Mackerel

QUICK FACTS

Nutrition Value: High in protein and Omega 3 has vitamin B12 & D 

Ways to cook: Grill, bake, sauté, and deep-fry.

Portion Sizes: 150-200g

Taste: The fish has a mild taste which is a little salty and a little sweet. Most people describe the taste as oily and a little bit fishy. This is because the fish is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. The flesh is sticky and firm but quite tender and fresh tasting when it’s hot off the grill. 

Best Paired with:

  • Warm potato salad with smoked Mackerel and broccoli
  • Chargrilled Mackerel with sweet & sour beetroot
  • Pan-fried Mackerel fillets with beetroot & fennel
  • Scandi smoked Mackerel on rye
  • Roast radish, new potato & peppered Mackerel salad
  • Japanese-style Mackerel rice bowl
  • BBQed Mackerel with ginger, chilli, and lime drizzle
  • To Drink with Mackerel: Mackerel is an oily fish and needs White wine with crisp acidity to counteract this. Dry rosé and Sherry, Pinot Noir, Muscadet.

Similarities:  Some say the taste is similar or a little more like tuna than salmon, and it is also often served as sashimi or sushi. 

Best way to cook

This seafood has a rather strong fishy smell that can be off-putting for some people. Here are a few tips to reduce its fishiness of it:

Lemon: The juice of one lemon can be used on its own in place of vinegar to eliminate the fishy smell coming from fresh seafood.   Dip your cleaned fish in a mixture of 1/3 water and 2/3 lemon juice, let it dry, or you can squeeze the juice over the skin and leave it to rest for a couple of minutes before drying off with kitchen paper

Vinegar: You can soak it in one cup of vinegar mixed with six cups of water for approximately five minutes. After it has soaked, pat dry with a paper towel before cooking.

Ginger: Besides being great for adding flavour to food, ginger can also get rid of the smell of seafood. Crush some fresh ginger and gently cover the skin for half an hour before cooking it.

Salt: Rub some salt over the skin, let it sit for 5 minutes, and then wash off. It helps reduce the fishy smell much more pleasant before cooking your catch to perfection.

Milk: Since a fishy smell develops from compounds, acidity will help decrease the fishy smell.

Let it sit in milk for an hour. Milk contains lactic acid, an additional cleansing agent to promote deodorization. It is because lactic acid has natural deodorizing properties.