Smoked Mackerel, Horseradish and Beetroot Canapes

I love the combination of horseradish and oily fish.  Last year in our VW camper I made a main of fresh pan fried mackerel fillets with thyme beetroot rosti and lemon horseradish.  It was so delicious and and amazingly easy to cook in a tiny campervan 'kitchen'.  This is a canape version which is completely scrummy, easy to make and like my raclette canapes the rostis and topping can be prepared in advance and then assembled at the last minute.

This is definitely one of our favourite canape creations, you must try them!

Ingredients (makes 30 canapes)

3 medium beetroot (raw)
2 eggs
3 heaped dessertspoons plain flour
2 dessertspoons balsamic vinegar
small bunch of fresh thyme
seasoning
olive or sunflower oil for pan frying
2 smoked peppered mackerel fillets
3 heaped tsp hot horseradish sauce
juice of half a lemon
fennel or dill fronds to garnish

Method

1. Peel and grate the beetroot on a coarse setting (wear an apron!) and place in a bowl.

2. Add the eggs, flour, seasoning, thyme leaves and balsamic to the beetroot and mix well.
3. Pour a couple of tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and heat over a moderate setting.
4. Add 6 or 7 separate teaspoons of the beetroot mixture into the pan and fry on either side for 2 minutes, or until crisp.  I like to press down on the little rostis as they cook to ensure they are cooked throughout.

5. Lay the rostis on kitchen paper and continue frying until all the beetroot mixture is used up.

You can now leave the cooled rostis layered in kitchen paper in a Tupperware until just before your guests arrive.  Although don't only make these on special occasions they are too delicious to be denied a regular outing.

6. Heat the rostis on a baking tray for 15 minutes at 200C, or until crisp and hot.
7. Meanwhile mix the horseradish sauce with the lemon juice and flake the mackerel into small chunks.
8. Remove the rostis from the oven and place on your serving board or plate.  Top with a small dollop of horseradish...

a small chunk of mackerel...

and finish with a spring of fennel or dill...

Perfection...

Like salmon and sour cream on hot blinis, the lemon horseradish will start to melt slightly but I think it adds to the 'just cooked' appeal.