Smoked Mackerel Fishcakes with Watercress Salad

Preparation

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  <strong>For the fishcakes: </strong>
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  1. Peel and cut the potatoes into chunks and cook in boiling salted water until tender. Drain and allow to cool and dry in the sieve for a few minutes. Tip the potatoes into a large bowl, add the butter and milk and then mash until smooth.
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  2. Peel and chop the spring onions and chop the chives. Add them to the mashed potato and stir in. Add the horseradish sauce, the crème fraiche and a squeeze of lemon juice, season well with black pepper and mix everything together.
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  3. Flake the flesh of the smoked mackerel from the skin, making sure to remove any remaining bones. Add the fish to the potato mixture and fold it in carefully.
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  4. Lightly oil a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 200 degrees or 180 degrees fan oven.
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  Sprinkle some of the breadcrumbs onto a large plate
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  you may need to top it up as you go along. [You can make your own breadcrumbs, but I used golden breadcrumbs from a packet and they worked well.] Beat the egg in a shallow bowl. Using lightly floured hands, take a heaped tablespoon of the potato and fish mixture, form it into a slightly flattened ball, dip it into the beaten egg and then place it in the breadcrumbs. Spoon breadcrumbs over the top then roll it to coat the sides too, and place it on the oiled baking tray. When you have used up all the mixture, spray the top of the fishcakes with a little oil and bake them in the oven for about 30 minutes, turning them carefully half way through the time, or until they are brown and crunchy on the outside.
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  <strong>
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  To make the watercress salad:</strong>
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  1. Make a salad dressing by combining the wholegrain mustard, olive oil, lemon juice and crushed garlic then seasoning to taste.
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  2. Wash, dry and mix together the salad leaves, place a handful on each plate next to the fishcakes and drizzle the dressing over it just before serving.
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  3. Serve accompanied by wedges of fresh lemon and lime.