June Recipes: Smoked Mackerel & Cherry Salad

Salads don't have to be boring and this smoked mackerel and cherry salad is proof.

It's cherry season! When thinking of cherry recipes to make the most of the season, I thought of all the classics: Black forrest cake, Bakewell tart, etc. But I realised its use in savoury dishes is truly underrated. Enter my latest creation! The sweet and sour flavours of cherry with slight almond notes complements the fatty smoked mackerel and sharp spring onions perfectly.

This is one of my favourite recipes that I've developed this year. Every mouthful of this salad is slightly different, bringing you different textures and flavours. An easy and healthy salad recipe for spring and summer that's delicious as well as nutritious. It also includes other seasonal ingredients: spring onions, salad leaves, cherries, cucumber and dill!

This recipe is only available for my paid subscribers.

Follow the link below to create an account and gain full access to this recipe with its own 'how to video' + extra tips, keys to success and detailed health/mood benefits. You'll also get access to my full catalogue of 80+ seasonal healthy recipe, travel recommendations and a new exclusive recipe with a detailed video every week.

Only £3.99/month.

---

Ingredients (serves 2):

Smoked Mackerel Salad:

• 58g spring onions

• 200g cucumber

• 160g salad leaves

• 180g smoked mackerel (peppered or plain)

• 160g cherries, de-pitted
  

Vinaigrette:

• 1 Tbs wholegrain mustard

• 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar (use sour cherry molasses to take it to the next level if you have some)

• 1 tsp soya sauce

• 1 pinch of sea salt

• 2 Tbs EVOO

• 1 lime, zested and juiced

• Any cherry juice left over from de-pitting them

---

Method:

How to make charred spring onions:

1. If you have a gas hob: place the spring onions directly over the open flame. Turn them with metal tongs every minute or so, until they are black and charred all over.

2. If you don't have a gas oven: cover the spring onions in a bit of oil and place on a baking tray. Roast in a 200°C oven for 20-30 minutes or until browned all over.

3. Cover the spring onions with a bowl/plate and leave them to cool down.

4. Scrape off the burnt bits with a spoon or your fingers. You don't have to be very precise with this, just remove as much as you can do easily.

5. Thinly slice the white part of the spring onions, then roughly chop the greens.

How to make smashed cucumber:

1. Wash the cucumber.

2. Beat the cucumber on a chopping board using a rolling pin or the back of a chef's knife (large knife) until it's flat.

3. Roughly chop into different shapes and sizes.

How to make vinaigrette:

1. Measure all the ingredients into an empty glass jar.

2. Close the jar and shake until the vinaigrette has emulsified.

3. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

How to make the smoked mackerel salad:

1. Prepare the smoked mackerel: peel the skin off with your fingers. You can bake the skin in the oven at 200°C until crispy and crumble on top of the salad if you have the time. Tear the smoked mackerel into large chunks using your hands or two forks.

2. De-pit the cherries and slice them in half.

3. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl with the vinaigrette.
   

4. Serve on a plate and enjoy the flavour sensation. Bon appétit!

---

More about this easy smoked mackerel and cherry recipe:

Recipe shortcuts:

• Use frozen de-pitted cherries if out of season or you can't find any fresh. Just leave them to thaw out and use the juice in the vinaigrette.

• Use raw spring onions instead of charred. Only use 1 spring onion very thinly sliced on a bias.

• You can also swap out smoked mackerel for cured ham. Or make it vegan by using pan-fried smoked tofu.

Keys to success:

• This is a very simple recipe, but please leave a comment if you have any difficulties/questions.

Health benefits of cherries:

Bear in mind sour cherries tend to have slightly more health benefits but all cherry varieties have some benefits.

They're a good source of:

• biotin which enables us to release energy from food and support cell health;

• vitamin C - required to form blood clots and therefore heal wounds, plus supports cell health, bone health and the immune system.

Aside from that, they also contain a lot of antioxidants including polyphenols such as anthocyanins and flavonols which provide that deep red/purple colour.

These antioxidants are in part anti-inflammatory as the reduce the inflammation brought on by free radicals. Cherries have therefore been shown to support muscle recovery after exercise and have a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory affect which works in a similar way to ibuprofen.

They have also been shown to prevent certain chronic disease and cancers, anthocyanins may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases as they help to reduce VLDV cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol).

The polyphenols in cherries may also reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes as they help lower blood sugar levels by inhibiting alpha-amylase, an enzyme involved in glucose digestion.

Health benefits of cucumber:

One of the main boasting factors of cucumber is that it's high in water and very low in calories (low energy density). But there's more to the humble cucumber than meets the eye.

It's also a great source of:

• biotin which enables us to release energy from food and support cell health;

• vitamin K which contributes to blood clotting and therefore healing wounds, but also supports bone health.

In our friend's group, we swear by cucumbers for their water and electrolytes. You'll often hear me crunch on a cucumber after a night out to prevent a heavy head the next morning. As cucumbers contain 95% water and free water potassium, they can play a key part in reaching daily hydration needs which support body function including brain, digestive and bowel function. To put it plainly, a cucumber can help you stay regular.

They also help to reduce sodium-related water retention and therefore lower blood pressure.

Cucumber also contains cucurbits which is an antioxidant capable of scavenging free radicals and have anti-cancer properties. They are also full of Cucurbitacins, active compounds which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties. Recent research show they interfere in cancer cell growth by causing apoptosis i.e. death of these cells.

They also contain fabulous polyphenols called lignans which are linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer.

Cucumber peel has its own special benefits. It contains chlorophyl, carotenoids and flavonoids which give it its green/yellow colour. Flavonoids are known for having many benefits, there are various types of them but cucumbers contain those known as flavanols and more specifically kaempferol, quercetin and fisetin. These have many beneficial properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-carcinogenic. They have been shown to reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases and cancers, but also to reduce subjective cognitive decline with age. Kaempferol (raw) in particular shows a positive association with reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases. And early studies have linked it to anti-diabetic properties. Some animal studies have even shown they block the build up of beta-amyloid plaque in the brain which leads to Alzheimer's disease.

Health benefits of spring onions:

They have antimicrobial properties and are traditionally used as a natural remedy for congestion and coughs.

They're also a good source of:

Folate - supports the formation of red blood cells;

Vitamin C - required to form blood clots and therefore heal wounds, supports cell health, bone health and the immune system.

---

GOOD MOOD FOOD:

A moment of happiness:

Good source of folate - not having enough folate increases the chance of feeling depressed.

Vitamin C - is involved in converting dopamine to noradrenaline - low amounts of noradrenaline are associated with depression.

Anthocyanins - inhibit MAO which breaks down dopamine. Excess MAO can sometimes be the cause of depression.

A moment of sleep:

Melatonin - hormone that signals to our brain that it's time to sleep, particularly high in tart cherries such as Montmorency;

Tryptophan (and compounds that increase tryptophan availability) - amino acid which is the precursor for serotonin, a good mood hormone used in the production of melatonin and sleep regulation;

Polyphenols (anthocyanins and flavonols) - reduce inflammation which lowers blood pressure, a required part of our sleep cycle.

A moment of calm:

Flavanols - reduce inflammation in the body, including the brain; and have been shown in early studies to reduce depression-like behaviours.

Hydration - lowering blood pressure and keeping the gut microbiome healthy means keeping the brain happy due to the gut-brain axis.

Hopefully this makes you excited to try this and many other cherry recipes while its in season!

You can find lots of ideas on how to cook cucumbers in my newsletter: https://felicityvincent.substack.com/

---

Full Video:

Cook along with this step-by-step video and learn how to make my easy and healthy smoked mackerel & cherry salad.

---

Photos: