When the shoals of Mackerel are in they are one of the most readily available species for the sea angler to catch - and fortunately one of the tastiest.
If you intend taking any for the table it’s vital that they are kept cool as the Mackerel flesh will spoil if you allow it to sit in the sun, even for a short time. Clean any fish as soon as they have been dispatched and get them on some ice or in a cool box of some kind as soon as you can.
I prefer to remove the fillets and slice out the small flap that holds the belly bones – then I make a “V” shaped slice along each side of the centre of the fillet and pull out the strip which leaves a completely boneless fillet.
First cut your mackerel into scored fillets
One of my favourite recipes for Mackerel is simplicity itself – Pan Fried Thai Fillets.
Simply heat an equal amount of oil and butter in a frying pan, it should be hot but not quite smoking. Sprinkle the flesh side of the Mackerel fillets with a generous amount of Thai 7 Spice, this is readily available in the spice rack of most supermarkets and incidentally it flavours equally well with Bass.
Season them with Thai 7 spice.
Place the fillets in the pan skin side down, don’t be tempted to move them around, leave them to fry for 2 to 3 minutes until they are almost cooked through then place the pan under a hot grill for the last minute to finish them off. A good squeeze of fresh lemon juice and serve them with a side of choice.
Mmmmm! ready to go!
RECIPE BY: Wayne Comben
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