red potato and mackerel salad

A simple yet delicious salad for Easter lunch. Without eggs but with a wonderfully delicate mackerel preserved in oil and a vibrant green dressing with a hint of chilli flakes. I’ve steamed the potatoes whole and with their skin on for some extra colour and texture (I’ve used the lovely red baby potatoes by Quiks.nl).

You can accompany it with some good, crunchy bread and an omelette or some soft eggs Benedict for the perfect Easter feeling.

If you can’t find the small sun-dried cherry tomatoes use plain ones, coarsely chopped. And if you don’t like mackerel, make this salad with chunky  “medallions” of creamy goat cheese or with roasted chicken chunks instead.

P.S.: this is the first recipe I have photographed after following a fantastic food photography course with the lovely Lucie Beck. 🙂

INSALATA DI PASQUA CON PATATINE ROSSE E SGOMBRO

Serves 2

400 gr. red baby potatoes
100 gr. mackerel in oil
1 small red onion
4 + 2 handfuls of rucola
4 tablespoons of sun-dried cherry tomatoes in oil
a small bunch of flat-leaf parsley
2 twigs of mint (leaves only)
1 organic lemon
1 pinch of chilli flakes
good e.v. olive oil
sea salt

Steam the potatoes until you can easily pierce them with a knife, then let them cool and cut them in bite-sized chunks.

Prepare the dressing by blending  2 handfuls of rucola with the parsley and the mint leaves, the chilli flakes, the grated rind and the juice of half the lemon, a good glue of olive oil, 0,5 dl. of cold water and some salt.

Lay the remaining rucola leaves on a serving dish and add the flaked mackerel, the cherry tomatoes, the onion cut in thin rings, and the potatoes.

Spread the dressing over the salad, toss and serve.