Fresh mackerel can be grilled, fried, barbecued or poached and is perfect for stuffing and oven-baking. It works well with strong, spicy flavours and a touch of acidity - mackerel served with gooseberry sauce is a traditional English dish. Try grilling the fish whole on the barbecue with coarse sea salt and a generous squeeze of lime, or simply pan-fry the fillets and serve with a refreshing mint and mustard vinaigrette. Avoid heavy, cream-based sauces - the richness of mackerel is enough of a stomach filler as it is.
The oily texture of mackerel makes it an excellent fish for smoking. Smoked mackerel is delicious torn into salads or whizzed in a blender with some crème fraîche or ricotta cheese, lemon juice and pepper to make smoked mackerel pâté. This fish also suits being pickled, marinated, and salted.
