Salad of Shaved Baby Fennel, Apple and Smoked Mackerel. And my Norwegian Ancestry
August 8, 2011 in Uncategorized
Smoked mackerel is one of those love-it-or-hate-it foods, and I fall happily into Camp Love It. My fish-hating children and husband, the philistines they are, make gagging noises and organise protest marches when they see a packet of smoked mackerel fillets in the fridge. I am flummoxed by their attitude.
I love all kinds of fish: smoked, pickled, cured and oily (especially snoek and anchovies) and I reckon this craving has something to do with my Norwegian ancestry.
My Norwegian great-grandmother, ‘Bestemor’, Agathe Torstena Olsen
I’m a quarter Norwegian, as you might gather from this rather Nordic picture of me as a nine-year-old (below). My grandmother Cecilie Kröger Jacobsen was born in 1911 in Durban, South Africa, and her immigrant parents were both born in Norway.
My great grandfather Bernt Jacobsen came from Arendal and his wife Agathe Olsen from Bergen. Both Bernt and Agathe were dead by the time I was born, and I know very little about them.
One lovely piece of family lore has stuck in my mind, though. Agathe (‘Bestemor‘) used to say that when she was a little girl and saw the great Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg on the streets of Bergen, she always dropped him a curtsy. I don’t know whether this is true, and – like all wonderful old family legends – and it doesn’t really matter if it isn’t. The very idea that Bestemor was born in the same town as Grieg tickles me pink.
I’ve had Norway in my thoughts recently, after the devastasting massacre of so many young people on Utøya island. My family has virtually no connection at all to Norway these days – though my mum, I think, is still in touch with some distant relatives – but my heart felt curiously broken to hear this news. This tenuous ancestral connection has ignited an interest in Norway and I hope to spend some time in the next few weeks exploring Norwegian food.
Me, aged nine, dressed up in Norwegian traditional costume.
Anyway, back to the salad. I picked up some beautiful baby fennel at my local Woolies in Hout Bay, and it was just too young, fresh and snappy to cook. I shaved it, using a mandolin, and combined it with sweet thin slices of apple, flakes of smoked mackerel, and – for a bit of crunch and vim – a crisp topping of croutons dusted with chilli powder. I used apple-cider vinegar to make the dressing, but you can use any good white-wine vinegar.
Salad of Shaved Baby Fennel, Apple and Smoked Mackerel
For the dressing
3 T (45 ml) apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
½ cup (125 ml) good olive oil
1 tsp (5 ml) Dijon mustard
½ tsp (2.5 ml) white granulated sugar
salt and milled black pepper
For the salad:
6 young, crisp fennel bulbs
a lemon
4 small, crunchy apples (I used Golden Delicious)
2 large fillets of smoked mackerel
For the chilli croutons:
4 slices white bread, crusts removed
4 T (60 ml) vegetable oil
a pinch of chilli powder (or more, to taste)
First make the dressing. Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
Trim the fennel bulbs and cut them in very fine slices lengthways, using a mandolin or sharp knife. Set aside.
Fill a large bowl with cold water and add the juice of half a lemon. Peel the apples using a potato peeler (or this excellent device) and drop them immediately into the lemony water. When all the apples are peeled, use a corer to remove the cores and stalks. Cut the apples horizontally into very fine slices, and put them back into the bowl of acidulated water (this will prevent them from going brown).
Remove any fine bones from the mackerel and pull it into large flakes.
Just before you assemble the salad, make the chilli croutons. Heat the vegetable oil in a small pan. Tear the bread into little tatters and fry in the hot oil, tossing once or twice, until they are a rich golden brown. Drain on a piece of kitchen paper and sprinkle with chilli powder and a little salt.
To serve, arrange the fennel, apple and mackerel on a platter, or on individual plates. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, and top with the croutons. Serve immediately.
Serves 6
mitzireddy said on August 8, 2011
what a cute pic of you, Juno – the massacre was so senseless. Your food always looks soo good. I am also like your children with regard to fish – am trying to get over it.
Sous-Chef said on August 8, 2011
Another gorgeous photo *sob* I love smoked mackerel just not a fan of fennel. That said, I’ve only had it cooked, I shall make a point of trying it raw.
Juno62 said on August 8, 2011
Thanks Mitzi. I agree that I looked rather cute at nine, but didn’t we all? Pity it didn’t last, ha ha! Keep trying with fish: the more you eat it, the more you love it.
Juno62 said on August 8, 2011
Thank you Sue. I didn’t like fennel much either until a few years ago, but I think that’s because I tried cooking big old bulbs that tasted like stale licorice. Very small fennel bulbs are fantastic raw and have a very delicate taste xxx
Sous-Chef said on August 8, 2011
I lived my first three years of life in Norway.
Juno62 said on August 8, 2011
Did you? Really? How about a photograph?
Zabwan said on August 9, 2011
Such a lovely post, Juno, thank you for sharing some family stories and photos! I love smoked mackeral, can eat it straight from the package, but this salad looks so good, I’ll search for fennel. Thanks for the tips
pinkpolkadot said on August 9, 2011
What an interesting post!!! Luckily most of my family (except my son) looooove smoked mackerel!! What a lovely salad!!
Juno62 said on August 10, 2011
Thanks for the comment Dottie!
Juno62 said on August 10, 2011
Hi Zabwan. Thank you! Let me know how it turns out. I bought this fennel at Woolies.
ilovecooking said on August 10, 2011
Just back from shoot, battered and bruised and popped into to reply to some comments but when I landed on the home page I saw this stunner, I had to come and deliver my compliments personally. Tripple fantastic Junes! Image, recipe and story are all great. Your blog is soooo one of the quintessential poster blogs to follow!!
RJ77 said on August 10, 2011
Looks Fab!
Juno62 said on August 10, 2011
Thank you for your kind comments Anne. Sorry you’re battered and bruised.
Juno62 said on August 10, 2011
Thank you RJ!
cathymarston said on August 11, 2011
Smoked mackeral makes the most fabulous, easiest and quickest pate/dip as well. Blitz with smooth cottage cheese, horseradish sauce, lemon juice and pepper. Fab on warm toast – and my son eats it this way!! Your salad looks amazing!
Juno62 said on August 11, 2011
Thanks Cathy. I have half a packet of mac left in the fridge, and I’m going to make your pate with it. And eat it all myself. *piggy face*