1,550 easy and fully explained recipes, with +66K photos and 78 videos

This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...

Mackerel rillettes

Name: Mackerel rillettes
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 300 g
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 2 mackerel; 1 tablespoon coarse salt; 70 g butter; 2 tablespoons cream; 1 tablespoon mustard; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; parsley; salt; pepper; chive flowers

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.

70 K 2.7/5 (6 reviews)

1 hour

Easy

2.95 €

300 g

10 Ingredients

Last modified on: June 19^th 2019

For 300 g, you will need:

1 2 mackerel
2 1 tablespoon coarse salt
3 70 g butter
4 2 tablespoons cream
5 1 tablespoon mustard
6 2 tablespoons lemon juice
7 parsley
8 salt
9 pepper
10 chive flowers (optional)
Total weight: 860 grams

Times for this recipe

Preparation: 40 min.

Cooking: 20 min.

All in all: 1 hour

When should you start or finish this recipe?

If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time

To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time

Step by step recipe

Stage 1

Ask your fishmonger to prepare 2 mackerel for you: cleaned and the head cut off.

Stage 2 - ⌛ 3 min.

Rinse thoroughly under cold running water, then put in a large pan of cold water with 1 tablespoon coarse salt.

Stage 3 - ⌛ 20 min.

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.

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.

Add 70 g butter, 2 tablespoons cream, 1 tablespoon mustard, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, the finely chopped parsley, salt and pepper to the fish.

Stage 6 - ⌛ 2 min.

Mix well with a fork.

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

Stage 7

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

Stage 8

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

	Proteins (gr)	Carbohydrates (gr)	Fats (gr)	Energy value (in k-calories)	Energy value (in k-joules)
Whole recipe	160 RDI=60 %	8 RDI=1 %	140 RDI=20 %	1,880 RDI=90 %	7,870 RDI: 90 %
Per 100 g	20 RDI=7 %	0	20 RDI=2 %	220 RDI=10 %	920 RDI: 10 %