Smoked Mackerel Paella

by Assja Baumgärtner

• 1 pack smoked mackerel (Creeler’s have delicious ones, and a single pack will feed four or five people)
• 1 onion (size depending on how much you like onions)
• 1 big clove of garlic
• 1 pepper (any colour will be fine – this dish needs to be colourful.)
• 1 chilli pepper
• 2 carrots
• 2 handfuls sliced or cubed vegetables. Depending on the time of year, you can use broccoli, cauliflower, courgettes, french beans and peas of all kinds (frozen, tinned, fresh, mange-touts or sugar snaps) In winter, you can include leeks or finely shredded savoy cabbage
• Some cherry tomatoes or sliced dried tomatoes (optional)
• 1 heaped mug long grain rice (about 200 gr)
• 1 litre vegetable stock, made half as strong as the directions say, otherwise it may be too salt, as the smoked fish are also salty.
• 1 handful chopped parsley, chives or whatever herb you like
• salt, pepper, saffron (optional)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 knob butter

First, prepare one litre of vegetable stock, using a cube and boiling water. Any left over will keep in the fridge for use in soup the next day. A sachet of saffron will give the dish a nice golden colour.

Chop the onions and the garlic. De-seed the chilli pepper and slice it into fine rings (If it’s the very hot kind, use only half of it or even less).

Wash and prepare the vegetables. Cut the carrots and peppers into cubes. Break up courgettes and cauliflower into small rosettes and discard the solid part of the stem, which will be fine for soup the next day).Slice mange-touts, sugar snaps and savoy cabbage finely, making sure that the cabbage strips are not too long.

Heat a deep, wide frying pan or wok and add 1 tb of olive oil and a knob of butter. When the butter foam has settled, add the chopped onion, garlic, peppers, chilli and carrots and sweat for about 10 minutes on low heat. If you’re using dried tomatoes, add them with the onion. Don’t let any of these vegetables go brown.

Now add the rice and stir until it’s translucent. If you’re using cabbage or fresh peas, add them now. Sweat another thirty seconds.

Pour in enough vegetable stock to cover the rice about 2 fingers deep in liquid. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and let the dish simmer for about five minutes. Now add all other vegetables and the cherry tomatoes. Stir them in gently and let the dish continue to simmer. Add a little more stock if the rice threatens to dry out, but only as much as you need to prevent the rice from sticking. All liquid should eventually be absorbed by the rice.

Meanwhile skin the mackerel fillets and chop them into pieces. (Our cat loves the skin when it’s cut into tiny bits – most easily done with scissors.) Add to the dish, burying them under the rice so they heat up nicely.

Season with with freshly ground pepper (sparingly if you’re using peppered mackerel), sprinkle with herbs and serve with a big fresh salad.

Variations on this dish can include fresh mussels, shrimps or smoked salmon. Toasted almonds on top are very nice too, though better with plain mackerel that with the garlic or peppered kind. You can of course play with the herb or vegetable combinations. Let your imagination (or the contents of your cupboards and fridge) guide you. For vegetarians, the dish works well with marinated tofu, paneer or Halloumi cheese, and chopped hard boiled eggs can be added to the rice just before serving.