Had the U3A budget cookery group round this afternoon. We did some mackerel things. I showed how you can make 8 portions of lunches and dinners from a pack of two smoked mackerel fillets, each portion being less than 50p. Each recipe makes 2 portions. We made mackerel pate and crudités Mackerel pate and pasta Mackerel and beetroot salad Mackerel kedgeree

Then we did a fish pie using frozen pollack and some smoked river fish. The cheapest I could find in my local shops per kilo, but still too much for here. The frozen pollack was £1.79 for 520g and the fresh, smoked river fish, a comparatively whopping £2.75 for 240g. We cooked it gently in milk and bay leaves. Then flaked the fish and made a white sauce with the milk. Boiled some eggs and peas and mixed everything together and topped the lot with buttery mashed potatoes. The whole thing made 6 portions, which was deliberate, as I wanted everyone to be able to take one home. Fish pie is a popular meal, but most fish is very expensive and extremely difficult to incorporate into £1 a day meals.

I’ll post the full recipe tomorrow as I know not all readers need £1 a day. I’m too busy being cross after watching the recorded programme on waste by Hugh F-W, and a programme I’m watching right now on extreme poverty.