Smackerel fishcakes, a great recipe for summer

Is smoked mackerel an acquired taste? I suppose it is – it’s such a strong flavour, a wonderful flavour in my opinion, but it must put some people off.

But it’s worth extolling the virtues of smoked mackerel (which I’ll lovingly shorten to ‘Smackerel’ in the grand tradition of celebrity couple nicknames a la Brangelina or TomKat). It’s cheap – you can get a good 250 g of it for less than £2.

And a little goes a long way both flavour and calorie wise. It’s not to be denied that it’s quite high in calories/fat – but it’s the “good” fat, a phrase so many nutritionists love to spout. It’s full of those lovely fish oils that assist in brain function (and at the moment, I need all the help I can get.

But the fact that 50g of mackerel brings in about 150 calories (compare to 38 cals per 50 g in plaice) means that it’s a blessing that a little goes a long way. And to be honest, that’s all you need for a fairly hearty fishcake in this recipe. One fishcake for me was plenty, though my husband was happier with two.

Smoked mackerel fishcakes with runner beans and sweetcorn

(serves 2)

150 g smoked mackerel

200 g potatoes, peeled and ready to boil or 300 g potatoes already boiled

2 spring onions, sliced

salt and pepper

a drop of milk or cream – anything to hand really

spray olive oil to lightly coat the foil

400 g runner beans, sliced

2 cobs of sweetcorn

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes (or until you can pierce easily with a fork) and allow to cool slightly. Mash, adding a drop of cream or milk. Season with salt and pepper.

Next, break up the strips of mackerel with your fingers and drop into the mash, along with the sliced spring onions.

Here’s where you get your hands dirty: using your fingers, mix all the ingredients together, ensuring you get a good consistency. Roll the mixture into three balls and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.

While they’re cooking, prepare your veg – because it’s summer I’ve gone with sweetcorn and runner beans, which I steamed.

Serve immediately – because mackerel is such a strong flavour, I didn’t need an extra sauce, though my husband did enjoy the extra dollop of mayo I gave him.

Calories: 300 for a fishcake, a generous helping of runner beans and a cob of sweetcorn.

I recommended this to a friend as well and it's gone down a treat.