FRESH MACKEREL: GRILLED/AIR FRIED: easy-peasy, low carb, high protein

Fresh mackerel when in season, as now, is a treat not to be missed.

Air-fried fresh mackerel with Oriental Cucumber Salsa

Simply cooked on a grill or in a air fryer and served with a punchy crunchy dressing, mackerel is ever so delicious with a satisfying texture. 

With unmistakeable irridescent skin and a robust taste, mackerel is considered one of the healthiest seafood options.  It's a fatty fish full of omega-3 - more than the majority of other fatty fish.  Mackerel offers a significant amount of vitamin B12, crucial for our nervous sytems, and more than 100% of the recommended intake of Vit D. 

It is also considered an affordable fish but if you're buying from a supermarket instead of a fish monger, look out for bright, shiny skin, firm texture and clear eyes.  Fresh mackerel at its prime has a clean, ocean-like smell. 

Remember the key to great fish is not to overcook it.

Cost: varies but freshly-caught on the day, good-sized, cleaned and boneless mackerel, £7'ish each, much less elsewhere 

Feeds: 1-2

Ingreds:

1 whole mackerel, cleaned & filleted

lemon slices; sliced ginger

Oriental Cucumber Salsa

Method:

1. Preheat oven/air fryer to 190C; 375f; if using oven, place baking tray in the oven while it heats
2. Spray fish - not the pan - generously on both sides; season with salt & pepper;  when oven/air fryer is ready:
3. OVEN -  place fish skin side down on baking tray; bake 5-6 mins until skin is crisp; gently turn over (fish will be almost cooked through), layer slices of lemon and ginger on top; bake a further 2 mins; remove from oven
4. AIR FRYER -  place fish skin side up on air fryer tray; cook 5-6 mins until skin is crispy (fish will be almost cooked through); turn over; layer slices of lemon and ginger on top; bake a further 2 mins; remove from airfryer 
5. Serve with Cucumber Peanut Salsa on the side

Comments:

'The best! I love mackerel season.  The cucumber salsa with crunchy bits of peanut was inspired.'  Retired writer

Tips:

Other methods of cooking fish:

1. in a well oiled frying pan over med-high heat, cook skin side down until the flesh turns opaque 2/3 of the way from the top (as it cooks, the fish turns opaque, you will see the line if you look sideways at the fish); flip, cook a further minute or so then remove from heat and rest a few mins
2. in a bamboo steamer basket with black bean sauce & ginger, about 10 mins
3. (this sounds ridiculous, I know) a friend cooked her fish in air tight sealed freezer bags during a dishwasher cycle; she said the method prevented fishy smells in the kitchen!

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These recipes has been written in conjuction with All Recipes; the method has been adjusted by y B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.