Recipe: Baked Mackerel with Vinegar, Mint, and Garlic Sauce

(photo: just out of the oven baked mackerel)

I've written about my love of fish on multiple occasions here on Scordo.com, expounding on sardines, smelts, tuna, branzino, and salmon.  Yet I was sad to discover that while I hold all of the aforementioned fish in high esteem, I've only written about fresh mackerel on one other occassion (leaving one of my favorite fish with a single entry!).







(photo: baked mackerel with olive oil, salt, and pepper)

Mackerel is an ideal fish, in my view, because it has a wonderful texture, oily composition, and includes a meaty flavor profile which is akin to good canned tuna in olive oil.  The fish has a firm flesh and is extremely high in vitamin B 12, Omega 3 (a type of fatty acid), and Phosphatidylserine (linked to positive brain function, especially in folks suffering from dementia, for example).  In fact, Mackerel has twice the amount of Omega 3 than Salmon.  Mackerel is also low in mercury and the Atlantic variety is in good shape (from an over-fishing perspective).

I recently prepared a baked version of mackerel with a vinegar based sauce comprising of fresh mint, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, dryed oregano, and garlic.







(photo: Calabrian vinegar and mint sauce referred to as Sermoglio)

My mother refers to the sauce as "sermoglio" and is typical in Calabria and used with many fish dishes, including swordfish. 

I served the mackerel with a split pea soup and sauteed broccoli rabe.
 





(photo: split pea soup with carrots, garlic, and fresh parsely)







(photo: brocolli rabe)





(photo: freshly made croutons to accompany the split pea soup)



(photo: vinegar and mint sauce with baked mackerel)