Mackerel is a fairly popular, fatty and healthy variety of fish. It is rich in essential oils, vitamins, amino acids and minerals. It is baked in the oven, fried, marinated or even smoked. In any form, with proper preparation, the fish is always tender, juicy and soft.
Due to the presence of essential oils, mackerel has a rather strong specific taste, but is great for marinating and grilling.
The most important thing in cooking this fish on the grill is to make the right sauce. If the sauce is soft and tender, against the background of the fish its taste will be lost. Therefore, it is recommended to cook spicy and slightly island sauces for mackerel.
Soft and piquant grilled fish will turn out to be an excellent addition to outdoor recreation.
Grilled mackerel - general cooking principles
For cooking, choose fresh fish without damage. She should have a black back with blue patterns and a light belly.
Frozen mackerel must first be thawed. Then gut the fish, remove the fins, gills and rinse inside and out. If necessary, cut off the head of a mackerel.
To make the mackerel crisp, after you wash and clean it, be sure to dry it with paper towels.
You can fry the fish as a whole, or dividing into portions.
As spices for rubbing fish, black pepper, paprika, dried dill, ground onion or garlic are suitable.
You can marinate fish in lemon juice, white wine, vinegar, soy sauce or sour cream.
Before frying, seasoned fish should be marinated for at least a quarter of an hour.
You can serve fish with rice, vegetable salads, buckwheat, horns or potatoes.
Grilled Mackerel in Italian
Ingredients:
• one mackerel;
• one lemon;
• a pair of sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary;
• salt;
• freshly ground black and pink peppers;
• olive oil.
Cooking method:
1. Gut the mackerel, remove the head, cut the fins and tail, wash the carcass and dry a little.
2. Wash the lemon, cut into two halves and squeeze the juice into a small bowl.
3. Wash, dry, chop, thyme and rosemary sprigs, mix with salt, black and pink pepper, olive oil and add all this to lemon juice.
4. Grate the carcass inside and out with a mixture of lemon, salt, pepper and herbs.
5. Place the prepared mackerel on the grill and grill, periodically turning the grill for about 20 minutes.
6. If the carcass of the fish is greatly dried during frying, pour it with a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice.
7. Fry until a golden crust forms on the entire surface of the fish.
8. Serve with any spicy sauce, garnished with lemon slices and herbs.
9. As a side dish, boiled rice with dill is perfect.
Mexican Grilled Mackerel
Ingredients:
• one carcass of mackerel;
• one lemon;
• a pair of garlic cloves;
• one chili pepper;
• one small onion;
• one sprig of green cilantro;
• any vegetable oil;
• salt;
• ground black pepper.
Cooking method:
1. Gut the carcass of the fish, remove the head and fins, cut into a clean fillet. To do this, put the fish on one side, with a sharp knife lead along the ridge from the tail to the head, cutting off the upper fillet. Then put the carcass on the other side and go with a knife between the spine and the flesh of the fish, lead the knife along the bone, cutting off the fillet. Next, cut the rib bones and the remains of the fins of the fillet.
2. Wash the lemon, dry, cut into two halves and squeeze the juice from them.
3. Peel, wash, finely chop the garlic and onion.
4. Wash the chili peppers, cut the stem and gently peel the pepper from the burning seeds. Finely chop the pulp. To process chili peppers, it is better to put on disposable gloves on your hands, otherwise there can be irritation and minor skin burns from hot pepper juice.
5. Sort cilantro greens by removing yellowed leaves. Then wash, dry and grind.
6. Prepare the marinade for the fish. To do this, mix garlic, chili, onion, cilantro with lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. Set aside part of the marinade.
7. Grate the mackerel fillet with marinade and leave it in a sealed container for 10-15 minutes for marinating. If desired, you can put it in the refrigerator.
8. Then the fish can be sent to the grill and grilled on both sides until cooked (for about 5-6 minutes on each side), periodically pouring with marinade leftovers.
9. Serve with spicy Mexican sauce and fried potatoes.
Grilled mackerel with soy sauce and white wine
Ingredients:
• one small mackerel;
• ground white pepper;
• a small glass of dry white wine;
• half a lemon;
• sunflower oil for frying;
• 6 spoons of soy sauce.
Cooking method:
1. Dry and cleaned mackerel to dry and cut into pieces.
2. Squeeze half a lemon into a bowl, pour in the same white wine, soy sauce and add white pepper. To mix everything.
3. Put pieces of mackerel in the marinade and hold them there for at least half an hour.
4. Preheat the grill, grease with sunflower oil and fry the fish on all sides for 6 minutes.
5. Serve the prepared mackerel with baked potatoes and slices of lemon along with a glass of white wine.
Grilled mackerel with cheese and mushrooms
Ingredients:
• one mackerel;
• 300 g of champignons;
• 120-150 g of hard salty cheese;
• ground red pepper or a mixture of spices for fish;
• vegetable oil;
• salt;
• food foil.
Cooking method:
1. Peel the mackerel (remove the entrails, head, fins and tail), wash and dry a little in the air or with a paper towel and cut into a clean fillet.
2. If necessary, peel, rinse and finely chop the mushrooms.
3. Grind the cheese on a grater or finely chop into cubes.
4. Put the fish fillet on the foil, gently rub with pepper and vegetable oil, sprinkle with salt. Put chopped mushrooms and cheese on the fillet. Screw the foil on top.
5. Grill for about 20 minutes.
6. Serve portioned with brown bread or croutons.
Grilled mackerel with ginger sauce
Ingredients:
• carcass of mackerel;
• salt;
• 2-3 tbsp. l lemon juice;
• 1 tsp ginger sauce;
• sunflower oil.
Cooking method:
1. Peel the carcass of the fish, dry it and cut it into a clean fillet. Next, cut the fillet into portions.
2. Put the pieces of fish in the container with the skin down, slightly salt and pour the sauce with ginger and lemon juice. Close the lid and leave in a cool place for marinating for 15-20 minutes.
3. Place pieces of pickled fish on the grill and fry for 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked.
4. Serve with any vegetable salad seasoned with olive or vegetable oil.
Grilled mackerel with spicy Spanish sauce
Ingredients:
• 1 kg of fresh mackerel;
• 100 g of soy sauce;
• 100 g of balsamic vinegar;
• 100 g of lemon juice;
• one hot pepper;
• one medium onion;
• a pinch of ground red pepper;
• clove of garlic;
• a sprig of fresh coriander;
• feathers of green onions;
• vegetable oil;
• salt;
• a pinch of sugar.
Cooking method:
1. Clean mackerel from the insides, head and fins, wash in cold water, dry.
2. Peel and wash the onion and garlic, then chop finely.
3. Wash and dry the coriander greens and onion feathers, finely chop.
4. Peel hot pepper, cut its flesh into a small cube.
5. Prepare the first part of the sauce. Put sugar in a saucepan, warm up a little so that the sugar begins to melt. Add balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and lemon juice. Cook over very low heat until the sauce thickens. Cool.
6. Prepare the second part of the sauce. In a separate bowl, mix onions, garlic, hot peppers, herbs. Add lemon juice and vegetable oil. Season with a pinch of salt.
7. Mix part of the sauce with a mixture of sugar. Mix the rest of the sauce with vegetables and herbs.
8. Grate the fish inside and out a little with oil and salt. Grill until cooked.
9. Pour the cooked fish in hot condition with the cooked spicy sauce and serve with seasoned vegetables.
10. As a side dish, you can serve boiled potatoes with cauliflower.
Grilled mackerel with green sauce
Ingredients:
• carcass of mackerel;
• a few leaves of spinach or sorrel;
• 1 tbsp. l mayonnaise;
• one sprig of fresh herbs of tarragon, parsley and dill;
• 2 tbsp. l sour cream;
• 2 tbsp. l water;
• food foil;
• salt.
Cooking method:
1. Peel the mackerel, cut into a clean boneless fillet, wash, dry. Then cut into portioned pieces and lay on foil.
2. Prepare the sauce. To do this, thoroughly rinse and dry all the greens. Then finely chop, mix with mayonnaise and sour cream. Add salt, water and mix.
3. Put the green sauce on pieces of fish and cover the foil on top.
4. Grill for 15-20 minutes, periodically turning the grill.
5. Serve with sauerkraut salad and tomatoes.
Grilled mackerel - tricks and tips
• In any case, grilled fish will turn out to be very tasty, even if it is simply coated with salt and vegetable oil.
• It is advisable not to overdo it with spices, otherwise the taste of the dish may deteriorate.
• To prevent the fish from overdrying, pour lemon juice over it and wrap it in foil.
• If you fry the whole fish, make small holes in the whole carcass with a knife. So the fish is better saturated with marinade.
• If you wipe the fish from all sides with melted butter, it will turn out with a golden brown.
• Fry the fish for no more than half an hour, otherwise it may dry out.
• To avoid the specific taste of mackerel, serve it with spicy or spicy sauce.
