Fire up the fryer and try a more sustainable take on a traditional Dutch snack.
I got the idea for this version of a dish so many of us adore – fish and chips – from a recent visit to the Netherlands where I had kibbeling, a popular snack of crispy, deep-fried cod. My interpretation uses more sustainable fish – farmed salmon and wild coley – and throws mussels into the mix. I’ve also replaced the chips with a croquette-style potato flavoured with cooked mackerel paste. To cook all these you will need a deep-fat fryer – a good investment if you use it wisely.
Although simple to make, the tempura batter must be used within the hour or it will start to break down. I’ve added a little mild curry powder, which works perfectly with the fish and the piccalilli dip, and to finish it off there are pickled shallots.
salmon, coley and mussel bites with mackerel croquettes, pickled shallots and piccalilli mayo
Serves 4
Mackerel croquettes
2 fillets of fresh mackerel, pin-boned
2 sprigs of thyme
1 clove of garlic, sliced
300g cooked, mashed potato (maris piper or golden wonder)
1 egg yolk
1tbsp flour
1 whole egg, for egg wash
60g panko breadcrumbs
Season the mackerel fillets, place them on a tray lined with buttered tinfoil and add the thyme and garlic. Cover with another sheet of foil and bake in a hot oven for 8 minutes. Remove the tray, discard the garlic and thyme and peel away the mackerel skin, then place the mackerel in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Mix the mackerel with the egg yolk, potato and a pinch of salt, then roll the mixture out on a lightly floured work surface and form 24 small, evenly sized croquettes. Place these on a tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm.
Roll each croquette in the flour, dip them in the egg wash then coat them in the breadcrumbs and set aside.
Tempura batter
100g cornflour
100g plain flour
25g baking powder
10g mild curry powder, optional
210ml sparkling water
Place the cornflour, plain flour, baking powder and curry powder in a large bowl. Slowly add the water while whisking everything together until the batter is smooth.
Pickled shallots
2 large banana shallots
200ml water
125ml white wine vinegar
100g sugar
2 sprigs tarragon
6 whole cloves
2 star anise
Peel the shallots and cut them in half lengthways, then pull the sections apart and cut each section into 3cm pieces.
Combine the water, vinegar, sugar, tarragon and spices and bring to the boil in a pan. Add the shallots to the boiling liquid then remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool. When cool, transfer the shallots and pickling liquor into a container until ready to use.
Piccalilli mayonnaise
1tbsp piccalilli
3tbsp mayonnaise
Place the piccalilli and mayonnaise in a small blender and mix until smooth.
Final preparation and serving
360g fresh salmon fillet or off-cuts from the belly and shoulder
360g fresh coley fillet
24 cooked mussels
Set your deep-fat fryer to maximum (180C-200C) and put the oven on a low setting.
Cut the salmon and coley into 12 even pieces. Coat each one lightly in the tempura batter and carefully place them into the hot oil, cooking for 3-4 minutes until the batter becomes crisp and golden. Place the cooked fish on a piece of kitchen paper to drain, season lightly with salt and place in the oven to keep warm.
Coat the mussels in the batter and cook as above. Place them on kitchen paper to drain, season lightly with salt and place in the oven, then repeat with the mackerel croquettes, cooking them for 2-3 minutes.
Arrange three pieces of the coley and salmon, six mackerel croquettes and six mussels on each serving plate. Place a few pieces of pickled shallot on top and serve with a portion of the piccalilli mayonnaise.
WINE MATCH
The FMC Chenin Blanc 2009, Stellenbosch, South Africa, (L’Art Du Vin, £24.25)
Aromatic and fairly creamy, this is the perfect match for seafood, its palate bursting with flavours of vanilla and honey before a long finish.
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