Chris McDade’s Mackerel Salad

Chris McDade, Popina NYC

This month we are excited to team up with Chef Chris McDade of NYC hotspot, Popina, a neighborhood restaurant that blends Southern and Italian cuisine for an epic meal. Chris just released a book, The Magic of Tinned Fish. The book expands the possibilities of cooking with one of the world's most versatile, affordable, and sustainable ingredients, tinned fish. Thanks to Patagonia Provisions for also collaborating with us to make this all come together this month for Extra Sauce.

You can purchase Chris’ new book here.

Mackerel, in Place of Tuna, Salad

Nothing seems to scream tinned fish more than a traditional tuna salad. Unfortunately, most canned

tuna is not caught in a sustainable way, and the tuna populations all over the world reflect this. So skip

the tuna salad and make a mackerel salad instead. No flavor is lost, and you can feel good knowing that

with this one easy swap, you are playing a small part in protecting our planet.

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

1 stalk celery, finely diced

½ cucumber, finely diced

¼ small red onion, finely diced

1 jalapeño, minced

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

½ cup (115 g) mayonnaise

1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

1 tablespoon minced fresh dill

1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon

Grated zest and juice of ½ lemon

Freshly ground black pepper

Two 4.2-ounce (120 g) tins mackerel in piri piri sauce

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, combine the celery, cucumber, onion, and jalapeño. Add a small pinch of salt, mix,

and let sit for 5 minutes. This time allows the salt to pull moisture from the vegetables, making the

salad, well, less watery. After the 5 minutes, drain off the liquid.

Mix in the olive oil, mustard, mayonnaise, chives, dill, tarragon, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Season

with salt and pepper. Fold in the mackerel fillets until well incorporated. Taste and reseason if

necessary. The salad will keep for 3 days.

What to Do with Mackerel Salad

Mackerel salad is delicious on its own or piled into lettuce cups, but you can never go wrong serving it in

a sandwich. There are so many ways to use it.

As a Melt

One slice of white bread, topped with mackerel salad, sliced red onion, bread-and-butter pickles, and a

slice of American cheese. Broil until browned and bubbling.