, until you’ve used up a quarter of the oil. Now add 1 tsp at a time until you’ve used half of it. Then slowly drizzle the rest in, whisking continuously, until it is all emulsified. If it looks as though the mixture will split, add 1 tsp hot water and whisk for 15 seconds. Season, cover tightly and put in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 140°C/gas 1. Spread the mackerel thinly over the 8 slices of bread and lay the tomatoes on half of these. Press the remaining 4 slices of bread firmly on top. Whisk the eggs with the cream and a pinch of salt. Dip the mackerel sandwiches in the egg coating on both sides. Place on a tray. Pour over any excess eggy mixture. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil. Fry the sandwiches in batches for 3–4 minutes each side, until golden. Place in the oven to keep warm. Wipe the pan and fry the bacon until crisp.

Place the eggy bread on warm plates. Top with the watercress, radish and bacon. Dollop with a spoonful of aioli and serve.


courtesy of: Waitrose, Waitrose Limited, Doncastle Road, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 8YA

745. MACKEREL BAKED with SAGE and BACON

serves 4 as a starter and 2 as a main course


2 mackerel, cut into 8 fillets and pinboned
8 slices of rindless unsmoked streaky bacon
16 fresh sage leaves
1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 220°C, gas mark 7. Place the fish on a baking tray, skin-side up. Season with salt and pepper and brush with a little olive oil. Plaster 2 sage leaves onto each fillet, then wrap bacon around it. A sage leaf should protrude from each side of the bacon. Bake for 15 minutes till the skin and bacon are crisp. This is delicious with spinach and mashed potato.


courtesy of: Waitrose Food Illustrated, September 2006 / Waitrose Limited, Doncastle Road, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 8YA

718. PICKLED FRENCH BEANS with MACKEREL, BACON, and TALEGGIO JACKET POTATO

serves 4


For the beans
1 tbsp olive oil
5 shallots, finely sliced
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
2 tsp pink peppercorns, crushed
16 fl oz white wine vinegar
1 lb. 2oz French beans, tops trimmed
3 oz sugar

For the jacket potatoes
4 baking potatoes
8 rashers smoked streaky bacon, cut into strips or lardons
4 small smoked mackerel fillets, skinned, boned and broken up into flakes
4 tbsp crème fraîche
salt and freshly ground black pepper
300g Taleggio cheese, cut into four equal slices

For the beans, place a heavy-bottomed saucepan onto a medium heat and add the olive oil, shallots, thyme leaves, bay leaf, garlic, ginger and peppercorns. Gently fry for 2-3 minutes, until the shallots are soft but not coloured. Add the vinegar to the pan and swirl to combine. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil and blanch the beans for two minutes. Drain and refresh the beans in cold water.

Place the beans into a large bowl and sprinkle with the sugar, tossing gently to coat. Pour the cooled vinegar mixture over the beans and set aside.

For the jacket potatoes, preheat the oven to 400F. Pierce the baking potatoes several times all over with a sharp knife, then place into the oven to bake for one hour, or until crisp on the outside, but tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

Preheat the grill to its highest setting.

Meanwhile, heat a frying pan until hot. Add the bacon strips and fry, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove the bacon from the fat with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.

When the potatoes are cool, place them onto a board and slice the tops off. Using a spoon, scoop out all of the potato flesh from the skins and place the flesh into a clean bowl. Mash the potato flesh until smooth, then add the cooked bacon, flaked mackerel and crème fraîche. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Carefully spoon the potato mixture back into the potato skins and place onto a baking sheet. Top each potato with a piece of Taleggio and place under the grill to cook until the cheese is golden and bubbling.

To serve, place the jacket potatoes onto four plates and place a spoonful of the pickled beans alongside.


courtesy of: James Martin, Saturday Kitchen, BBC UK

573. RICE and BACON-STUFFED MACKEREL for cats

a.k.a. Mackerel Magic

serves two


2 slices of unsmoked bacon, broiled
1 cup cooked brown rice
2 tsp soy sauce, Worcestershire or fish sause
1 fresh mackerel, headed, tailed, cleaned and scaled

Chop the bacon up small and mix with the rice, adding the sauce in dashes as you go. Broil the mackerel on both sides until crispy brown. Allow to cool, then split it along the somach and gently open it out. Bone, working from the head to tail. Fill with the rice and bacon mixture, close over the sides of the mackerel and serve.


courtesy of: Lisa Violet's Cathouse

344. GRILLED MACKEREL with BACON

makes 2 servings

Note: a grilling basket is essential here


2 whole mackerel, gutted, with heads on, about 1 lb. each
4 slices bacon

Start a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill or broiler. Rinse and dry the fish. Cut off their belly flaps, the limps section of skin and bone that remains after they’ve been gutted. Leave the heads on if they will fit in your basket that way; otherwise remove them. Wrap each fish with 2 pieces of bacon (or lay 1 strip of bacon along each side of the fish) and place in the basket. Grill or broil over low to medium heat, 4 to 6 inches from the heat source, turning frequently, until the bacon is slightly crisp and the mackerel are cooked through (the flesh will be opaque and tender when done). Total cooking time will be 10 to 15 minutes.
Alternative Fish for this Recipe: Pompano


courtesy of: Fish: The Complete Guide to Buying and Cooking, by Mark Bittman. New York: MacMillan, 1994, p. 160