Mackerel

TQA said:
A spritz of alcohol in the mouth or gills is an instant kill. I use the local strong rum.
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I didn't know that, good tip, thanks.
Putting your finger in the mouth and breaking the neck is a fine idea on 2 lb mackerel but I would like to see it tried on a 50 lb wahoo or tuna.
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The chances of a 50lb anything on my tackle would be a miracle, but a good point :)
 
A Jif lemon makes a good vodka dispenser for fish dispatch. I like cooking the gutted fish whole with a few slashes in each flank for even cooking. The fresher the better, 15 minutes spinner to dinner is perfect.
Don't bother trying above 5 knots: Streaming feathers off Lundy at 8knts resulted in bringing half a dozen mackerel jaws minus their owners aboard. Not a good result for anyone.
And please don't over do it. There's nothing more depressing than seeing dozens of fish dumped in the sea after a big shoal has been located and caught for the sake of dubious sport.
 
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I find that if you cut the head off they die. Actually I tend to just cut the spine with a small knife behind the head if things are happening fast. I have the impression that removing the head and gills, gutting and bleeding them improves their quality. And they are delicious!
 
Quickly put them out of their misery by snapping the neck with a finger in their mouth and thumb on the back of their head.

Mackerel and many other fish carry parasitic worms so I wouldn’t eat them fresh or ceviche without first freezing them for a few days.

Don't cut the head off, just lie the fish on its side, place a sharp knife across the fish behind the gills, cutting down, almost to the backbone then run the blade along to the tail. There isn’t a simpler fish to fillet and leaving the head on gives something to hold. They're also one of the messiest fish with blood and scales going everywhere and sticking to skin for days to come.
If you really want the fine pin-bones out, cut a “V” along the lines of the bones and lift them out.
 
Yealm said:
Sorry- a thick post..

I’d like to catch/cook mackerel after an amazing evening aboard a friend’s boat last year.

I’m a bit squaemish- never done this before - what’s the best way to kill the fish and then what ? - do you have to bleed it ? Or just slit down the belly and hoik out the guts? And then stick under the grill for 20 mins?

Thanks:)
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Tuna is bled.
 
I have a small Snowbee Smoker. Just gut the bar stewards, wash in salt water and smoke them as fresh as you can. 20 mins is usually enough and it will kill any residual parasites. I put the smoker on a tin tray with a 3mm polystyrene sheet glued to the base. This sits happily on my cockpit seating and doesn't scorch. Frying tends to stink out the boat below decks.
 
dom said:
Not so sure about that - I seem to recall that Japanese sushi restaurants insist that mackerel is first frozen well down before using for sushi or sashimi. Something to do with worms in that type of fish I think.

Some chefs disagree, but as far as I know freezing such fish before eating is now mandated by European Law.
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The LNG approach sounds a bit like Ceviche which, if you leave it in the juice long enough, is cooked by the action of the acid. Highly recommended with Couscous and a fruity salad for lunch or evening meal on a hot day but, as LnG says. you slice the mackeral into strips so you would hopefully spot any worms even if you didn't cook it for long.

The FAO offers this guidance but I wouldn't let any fussy eaters read it... http://www.fao.org/wairdocs/tan/x5951e/x5951e01.htm
 
Lon nan Gruagach said:
Mackerel can be eaten raw, so, kill it, gut it, slice strips off and dip some vinegar on it, or lemon. BBQ and grill/ shallow fry with dillis good, but a bit normal. Try covering with seasoned flour before shallow fry fo a crispy change. Can it too, even with some flavours in the jar. Mackerel with hoisin sauce in flaky pastry parcels..
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dom said:
Not so sure about that
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Pedant alert

The fish will "cook" in the acid and so is not strictly raw.​

/ Pedant alert
 
Can anybody recommend a cheap filleting knife?

I had a look at the one they do in Lakeland, apart from it having oodles and oodles of packaging the blade did not look very flexible?
 
Sandy said:
Can anybody recommend a cheap filleting knife?

I had a look at the one they do in Lakeland, apart from it having oodles and oodles of packaging the blade did not look very flexible?
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Have a look at the Rapala range, they are very good.
 
When I lived in Falmouth I used to walk my labrador along to Pendennis Point and halfway along there used to be a sewer outlet that used to open on ebb tides … you could see from above, shoals of mackerel there in a feeding frenzy. I've never eaten mackerel since, in fact, apart from battered cod from the chippy, I never eat fish at all … :nonchalance:
 
Sandy said:
Pedant alert
The fish will "cook" in the acid and so is not strictly raw.​

/ Pedant alert
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Good point, though it takes a bit of time. Aside from that and purely anecdotally I’m finding mackerel harder to catch these days - even during high season - whereas flat fish seem as plentiful as ever.
 
Kingfisher 5 said:
When I lived in Falmouth I used to walk my labrador along to Pendennis Point and halfway along there used to be a sewer outlet that used to open on ebb tides … you could see from above, shoals of mackerel there in a feeding frenzy. I've never eaten mackerel since, in fact, apart from battered cod from the chippy, I never eat fish at all … :nonchalance:
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Do you eat meat or veg? Fields are often spread with manure.
 
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