Last Updated on December 27, 2018 by Fiona Maclean
Dill Pollen and Smoked Mackerel – a Simple Fusion of Flavour:
I made this lunch dish to showcase two ingredients. Some lovely smoked peppered mackerel from John at Delish Fish and Dill Pollen sent to me by David at Global Harvest. I wanted a quick and easy lunch dish but thought it would be fun to make something a bit prettier than just grilling the mackerel (or even eating it straight from the packet).
The pickled beetroot is my own homemade from last year so it is just a little lighter than most of the pickles you can buy in the shops. This dish would work with any kind of pre-cooked beetroot, if you don’t like the pickled sort, you could just add a little lemon juice to the creme fraiche sauce.
Be warned, the beetroot starts to bleed very quickly, so you need to plate it up just before you are ready to serve.

- 2 peppered smoked mackerel fillets
- 2 ciabatta rolls
- 2 medium slices pickled beetroot cut into chunks
- 1 handful fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons creme fraiche
- 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch dill pollen
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Mix together most of the dill (reserve a little for garnish), dill pollen, creme fraiche and one teaspoon of olive oil
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But the ciabbata rolls in half lengthwise and drizzle the remaining olive oil over the cut side
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Heat the grill to medium and grill the smoked mackerel fillets and ciabatta rolls for about 2 minutes on each side, till the mackerel is warm through
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Using a fork, remove the flesh from the skin of the mackerel and mash up a little
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Plate the rolls by dividing the mackerel to top each roll, then alternating a cube of beetroot with a dollop of the creme fraiche dressing
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Garnish with the remaining dill sprigs and serve.
Beautiful flavours and such a delicious lunch. I love the beetroot when it leaks into creme fraiche, it looks like raspberry ripple!
looks like a delicious lunch! must be quite a show stopper
ooh I don’t like beetroot bleeding on my food, although I love to eat it. Sounds like a fab lunch dish and I must remember it, so I can make it too.