SERVES 4
4 pounds split mackerel
5 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup soft bread crumbs
Salt and pepper, to taste
method
Preheat oven to 350F. Wash fish and pat dry. Sprinkle inside and out with
salt and pepper. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet and cook onions,
parsley and mushrooms until onion yellows. Add vegetables to bread crumbs
and mix well, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Stuff fish with the mixture and close with toothpicks or skewers, or sew
closed with needle and thread. Place stuffed fish in a greased baking pan,
making several slits in skin of fish. Melt remaining butter and brush on
fish. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested.
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SERVES 8
8 mackerel fillets (from 3 pounds whole mackerel)
Juice of 2 lemons, or more depending
on size (about 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
11/2 teaspoons salt
11/2 to 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
method
Lay the mackerel in a single layer in an 11- or 12-inch skillet, prefer
ably stainless steel. The pan should be just big enough so that the fish
fillets, nestled side by side, cover the bottom. Pour 2 cups or more water
and the lemon juice over the fillets to cover them, and sprin kle half the
peppercorns and 1 teaspoon of the salt over.
Set the pan over medium heat, and bring to a slow rolling boil.
Turn down the heat, and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
Prop up a large wooden or plastic cutting board at a moderate angle, tipping
toward the sink. When the fillets are done (to check: the point of a knife
should slip through the center easily), remove them carefully from the pan
with a slotted spatula and lay them on the board. Let them drain and cool
completely.
Select a shallow glass or ceramic dish that will just hold the fillets in
one layer, or you can use a smaller, slightly deeper dish that will
accommodate two layers of fillets. Arrange the mackerel in whichever dish,
sprinkle each layer lightly with salt and the remain ing peppercorns, and
pour in enough of the olive oil to cover the fillets.
If you are using the mackerel the same day, let it marinate for 2 to 3 hours
at room temperature. Otherwise, cover securely with plastic wrap and store
for up to a month in the refrigerator. Bring back to room temperature 2
hours before serving.
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SERVES 6 AS AN APPETIZER
6 fillets of Mackerel Cured in Olive Oil (preceding recipe)
2 tablespoons of the curing oil
1 medium Bermuda onion, thinly sliced and cut in 1/2-inch pieces (about 1
cup)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Salt to taste
method
Break the mackerel up into bite-size pieces and toss with the oil, onion,
vinegar, and parsley, Season with salt to taste, Divide among six salad
plates and serve, You can also use it as a sandwich filling on a crispy
roll; it is good on grilled bread, too, as in the next recipe (with or
without mashed beans).
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SERVES 4
Use a medium-dry cider to make a fairly sharp sauce. This will contrast well with the rich definite flavour of fish such as mackerel.
Butter for frying
1/2 onion, peeled and very finely chopped
1 tbsp flour
400 ml (3/4 pint ) medium-dry or dry cider
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 mackerel (about 175 g (6 oz) each), filleted
2 small eating apples, peeled, cored and finely sliced
Freshly chopped parsley
method
1. Melt a knob of butter in a large frying pan. Add the onion and fry gently for 5 minutes or until golden and soft.
2. Stir in the flour and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Stir in the cider gradually. Season to taste and add the mackerel fillets. Cover the pan and simmer gently for 15 minutes or until the mackerel is quite tender. Test with a fork: the flesh should flake easily.
4. Transfer the mackerel to a hot serving platter and keep warm. Add the apples to the pan, increase the heat slightly and simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce is reduced to the consistency of double cream and the apples are glazed.
5. Adjust seasoning. Pour over the fish, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately with creamed potatoes and a seasonal green vegetable
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