Smoked mackerel and lentil salad recipe

A satisfying salad that’s quick and easy to whip up. You could use ready-cooked lentils to cut the cooking time down.

Ingredients

  Metric  Cups  Imperial  For the salad

• 200 g lentils, preferably puy
• 4 sprigs of parsley, 2 whole, 2 leaves only
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1 garlic clove, bruised
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 x 125g/4.4oz tins of mackerel in sunflower oil, drained, in chunks
• 0.5 red onion, minced
• 0.5 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 pinch each of salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 lemon, juice only
• 4 sprigs of basil, leaves only

• 7.1 oz lentils, preferably puy
• 4 sprigs of parsley, 2 whole, 2 leaves only
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1 garlic clove, bruised
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 x 125g/4.4oz tins of mackerel in sunflower oil, drained, in chunks
• 0.5 red onion, minced
• 0.5 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 pinch each of salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 lemon, juice only
• 4 sprigs of basil, leaves only

• 7.1 oz lentils, preferably puy
• 4 sprigs of parsley, 2 whole, 2 leaves only
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1 garlic clove, bruised
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 x 125g/4.4oz tins of mackerel in sunflower oil, drained, in chunks
• 0.5 red onion, minced
• 0.5 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 pinch each of salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 lemon, juice only
• 4 sprigs of basil, leaves only

For the dressing

• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 pinch salt
• 6 tbsp sunflower oil

• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 pinch salt
• 6 tbsp sunflower oil

• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 pinch salt
• 6 tbsp sunflower oil

Details

• Cuisine: British
• Recipe Type: Salad
• Difficulty: Easy
• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Serves: 2

Step-by-step

1. To make the lentils, place a large pan of cold, unsalted water on high heat and add the lentils, 2 sprigs of parsley, thyme, garlic, and the bay leaf.
2. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and cook the lentils for 20 to 25 minutes, until al dente. Stir with a wooden spoon from time to time.
3. To make the dressing, beat the vinegar, mustard, and a little salt together with a fork in a small bowl. Add the oil drop by drop, beating all the while until the dressing comes together. Add a few drops of water if the dressing is too thick.
4. Drain the lentils, remove the herbs, and let the lentils cool to lukewarm. Mix in the dressing and leave to cool further.
5. Add the mackerel chunks, red onion, and bell pepper. Combine everything well and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with lemon juice and scatter the parsley and basil leaves on top. Serve immediately.