# Mackerel **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 19, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mackerel/613333 "2012-02-19T17:14:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mackerel/613333/1 "2012-02-19T17:14:58Z")
I thought I’d asked this already, but I can’t find it. (And I’m not going to wait until I can refine my search.) I’ve been in a fishy mood lately. (Unfortunately, the SO isn’t.) I saw some mackerel at the fishmonger’s, and I’ve been wanting to try it. Why not? Nice, oily fish chockfull of Omega-3 fatty acids! I’ve only eaten mackerel as sushi, and the only fish I can consistently cook well are salmon or fried fishes. How do I go about cooking a mackerel? Going by my gut, I’d salt the inside and stuff it with either a few lemon slices or some sage and throw it on the barbie for about 5 minutes a side on the assumption that a strongly-flavoured fish needs little seasoning. Any suggestions? Also, what does cooked mackerel taste like? It’s a bit ‘fishy’ raw, IME. ---
**Author:** ![Homo\_litoralis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homo\_litoralis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homo_litoralis)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mackerel/613333/2 "2012-02-19T17:57:31Z")
It’s more than a bit fishy when cooked, too, so baking or poaching may not be the best option, depending on your tolerance for wet, fishy dishes. I like your idea of grilling it. If you can get your grill rocket-hot, the burnt skin and oils will lend a delicious charred flavor to the meat. Depending on the thickness of the fish, you may want to let it coast to doneness from there over indirect heat, or even a warm oven. My favorite style of mackerel is smoked. If you don’t have the time or hardware for a long, cool smoke, try getting a small handful of dry hardwood chips to smolder in a small cast-iron skillet (maybe foil will work as well) with the pre-charred fish, indirect heat, tight lid. (I’ve never tried to do it this way because I have a smoker, but I would love if you tried this little experiment and reported your findings.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mackerel/613333/3 "2012-02-19T18:55:24Z")
Yep. I’d grill it just like I would sardines. You got the right idea. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mackerel/613333/4 "2012-02-19T19:04:53Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yep. I’d grill it just like I would sardines. You got the right idea. Sadly, sardines aren’t available here except in tins. ☹ Sheesh! You’d think with the Pacific Ocean _right here_, you’d be able to get fresh sardines! And herring? I’ve seen it pickled, salted, and tinned. But the only non-processed ones I’ve seen have been in the bait freezer. (And I’ve often wondered if they’d be good to eat.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mackerel/613333/5 "2012-02-19T19:31:19Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Sadly, sardines aren’t available here except in tins. ☹ > > Sheesh! You’d think with the Pacific Ocean _right here_, you’d be able to get fresh sardines! And herring? I’ve seen it pickled, salted, and tinned. But the only non-processed ones I’ve seen have been in the bait freezer. (And I’ve often wondered if they’d be good to eat.) Really? I mean, I live in the Midwest and I can find non-tinned sardines at the fishmonger. I mean, yes, they were frozen at some point I assume, but they still grill up nicely. There’s gotta be sardines somewhere on the coast there. ---
**Author:** ![Teacake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Teacake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teacake)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mackerel/613333/6 "2012-02-19T20:15:57Z")
Devil your mackerel. Apart from as sashimi, it’s probably my favourite way of preparing them. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mackerel/613333/7 "2012-02-19T20:16:30Z")
I remember buying whole mackerel some years ago but haven’t seen any in a long time. Plenty of tilapia, salmon, some cod and haddock. Some mackerel were a bit fishier than others (I baked them). I do think the mackerel is a beautiful fish, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mackerel/613333/8 "2012-02-19T20:24:36Z")
[hijack] Curiously, and interestingly, ‘sardines’ are actually several species of herrings named for the original breeding grounds around the island of Sardinia. They are also sometimes called ‘pilchards’. > [@](#): > > Peru has a long history of direct human consumption of Engraulis ringens and other sardines, reaching into ancient cultures, including Chimú culture, Paracas culture, Pachacamac, and most importantly the oldest known civilization in the Americas, the Caral-Supe civilization, which was based almost completely on E. ringens consumption. [/hijack]