Mary Berry Smoked Haddock Mousse Recipe

This Mary Berry Smoked haddock mousse is a creamy and savory recipe, which is made with smoked haddock and turmeric. It’s the perfect make-ahead appetizer, ready in about 20 minutes, plus chilling time.

Mary Berry Smoked Haddock Mousse Ingredients

• 250 g (8 oz) smoked haddock, skinned
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt and black pepper
• 250 g (8 oz) full-fat soft cheese
• 2 tbsp reduced-calorie mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 6 small bowls

How To Make Mary Berry Smoked Haddock Mousse

1. Prepare the haddock: Line a baking sheet with a long, wide piece of foil. Place the haddock on it, sprinkle with the lemon juice, and season with pepper.
2. Create a foil parcel: Bring the long edges of the foil together and fold to seal. Bring each of the short edges together and fold to seal, forming a parcel.
3. Bake the fish: Bake the fish in a preheated oven at 160°C (140°C fan, Gas 3) for 7–10 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked and flakes easily with a fork. Set the parcel aside until it is completely cold.
4. Blend the mousse: Flake the cold fish into a food processor or blender, removing any bones and adding any juices left on the foil. Add the soft cheese, mayonnaise, and turmeric. Season lightly with salt.
5. Process until smooth: Process or blend the mixture until smooth, then check and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
6. Chill and serve: Lightly oil the small bowls and spoon in the fish mixture. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours, until the mixture has set to a soft mousse. Serve with a sprig of parsley and slices of plain wholemeal toast.

Recipe Tips

• How to get an extra smooth mousse? For the smoothest possible texture, you can push the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve before chilling. This will remove any small bones or fibrous parts of the fish.
• What kind of smoked haddock is best? You can use either natural (undyed) smoked haddock, which is creamy-white, or dyed haddock, which is bright yellow. The flavour is the same.
• Why bake the fish in a foil parcel? This method gently steams the fish in its own juices and the lemon juice, keeping it wonderfully moist and flavourful.
• Can I use a different smoked fish? Yes, this recipe would also work well with smoked mackerel or smoked trout for a different flavour profile.

What To Serve With Smoked Haddock Mousse

This light mousse is a perfect starter, served simply with:

• Slices of plain wholemeal toast (as suggested)
• Melba toast or crisp crackers
• A simple cucumber salad
• A few capers sprinkled on top

How To Store Smoked Haddock Mousse

• Refrigerate: Keep the mousses covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• Freezing: It is not recommended to freeze this dish, as the texture of the cheese and mayonnaise can become watery and split upon thawing.

FAQs

Can I make this without a food processor? It would be difficult to get a smooth mousse texture. If you don’t have one, you would need to flake the fish extremely finely with a fork and then beat it vigorously with the soft cheese and mayonnaise.

Do I need to add salt? Smoked haddock is already quite salty, so the recipe advises seasoning lightly with salt at first. It’s important to taste the mixture after blending before you decide to add any more.

Can I make this as one large mousse? Yes, instead of six small bowls, you can set the mousse in a single larger dish or a small loaf tin lined with cling film, then turn it out and slice it to serve.

Mary Berry’s Smoked Haddock Mousse Recipe

Course: AppetizersCuisine: British

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Calories

217

kcal

A light, creamy, and savory mousse made from smoked haddock, soft cheese, and a hint of turmeric.

Ingredients

• 250 g (8 oz) smoked haddock, skinned
  

• juice of 1/2 lemon
  

• 250 g (8 oz) full-fat soft cheese
  

• 1 tbsp turmeric
  

• Salt and black pepper

Directions

• Place haddock on foil, sprinkle with lemon juice and pepper. Seal into a parcel.
  
• Bake at 160°C (140°C fan, Gas 3) for 7-10 minutes until cooked. Let cool.
  
• Flake the cooled fish into a food processor with any juices, the cheese, mayonnaise, and turmeric. Season lightly with salt.
  
• Blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning if needed.
  
• Spoon into 6 lightly oiled bowls. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours until set.
  
• Serve chilled with wholemeal toast.