Kipper Melt from Scran

By Erin Brown
Related Categories: Cookbook Confidential

“Move over tuna melt, the Scots have arrived! Kippers are quintessentially Scottish. My great-grandfather cured and smoked herring on the Isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides, so I feel the love of smoked fish is in my blood. Mum used to make a kipper pâté, and this is not a million miles from that process. The soft leeks and horseradish in this topping complement the strong, smoky kipper flavour so well. I also love a pickle on the side to cut through the creaminess – it’s a match made in heaven, well…Scotland!” Ali Stoner, author of Scran

Serves 2

15g (½oz) unsalted butter, plus extra for spreading

1 leek, washed and finely sliced

40g (1½oz) cream cheese

40g (1½oz) Greek yogurt

20g (¾oz) capers

1 heaped teaspoon creamed horseradish

Zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 kipper fillets (about 200g/7oz)

2 thick slices of sourdough

75g (2¾oz) Cheddar cheese, grated

Salt and ground black pepper

Pickles of your choice, to serve

Melt the butter in a frying pan and soften the leek in the pan with a little sprinkle of salt, then let it cool.

Place the cream cheese, yogurt, capers, horseradish, lemon zest, parsley and leeks in a bowl and mix well.

Steam the kipper fillets in a steamer over boiling water, or gently poach in a little hot water, for 3–5 minutes until they flake easily. Remove the skin and break into chunks. Stir through the creamy mixture and season well with black pepper.

Heat the grill to high.

Butter the sourdough and place it butter-side down in a frying pan to toast (I like to do the other side, too). Remove to a board and spoon over the topping, spreading it right to the edges – you don’t want burned crusts! Cover with the grated Cheddar, then grill until bubbling and golden. Let your kipper melts cool for a few minutes before cutting in half and serving with pickles of your choice. A nice sharply dressed salad goes well here, too.