Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 5 shallots
• finely sliced
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• leaves only
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 garlic cloves
• peeled and crushed
• 2.5cm/1in piece ginger
• peeled
• finely chopped
• 2 tsp pink peppercorns
• crushed
• 450ml/16fl oz white wine vinegar
• 500g/1lb 2oz French beans
• tops trimmed
• 75g/3oz sugar
• 4 baking potatoes
• 8 rashers smoked streaky bacon
• cut into strips or lardons
• 4 small smoked mackerel fillets
• skinned
• boned and broken up into flakes
• 4 tbsp crème fraîche
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 300g Taleggio cheese
• cut into four equal slices

Directions

• For the beans
• place a heavy-bottomed saucepan onto a medium heat and add the olive oil
• shallots
• thyme leaves
• bay leaf
• garlic
• ginger and peppercorns. Gently fry for 2-3 minutes
• until the shallots are soft but not coloured.
• Add the vinegar to the pan and swirl to combine. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
• Meanwhile
• bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil and blanch the beans for two minutes. Drain and refresh the beans in cold water.
• Place the beans into a large bowl and sprinkle with the sugar
• tossing gently to coat. Pour the cooled vinegar mixture over the beans and set aside.
• For the jacket potatoes
• preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Pierce the baking potatoes several times all over with a sharp knife
• then place into the oven to bake for one hour
• or until crisp on the outside
• but tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
• Preheat the grill to its highest setting.
• Meanwhile
• heat a frying pan until hot. Add the bacon strips and fry
• stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove the bacon from the fat with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.
• When the potatoes are cool
• place them onto a board and slice the tops off. Using a spoon
• scoop out all of the potato flesh from the skins and place the flesh into a clean bowl.
• Mash the potato flesh until smooth
• then add the cooked bacon
• flaked mackerel and crème fraîche. Season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Carefully spoon the potato mixture back into the potato skins and place onto a baking sheet. Top each potato with a piece of Taleggio and place under the grill to cook until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
• To serve
• place the jacket potatoes onto four plates and place a spoonful of the pickled beans alongside.