Stekt Makrell
Pan-fried summer mackerel with its skin crisped golden, served with stewed rhubarb and sour cream.
Cultural Context & History
Oily, glittering mackerel arrives with the warm south-coast summer. Fried crisp and served with tart rhubarb compote, it is the flavour of a July evening by the sea.
Ingredients
- 4 fresh mackerel fillets, skin on
- 4 tbsp flour, for dredging
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp butter
- For the cucumber salad: 1 cucumber, thinly sliced, 2 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, 4 tbsp water, pinch of salt
- Sour cream and new potatoes, to serve
Recommended Tools
- Heavy skilletHolds a steady heat that crisps the skin.
- Fish sliceTurns the delicate fillets without tearing them.
- MandolineShaves the cucumber thin enough to pickle quickly.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
- 1
Toss the sliced cucumber with the water, vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt, and leave to stand for 20 minutes until lightly pickled.
- 2
Pat the mackerel fillets thoroughly dry and dredge them in the flour seasoned with the salt and pepper.
- 3
Heat the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until foaming.
- 4
Lay the fillets in skin-side down and fry for 3–4 minutes on each side, until the skin is crisp and the flesh is cooked through.
- 5
Serve the mackerel hot, straight from the pan, with the cold cucumber salad, sour cream and new potatoes.
Chef's Tip
Mackerel is best cooked the day it comes out of the water — press each fillet flat with a spatula for the first few seconds skin-side down to stop it curling and to crisp the skin evenly.
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