This can be served as a first course or as a cold main course with pickles, sliced red onions, and a green salad. Cold-smoked mackerel is soft and moist and more of a delicacy than the hot-smoked variety. Hazelnuts, almonds, or pine nuts can be used as an alternative to walnuts for this classic sauce, which is called tarator. In that case, white bread should be used. The sauce can also be served with poached or grilled fish or with cold vegetables cooked in olive oil.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　

For the sauce

1 cup walnut halves

　　3 slices whole wheat bread, crusts removed

　　2 garlic cloves, crushed

　　6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

　　3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

　　Salt

　　2 cold-smoked mackerel

　　1 lemon, cut in quarters

　　

Step 1

Make the sauce first. Grind the walnuts in the food processor, then add the bread, previously soaked in water and squeezed dry, and the garlic, and blend together. Add the oil and vinegar, a little salt, and blend with just enough water (about 4 tablespoons) to produce a creamy consistency.

　　

Step 2

Skin and fillet the fish and serve with the sauce and lemon quarters.

　　Arabesque