In this section we collect the editors’ favorite recipes. We appreciate today’s dish of the day not only for its rich taste and beauty of presentation, but also for the simplicity and speed with which it comes into being. The sauce is made while the fish is baking, and the fish bakes quickly.
The trick of the culinary technology used here is that the mackerel is not cooked in the sauce, but served underneath it: it is added to the fish only at the last moment. And this has its own charm: you can feel both your own taste of mackerel (very original and expressive), and, having hooked the fork as much as possible, evaluate how it “sounds” in the chord (spoiler: it’s simply exemplary harmonious). That is, in fact, twice as many gastronomic experiences in one plate. And, importantly, at the cost of one approach to the stove!
By the way, this sauce based on tomatoes and fresh herbs is suitable not only for mackerel, but also for any white sea fish with dense meat that holds its shape well when baked, such as dorado or mullet, sea bass or flounder. And yes, if you are planning a summer fish grill party, prepare it the day before, and make a lot of it, a lot of it.
Cooking time
(your participation is required)
25 min.
Number of servings
2
Ingredients
Mackerel
1 large fish or 2 medium ones
Black pepper
taste
Vegetable oil
50 ml + for frying
Vinegar
1 tbsp. spoon
Sugar
2 teaspoons
Onion
1 piece
Garlic
1–2 cloves
Puree tomatoes
120 g
Green onions
several feathers
Preparation
-
1.
Prepare your ingredients.
Photo: Ivanna Orlova / Lifehacker -
2․
Behead the mackerel, remove the fins, gut it, rinse and dry with napkins.
Photo: Ivanna Orlova / Lifehacker -
3․
Rub the fish inside and out with ground pepper and coarse salt. Make several deep oblique cuts across the carcass and insert lemon slices and dill sprigs into them. Place the dill stems and remaining lemon into the belly of the mackerel. Place it in a greased baking dish and place it in the oven preheated to 190 degrees. Cook for about 20 minutes, depending on the size of the fish.
Photo: Ivanna Orlova / Lifehacker -
4.
Mix the wine vinegar with the sugar in a small saucepan and heat, stirring, until the sugar has completely melted. Reduce the liquid slightly over low heat.
Photo: Ivanna Orlova / Lifehacker -
5.
Chop the onion very finely or puree it in a blender along with the garlic.
Photo: Ivanna Orlova / Lifehacker -
6․
Fry chopped vegetables in vegetable oil until golden brown and soft.
Photo: Ivanna Orlova / Lifehacker -
7․
Combine the fried onions and garlic with the vinegar-sugar mixture and simmer everything together a little.
Photo: Ivanna Orlova / Lifehacker -
8.
Add grated tomatoes to the saucepan, pepper, heat through and let cool slightly.
There are no ready-made canned pureed tomatoes – prepare them yourself. Keep a couple of fresh tomatoes in boiling water for a minute, peel the skins, punch them in a blender and rub through a sieve to get rid of the seeds. As a last resort, you can use high-quality tomato paste, diluting it to the consistency of thick juice.
Photo: Ivanna Orlova / Lifehacker -
9.
Pour the oil into the cooled sauce, season it with salt and sugar and add finely chopped herbs: onion and remaining dill sprigs.
Photo: Ivanna Orlova / Lifehacker -
10.
Remove the mackerel from the oven and carefully transfer it to a serving dish (unless you plan to serve the fish directly in the pan).
Photo: Ivanna Orlova / Lifehacker -
eleven.
Spoon the sauce over the fish and immediately place the dish on the table before it cools down.
Photo: Ivanna Orlova / Lifehacker
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