Search

Home > Recipe for the day > Mackerel recipes
Podcast: Recipe for the day
Episode:

Mackerel recipes
Category: Arts
Duration:
Publish Date: 2017-04-06 10:51:19
Description: Mackerel These fish are marked on their top halves and basically look like a small tuna. They are very numerous, and may different species are all collected in the overall title ‘mackerel’. Being oily fish, they are very healthy and have become a staple of many peoples around the world. Quick moving and voraciously hungry, they come inshore to breed and feed, and this is the main time they are fished, my many line fishermen using ‘spinners’ that attract the fish being flashingly bright. Personally I find cleaning a mackerel to be a little messy, they have small bones, fine and very numerous. Filleting can be difficult to complete without breaking the flesh, but thankfully they have tiny scales, which cook easily. Classically, mackerel is served with a gooseberry sauce, to counteract its oily richness, but other recipes call for acidic fruit, or more commonly, mustard. Simple grilled mackerel These simple fish are so tasty they do well on their own with more or less no additions or sauces. Simply brush the whole fish, leave the head on, with a little olive oil, salt and pepper them and grill, or throw them on the BBQ. Make sure the fish is completely filleted and trim the fins, wash inside and out. They take about 2 – 3 minutes each side on a high grill, about the same on a BBQ. Serve with slices of lemon. Grilled mackerel with gooseberry sauce The classic French dish, if you like gooseberries you are in heaven with this one! Ingredients: Serves 2 4 mackerel fillets 25 g butter 250 g gooseberries 100 ml double cream Olive oil Salt and pepper •Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the gooseberries. •Cover and cook for 30 minutes on a very low light, stirring occasionally and watching the pan doesn’t burn. A very good quality heavy based pan is ideal for this. •When softened, mash the fruit and then stir in the cream. •Heat for a few minutes, stirring and set aside. •While the gooseberries are cooking, brush the mackerel both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. •Place onto a baking sheet and grill skin up for five minutes. •Serve with the sauce. Baked Mackerel with Apple stuffing and Paprika Couscous This sounds an unusual combination but is actually delicious. The mixture of apple and onion in the stuffing balances the full flavour of the meaty mackerel. Ingredients: Serves 4 1 lemon, halved 4 gutted mackerel 50g butter 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 apples, Granny Smith or Braeburn are the best for the tang and juiciness, peeled, cored and diced 100g fresh breadcrumbs 1 egg, beaten 3 rounded tbsp plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper A little oil •Rub the lemon all the mackerel. •Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the onion gently for a few minutes with it browning. •Add the apples and stir into the onion, cook for 3-4 minutes. •Stir in the breadcrumbs and remove from the heat. •Preheat the oven to 190C/ gas mark 5. •Oil a baking sheet or shallow roasting pan. •Dip the fish first in the egg then in the seasoned flour and place on the baking sheet. •Stuff each fish with a quarter of the stuffing pushing it well into the body cavity. •Bake the mackerel for about 25 minutes until the skin is golden brown. For the Couscous: 200g couscous 1 tbsp olive oil 1 small onion, finely chopped 1garlic clove, chopped 2 tsp paprika 1 tbsp lemon juice •Prepare the couscous as the packet instructs. •In a frying pan, heat the oil and fry the onion and garlic very gently until soft. •Sprinkle over the paprika and lemon juice and stir the onion mixture into the couscous. •Serve alongside the fish. •To vary, whilst the onion is frying, add a small chopped red pepper and chopped mushrooms. This is particularly tasty with grilled or steamed white fish.   Mackerel dijonnaise There are a lot of mackerel recipes cooked in this sort of way, with wine or stock or both, baked in an oven. This is one I tried and modified from a recipe I found in Larousse Gastronomique – the best book in the world for food lovers. Ingedients: Serves 4 8 mackerel fillets 1 large onion, chopped finely 25 g flour Olive oil 1 large knob of butter 2 glasses dry white wine 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard Salt and pepper •Sweat thee chopped onion in a tablespoon of olive oil and the butter. •Add the flour and stir in vigorously until incorporated. •Pour the wine in slowly while stirring and make sure there are no lumps. •Season with salt and pepper. •Place the fillets in a baking dish and pour the sauce over. Cook at 200 ⁰C for 15 minutes. •Remove the fish and add a tablespoon of Dijon mustard to the sauce, stirring in under a moderate heat until completely incorporated. •Dress the fish with a pouring of the sauce.
Total Play: 0

Some more Podcasts by Paul Peacock

80+ Episodes
An Hour in t .. 30+     5