This is my cupboard-friendly twist on a Niçoise salad, made with mackerel in mustard sauce instead of the usual tuna. It is quick, colourful and satisfying, with butter-fried new potatoes, crisp green beans, red onion and olives bringing plenty of texture to the plate.

Tinned mackerel is one of those staples I always keep ready in the cupboard. The fillets already come in their own mustard sauce, making them a super-fast way to add protein and beneficial Omega-3 to a meal without automatically reaching for tuna.

There is enough sauce in the tins to dress the salad, so it only needs a little lemon juice and zest for freshness and zing. The golden potatoes make it feel substantial, while the green beans, onion and olives keep everything unmistakably salad-like.

Method

1. Cook the potatoes. Put the new potatoes into a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 12–15 minutes, depending on size, until just tender when pierced with a knife.
2. Prepare the other ingredients. While the potatoes cook, trim the beans, finely slice the red onion and drain the olives. Open the mackerel tins carefully, keeping every drop of mustard sauce.
3. Cook the beans. Add the green beans to the potato pan for the final 4–5 minutes, or cook them separately if you prefer. They should be tender but still bright and retain a little bite. Lift out the beans, drain the potatoes and let both steam-dry briefly.
4. Butter-fry the potatoes. Halve the potatoes, or press them very lightly so their edges split without falling apart. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the potatoes cut-side down and fry for 5–7 minutes, turning as needed, until golden at the edges. Season with black pepper.
5. Make the mustard dressing. Spoon the mustard sauce from both tins into a small bowl. Stir in the lemon zest and begin with 2 tsp lemon juice. Taste before adding the remainder—the finished dressing should be bright but still distinctly mustardy.
6. Assemble the salad. Divide the warm butter potatoes and green beans between two plates. Add the red onion and olives, then gently lift the mackerel fillets on top so they retain their shape.
7. Finish and serve. Spoon the lemony mustard sauce over the mackerel and vegetables. Add black pepper and serve while the potatoes are still warm.

Allergy note: The Princes mustard-sauce mackerel used here contains fish, mustard, milk and wheat. Product recipes can change, so always check the label on your own tins if you have an allergy or intolerance.