Baked Mackerel
Mackerel is oily and forgives a lot, but not two things: the black membrane inside the belly, which is plainly bitter, and unscored skin, under which the fish cooks unevenly. A minute of knife work fixes both before the oven is even hot.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 400 kcal
Ingredients
Makes: 4 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Clean the cavity
Scrape the black membrane from inside the belly and rinse the cavity. That film is the source of the bitterness people usually blame on the fish itself.
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Step 2: Score the skin
Dry the fish and cut three diagonal slashes down to the bone on each side. Heat gets inside, so the back cooks at the same rate as the thinner belly.
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Step 3: Rub with spice
Mix the salt, pepper, coriander, oil and crushed garlic and rub the mackerel inside and out, working the paste into the cuts.
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Step 4: Stuff
Slice the lemon and onion into rounds and pack the cavity tightly. Their steam keeps the fish moist from the inside as it bakes.
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Step 5: Bake
Set on a parchment-lined tray and bake at 200 °C for 25 to 30 minutes. The skin should bronze and open along the scores.
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Step 6: Check doneness
Pull the dorsal fin: on cooked fish it lifts away with almost no resistance. The flesh next to the backbone should be matt, and a thermometer reads 63 °C at the thickest point.
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Step 7: Serve
Rest for 5 minutes, scatter with chopped parsley and serve straight from the dish so the fish stays in one piece.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Thaw mackerel in the fridge, never in water. Fast thawing tears the fibres and the cut surface turns cottony.
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Tip
Keep the lemon inside the fish, not on top: acid on the skin stops it browning.
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Variation
Wrap each fish in foil for the first 15 minutes, then open it up. The flesh comes out juicier and the skin still has time to colour.
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Storage
Two days in the fridge. Cold mackerel is excellent with rye bread and raw onion, so reheating is optional.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 400 kcal | 1,600 kcal |
| Protein | 30 g | 120 g |
| Fat | 29 g | 116 g |
| Carbohydrates | 6 g | 24 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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