Three ways to cook fresh mackerel

So after going mackerel fishing the other day (check out my link for my post on my fishing trip)  I wanted to go straight home and cook some off. Although I have eaten a lot of fresh fish before this would be the freshest fish I have eaten as I had only just caught it an hour before cooking it.

On my way home I stopped by Helens to grab some ingredients, Helens is one of my favourite shops in town, they are great for things like onions, chillies, lemon grass as well as sauces, nuts and local cereals. They also have a wide selection of gluten free products and things for people with allergies.

1.

The first dish I cooked with my fish was whole baked mackerel on a bed of fennel, garlic and shallots with watercress. 

I gutted, washed and scored the mackerel and placed it on a bed of sliced fennel, shallots and garlic on tin foil with a little olive oil, then sliced some lime and wedged it into the cuts on the fish and seasoned it with sea salt and cracked black pepper and baked it for about 12-15 minutes 

Once cooked I simply dished it up and scattered some watercress on, the fish absorbed the lime and it tasted so fresh and delicious.

2.

The next dish I had for lunch the next day was grilled mackerel on a bed of rocket with a lemon and dill crème fraiche

I stared by gutting, trimming, filleting and cleaning the fish, then I grilled it for about 8-10 minutes until the fish was cooked, whilst the fish was cooking I simply chopped up the dill, zested and juiced ½ the lemon and mixed it with the crème fraiche. Once the fish was ready I served it on the rocket with a big dollop of the dill crème fraiche

3.

For my dinner that day I had steamed mackerel fillets with a pistachio, basil and rocket pesto, crushed new potatoes with spring onions and steamed asparagus served with rocket and roasted baby tomatoes.

 I started off by putting the new potatoes in the steamer as they took longest then quickly made up my pesto by crushing a handful of pistachios then putting them in the food blender with a clove of garlic, a level tablespoon of grated parmesan and a small bunch of basil and blitz, then slowly add olive oil until it has got to the right consistency.

Then I prepared my fish and put it in the steamer in a little bowl to catch the juices and a wedge of lime for about 8-10 minutes when the new potatoes were not too far off being cooked, then put the asparagus in the steamer when the fish was a couple of minutes away. Once cooked I crushed the potatoes with a knob of butter and the spring onions then dished them up with the fish, asparagus and pesto.

After I had my fair share of mackerel I still had a few left over to give away and even a couple to cook off for the cats. It’s one of the best things I’ve done all summer and now its got me wanting to go out and catch bigger fish.