Smoked Mackerel Mac N' Cheese
We recently smoked some mackerel, and for some reason it occurred to me that it might be good in Mac N' Cheese. It was. Maybe it should be called Mack N' Mac N' Cheese?
We like to use a nice, creamy cheese sauce for our Mac N' Cheese. We start with a basic milk-based white sauce to which we add sautéed shallot and a variety of cheeses (generally whatever we have in the fridge). This time, we used Gruyere and Irish Shannon, along with some Emmentaler, Mozzarella, and Sharp Cheddar that we had cold-smoked with apple and pecan wood.
We purchased the mackerel at Zion Market, a Korean market in Kearny Mesa. Here it is after being beheaded and cleaned:
After a quick brine, an overnight dry and 3 hours in the smoker (hot-smoked with hickory wood), here is what it looked like:
The smokiness from the mackerel and the smoked cheeses blended really nicely with the saltiness of the fish - this is a combo we'll definitely make again. Maybe with smoked salmon next time?
That would be yummy! I have made a fettucini with smoked salmon and asparagus (a real accomplishment for cooking-challenged me), but using some smoked cheese would make it even better!
ReplyDeleteYou just reminded me of a dish we do with penne and smoked salmon that we haven't made in a while. Good stuff!
ReplyDeleteI love it, "Mack N' Mac N' Cheese"...so what will the Smoked Salmon be called....SMac n' Cheese? ;o)
ReplyDeleteKirk - Or maybe "SMack N' Cheese" as a smoked mackerel and cheese dip...
ReplyDeleteThat sounds good! I make a cheap-y version with tuna that I like to put apples in.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely see tuna working well. We do a cold noodle salad with tuna and I've been meaning to try it with smoked fish.
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