Spicy mango teriyaki Spanish Mackerel could be one of my best hair brained schemes yet……
Spanish Mackerel is definitely in my top five favorite fish of all time, phew try saying that 10 times fast. Whenever I tell someone they look at me funny, and either don’t know what a Spanish Mackerel is, or immediately say they don’t like Mackerel. Ahh, the misunderstood Mackerel. The Mackerel family can be as confusing as Anthony Bourdain at an all you eat Vegan buffet. Lets be clear, not all Mackerel are created equal. The Boston or Atlantic Mackerel is probably the one most are familiar with, and it tastes, umm yeah, it tastes not so bueno, just my not so humble opinion. I see it at the fish store and supermarket all the time, somebodies eating it, not I. Mackerels are bait, not sure why people would eat bait. Anyway, there are other types of Mackerel which are much different than the Boston/Atlantic little guys seen so often at markets
If the most you can handle is Tilapia or Cod, I’m not going to look down on you, (much), but to be upfront you probably won’t like Spanish Mackerel. However, if you can get into fish with a bit more flavor, like salmon, tuna or even bluefish, then the Spanish Mack is for you. Personally I’m all about fish with tons of flavor, that tastes like, umm, fish. There is a big difference between a fish that tastes like fish, and one that is fishy. If the taste is fishy, it’s probably a few weeks old. Please support your local fish stores, they are a billion times better than the supermarket, and 999,999 times out of 1,000,000 the fish aint gonna be fishy. Supermarket fish in my experience is a crapshoot. But take what you can get.
This recipe is going to create a symphony of flavors, with a crispy as can be fish skin, and a sauce that delivers intense layers of deliciousness. One of the ingredients on the list is Mango nectar. What the heck is that? Well thanks for asking, I’ll tell you. It’s Mango juice, and can be found in the spanish or Caribbean section of your supermarket, by the Goya products. I implore you to make this recipe, it’s a lot easier than it looks, and tastes freakin unbelievable. Plus once you make the sauce you’re going to want to try other mango nectar recipes. A favorite of mine is mango hot wings, soon to be on the blog. Enjoy the recipe, and give a fish you have never tried a chance, it just might end up in your top five favorites.
Ingredients
- For Fish
- 1 LB Spanish Mackerel Cut in Two Pieces To Fit in Pan
- Flour For Dredging
- 2 Tablespoons of a High Heat Oil *
- 1 Lime For Garnish
- 1 Tablespoon Minced Cilantro For Garnish
- For the Sauce:
- 2 Cups Mango Nectar
- Juice From One Large Lime
- 1 Tablespoon Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Sake or Mirin
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Honey
- 1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Teaspoon Fermented Hot Pepper Mash or 1 Chile Pepper of your choice *
Instructions
- Score the fish skin with shallow cuts parallel the front of the fillet *
- Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper
- Dredge fish in flour
- Put oil in a stainless steel pan on high heat
- When oil starts to glimmer place fish flesh side down and cook for 4-7 minutes depending on thickness
- Flip carefully with a metal fish spatula *
- Finish cooking the fish until it is almost done and remove from heat let the residual heat cook the fish on the plate
- Plate fish, drizzle with sauce, garnish with cilantro and lime
- For the Sauce:
- Put mango nectar in a pan and reduced by half, careful not to burn stir frequently
- Add the rest of the ingredients and reduce until the sauce has thickened to the point where if you drag your finger across the back of a spoon it doesn't run much, make sure to stir frequently
Notes
-Good oils to pick would be http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_point
-When using a full chile pepper slice it in half and put the full pepper into the sauce. If you don't like much heat use half. When Sauce is complete remove peppers and throw away.
-The reason to score the fish is so that it doesn't curl up when you cook it on the skin. Due to the shape of the fish it will curl, this will prevent proper cooking method, and just looks bad.
-Very important to have a good fish spatula, one like this http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Fish-Turner/dp/B000YDO2MK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420133074&sr=8-1&keywords=fish+spatula
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