Grilled Mackerel with Orange Zest, Paprika and Garlic
Serves 4
Mackerel is cheap, delicious, sustainable and very good for you. The orange zest and paprika really capture the flavours of Spanish cookery. This recipe is for pan fried mackerel but imagine this dish grilled outside on a summer's day...
Preheat the oven to 220°C.
To butterfly a gutted mackerel (or sardine), place on a board, and working from the inside of the belly, run the knife either side of the backbone, cutting through the fine bones. Make an incision at the base of the neck and,holding the head, gently pull the backbone away, trying not to take too much flesh with it, then open out the fish, flesh-side up, and remove any large bones.
Pat dry with kitchen paper. Combine the garlic, parsley and zest together in a small bowl and set aside.
Place in a large roasting tin - big enough to accommodate the four butterflied mackerel (or eight fillets) on the hob over a high heat. Drizzle a little oil in the pan and as soon as it starts to smoke, slide the fish in. Be very careful at this point not to splash yourself with the hot oil.
Season the fish and place in the oven for 8-10 minutes till cooked. Remove, plate up the fish, and sprinkle chopped garlic, orange zest, parsley and paprika on top.
Ingredients
3 tbsps olive oil
4 portion-sized mackerel, gutted, butterflied or filleted
3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 medium bunch fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 lemon, quartered
2 oranges, finely zested
Salt and black pepper
sweet smoked paprika to garnish
Tip
If you are going to cook this indoors, make sure you open the kitchen windows as it does make a lot of smoke!
To avoid splashing yourself with hot oil, hold the fish by the tail end, dangle it on top of hot pan. Put the neck end in first, on the side of the pan nearest to you. Don't be tempted to drop the fish suddenly. Slowly and carefully, lay the fish in the pan; tail going away from your body. It takes hands and nerves of steel to be a pro!
Butterflied: to cut open a fish keeping both fillets joined. (Refer to video)
You will need a very sharp knife to do this or just ask your fishmonger to do it for you.
Click Play to see film