This pairing of wild horseradish and mackerel is well known, perhaps with apple too. However, the secret to this recipe is not to use the root, but instead to draw that delicious peppery fire of horseradish from the leaves. Horseradish leaves are not only edible, but delicious - particularly if you like your bitter greens.
If you like this recipe, why not check out our grilled mackerel fillets recipe with horseradish potato salad and wild gooseberry pickle.
This recipe, combines that pepper with soft sweet oily mackerel. Served with an apple salad on the side and perhaps a few crispy potatoes, this is a recipe that we are confident that you’ll keep coming back to.. Time after time after time.
Learn more about wild foods and plants with the very best wild food and foraging books.
Baked Mackerel and Horseradish Leaf Wraps with a Piquant Mustard Sauce
Serves 2 (with two portions / wraps each)
Ingredients for the Mackerel and Horseradish Leaf wraps:
300g mackerel, skin removed, cut into cubes
12 medium horseradish leaves
100 g toasted sourdough breadcrumbs
1 small courgette, grated
1clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped
Zest of 1 small lemon
2 tsp flat-leaf parsley leaves
½ tsp thyme leaves
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Sea salt & black pepper
Ingredients for the Mustard Sauce:
200ml full fat milk
2 1/2 tsp cornflour
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard / Dijon mustard
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
Warm the oven up to 180 degrees.
Prepare the horseradish leaves by bringing a large saucepan of water to the boil and cook the leaves until they soften (just a few minutes), then remove with tongs. Place on a clean tea towel. When cool, remove the thicker part of the central spine and allow to continue to dry on a clean tea towel.
Back to the mackerel, place the fish cubes in a medium bowl. Add the courgette, breadcrumbs, garlic, lemon zest, parsley, thyme, sea salt and egg. Season and make sure that the mixture is well combined. Set aside.
To make the horseradish leaf rolls, flatten three leaves on your work surface, to make a long flat surface to place your mixture on. Spoon a thick cigar (about a quarter of the mixture, you are making four) of filling at one end of the leaf, then fold in the sides and roll it up as you would a parcel. Repeat until you have four wraps.
Place the mackerel filled leaves, on an oiled baking dish, drizzling a with a little more olive oil over the parcels. Cook at 180 degrees for 20 minutes until the mackerel is cooked.
Whilst the fish is cooking, make your mustard sauce. Simply whisk together the cornflour and a little of the milk until smooth. In a small non-stick saucepan, combine the remaining milk and cornflour mixture. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, over medium heat until thicker and smooth. Add the mustard and parsley and season.
When the fish is cooked, place two portions onto two warm plates, spoon over the sauce and enjoy!
Served with a crunchy bitter leaf and apple salad, perhaps some warm bread or crunchy potatoes, this dish makes a wonderful lunch or light dinner. And those horseradish leaves, wow, they really do make all the difference.
Love creating recipes from wild foods? Check out our selection of Wild Food Cookbooks.