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    Blog posts by Rosanna ETC » Food

    Smoked Mackerel Croquettes With Beetroot Puree

    Published: Mar 24, 2022 · Modified: Apr 21, 2022 by Rosanna Stevens · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    Smoked mackerel croquettes with beetroot puree - a bite-sized classy canape that is unbelievably easy to make!

    Looking for easy canape ideas? This smoked mackerel recipe is one of my favourite canapes to serve at dinner parties, they're rich yet light, crispy on the outside and smooth on the inside. The herbs and lemon zest add a wonderfully fresh taste and the sweet beetroot puree is a perfect complement for the crispy smoked fish croquettes.

    Their small size means we can shallow fry, and get a light and crispy exterior from the panko crumb but without the hassle of having to deep fat fry.

    Mackerel is an oily fish full of protein and fatty acids, and it lends itself particularly well to hot smoking. You can also use trout as an alternative smoked fish in this recipe if you prefer.

    You can use pre-packaged smoked mackerel fillets or buy fresh mackerel and smoke it yourself using wood chips. Hot smoking fish yourself is such a treat and it tastes amazing, but I understand that not everyone has this equipment or the time.

    I also usually buy cooked beetroot to make the beetroot puree for these easy canapes, although you can roast it yourself if you have some raw beetroot to hand!

    smoked mackerel croquettes with beetroot puree in a line on a serving dish

    You can shape these smoked mackerel croquettes however you like, little balls or flat patties work well, you can even put them on a stick as a savoury lollipop! I like to make mine into squares or oblongs sometimes and I use a pastry scraper to get that clean flat edge. But little round croquettes are easy and make delicious bite sizes canapes.

    These smoked mackerel croquettes with beetroot puree work at any time of year whenever you need an elegant fish canape to serve at parties alongside some classy cocktails.

    Looking for other easy canape ideas? Try these savoury profiteroles stuffed with goat cheese. Or this asparagus mousse amuse bouche works wonderfully well at dinner parties too.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Wine pairing for smoked mackerel
    • Substitutions and Variations
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Top tip
    • Smoked Mackerel Croquettes With Beetroot Puree
    smoked mackerel croquettes balls on a serving dish

    Ingredients

    For this smoked mackerel recipe, you will need...

    smoked mackerel fillets on a wooden chopping board with fresh parsley
    • Smoked mackerel fillets
    • Potato
    • Lemon zest
    • Panko breadcrumbs
    • Egg
    • Plain flour
    • Parsley
    • Chives
    • Beetroot
    • Mascarpone cheese
    • Cooking oil
    • Salt and pepper

    See the recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    Peel your potatoes and put them in a saucepan of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 5-10 minutes until tender. Drain and leave them in the colander to completely steam dry.

    Meanwhile, make your beetroot puree by blending cooked beetroot with mascarpone cheese and season with salt and pepper. Set to one side.

    Flake your smoked mackerel fillets with a fork into small pieces.

    Finely dice your herbs, zest the lemon and prepare your panko station.

    Take 3 bowls or Tupperware containers and place the flour into one, the egg into another and the panko breadcrumbs into the third.

    In a large bowl, mash your potato and then mix with the flaked smoked mackerel fillets, lemon zest and herbs.

    Balls of smoked mackerel, potato and herbs ready to be panko breadcrumbed and fried

    Take a large teaspoon of the smoked mackerel and potato mixture. and shape it into a ball with your hands. Press it together to compress it, then roll it to form a sphere.

    Panko the smoked mackerel croquettes by dipping them first into the flour, making sure each side is coated.

    Then dip them into the egg, and then into the panko breadcrumbs.

    Smoked mackerel croquettes with panko breadcrumbs ready to be fried

    Heat a small frying pan with oil. Using a small frying pan allows you to get a deeper layer of oil for optimum shallow frying, aim for a depth of half a centimetre.

    When the oil is shimmering, fry the smoked mackerel croquettes in small batches turning occasionally to get each side golden and crispy.

    Place the smoked fish croquettes onto kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil after cooking, and then put them on your serving plate.

    Using a teaspoon or a piping bag, place a small amount of beetroot puree on top of each smoked mackerel croquette. Finish with a small sprig of chive, and serve.

    smoked mackerel croquettes with beetroot puree and a single fresh chive balanced on top

    Wine pairing for smoked mackerel

    We need something that cuts through the oiliness of the smoked fish and also stands up to the smoky flavour - so try a Portuguese Abariño, a white Burgundy or sparkling rose champagne.

    Substitutions and Variations

    Here are a few ways to adapt this smoked fish croquette recipe and make it work for you.

    • Smoked fish - instead of smoked mackerel, try smoked trout instead.
    • Gluten free - use gluten free flour and breadcrumbs to make this gluten free.
    • Herbs - experiment with herbs, try dill or chervil instead.

    Equipment

    • Large mixing bowl
    • Three smaller bowls or Tupperware containers
    • Small frying pan
    • Blender or food processor
    • Serving platter

    Storage

    Store any leftover smoked mackerel croquettes in the fridge and gently reheat in the oven. Good for 2-3 days.

    You could also freeze the croquettes after the panko stage but before frying them. Use within a month.

    Top tip

    Designate each of your hands as 'wet' or 'dry' and keep them separate by using one hand to dip in the egg and the other to coat in the panko. This helps you to avoid getting more panko on yourself than on the smoked mackerel croquettes.

    Smoked Mackerel Croquettes With Beetroot Puree

    Rosanna Stevens
    These delicious smoked mackerel croquettes in panko breadcrumbs with a smooth and sweet beetroot puree make an easy but elegant canape.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 45 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Appetizer, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 20 canapés
    Calories 101 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 Saucepan
    • 1 Frying pan
    • 1 blender or food processor
    • 1 large mixing bowl
    • 3 Tupperware containers or small bowls

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 smoked mackerel fillets
    • 300 grams potato
    • 1 tablespoon lemon zest (grated)
    • 75 grams panko breadcrumbs
    • 100 grams plain flour
    • 1 egg
    • 2 beetroot
    • 1 tablespoon parsley
    • 1 tablespoon chives

    Instructions
     

    • Peel your potatoes and put them in a saucepan of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 5-10 minutes until tender. Drain and leave them in the colander to completely steam dry. 
    • Meanwhile, make your beetroot puree by blending cooked beetroot with mascarpone cheese and season with salt and pepper. Set to one side. 
    • Flake your smoked mackerel fillets with a fork into small pieces. 
    • Finely dice your herbs, zest the lemon and prepare your panko station.
    • Take 3 bowls or Tupperware containers and place the flour into one, the egg into another and the panko breadcrumbs into the third.  
    • In a large bowl, mash your potato and then mix with the flaked smoked mackerel fillets, lemon zest and herbs.
    • Take a large teaspoon of the smoked mackerel and potato mixture. and shape it into a ball with your hands. Press it together to compress it, then roll it to form a sphere.
      balls of smoked mackerel and potato mixture
    • Panko the smoked mackerel croquettes by dipping them first into the flour, making sure each side is coated. 
    • Then dip them into the egg, and then into the panko breadcrumbs. 
    • Heat a small frying pan with oil. Using a small frying pan allows you to get a deeper layer of oil for optimum shallow frying, aim for a depth of half a centimetre. 
      smoked mackerel croquettes with panko breadcrumbs
    • When the oil is shimmering, fry the smoked mackerel croquettes in small batches turning occasionally to get each side golden and crispy. 
    • Place the smoked fish croquettes onto kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil after cooking, and then put them on your serving plate. 
    • Using a teaspoon, place a small amount of beetroot puree on top of each smoked mackerel croquette. Finish with a small sprig of chive, and serve.

    Video

    https://youtube.com/shorts/Sw_xwLRH0BM

    Nutrition

    Calories: 101kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 10gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 74mgPotassium: 282mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 54IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword smoked mackerel croquettes, smoked mackerel recipes
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Comments

    1. Beth says

      March 25, 2022 at 3:02 pm

      5 stars
      These were delicious and so easy to make! I loved the flavours of smoked mackerel and beetroot together too

      Reply

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    Rosanna Stevens

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    I'm Rosanna, a trained chef, published writer and food fanatic. I believe in using food and drink to make every day an event with fresh and seasonal produce, wine pairings and a perfectly styled plate.

    I write for publications in the UK, USA and Central America on food, travel and the destinations I love and have also created several recipe ebooks and Stop The Scroll, a beginner's guide to food styling and photography. Thanks for being here!

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