Ingredients
- 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2½ teaspoons caraway seeds
- 1 large baking potato, about 500 gr.
- 100 gr. red quinoa
- olive oil
- 1 onion
- 1 tablespoon Urfa chilli flakes, or ⅔ teaspoon regular chilli flakes
- 600 gr. smoked mackerel fillets , skin off, pin-boned
- 1 bunch of fresh parsley
- ½ a bunch of fresh tarragon
- 1 large free-range egg
- 2½ lemons
- 120 gr. soured cream, optional
Method
- Lightly toast the cumin and caraway seeds, crush and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 220 ºC.
- Place the potato on a small baking tray and bake for 45 – 60′, or until soft in the middle.
- Slice in half, scoop the flesh into a bowl, you should have roughly 350 grams, the skin can be discarded or eaten.
- Roughly mash the flesh and set aside to cool.
- Turn the oven down to 190 ºC.
- Bring a small pan filled with plenty of water to the boil over a high heat.
- Add the quinoa and cook for 14 to 15 minutes, or until it’s cooked but still retains a bite.
- Drain and stir through the potato.
- Add 3 tablespoons of oil to a medium frying pan and place over a medium–high heat.
- Peel and finely chop the onion.
- Once the pan is hot, add the onion and a pinch of sea salt and fry for 8′, or until soft and caramelised, stirring frequently.
- Stir in the cumin, caraway and chilli flakes for 1′, then add the onion and spices to the potato and quinoa.
- Flake the mackerel into 1 – 2 cm pieces, pick and roughly chop the herbs and beat the egg;
- Add it all to the mixture along with ¾ of a teaspoon of salt, the zest of 1½ lemons and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
- Mix to combine.
- Shape the mixture into 12 patties 6 – 7 cm wide and 2 – 3 cm thick, then set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a large frying pan and place over a medium–high heat.
- Once hot, add half the patties and fry for 3 – 4′, or until golden-brown on both sides, carefully turning halfway through.
- Remove from the pan and place on a lined baking tray.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and continue with the remaining patties in the same way.
- Finish them off in the oven for about 8′, or until cooked through.
- Cut the remaining lemon into wedges and serve with the hot patties along with soured cream for dipping, if you like.