To keep mussels and chips at the heart of the meal, choose plain fillets or ones simply packed in olive oil for a light starter. Grilled or marinated fillets are better suited to separate bites if you’re after a more pronounced flavour. Compare the ingredients, drained weight and storage instructions after opening.
If mussels and chips are the main event, plain fillets or ones simply packed in olive oil make it easy to serve a bite without committing to a marinade. Petit Navire and Auchan, for example, offer recipes made with mackerel, olive oil and salt.
For a separate sharing platter, grilled, lemon-flavoured or escabèche-style recipes offer different seasoning profiles. The right choice depends on your guests’ tastes, so check the label for ingredients and any allergen information.
If the word “premium” isn’t enough to help you choose, check the proportion of fish, type of oil, drained weight and nutritional information per 100 g. Compare the recipes themselves rather than relying on brand names alone.
First decide whether the mackerel will be a subtle starter or a separate appetiser. Then check the ingredients and how much fish you’ll be serving.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is this for? |
|---|---|---|
| Seasoning | Compare the ingredients in plain, olive oil, grilled and marinated recipes. | If I’m serving mackerel just before mussels and chips, I’d rather be able to season it myself. Around 40% of consumers put a subtle flavour first. |
| Ingredients | Check the proportion of fish, type of oil and nutritional information per 100 g. | Before choosing a recipe described as “premium”, I want to know what’s in the tin. This is the main concern for around 30% of consumers. |
| Portions and leftovers | Check the drained net weight, if stated, and the storage instructions after opening. | For an appetiser followed by a main course, I want a quantity that suits the number of guests without leaving leftovers that are difficult to manage. Around 30% of consumers therefore prioritise pack size and serving options. |
A lemon marinade or escabèche-style recipe already contains several seasonings. It can work well as an appetiser, but may not be the right choice for a subtle starter.
To stay in control of the seasoning, start with plain fillets or ones simply packed in olive oil. Save the marinated option for bites served separately.
The total weight includes the liquid the fish is packed in, but it’s the amount of fish that matters when planning portions.
Look for the drained net weight on the pack and compare it with the stated proportion of mackerel in each recipe.
Ingredients and any ‘may contain’ warnings can vary between products, even within the same range.
If you have an allergy, check the label on the product you’re buying, including the ingredients list and any ‘may contain’ warnings.
Storage times and conditions after opening depend on the product. A large tin is only practical if the quantity you serve suits your meal.
Choose a pack size to suit your guests and follow the storage instructions on the packaging after opening.
The brand offers mackerel fillets in extra virgin olive oil, including in a 145 g pack.
The grilled fillets in olive oil are worth considering for separate appetiser bites.
The plain grilled and escabèche-style recipes let you compare two levels of seasoning.
The range includes plain and seasoned recipes, so you can choose according to the role the mackerel will play in your meal.
Auchan offers mackerel fillets in olive oil in an 85 g pack, which may suit a smaller serving.
This olive oil option is a good fit for a lightly seasoned bite to serve before the mussels and chips. Check the amount of fish on the packaging when planning portions.
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Worth considering for a bite of mackerel in olive oil, served separately from the mussels and chips.
The “115/80g” label identifies this variety, but check the net quantity and drained net weight on the packaging before working out portions.
After opening, follow the refrigeration and storage-time instructions on the product you’ve bought.
Compare specific details rather than relying on the word “premium” alone: the proportion of fish, ingredients, type of oil, drained net weight and nutritional information per 100 g. For a subtle starter before mussels and chips, pay particular attention to the level of seasoning.
Yes. The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (Anses) lists mackerel as an oily fish in its advice on fish consumption. This alone doesn’t tell you about the seasoning or ingredients in a particular tin, so compare products to find one that suits your meal.
Follow the instructions for the product you’ve bought rather than applying one storage time to all tinned fish. For one organic Saupiquet product listed by Auchan, the product information says to keep it between 0 and 4 °C and eat it within 48 hours of opening. Another recipe may have different instructions.
Yes. Fish is an allergen, and you should check the other ingredients and any ‘may contain’ warnings on the product you’re buying. The French Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) notes that allergenic ingredients are highlighted in the ingredients list.