Barbecued Whole Mackerel

My Pleasure is *Cooking* .

We have brilliant weather at the moment, Spring has finally sprung, So we are having a BBQ with friends this afternoon, So I bought Mackerel on the market yesterday, This is a recipe we use a lot in the summer, because we love fish.

4 Whole Mackerels	Gutted
Handful of Rosemary Sprigs
1 Head of Garlic
Rosemary – Infused Olive Oil	To Drizzle
Sea Salt & Black Pepper
2 Lemons	Halved

Directions:

Mackerel spoils quickly and you should really cook them on the day of purchase, or if you’re lucky enough to live by the sea, freshly caught. It is much easier to grill a whole fish on the bone, rather than filleted, but you do need to score the thick flesh to ensure even cooking. Oily fish always go well with robust herbs such as rosemary.

1.     Preheat the barbecue or grill. Wash the mackerel well and dry both the inside and outside of the fish with kitchen paper. Score the skin of each fish with a few diagonal slashes on both sides and scatter over rosemary sprigs. 

2.     Break the garlic into individual cloves and push the cloves through four long sprigs of rosemary. Stick a sprig inside each fish and season all over with salt and pepper and a generous drizzle of rosemary-infused oil.

3.     Lay the fish on top of the hot barbecue or grill and cook for about 5 minutes until the flesh is firm and opaque. Carefully turn over the fish and grill for another 4-5 minutes until cooked through. (Don’t worry if a few rosemary leaves fall into the hot coals – they will provide an aromatic smokiness to the fish.) Add the lemon halves to the barbecue, cut side down, for a couple of minutes until lightly caramelised.

4.     Serve each fish with a caramelised lemon half and a drizzle more of rosemary oil.

Lots of Salad and crusty bread


 Bon Appétit