|
SPECIES |
Mackerel |
|
BINOMIAL NAME |
Scomber scombrus |
|
FISHING METHODS |
Drift nets and purse seine |
|
MSC CERTIFIED |
The certification has been temporarily suspended, because the countries involved could not reach an agreement on quota. The stocks are healthy. More talks were held in 2014, but there is currently no clarity on whether the MSC suspension will be lifted in the near future (for more information on the MSC see here) |
|
TINNED OPTIONS |
Steamed mackerel in water, mackerel in oil, smoked mackerel in oil, mackerel in sauce |
IN SALADS, MACKEREL IS A GOOD SUBSTITUTE FOR THE OFTEN-USED TUNA AND SALMON.
MACKEREL WITH STIRFRIED VEGETABLES AND CHILLI SAUCE
SMOKED MACKEREL, MASH AND PICCALILLI
SMOKED MACKEREL WITH BRAISED LEEKS
IN the supermarket aisles, you’ll find many varieties of tinned mackerel: steamed mackerel in water, mackerel in oil, smoked mackerel in oil, mackerel in sauce, mackerel with black pepper; the fish is apparently popular. And rightly so, because the delicious, oily mackerel is a source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients. It is also a very versatile fish in both its natural and smoked forms and goes well with many flavours. For example, in salads mackerel is a good substitute for the often-used tuna and salmon.
NEUTRAL flavoured pieces of mackerel fillet are initially briefly sterilised with a small amount of salt. To make mackerel in sauce, the fish processors first place the mackerel in a brine and then steam the fish in a tin without a lid. It is then drained of excess water, the tin is filled with a sauce and covered with a lid. The tins are then sterilised. Even smoked mackerel is first brined before being smoked in a smoking chamber, after which the oil is added. The tin is then covered and ready for sterilisation.
JAPAN produces extraordinary mackerel, prepared with ginger and typically Japanese ingredients like miso. Connoisseurs believe this mackerel is best served on its own rather than mixed with other flavours. This book doesn’t feature any recipes with Japanese mackerel, although if you want to try it, it is available on the internet.
THE fat content of the mackerel depends on the fishing season, which itself varies depending on the latitude and the type of mackerel. The fish processor will take this into account because you get better results if you smoke a fatty mackerel rather than a lean one. Mackerel from the northern hemisphere is lean around May, when the fish have just spawned. In summer and early autumn the mackerel fill themselves up with food, so from October onwards the fishermen can start to haul in these big boys.
MORE and more fisheries are turning to stock-saving techniques and show a willingness to return unwanted bycatch to the sea. North Atlantic mackerel fishing had been MSC-certified for years, but since 2013 the certificate has been temporarily suspended and mackerel fishermen have no longer been allowed to carry the certification label. The reason for this is that countries with uncertified fisheries, like Iceland, were also fishing the same areas, which meant that more mackerel was being caught than had been agreed in the quotas. Negotiations are necessary to ensure that fisheries will all adhere to the requirements. Having said that, the mackerel populations in these areas is nonetheless healthy.
MAIN COURSE
SERVES 4
200g/7oz sugar snap peas or mangetout
200g/7oz broccolini, cut lengthways
about 2 tbsp sesame oil
2 onions, chopped
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tins of mackerel fillet in olive oil (125g/4½oz drained weight per tin), drained
50g/1¾oz leek sprouts
chilli sauce
freshly ground black pepper
• Bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil, add the sugar snap peas and boil for a few minutes until just tender, then drain, reserving the water.
• Return it to the boil and blanch the broccolini in the same way. Drain and pat dry.
• Put a wok over a high heat, add a dash of sesame oil and fry the onions until golden brown. Remove them from the wok.
• Add a little more sesame oil to the pan and fry the sugar snaps and broccolini on a high heat until hot and coated in oil.
• Add the fried onions and stir, then add the soy sauce and stir everything together until hot.
• Remove the wok from the heat and season the vegetables with black pepper.
• Divide the vegetables among four plates and place the mackerel on top of the vegetables.
• Add the leek sprouts and serve with chilli sauce.
SNACK/STARTER
SERVES 4
2 little gem lettuces
1 jar of hoisin sauce (210g/7oz)
1 ripe mango, in small slices
1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and cut into thin strips
1 bunch of spring onions, white parts only, cut into thin strips
1 tin of smoked mackerel fillet, (125g/4½oz drained weight per can), drained and flaked
1 small piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
• Remove the outer leaves of the little gems, then remove the hearts, to create little cups.
• In each lettuce cup, spoon 1 teaspoon of hoisin sauce.
• Place a slice of mango in each cup. Add the strips of cucumber and spring onion.
• Add the pieces of mackerel to the cups.
• To finish, sprinkle a little of the grated ginger on top of the mackerel.
STARTER
SERVES 4
400g/14oz potatoes
100g/3½oz cold butter, cut into cubes
100ml/3½fl oz/scant ½ cup hot milk
sea salt
a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 tin of smoked mackerel fillet (125g/4½oz drained weight), drained
1 jar of piccalilli
• Bring a large pan of water to the boil and boil the potatoes in their skins until just tender.
• Drain, leave until cool enough to handle, then peel the potatoes, reserving the skins for Deep-Fried Potato Skins with Anchovy Dip.
• Mash the potato flesh with a potato ricer or masher, then beat in the cold butter with a spatula, then stir in the hot milk. Season with salt and nutmeg.
• Ladle the mash onto four plates.
• Place the pieces of mackerel on top and serve with piccalilli.
STARTER
SERVES 4
25g/1oz/scant ¼ cup pine nuts
4 medium-sized leeks, white base only
olive oil
100ml/3½fl oz/scant ½ cup chicken stock
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tins of smoked mackerel fillets (125g/4½oz per tin)
a few sprigs of tarragon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Heat a frying pan and dry roast the pine nuts for a few minutes until lightly browned. Set aside.
• Remove the outer leaves of the leeks. Rinse and remove any sand. Cut the leeks in half and then cut in half lengthways.
• Heat a generous splash of olive oil in a frying pan. Turn the heat down to low and place the leeks cut-side down in the oil.
• Add a splash of chicken stock and leave the leeks to cook gently for about 15 minutes until they are tender when pierced with a sharp knife, turning once during cooking.
• Put the vinegar, sunflower oil, mustard, salt and pepper in a bowl and beat with a fork or whisk into a vinaigrette.
• Divide the leeks among four plates. Place the mackerel on top of the leeks and spoon the vinaigrette over the dish.
• Garnish with pine nuts and tarragon leaves.
MAIN COURSE
SERVES 4
200g/7oz waxy potatoes
olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
100g/3½oz bag of watercress
2 tins of mackerel fillets in olive oil (125g/4½oz per tin), drained
50g/1¾oz leek sprouts
sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
• Bring a large pan of water to the boil and boil the potatoes in their skins until just tender.
• Drain, then roughly crush the potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Put the vinegar, a splash of olive oil, the mustard and a pinch of salt in a bowl and whisk into a vinaigrette.
• Toss the watercress with the vinaigrette and place on four plates. Add the crushed potatoes, then the mackerel and garnish with the leek sprouts.
STARTER
SERVES 4
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp red wine vinegar, plus extra for seasoning
a dash of Worcestershire sauce
4 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cooked beetroots
1 crisp green eating apple, such as a Granny Smith
2 pickled gherkins
250ml/9fl oz/generous 1 cup soured cream
2 tbsp finely chopped chives
2 tins of smoked mackerel fillet (125g/4½oz per tin), drained and flaked
salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Use a fork to beat the mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil and shallot into a vinaigrette, seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Cut the beetroot, apple and pickle into 5mm/.in cubes.
• Add the vinaigrette to the cubes and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
• Mix the soured cream with some salt, pepper, a few drops of red wine vinegar and the chives. Stir in the smoked mackerel.
• Put equal amounts of the smoked mackerel and beetroot on four plates and serve.
