Mackerel dishes: recipes with photos

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Mackerel is an excellent oily fish, he althy, nutritious, pleasant because of its rich taste. Respected by pros and home cooks alike, it has a great rich flavor. It looks amazing on a plate and is a great source of brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids. With the right preparation and flavor combinations with spices, this is a real treat for the most picky gourmet. And the recipes for mackerel are simple in execution - even a not very experienced hostess can handle it. Well, are you ready? Then let's get started!

What you need to know when buying

But first, a few words about the product itself. Mackerel spoils rather quickly, which, for example, in the century before last, when there were no modern freezers, did not allow the product to be stored for a long time. Ideally, it should be eaten on the day of capture, unless it has been frozen or pickled. Among frozen carcasses, choose hard, almost tough fish with clear eyesand shiny body. Then you can be sure that you bought what you need, and any recipe for mackerel can be correctly implemented. Freshly frozen carcasses should be thawed naturally. That is, without any participation of hot water and a microwave oven. Just put the fish in a bowl and leave it on the kitchen table - it will defrost by itself after a while.

How to cook fish in a kitchen

Mackerel recipes at home are simple and varied. This fish can be prepared in a variety of ways, although the most common are oven baked, barbecued, grilled and pan fried. You can also steam it (for example, using a double boiler or slow cooker). And this queen of the seas is great in pates, rolls, rolls, muffins, hamburgers. Mackerel also looks great raw tartare - just make sure you buy the freshest fish caught on the day this authentic food is prepared. Many people buy smoked mackerel, appreciating the intensity of its taste. It's perfect for layered salads or for making a wonderful fish pate.

Whole or fillet?

Whole mackerel is ideal for baking, frying or barbecue and can be stuffed with vegetables, lemon wedges, olives. These mackerel recipes take a little longer than mackerel fillet cooking - an average of about half an hour in the oven (180-200 degrees Celsius). But they are usually not too complicated - so it's worthtry. And cooking mackerel according to the recipe in the oven in foil (see photo below) will take quite a short time: 10-15 minutes.

Probably the easiest way to cook a fillet is to quickly fry it in a skillet in vegetable oil. Barbecue, on the other hand, is a fantastic way to make a mackerel recipe - the high heat makes the skin very crispy and the meat comes through in no time. And its strong aroma is supported by a variety of ingredients: herbs, vegetables, citrus fruits, spices.

By the way, a little about spices and additives

Mackerel has a clean, strong flavor that is more pronounced than some other sea and ocean fish, so it is often balanced with spicy, mild flavors such as spices and herbs. Similarly, well-chosen citrus ingredients such as lemons and limes work well. As well as lemon sherbet and fruits such as gooseberries, kiwi, these aromas and flavors help emphasize the freshness of the fish and set off its fat content.

Spices such as chili, horseradish and capers can be quite appropriate in a recipe for delicious mackerel. For a more avant-garde set of flavor combinations, try the delicacy: paired filet with white chocolate, beets and horseradish - a strange but brilliant combination. Avoid oily and heavy sauces as they tend to overpower rather than accentuate the fish.

Mackerel in the oven: recipe with photo - the easiest cooking in foil

For it we need the following ingredients:three or four carcasses of frozen mackerel (since such a product is the easiest to get, we will have it in mind first of all), a couple of medium-sized tomatoes, a little butter, lemon, s alt and a mixture of peppers - according to individual preferences. Fresh greens - for decoration and flavor of the dish.

How to cook

1. The mackerel recipe in foil in the oven is not very difficult. Defrost carcasses. Clean the fish and remove the heads with entrails, if any. Season with s alt and pepper.
2. Place each prepared fish on a piece of oiled foil.
3. Cut the tomatoes and lemon into slices, then place alternating slices on each carcass. Place a sprig of parsley on top and drizzle with melted butter.
4. Roll mackerel foil into neat "envelopes".
5. Place them on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 180 Celsius until the fish is soft and the flesh can be easily pierced with a fork.

Here the mackerel in foil is ready according to the recipe (see the photo of the dish below). This dish can be served directly in the "envelopes", slightly unfolding them from above. Alternatively, transfer the product to a serving dish along with cooking juices, tomatoes and lemon wedges.

Baked mackerel: recipe with photo

This snack with nutritious omega-3 fatty acids is a he althy, tasty option for a quick mid-week lunch. Like a mackerel filletso the whole fish will be crispy and cook quickly in the oven. If using whole, make sure it's cleaned and gutted before you cook it. And before cooking, you can carefully soak the pulp in the marinade.

How to cook

1. Preheat oven to 180-200 degrees Celsius.
2. Take a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush some olive oil on it - a spray bottle is a great option.
3. Place the mackerel fillets on a parchment-lined baking sheet. If you are using whole mackerel, place the carcasses on a baking sheet. Brush the top side of the flesh with olive oil and sprinkle with s alt and pepper to personal preference.
4. Choose seasonings that complement the fish: whole peeled garlic, shallots, coarsely chopped onions, dried herbs de Provence, rosemary, bay leaf and thyme will give the dish a great flavor. Prepare a side dish, for example, from vegetables, and then arrange it on a baking sheet around the mackerel. Cut lemon slices and place them inside mackerel carcasses or on top of fillets to add a bright, citrus flavor to your meal.
5. This recipe for mackerel in the oven is considered easy to perform. Bake the fish in the oven until cooked (20-30 minutes, depending on the temperature and what you chose: fillet or carcass). You can check with a fork: the meat should be white and pierce freely. Do not forget about vegetables: they should also become soft from heat treatment. At the very last step, for a couple of minutes, turn ongrill (if you have one). This will give the mackerel a crispy, golden crust.
6. Serve the classics of the genre to the table by spreading out in portions on plates, with a side dish. You can sprinkle with fresh herbs chopped with a knife: parsley, dill, onion.

With paprika, potatoes and garlic

Another simple recipe for mackerel in the oven - with potatoes and spices. And for its implementation in the kitchen, we need: a couple of cloves of garlic, peeled; a pinch of dried paprika; half a spoon of s alt (preferably sea), or more to taste; virgin olive oil; eight medium fillets; kilogram of young potatoes; a few onions, peeled and thinly sliced To make the sauce, take: a whisper of saffron, a little white vinegar (or dry wine); a little Dijon mustard; a few tablespoons of olive oil; sea s alt with freshly ground pepper.

Cooking easy

1. This recipe for mackerel in the oven is complex. Preheat oven to 180-200 degrees.
2. Put garlic and paprika into a bowl, add s alt and grind into a smooth paste. Add a couple of drops of oil, then wipe the fillet on all sides with the resulting paste and set aside for subsequent soaking of the pulp (20-30 minutes will be enough).
3. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and lightly brush with olive oil (or use a silicone baking dish - no need for parchment).
4. Place mackerel fillet on paper and season with sea s alt and pepper on top. Cook in the ovenoven at the above temperature for 8-10 minutes until the crust is crispy. Remove from oven and set aside to rest.
5. Peel small potatoes and boil whole in a large pot of s alted water for about 15 minutes until tender, then drain in a colander.
6. Serve potatoes, combined with mackerel, with a side dish of vegetable vinaigrette (which includes: carrots, pickles, beets, onions, herbs).

How to make sauce

Don't forget about him too. We combine a whisper of saffron in a container with white vinegar (wine), a spoonful of Dijon mustard, a third glass of olive oil, sea s alt on the tip of a knife and the same amount of freshly ground black pepper, place in a blender bowl and bring to a homogeneous state, mixing thoroughly. Now the resulting sauce can be seasoned with baked mackerel cooked with potatoes. In principle, you can use any other sauce suitable for second fish dishes. So, there is where to show your culinary imagination.

Delicious: with grated hard cheese

To prepare mackerel recipe with cheese, we need: 150-200 grams of grated hard cheese (very tasty with parmesan), half a lemon (zest along with juice), a cup of fresh parsley (cut finely-finely), chopped or garlic crushed with a special device - 2-3 cloves, a pinch of dry paprika, a little butter, a kilo of mackerel fillet (it’s better to take it, but you can use carcasses - then you need a ridgeremoved, and remove small bones).

Cooking easy

1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Grease a baking sheet with olive oil.
2. Place grated cheese in a deep bowl and add garlic and paprika.
3. My lemon and wipe it. Cut in half and rub the zest of one of the halves using a grater. And then add the zest to the cheese-garlic mixture.
4. My parsley and dry. Finely chop and add to the total mass. Thoroughly mix all the ingredients to achieve uniformity.
5. Rinse the fish in cool water and dry with a kitchen towel from excess moisture.
6. Heat the butter using a small saucepan on the stove (you can also use a microwave for this).
7. Dip each piece of mackerel fillet into the oil, then into the cheese mixture, coating both sides of the dish.
8. Place the processed fish in a mold or on a baking sheet and bake for a quarter of an hour in the oven. A tasty and he althy fish in a cheese mixture is considered ready when the flesh is easily pierced with a fork.
9. And finally: squeeze the juice of one lemon over the mackerel already taken out of the oven and serve. The dish is optimally combined with toasted croutons and garlic sauce. And as a side dish, you can serve rice, mashed potatoes, spaghetti, stewed vegetables, and a salad made from fresh field gifts. Bon appetit everyone!