Smoked Mackerel, Beetroot and Horseradish Salad
Smoked mackerel flaked over cooked beetroot and watercress with a horseradish and yoghurt dressing. Nothing to cook, and the whole thing takes eight minutes.
Why it works
Smoked mackerel is the highest-omega-3 thing you can buy already cooked. A single fillet carries well over the weekly EPA and DHA that most guidelines ask for, and those two fatty acids are the substrate for resolvins, the signalling molecules that end an inflammatory response instead of just suppressing it. Beetroot brings nitrate and betalains. Watercress brings glucosinolates, and the horseradish in the dressing is that same mustard-oil chemistry in a more concentrated form. The yoghurt is there to carry the horseradish and stop the dressing being oil on oil, since the mackerel brings plenty of its own.
EPA and DHA lowering CRP and IL-6 has consistent meta-analytic support. Smoked fish is high in sodium, which is worth knowing if you are managing blood pressure, and the nitrate case for beetroot is separate and rests on its own trials.
Ingredients
- 2 smoked mackerel fillets, about 200 g, skin removed
- 250 g cooked beetroot, cut into wedges
- 80 g watercress
- 1 apple, cut into matchsticks
- 100 g plain yoghurt
- 2 tsp horseradish sauce
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- A small handful dill, chopped
Method
- Whisk the yoghurt, horseradish, half the lemon juice and a pinch of salt into a dressing.
- Toss the watercress and apple with the olive oil and the rest of the lemon.
- Spread the beetroot across two plates, pile the leaves on top, and flake the mackerel over in large pieces rather than shredding it.
- Spoon the dressing over and scatter the dill.
