Watercress, smoked fish, and potatoes with bread and butter

Deconstructed dinner picnic:

Watercress, Potatoes, and Smoked Mackerel with Mustard Cream

• baby potatoes: about 3 per person

• watercress: a single living head will serve 3, but one could easily eat it all 

• a little olive oil

• flaky salt

• lemon juice

• smoked mackerel (if you can't find it/don't care for mackerel, this dish will work with any smoked fish, so make it with your favorite)

• fennel fronds if they are around, or any other pleasing, herbaceous garnish

  for the mustard cream:

• mustard: black pepper beer mustard (if you can find it; otherwise, crack black pepper into mustard, maybe pour in a little beer)

• sour cream: a tablespoon or two, thin to the consistency of creamy salad dressing with water or that beer, if you have some open. 

• baguette

• butter

Bring a deep saucepan of water to a boil. Salt generously. Drop the potatoes in and boil until knife tender. Remove into an ice bath, but only let them sit there for a few minutes. It will just serve to keep the skins pink rather than going grey. Drain, reserve and let cool. 

Snip the watercress, using some of the stalks but not too many. Drizzle with lemon juice, toss with your hands. Flake the smoked fish into a bowl—as much as each person would like to eat. 

To make each serving: 

Slice the potatoes into quarters, portion them out, drizzle with grassy olive oil and toss with flaky salt. Add the watercress, tossing gently. Add the flaked fish, scattering it around. Drizzle with the mustard cream. Top with the fennel fronds. 

Serve with the baguette and butter. Optional sandwich bites as you go.