Mackerel in the oven - general principles of cooking
Mackerel in the oven is one of the most versatile and tasty fish dishes. Mackerel prepared in this way can be safely served for the festive table and for an ordinary family dinner. The fish does not require long roasting - in 30-40 minutes the dish, as a rule, can already be served. There are lots of recipes telling how to make mackerel in the oven. The most common method is the use of foil or a special baking sleeve. The fish is baked evenly, but remains juicy and fragrant.
Mackerel can be cut into pieces and roll in spices, or to stuff a whole carcass with vegetables, lemon and greens. Of the seasonings, white and black pepper, sweet pea pepper, mustard seeds, salt, garlic, bay leaf or a special spice mix for fish are most often used. Mackerel can be filled with lemon, onion, carrot, potatoes, or greens with garlic. For the marinade often use soy sauce. If the fish is baked in the sleeve, there you can put not only onions and lemon, but also cherry tomatoes, olives and other products.
Very tasty is mackerel in the oven in pots or a jar, although this cooking method takes a little longer (on average, about an hour). But the finished result fully justifies the time spent - the fish languishes in their own and vegetable juice and it turns out very tender, juicy and appetizing.
Mackerel in the oven - preparing food and dishes
If you decide to cook the mackerel in the oven, the first thing to do is to cut the fish. We defrost the mackerel, cut off the head, tail and fins (we don’t throw it all away, as the “waste” can be used for soup), we remove the insides. Be sure to cut the black film. Fish can be baked with a whole carcass, pre-stuffed with herbs or vegetables, or simply cut into portions and put on a baking sheet. Each piece is rubbed with oil, salt and pepper. You can also leave the fish for an hour and a half in a specially prepared marinade. Prepare the necessary vegetables: cut onion into thin half rings, rub grated carrots or cut into slices, peel potatoes and cut into small slices (or sticks). Prepare in advance the right amount of spices, chop the greens, cut the lemon into thin semi-circles.
From the dishes you will need a cutting board, a sharp knife and a bowl for the sauce or marinade. Prepare a baking sheet for the oven: grease it with butter and cover with parchment paper. The oven must be preheated (although some recipes where the fish is cooked in a jar or pots do not require preheating). The fish itself can be baked in foil, sleeve, or parchment paper.
Recipes for mackerel in the oven:
Recipe 1: Mackerel in the oven
This recipe is useful to the hostess, who wants to prepare a quick and tasty dinner for the whole family. Mackerel turns out incredibly fragrant and juicy, the dish will appeal to even those who do not particularly love fish.
Ingredients Required:
- Mackerel;
- Onion;
- Two spoons of tomato sauce;
- Mayonnaise - two or three spoons;
- Salt;
- Black pepper;
- A mixture of seasonings for fish;
- Lemon.
Preparation Method:
Prepare the fish: defrost, clean, divide. Remove the insides, cut the film, cut the carcass into pieces. Roll each piece in seasoning, salt and pepper. Take a medium onion and cut not too thick rings. In a cup or bowl, mix mayonnaise with tomato sauce or ketchup (take 2-3 tablespoons of each ingredient). Heat the oven. Dip each piece of fish in the sauce and spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lay the onions between the pieces. We pour the fish once more with mayonnaise and ketchup (you can make a net) and put it in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes (until a crisp crust appears). Serve fish with lemon wedges.
Recipe 2: Mackerel in foil in the oven
Many housewives prefer to cook mackerel in the oven in foil. This allows you to keep the flavor and juiciness, the fish is baked evenly and it turns out very tasty. This recipe also uses vegetables, seasonings and mayonnaise. Ingredients Required:
- Mackerel;
- Murphy;
- Onion;
- Carrot;
- Mayonnaise spoon;
- Salt;
- Black pepper.
Preparation Method:
We split the fish, be sure to cut off the dark film. The insides are removed, we also cut off the head and gills. Potato cleaned and cut into small slices. Carrots can be cut into strips, and onions - half rings. Rub the fish with salt on the outside and inside. We grease with a small amount of mayonnaise and season with black pepper. Spread foil, lay mackerel on it. Stuffing the carcass with vegetables, everything that doesn’t fit in is laid out around. Wrap the mackerel in foil and place in a preheated oven. Bake 30-35 minutes until cooked. Such mackerel in the oven is good and hot and cold.
Recipe 3: Oven Baked Mackerel
Fragrant mackerel in the oven with garlic and spicy herbs. The recipe itself is very simple, there are no additional ingredients in the form of vegetables. The beauty lies in the use of garlic, herbs and seasonings.
Ingredients Required:
- Mackerel;
- Garlic;
- Sweet Pepper;
- Salt;
- Cilantro;
- Parsley;
- Lemon juice;
- Olive oil.
Preparation Method:
Fish process: wash, cut off the head with the gills, remove the insides. Wash again inside, dry. Garlic clove crushed in a mortar with pepper and salt. Add two spoons of butter and lemon juice to garlic. One more clove is ground together with greens. We rub the fish with garlic mass outside and inside, the rest of the mass is distributed inside. Fill the carcass with garlic herbs, wrap in foil, leave to marinate for 40 minutes. Bake in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes.
Recipe 4: Mackerel in the oven in the sleeve
Instead of foil, you can use the “sleeve”. The fish turns out perfectly tasty and juicy. To make the mackerel more aromatic and piquant, you can stuff it with onions and lemon. If the dish is cooked on a festive table, you can put in a “sleeve” a few cherry tomatoes and olives. Ingredients Required:
- Mackerel;
- Onions;
- Lemon;
- Olives;
- Salt;
- Pepper;
- Cherry tomatoes;
- Olive oil.
Preparation Method:
Fish cut, remove the insides and gills, cut off the dark film. How should we rinse the fish inside and out, dry them. Cut the onion into half-rings and put them in a bowl, pepper, salt and a few hands. Cut lemon into thin semicircles. In two spoons of olive oil, stir the salt with pepper, rub the fish mixture (inside and out). Stuff fish with lemon and onion. Cherry tomatoes cut in half. We tie the “sleeve” for baking at one end, put leftover lemons and onions in it, spread mackerel on top. Lay the halves of tomatoes and olives, tie the other end. We set to bake for half an hour. 10 minutes before the end of cooking you can make an incision so that the fish browned. The finished dish is decorated with sprigs of fresh greens.
Recipe 5: Mackerel in the oven in a jar
A very simple recipe for mackerel in the oven, for which you will need a small jar. Preparing fish is extremely simple, all you need to do is to prepare the carcass and chop the vegetables.
Ingredients Required:
- Mackerel;
- Carrot;
- Onion;
- Pepper pea;
- Salt;
- Sunflower oil;
- Lavrushka.
Preparation Method:
Prepare the mackerel: defrost, cut off the head and tail, remove the insides. The carcass should be washed and dried. Cut fish in small portions. Clean the carrots and grate them. Onion cut into thin half-rings. Rub the pieces of fish with salt. Now take a liter jar and lay out the fish and vegetables, alternating ingredients. Do not forget about pea pepper and bay leaf. Fill the jar to the top and pour all two spoons of oil. Cover the jar with foil and set for an hour in the oven.
Recipe 6: Potted Mackerel in the oven
Another recipe telling how to cook mackerel in the oven. We will need small pots in which meat is usually cooked. The fish turns out just excellent - delicate, juicy and very fragrant. Surprise guests with such a simple but original festive dish. Ingredients Required:
- Mackerel;
- Onions;
- Carrot;
- A mixture of seasonings for fish;
- Laurel;
- Salt;
- Pepper;
- Olive oil;
- Mustard seeds.
Preparation Method:
Fish thawed, remove the insides, cut off the head and tail. Cut the carcass into pieces and rinse thoroughly. Grate carrots, cut onion into half rings. Rub the pieces of mackerel with salt. Pour some oil into each pot. Spread pea pepper and mustard seeds. Now we put the ingredients in each pot in the following order: first a little carrot, then pieces of fish, then onions and again carrots. The sequence may be different, as long as the mackerel is between vegetables. Pour on top of a spoonful of oil and put a bay leaf. Cover the pot with lids and place in the oven. We bake about an hour. Serve fish with chopped greens and lemon wedges.
Recipe 7: Grilled Mackerel in the oven
I wanted a fragrant golden grilled fish? If your oven is equipped with such a function, it is easier to realize the desire. We need mackerel, seasonings and soy sauce. The rest is a matter of technique.
Ingredients Required:
- Mackerel;
- Soy sauce - 1/4 cup;
- Lemon;
- A teaspoon of mustard;
- White pepper;
- Coriander;
- Salt;
- Black pepper;
- Ginger.
Preparation Method:
Cut the fins and head off the fish, make an incision on the belly and remove the insides. The carcass should be washed and dried. From each side we make four transverse incisions. Add mustard, peppers, coriander and some salt to a deep plate with soy sauce. Mix everything and put fish into marinade. Leave for about one hour. Lemon cut into thin semi-circles, clean the ginger and cut into thin plates. Lay the lemon and ginger in each cut, set the “grill” mode. Put the fish to bake until done. Served with chopped greens and sauce. Recipe for a delicious mackerel sauce in the oven:
We make liquid caramel from a small amount of sugar, add soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, a little lime juice and Worcester sauce. Stir and heat to thicken. Mix mass with slices of hot peppers, chopped onions, garlic, green onions and cilantro. Also add some lime juice and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.
Mackerel in the oven - secrets and tips from the best chefs
- The main secret of cooking mackerel in the oven is this: you should not completely defrost the fish, you can start cooking it when it remains frostbitten a little;
- the head can not be cut off. Such baked mackerel looks more “festive” and will well decorate the festive table;
- If you put mackerel on foil immediately, the skin can be slightly burnt. Therefore, on the foil, you should first put onion rings and carrots, and only then - fish. On top of the mackerel vegetables are also distributed;
- The envelope from the foil should not have holes, otherwise the liquid will begin to evaporate and flow out onto the baking sheet. Burnt juice will give the fish a “unique” taste of burning;
- Mackerel itself is a fat and juicy fish, so vegetable oil or mayonnaise should be used quite a bit.
