For a savoury cake where you want to control the seasoning yourself, start with plain mackerel fillets. Drain them before flaking. Grilled fillets add a different flavour without sauce, while recipes with mustard or white wine mean you’ll need to adjust the cake batter’s seasonings and check the allergens listed on the tin you choose.
If you’re already adding olives, cheese, vegetables or herbs, plain fillets let you choose the flavours in the batter separately. The ingredient lists provided by Petit Navire, Saupiquet and Auchan make it easy to spot some straightforward options.
A tin of grilled or prepared mackerel can give your cake plenty of flavour without the need for lots of extra herbs and spices. Before adding it, though, check the sauce, the proportion of fish and the allergens. Saupiquet’s mustard recipe, for example, already contains mustard.
To compare tins beyond the word ‘premium’, check the details on the exact product: ingredients, species, drained weight or any label shown. A label on one Connétable tin doesn’t automatically apply to the brand’s other products.
Choose these: if you want the olives, cheese or herbs in your batter to define the flavour of the cake.
Bear in mind: drain the fillets before flaking them, then add herbs and seasonings to taste.
Choose these: if you want a grilled flavour without making a sauce the main seasoning.
Bear in mind: ingredients vary. Carrefour Extra lists herbs and spices, while Pêche Océan lists grilled white mackerel, water and salt.
Choose these: if you want mustard or white wine to be part of the cake’s flavour.
Bear in mind: cut back on similar seasonings in the batter and check the allergens in the product you choose.
| Criterion | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Seasoning and moisture | Compare the ingredients and salt per 100 g. If the tin contains a covering liquid, check the drained net weight. | If my batter already contains cheese or olives, I want to control the seasoning and avoid pouring in the liquid from the tin. This would be the top priority for around 45 % of consumers. |
| Flavour already in the tin | Look for herbs, spices or sauce, then check the proportion of fish and the allergens listed. | For a lightly seasoned batter, I might prefer grilled or prepared mackerel rather than adding several extra seasonings. A ready-made flavour would be the top priority for around 33 % of consumers. |
| Product details | Check the ingredients, drained weight and any label or origin you’re looking for on the exact product. | If I’m buying for a particular meal, I want to compare specific details rather than rely on the word ‘premium’. Around 22 % of consumers would put these verifiable criteria first. |
A label or a recipe made with olive oil tells you something about the tin, not whether its seasoning will work with your batter.
First decide whether you want plain fillets, a grilled flavour or a sauce. Then compare the ingredients and details of the exact product.
A mustard or white wine recipe already brings plenty of flavour, which could overpower the other ingredients in your cake.
If you choose mackerel in sauce, adjust the mustard, vinegar and any other seasonings you were planning to add.
Depending on the product, the fish may be accompanied by mustard or sulphites. Carrefour also warns that its Extra grilled fillets may contain traces of mustard and milk.
Read the ingredients and any ‘may contain’ warnings on the tin you’ll be serving, particularly if you’re sharing the cake.
Storage instructions after opening differ from those for an unopened tin. Connétable and Petit Navire product information advises refrigerating the mackerel and eating it within two days.
Follow the instructions on your product. For the Petit Navire tin in question, Joybuy advises transferring the contents to a suitable non-metallic container after opening.
These examples show how the ingredients and details can vary from one product to another. They don’t necessarily apply to other products from the same brand.
Plain fillets and an olive oil recipe let you compare a simple option with one that already contains oil.
Plain fillets and an organic mild mustard recipe suit two different ways of seasoning your batter.
A plain product whose commercial name includes the Label Rouge and MSC marks.
Grilled mackerel fillets in water, with herbs and spices listed in the ingredients.
A 97 g tin of grilled white mackerel fillets in water, sold by E.Leclerc.
Plain mackerel fillets give you more control over the seasoning in your batter. Petit Navire, Saupiquet and Auchan offer products with short ingredient lists. Compare the salt listed on the tin you choose and drain the fillets before flaking them.
Yes, if that’s the flavour you want in your recipe. Use less of any similar seasonings in the batter and read the label: the Saupiquet recipe mentioned contains mustard, while the ECO + white wine recipe sold by E.Leclerc lists sulphites.
Compare the ingredients, allergens and the amount of fish available for your recipe. For products packed in a covering liquid, the Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control reminds shoppers that the label states the drained net weight and highlights allergenic ingredients.
Follow the storage instructions on the tin you’ve bought and refrigerate any leftovers as directed. The product information for the Connétable and Petit Navire tins mentioned advises eating the contents within two days. For the Petit Navire product in question, Joybuy advises transferring the leftovers to a suitable non-metallic container.