Summer Recipes: These Dishes Showcase The Versatility Of Smoked Fish

If there’s a keen fisherperson in your family who’s gotten a little carried away and you find yourself in the enviable position of having a glut, a fish smoker comes in mighty handy. Or, if not, you’ll likely want to buy some smoked fish to make these super-tasty dishes.

Smoked mackerel paté

Use this paté as a base for a sandwich with crunchy cos lettuce, try it in a roulade or add a bowl of it to a cheese platter. The key is fresh, moist, smoked fish. Keep it simple or add capers, dill or even a few chopped green olives to change it up.

Makes 1 cup

150g flakes fresh smoked mackerel, bones removed

100g cream cheese

½ lemon, zest and juice

Salt and pepper, to taste

Toasted ciabatta

Sliced mixed cherry tomatoes and lemon wedges, to serve

1. Into a food processor place the mackerel, cream cheese and lemon, blitzing until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

2. To serve, spread generously on toasted ciabatta and top with a sprinkle of parsley, sliced tomatoes and lemon wedges.

Cheesy leek and smoked fish tarts

Smoked kingfish adds a delicate flavour to these rustic puff tarts. Instead of making a creamy white sauce, just add cottage cheese and parmesan to the mixture to keep it light and allow the flavours to speak for themselves. Slow-cooking the leeks is an important step to gain the best result.

Makes 4

400g puff pastry

20g butter

½ cup cottage cheese

½ cup grated parmesan

2 Tbsp lemon zest

Egg wash, to glaze

200g flaked smoked fish (we used kingfish)

1. Preheat oven to 200C.

2. Roll the pastry into a large rectangle. Cut four small rectangles, roughly 5 x 18cm. Cut a border 1cm from the edge of each rectangle, but not right through to the base of the pastry.

3. Heat the butter in a pot. Add the leek, cooking on a low heat for 10 minutes until completely softened. Remove from the heat. Stir through the cottage cheese, parmesan and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Spread the leek mixture on to the pastry leaving the border free. Brush the edges with egg wash and place into the oven for 15 minutes until the pastry is puffy and golden. Flake over the fish and return for 5 minutes to heat it through.

5. Remove and serve with a squeeze of lemon.

Smoked fish salad with orecchiette salad

For this salad, smoked fish is combined with fresh vegetables and tossed together with lemon aioli. If you have some homegrown tomatoes, add a couple of extra ones — their sweetness works great here.

Serves 4-6

Dressing

½ cup aioli

½ lemon, zest and juice

1 finely chopped spring onion

Salad

200g orecchiette pasta (cooked to packet instructions)

2 radishes, sliced thinly

200g smoked fish, flaked

100g green beans, blanched and halved

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 avocado, peeled and chunked

2 handfuls baby spinach

2 spring onions, chopped

Handful of basil leaves

Salt and pepper, to taste

Lemon wedges and extra basil leaves, to serve

1. For the dressing, combine the aioli, lemon and spring onion in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. For the salad, combine the pasta, radishes, fish, beans, tomatoes, avocado, spinach, spring onions, and basil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the dressing and carefully mix well.

3. Serve on a large platter and garnish with lemon wedges and basil leaves.

All recipes by Angela Casley.