Mackerel rillettes


Mackerel rillettes
This recipe for mackerel rillettes (or potted mackerel) starts with poaching the fish. The flesh is then taken off the bones and forked into a seasoned mixture of butter, mustard, cream and lemon juice.

In France this is traditionally eaten as an aperitif snack, served on small slices of toast.
44K 5 3
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Last modified on: June 19th 2019

Keywords for this recipe:
For 600 g, you will need:
  • 1 mackerel 4 mackerel
  • 2 coarse salt 2 tablespoons coarse salt
  • 3 butter 140 g butter
  • 4 cream 4 tablespoons cream
  • 5 French mustard 2 tablespoons French mustard
  • 6 lemon juice 4 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 7 parsley parsley
  • 8 salt salt
  • 9 pepper pepper
  • 10 chive flowers chive flowers (optional)
  • Total weight: 1,720 grams

Change these quantities to make: 100 g 150 g 300 g 600 g 900 g
How long does it take?
Time required for this recipe:
PreparationCookingStart to finish
40 min.20 min.1 hour
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Step by step recipe


Stage 1
Mackerel rillettes
Ask your fishmonger to prepare 4 mackerel for you: cleaned and the head cut off.

Stage 2 - 3 min.
Mackerel rillettes
Rinse thoroughly under cold running water, then put in a large pan of cold water with 2 tablespoons coarse salt.

Stage 3 - 20 min.
Mackerel rillettes
Put on low heat and poach gently at a simmer for about 10 minutes.

Ideally, check the temperature of the fish flesh with an electronic thermometer. It will be cooked once the centre of the thickest part reaches 122°F (50°C).

Stage 4 - 30 min.
Mackerel rillettes
Remove the mackerel from the poaching water and leave to cool, then take all the flesh off the bones and discard the rest (skin, bones, etc.).

Unfortunately, there's no getting away from it: this is a long and tedious job.

Put all the boned flesh into a bowl.

Stage 5 - 5 min.
Mackerel rillettes
Add 140 g butter, 4 tablespoons cream, 2 tablespoons French mustard, 4 tablespoons lemon juice, the finely chopped parsley, salt and pepper to the fish.

Stage 6 - 2 min.
Mackerel rillettes
Mix well with a fork.

Check the seasoning. Transfer into jars and leave overnight, at least, in the fridge.

Stage 7
Mackerel rillettes
When you want to serve your rilletes, toast some slices of bread (rounds of French baguette here).

Stage 8
Mackerel rillettes
Spread the rillettes generously on the toast and decorate, if you like, with a few chive flowers. Then enjoy!
Remarks
Do feel free to vary either the ingredients or the amounts in this recipe. The general spirit of it is: poached mackerel flesh, a little butter and/or cream, herbs and spices of your choice, plus a hint of acidity (normally lemon juice, but vingar or white wine will also work).

For a tastier version, poach the mackerel in a fish stock, rather than salted water.
Keeping
A few days in the fridge, in a sealed jar.
Source
Home made.
Nutritional information
Whole recipe
Energetic valueProteins CarbohydratesFats
3,759 Kcal or 15,738 Kj313 gr17 gr270 gr
188 %120 %2 %41 %
Per 100 g
Energetic valueProteins CarbohydratesFats
219 Kcal or 917 Kj18 gr1 gr16 gr
11 %7 %<1 %2 %
% are calculated relative to a Recommended Dietary Intake or RDI of 2000 k-calories or 8400 k-joules by day for a woman (change to a man).
Possible allergens in this recipe: Fish, Milk, Mustard
How much will it cost?
  • For 600 g : 5.91 €

Change currency:

Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
ButterButter: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Far Normandy-Brittany, Leek and potato soup, Cheese Soufflé, Comtoise apple charlotte, Butter cream, ... All
Lemon juiceLemon juice: You can check-out other recipes which use it, like for example: Pea and avocado salad, Salmon and leek fondue tart, Marinated tuna and cabbage, Moist Lemon Cake, Souda salad, ... All
CreamCream: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Spinach and Mushrooms with Pesto, Fish Mousselines, Hearty leek and sprout soup, Mini cheese and mustard toasts, Gratin Dauphinois, ... All
MackerelMackerel: You can check-out other recipes which use it, like for example: Mackerel Fillets in White Wine, ... All
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