Marinated Mackerel Fillets

While I love mackerel fried in nothing but a bit of butter, this fish can handle the heat of spices. This is a recipe for utterly tasty marinated mackerel fillets.

Mackerels are loaded with super-healthy Omega 3 fats, the type of fats that our brains and bodies depend upon.

Oily fish is the best source of omega 3 and mackerel is pretty much at the top of fish rich in Omega 3 (see Essential Fats).

My only problem with mackerel is that unless I can manage to buy really fresh ones, I’m not that fond of them. This is not a type of fish that you should buy and leave in the fridge for a day or two.

My dream scenario is eating them more or less as soon as they are out of the sea – which luckily I’ve been able to do at times.

You can serve these marinated mackerel fillets with citrus-infused couscous. Check out the citrus couscous I make with my Ginger-Glazed Salmon recipe – another super-tasty fish dish loaded with Omega 3.

Or - for a lighter meal - eat them with a salsa like my Asian-Style Mango Salsa or a salad. The last time I made these mackerel fillets for myself, I ate them together with my Carrot and Quinoa Salad –YUM!

Marinade:

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

Thumb-size piece of fresh ginger – finely grated

1 fat garlic clove, crushed

Grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lime

1½ tablespoon olive oil

A good pinch of cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper

4 -6 mackerel fillets (depending on size), with the skin left on and pin-boned

(To pin-bone filleted fish, run your fingers over the surface of the fillet to locate the ends of the bones. Use pliers or tweezers to pull out the bones.)

2 tablespoons rapeseed oil (canola oil) or vegetable oil

1.    Dry-fry the fennel, cumin and coriander seeds in a frying pan over a medium heat for about a minute – stirring frequently – until fragrant. Place the roasted seeds in a pestle and mortar and grind to a coarse powder.

2.    In a bowl, mix together the ground seeds with all the other ingredients for the marinade. Place the mackerel fillets flesh-side up on a plate and divide the marinade over the fillets. Leave to marinate for 10 minutes.

3.    Add the oil to a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. When the oil is really hot, place 2 mackerel fillets - skin-side down - in the pan. Fry the fillets for about 1 – 1½ minute, until the skin is nicely browned and crisp. Carefully turn the fillets over and fry for a further minute. Remove the fillets and keep them warm while frying the remaining fillets.

“So long as you have food in your mouth, you have solved all questions for the time being.” Franz Kafka

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