Smoked mackerel Scotch eggs with tartare sauce

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James Mackenzie's sublime mackerel Scotch egg recipe makes a great pescatarian alternative to the classic pork snack. The coarsely chopped, piquant tartare sauce is a perfect accompaniment to the smoky and sweet mackerel.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Smoked mackerel Scotch eggs

  • 4 smoked mackerel fillets, skinned
  • 4 small eggs
  • 2 tbsp of cream cheese
  • 1/2 bunch of dill, chopped
  • 1 tbsp of capers, chopped
  • 1/2 lemon, zest only
  • 100g of flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 150g of breadcrumbs
  • sea salt

Tartare sauce

  • 4 tbsp of mayonnaise, rapeseed
  • 4 tbsp of capers
  • 8 cornichons, small
  • 2 tbsp of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped

Equipment

  • Deep-fryer

Method

1
Boil the eggs for 5 minutes, then refresh in ice-cold water. Peel and lay on a cloth to dry
  • 4 small eggs
2
Place the mackerel, cream cheese, dill, capers and lemon zest in a food processor and pulse until only just blended – the mix should be nice and coarse
  • 4 smoked mackerel fillets, skinned
  • 2 tbsp of cream cheese
  • 1/2 bunch of dill, chopped
  • 1/2 lemon, zest only
  • 1 tbsp of capers, chopped
3
Divide the mix into 4 and flatten out into round patty shapes - similar in dimension to burgers. Dust the eggs through flour, place one on each patty and carefully wrap the mix around the eggs. Place in the fridge to set for approximately 1 hour
4
Once set, remove from the fridge and pass each Scotch egg through the flour, egg and breadcrumbs to coat evenly. Set aside until needed
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 200g of breadcrumbs
  • 100g of flour, plus extra for dusting
5
For the tartare sauce, roughly chop the capers and cornichons and place in a bowl with with the mayonnaise, parsley and shallot. Mix well, squeeze in a little lemon juice and reserve in the fridge
  • 4 tbsp of capers
  • 8 cornichons, small
  • 4 tbsp of mayonnaise, rapeseed
  • 2 tbsp of flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
6
Deep-fry the Scotch eggs for 2-3 minutes at 180°C, until golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and season with coarse sea salt
  • sea salt
7
Serve the Scotch eggs warm with the tartare sauce
First published in 2015

Behind every strong man there’s a strong woman and never has that maxim rung truer than at the Michelin-starred Pipe and Glass, where talented chef-proprietor James Mackenzie resides with his equally capable front-of-house wife, Kate.

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