Good Fish
I absolutely love fish and would happily eat it two or three times a week. However, we also need to think sustainably and so I try to make sure I only cook fish which is plentiful and hopefully, line-caught. In the town where I live we are also in the happy state of having our own fishmonger, despite major league supermarket(s) presence.
This week I bought three good sized Mackerel for a barbecue. Mackerel are lovely fish, beautiful to look at and easy to cook. You can judge their freshness by the eyes, clear bright eyes = fresh, cloudy or dull = don't bother. They are also cheap, I bought three for £6.50. They are quite pungent-smelling when cooking so I like to cook them outside but you can do them inside under a grill or fried, just open the back door and keep the door from the kitchen to the rest of the house closed.
What you need:
1. A Mackerel per person. Ask the fishmonger to fillet (gut) the fish but to leave the heads and tail on. This looks nicer. If you're brave and don't mind the blood you can gut them yourself - you'll need a very sharp knife and a chopping block or board. Most good cook books will explain (with pix) how to gut fish.
2. A barbie or good sized frying pan or grill which can accommodate all the fish - or cook in batches of two and keep them warm in the oven on a low heat whilst you cook the others.
3. Lemons - 1 each.
4. A fish slice or pallet knife
5. Olive oil
6. A salad, tomatoes smothered with olive oil are good, plus potatoes of some kind or hunks of strong white bread if you want carbs.
7. Fresh parsley for garnish and bay leaves (optional).
What to do:
Check the fish to make sure the guts have all been removed and run the cavities briefly under running water. pat the outside of each fish dry with kitchen roll or a clean tea towel.
Get the heat good and hot, if it's a barbie let the coals go white and no flame. If you are frying instead put the frying pan on the heat for at least five minutes on high. Brush the mackerel with olive oil all over and put three or four diagonal knife-cuts in to each side of the fish from backbone down to the belly - this ensures the fish cook through evenly. If you want to, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in his book 'Fish' suggests putting a few bay leaves in to the cavity of each fish, this gives a nice deep smokey flavour which I like. Put the fish under or on to the heat - they will pop and smoke or even flame a bit as the oil heats up. Let them cook for three or four minutes then gently turn over. There is a knack to this which comes with practice, the trick is to try not to leave fish skin on the cooker and off the fish. They'll be done when you can pierce the flesh and it comes away easily but is not dry or collapsing (overdone) or still soggy (not done). Pop them on a plate and garnish with chopped parsley and lemon quarters. Serve them up. Boffo.
This week I bought three good sized Mackerel for a barbecue. Mackerel are lovely fish, beautiful to look at and easy to cook. You can judge their freshness by the eyes, clear bright eyes = fresh, cloudy or dull = don't bother. They are also cheap, I bought three for £6.50. They are quite pungent-smelling when cooking so I like to cook them outside but you can do them inside under a grill or fried, just open the back door and keep the door from the kitchen to the rest of the house closed.
What you need:
1. A Mackerel per person. Ask the fishmonger to fillet (gut) the fish but to leave the heads and tail on. This looks nicer. If you're brave and don't mind the blood you can gut them yourself - you'll need a very sharp knife and a chopping block or board. Most good cook books will explain (with pix) how to gut fish.
2. A barbie or good sized frying pan or grill which can accommodate all the fish - or cook in batches of two and keep them warm in the oven on a low heat whilst you cook the others.
3. Lemons - 1 each.
4. A fish slice or pallet knife
5. Olive oil
6. A salad, tomatoes smothered with olive oil are good, plus potatoes of some kind or hunks of strong white bread if you want carbs.
7. Fresh parsley for garnish and bay leaves (optional).
What to do:
Check the fish to make sure the guts have all been removed and run the cavities briefly under running water. pat the outside of each fish dry with kitchen roll or a clean tea towel.
Get the heat good and hot, if it's a barbie let the coals go white and no flame. If you are frying instead put the frying pan on the heat for at least five minutes on high. Brush the mackerel with olive oil all over and put three or four diagonal knife-cuts in to each side of the fish from backbone down to the belly - this ensures the fish cook through evenly. If you want to, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in his book 'Fish' suggests putting a few bay leaves in to the cavity of each fish, this gives a nice deep smokey flavour which I like. Put the fish under or on to the heat - they will pop and smoke or even flame a bit as the oil heats up. Let them cook for three or four minutes then gently turn over. There is a knack to this which comes with practice, the trick is to try not to leave fish skin on the cooker and off the fish. They'll be done when you can pierce the flesh and it comes away easily but is not dry or collapsing (overdone) or still soggy (not done). Pop them on a plate and garnish with chopped parsley and lemon quarters. Serve them up. Boffo.
posted by Drugsblogger at 6:55 AM
0 comments
