Fall hook line and sinker this summer for a tasty mackerel dish
Mackerel with Chilli Garlic and Lemon Soy Sauce by Di Curtin
Mackerel are currently the catch of the day for seasonal fishing. Just about anyone with a fishing rod will attempt to haul in a mackerel supper before this summer is out. The following is a story I’ve told in this column before, but it never fails to haunt me at the start of each summer mackerel season!
When we first came here, a day out in Courtmacsherry with extended family resulted in the men deciding to hire rowing boats to take the kids fishing. Lifejackets on, my son, then aged 13, was placed in his extremely adventurous uncle’s boat with his two similarly aged cousins, all armed with fishing lines. My daughter, aged 8, was in a boat with her daddy and girlie cousin the same age.
Myself and my sister-in-law watched them set off across the bay. We could see the boat holding our young daughters bobbing about not far away from shore. But the other boat carrying our older children gradually got smaller in the distance, then disappeared round the headland altogether. Time ed and with the girls already safely back on dry land and the adults just about to declare an emergency, the second boat hoved into view. When they finally disembarked, the kids couldn’t wait to tell us gleefully that they’d gone out so far into the ocean, a whale swam under the boat! They were ‘a bit worried’ because they’d ‘kind of broken an oar’ as well. Needless to say, the adult who was supposed to be in charge got the mother of all tellings-off, despite the fact they’d caught enough mackerel to solve the world hunger problem.
I sincerely hope you won’t risk lives to catch your own mackerel supper! For those who are definitely not going fishing anytime soon, fresh mackerel are now available at your local supermarket for this weekend’s fast and tasty summer dish.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
4 whole fresh mackerel, filleted with skin on
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Knob of butter
Splash of extra virgin olive oil
For the dressing:
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 clove fresh garlic, finely chopped
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped (or to taste)
Good squeeze lemon juice
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
First make the sauce, as the fish will take no time to cook. Place oil and soy in a bowl.
Add garlic and chilli. Mix together and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
For the fish, melt butter with oil in a heavy bottomed non-stick pan.
Season the fish. Place in pan skin sides down.
Fry to brown the skin, then lower heat, cover and cook for five minutes or until you see the flesh has gone just opaque.
Remove onto warmed plates.
Stir lemon juice and parsley into the sauce and spoon over the fish to serve.
Mackerel 500g €6.00
Chilli pack 50g 89c
Fresh garlic net €1.00
Parsley €1.19
Unwaxed Lemons (4 pack) €2.49
€11.57
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