Potato and Smoked Mackerel Dauphinoise (Serves 3-4)

I figured that Februrary calls for a quick supper dish, so drum roll please for this months ‘Blast From the Past’… I first shared this recipe back in December 2020. It’s a great midweek supper dish, as you literally throw everything in a dish and leave it in the oven for an hour! I serve it simply with rocket, drizzled with a quality olive oil. The recipe is from one of Nigel Slater’s older cookbooks, ‘Real Food’. If you’re feeling particularly hungry, from personal experience, I think that for four people you should double the recipe and make two dishes – you can always reheat the leftovers for lunch the next day!

450g waxy potatoes, such as Charlotte

225g smoked mackerel fillets

2 bay leaves

300ml double cream

200ml full fat cream

1 tablespoon grain mustard

(Rocket to serve)

Serve with some rocket drizzled with a quality olive oil.

Wash the potatoes, there is no need to peel them, slice them lengthways (about 3mm thick).

Put them in a shallow baking dish about 30cm in diameter. Break up the mackerel fillets into large bite-sized pieces (remove the skin), and toss them gently with the potatoes. Tuck in the bay leaves.

Mix together the cream, milk, mustard and a little salt and pepper. Pour over the potatoes.

Bake in a preheated oven, 190’c fan, for about an hour until the cream is bubbling and the potatoes are tender.