Broiled Fresh Mackerel
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Clean the fish and split it open, laying it flat with the backbone in the middle.
Dust lightly with coarse sea salt.
Cook
Place on a buttered grill over a clear fire, inside down, until it begins to brown.
Turn it over and cook until done.
Rest and serve
Transfer to a hot dish, butter generously, cover with another hot dish, and let it rest for 2-3 minutes before serving.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Mackerel
- Its oily flesh stays moist and rich over direct heat, and its skin and surface brown well.
- Butter
- Coats the grill to prevent sticking and adds richness and savory browned flavor.
- Coarse sea salt
- Seasons the flesh directly and draws out surface moisture that helps browning.
The step that matters
Turning the fish. Mackerel is quick to dry out once the flesh is cooked through. Turning it once the first side has begun to brown and cooking only until done keeps it moist.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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