Mackerel cream

There is a stall in La Rochelle market where one can buy not only fresh, smoked, or boiled fish and seafood but also different kinds of salad and cream all made with fish, obviously. While spending our vacation there, we tried different products from their stall, mackerel cream being one of them. A pretty staple food in France, as there is a big love for mackerel in this country. Mostly, though, the French love smoked mackerel, and, if you cannot get fresh fish, do use smoked, omitting the cooking part.

250 g mackerel fillet
4 tbsp mild extra virgin olive oil
40 g cornichons, finely chopped
2 tsp grain mustard
4 tbsp crème fraîche
sea salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

In a pan, heat the oil and add mackerel fillets frying 2–3 minutes from each side. Take the pan off the heat but leave the fish there to cool completely. If you wish, take it out and put in a bowl, together with all of the juices. When the fish is cold, add cornichons and mustard and mix vigorously. Add crème fraîche, salt, pepper, and lemon juice and mix to obtain a creamy mixture. Serve right away or place in a jar and leave to infuse for a while in the fridge. You can use it for three days.