Madhouse recipe : Fruity Freekeh Mackerel Salad

I'm clearing out my food cupboards again, using up all the half-empty pots and tubs that have been lurking in the back taking up space, so I wanted to make something using Freekeh, a lovely nutty grain that I discovered in my Lebanon-themed Kitchen Nomad box a couple of months ago. Boiled for 20-30 minutes, it becomes soft but still quite firm and chewy.

I went rummaging in the cupboards and spice rack to see what else I could put with it and came up with this quick, throw-it-all together dish which is bursting with different flavours and textures:

Fruity Freekeh Mackerel Salad

200g cracked freekeh

1 apple, diced

a handful of dates, chopped

1 tbsp dried mint

a squeeze of lemon juice

1 tbsp za'atar spice mix (or whatever you fancy to give it a bit of a kick)

a big handful of roasted pumpkin seeds

1 tin of mackerel fillets (or you could use fresh)

sprigs of fresh mint to decorate

Cook and drain the freekeh. Put it in a large bowl and mix through the apple, dates, lemon juice, spice, dried mint and pumpkin seeds. (I used dried mint because it was pouring hard and I didn't want to venture outside to pick fresh mint ! I did brave it in the end though, in between showers, and added some sprigs of fresh mint as a garnish. They both work well, although they don't give the same flavour.)

Serve the freekeh mixture. Layer the mackerel fillets on top and garnish with sprigs of fresh mint.

This is very similar to the Freekeh Salad that I served with Za'atar Crusted Salmon a while ago but I love the fact that it relies on nothing but store cupboard basics. If you haven't got freekeh, any other grain would work.

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Kitchen Nomad Globe-Cooking Recipe #10 : Saigon Summer Rolls (Vietnam)

Applewood Spreadable challenge : Pork & Pumpkin Risotto

Madhouse recipe : Quick Midweek Moroccan Chicken