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We all love a good BBQ, especially during the warmer months. While a plethora of red meats, sausages and burgers are a popular choice, the healthier, and often tastier, alternative is to cook fish on the BBQ. One particular fish that is delicious on the old grill is mackerel. Mackerel on BBQ? Perfect! This tasty fish is full of essential vitamins and minerals and grills well.
The best thing about BBQing mackerel is that you can do so on a huge set-up just as easily as you can on a quality fire pit BBQ. Before you throw your mackerel on BBQ, here are some tips on retaining the best this fish offers in terms of taste and nutrition.
What Temperature Should You Cook Mackerel At?
As with many proteins, mackerel can be overcooked as well as undercooked. If you undercook mackerel, you risk food poisoning or parasite infestation. Overcooking is also not good as the flesh is then dry and tough to eat. So, the big question is, what temperature should mackerel be cooked?[i]
When we consider the right temperature for cooking mackerel, it depends on the cooking method. When it comes to cooking mackerel on BBQ, you should aim for an internal temperature of around 63°C. While you can just guess and cook the mackerel on both sides until golden brown, grilling is tricky because you may not be able to gauge the exact cooking temperature. Play it safe and invest in a meat thermometer and check by inserting the probe in the thickest part of the fish.
How To Prepare Mackerel For BBQing[ii]
Preparing mackerel for BBQing is easy, especially if you have a good fishmonger. Many fresh fish markets will de-scale and gut the fish for you; this is half the job done. However, if you’re bringing home the whole mackerel, you will have to do most of the prep work yourself. To prepare mackerel for BBQing, follow these simple steps.
- De-scale the fish – Using the back of the knife, run the blade against the skin, starting from the tail and working your way towards the head. This is also a good time to cut off the fins (you can leave the tail). Rinse the outside of the fish with cold water to flush off any loose scales.
- Gut the fish – Slide a fileting knife on the underside of the fish, almost to the neck of the fish. Then, using the knife, scrape out all the internal parts of the fish. Rinse with cold water.
- Pat the fish dry with clean paper towels – Once you have de-scaled and gutted your fish, rinse the fish under cold water. Shake off the excess water and pat the entire fish dry with paper towels.
- The rest is easy – Marinade your fish or season it to your taste or a specific recipe. You should also rub a few drops of olive oil on the skin to ensure it won’t stick to the grill. This will also make the skin nice and crispy during grilling.
BBQ Mackerel With Spices
One of the best things about mackerel on BBQ is that it doesn’t have an overwhelming “fishy” taste, especially if you can get your hands on fresh mackerel. The flesh is more on the sweet side and isn’t too salty. This means you can add lots of flavours using herbs and spices when BBQing. Here’s one recipe that will become a family favourite.
You will need the following:
Equipment
- A spatula
- A large bowl
- A fire bit BBQ or grill
- Kindling and wood
- BBQ coals
Ingredients For 2 People/Servings
- 2 whole mackerel (gutted and de-scaled)
- Zest and juice of 1 orange
- Olive oil
- Ground spices
- Crushed garlic
- Black pepper
Method
- Prepare the mackerel for BBQing. If the fishmonger has not gutted and de-scaled the fish for you, do this first.
- Make 3—4 cuts along each side of the fish.
- Light your fire pit or BBQ. Let the coals burn for about 20 minutes until they glow red.
- In a large bowl, mix the orange zest and juice, olive oil, ground spices, crushed garlic and black pepper.
- Rub the spice mixture on the outside of the fish, paying close attention to ensure the mixture gets into the cuts. If you have any left-over spice mixture, place it inside the fish.
- Gently place the fish on the rack of your BBQ or fire pit grill and cook for about 5 minutes on each side. Using the spatula, turn the fish over gently.
- The fish is cooked when the skin is nicely charred, and the flesh is firm to the touch.
- Place the fish on serving plates and garnish with chopped chives, parsley or any other herb you like.
- Serve with your choices of side dishes and a nice glass of dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or a good Pinot Blanc.
Good Side Dishes For Mackerel
When serving mackerel cooked on the BBQ, a nice mixed salad is always a great choice. However, when you are entertaining, you usually want to offer more side dishes to ensure there is plenty of food to go around and to impress your guests with your culinary expertise.
Here are some tasty side dishes that go well with BBQed mackerel:
Creamy potato salad – The ultimate comfort food, a nice creamy potato salad is rich and, yes, creamy, which makes it a great accompaniment to the lightness of mackerel.
Spicy tomato pasta – Supercharge your mackerel dinner with a nice serving of spicy tomato pasta. The fish is generally nice and light, so you can get away with adding some tasty carbs.
Freshly baked bread – Bread is always a great addition to the table, and if you have the baking skills, you can really impress your guests with a loaf of homemade bread. Otherwise, find a good bakery and get a nice crunchy baguette or a loaf of sourdough bread.
Grilled vegetables – While you’ve got the grill fired up, why not add some tasty grilled vegetables to your BBQed mackerel? You can literally choose any of your favourites for grilling.
Potato Wedges or chips – Just because you’ve BBQed your mackerel doesn’t mean you can’t have an old favourite on the table. Fish and chips are always winners, so go for ordinary chips or wedges. Fried or baked in the oven, you can’t go wrong.
Beetroot salad – The complex earthiness of beetroots goes really well with the subtle flavours of mackerel. There are many different beetroot salad recipes you can choose from.
Cucumber and yoghurt salad – This is an easy salad to prepare, and all you need is a few fresh cucumbers, a tub of yoghurt, some lemon juice, and salt and pepper. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also add some Dijon mustard to the dressing.
Fried Rice – This is one of the easiest side dishes to make, and it doesn’t need to be complicated. Prepare some rice, as per the instructions on the packaging. Then, chop up your favourite vegetables or buy a bag of your favourite frozen mixed vegetables. Add some oil and spices in a large frying pan or wok before adding your vegetables. Once the veggies are coated with oil and spices, stir in your rice.
Mustard Sauce – There are many variations of mustard sauce that go well with mackerel, and this simple one really works well. Simply mix your favourite mustard with olive oil, lime juice and a little vinegar, and you have the perfect sauce for your mackerel.
Sweet Chilli Sauce – You can make your own sweet chilli sauce, or you can buy a ready-made one.
There are no rules when it comes to serving side dishes with your BBQed mackerel, and you are only limited to your imagination and what ingredients you have available.
Know How To Use Your Fire Pit
One of the best things about owning a fire pit is that they are perfect for those who have limited space in their gardens. Apart from being perfect for cooking mackerel on BBQ, once you start using your fire pit, you’ll find yourself experimenting with different meats, seafood, vegetables and even desserts. Of course, there will be times when you will also want to use your fire pit for outdoor warmth or just create a quiet, romantic oasis after a long week of working.
We all love food that has been grilled on the BBQ, and mackerel will fast become a family favourite. This fish is one of the healthiest, and you can also grill other fish or different proteins.
When it comes to cooking with your fire pit, you may need a little time to get used to the different temperatures for each different food. Our fire pit cooking guide will help you get started with helpful tips on cooking as well as using your fire pit safely.
Sources:
Side Dishes: https://slimmingviolet.com/what-to-serve-with-mackerel/
Side Dishes: https://happymuncher.com/what-to-serve-with-mackerel/
[i] https://theshelver.com/mackerel-internal-temp/
[ii] https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/how-to-cook/how-to-barbecue-whole-mackerel
