(photo: just out of the oven baked mackerel)
I’ve written about my love of fish on multiple occasions here on Scordo.com, expounding on sardines, smelts, tuna, branzino, and salmon. Yet I was sad to discover that while I hold all of the aforementioned fish in high esteem, I’ve only written about fresh mackerel on one other occassion (leaving one of my favorite fish with a single entry!).
(photo: baked mackerel with olive oil, salt, and pepper)
Mackerel is an ideal fish, in my view, because it has a wonderful texture, oily composition, and includes a meaty flavor profile which is akin to good canned tuna in olive oil. The fish has a firm flesh and is extremely high in vitamin B 12, Omega 3 (a type of fatty acid), and Phosphatidylserine (linked to positive brain function, especially in folks suffering from dementia, for example). In fact, Mackerel has twice the amount of Omega 3 than Salmon. Mackerel is also low in mercury and the Atlantic variety is in good shape (from an over-fishing perspective).
I recently prepared a baked version of mackerel with a vinegar based sauce comprising of fresh mint, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, dryed oregano, and garlic.
(photo: Calabrian vinegar and mint sauce referred to as Sermoglio)
My mother refers to the sauce as “sermoglio” and is typical in Calabria and used with many fish dishes, including swordfish.
I served the mackerel with a split pea soup and sauteed broccoli rabe.
(photo: split pea soup with carrots, garlic, and fresh parsely)
(photo: brocolli rabe)
(photo: freshly made croutons to accompany the split pea soup)
(photo: vinegar and mint sauce with baked mackerel)
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