Mackerel with Madeirean Special Sauce and Cooked Maize (Mihle or Polenta)

This is my take on a dish we enjoyed at the Apolo Cafe in Funchal, Madeira.  We had just visited the local farmers market, including the fish market and it had whetted our appetite for lunch.


The Cafe Apolo is right in the centre of Funchal right opposite the Cathedral and we were tempted by the special 'Fresh from the Market' lunch of 'Mackerel Fillets with Madeirean Special Sauce and Cooked Maize (Polenta)'.

We really enjoyed eating at this street cafe, it is frequented by locals and tourists alike and is a great place for people watching.

This was our meal, a bowl of creamy polenta and a plate with two huge fillets of mackerel with a pool a lovely Madeira sauce flavoured with thyme.


I wanted to recreate this fish dish, all I had to go on was the name of the dish and what I had tasted.  I reckoned that if it was a Madeirean Sauce it would contain Madeira, don't you think?  We had really enjoyed drinking a glass of Madeira on our holiday and had also been to the tour of Blandy's to learn about how Madeira was made and the history of this group of producers.  I was pleased to find a bottle of Blandy's Duke of Clarence Madeira in my local supermarket.  I had also definitely seen and tasted thyme in the sauce and that's about all   Here is what I came up with:

Mackerel in Madeirean Special Sauce with Cooked Maize (Mihle or Polenta)
Serves 4

For the Polenta
1.5 litres water
1 tsp salt
180g polenta
100g grated cheese
20-30g butter

1. Bring the water to the boil in a large pan, add the salt.
2. Pour the polenta in a stream into the boiling water whisking gently.
3. Keep whisking until the polenta has thickened.
4. Cover the polenta and either keep cooking on the stove at a low heat, or put in the oven at 150C.  Stir well every 10 minutes scraping down the sides.  Cook for about 30 minutes.
5. Stir in the cheese and butter and serve immediately.

For the fish
4 fresh mackerel fillets

Labels: Blandy's, Italian, lemon, Mackerel, Madeira, Polenta, Polenta Chips, recipe, thyme, UFUUD

posted by Janice @ 19:51 5 Comments

Fish Tacos with Red Cabbage and Celeriac Coleslaw

I love Mexican food, there is something about all the layers of  textures and flavours, the tortillas, the chillies, the tomatoes, the sour cream and the cheese.  When they all come together they seem to make a magical combination that is quite delightful.

I've made Mexican dishes with chicken, with beef and with vegetables but never with fish, time to put that right.  If you have been reading my recent fish recipe posts you will know that I've been eating oily fish twice a week but I hadn't had any fresh mackerel.  Mackerel has quite a strong flavour and a solid meaty texture, so it can stand a bit of chilli heat without being overpowered.  It's also No. 2 in the top 30 Omega 3 rich fish, second only to herring, so really good for you.


Mackerel is also really good value for money, I got three medium mackerel for £2.54.  I prepared them myself but if you don't have the stomach for that, then I'm sure you could get mackerel fillets or ask your fishmonger to fillet them for you.

Have you tried these new Stand N Stuff Soft Tacos from Old El Paso? The tortillas have been shaped in the little baskets making them much easier to fill and eat.  The Chunky Guacamole is a good stand by to keep in the fridge too, for those times when you don't have a ripe avocado!

Fish Tacos
Serves 4

3 medium whole mackerel, filleted
1 tsp hot smoked paprika
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 Old El Paso Stand n Stuff Soft Taco Kit (contains 8 Stand N Stuff Soft Flour Tortillas, 1 Tomato Stir in Sauce, 1 Cool Herb Topping Mix)
3 tomatoes
100ml sour cream
100g grated cheese
1 lettuce
Old El Paso Chunky Guacamole

1. Cut the fillets into chunky pieces and place in a glass or ceramic dish.
2. Mix the spices and salt together and sprinkle over the fish pieces, mix together to cover the fish with the spices.  Place in the fridge and leave for at least 30 minutes.
3. De-seed the tomatoes and chop finely, place in a bowl and set aside.
4. Mix the Cool Herb Topping Mix with 100ml sour cream in another bowl.
5. In a hot pan, add a splash of oil and add the spiced fish mixture until the fish becomes opaque.
6. Turn down the heat and add the Tomato Stir-in Sauce and stir gently for 2 minutes.
7. Add half the grated cheese (50g), stirring until the cheese has melted.
8. Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds or on a baking tray, covered with foil in the oven at 165C/Gas 3 for 7-9 minutes.
9. Fill the Stand and Stuff Flour Tortillas as follows:

• Lettuce
• Fish mixture
• Chopped Tomatoes
• Grated Cheese
• Cool Herb Topping Mix
• Squeeze of Chunky Guacamole at each end!

I served the Fish Tacos with Red Cabbage and Celeriac Coleslaw



Red Cabbage and Celeriac Coleslaw
Serves 4-6

1/4 red cabbage, finely sliced
1/2 medium celeriac root, finely sliced into julienne strips
1 large carrot, grate half and julienne slice the other half
1/2 a small onions, finely chopped

Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix.

To make the dressing
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
25 ml olive oil
1 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp soured cream
salt and freshly ground pepper

Place all the ingredients into a jar or dressing shaker (or you can whisk in a bowl) and shake until completely mixed.  Pour over the vegetables and mix.  Chill until ready to serve.


What a tasty supper dish, we really enjoyed it.  The fish held together well and combined well with the spices.  I loved the Stand N Stuff Tacos, they held the fillings so well and I could see them being really brilliant for buffets and much easier for children to manage than the traditional tortilla.  As long as you don't fill them too full, you can pick them up and the filling will stay in while you bite into them.  I was also pleasantly surprised by the Chunky Guacamole, it definitely tasted of avocado and no obvious artificial flavour, not as much texture as the real thing but handy to keep in the fridge.

Read more about the benefits of eating oily fish at the Fish is the Dish website. 

The mackerel is a really thrifty buy, and the coleslaw is pretty cheap to make too. The meal can also be made with standard tortillas to make it less expensive.  With all these money savers I'm entering this recipe for Credit Crunch Munch, the blog event run by Fuss Free Flavours and Fab Food 4 All and currently being hosted by My Little Italian Kitchen 

I was provided with the Old El Paso products for review, I was not paid and all opinions are my own. 

Labels: celeriac, chilli, coleslaw, fish, Fish Tacos, Mackerel, Old El Paso, red cabbage, spicy, Tacos, Tortillas

posted by Janice @ 09:30 7 Comments