Mackerel

Mackerel recipes are prepared from fishes which mostly thrive in the temperate and tropical seas and may or may not belong to the Scombridae family. While most mackerel species live offshore, ones like the Spanish mackerel can be fished out from bay areas like from near the piers and bridges. Mackerel is a small scaled slim fish with a cylindrical outline (unlike the deeper bodied tuna fishes) and feature several finlets on the ventral and dorsal sides. These fishes yield very oily to moderately oily meat, which makes them highly prized in the market. Some of the best known mackerel recipes are baked fillet of mackerel with lemon and spices, Greek style mackerel, grilled mackerel with orange and caballa en escabeche.

History of Mackerel Recipes
Mackerel recipes have been very popular in Europe since the historical times. The Romans loved to ferment the fish to produce a fish sauce called garum, similar to the ones used by the Thais and Vietnamese today. Mackerel fish has been eaten in UK since 100 years.
 

Culinary Uses of the Mackerel Recipes
Mackerel is mostly prepared by marinating the fish in citrus juices which balances perfectly with the oily texture of the fish and brings out the full flavor. Marinated mackerel fish is usually cooked covered with its skin down, on a grill. In other times, the head and tail of the fish is discarded and it is split whole to spread open and remove its entrails. Then its meat is marinated in mayonnaise and grilled, making it one of the easiest mackerel recipes.

Popular Mackerel Recipes
Smoked mackerel salad, a popular dish is prepared by smoked mackerel fillets, yogurt, French mustard, celery, grapes, radishes, lettuce and lemon. Mackerel with lemon stuffing, another favorite, where the lemon stuffed fish is served with potatoes tossed in parsley butter and cucumber salad. Salt grilled mackerel, mackerel fillets in mustard sauce and smoked mackerel soufflé are other well known mackerel recipes.
 

Cuisines Using Mackerel Recipes
Mackerel fish is most popularly cooked in the European countries. In European cuisine, the sea fish is marinated in different spices and grilled as steak. In UK, the fish is mostly eaten smoked or baked, while the grilled or barbecued versions are popular in several European countries. In Greek cuisine, mackerel recipes are usually prepared by cooking the seasoned fish in olive oil and serving it with yogurt sauce. In Indonesian cuisine, the fish is best relished cooked in tamarind and coconut gravy.

Preferable Cooking Methods for Mackerel Recipes
The mackerel fish can be prepared by barbecuing, grilling, pan-frying, smoking or baking. To check the doneness of the meat, the fish is slit with a small knife at its thickest part to check if the meat has turned opaque. Since mackerel is a rich fish, it is cooked best in a seasoning of spices and citrus sauces.

Nutritive Value of Mackerel Recipes
Mackerel fish is an excellent source of selenium, vitamin B12 and omega 3 fatty acids and so, one serving of this fish each week is considered very good for health.

Mackerel Recipes Consumption Criteria
Unless cured, mackerel fish should be eaten on the same day of catch to avoid scombroid food poisoning.

Mackerel Recipes Buying and Storing Tips
A fresh mackerel fish should have bright eyes, shiny body and rigid feel. The fish can be stored frozen or cured with salt.

Mackerel Recipes: Trivia

• The king mackerel is the largest of all the mackerel fishes and can grow up to 1.68 meters.
• A female mackerel yields a million eggs at a time.