Mackerel
Often advertised on ‘Jersey Seafood’ Facebook page, usually we get mackerel in Jersey from July to September. Recently, mackerel have been landed in Jersey over a wider seasonal range.
IN SEASON
July – September
CATCH METHOD
Hook and line
ABOUT THE FISH
Mackerel
Mackerel are one of the more striking and attractive fish, with tiger-like stripes running across their spine. Many would argue that it’s also up there as one of the most tasty fish as well – and it’s definitely one of our favourites at Jersea!
Abundant in summer months, these are a great sustainable seafood option as they are usually caught using low impact methods.
In recent years, mackerel have been a bit unpredictable. We have started to see mackerel arrive earlier in the year and leave later, resulting in landings outside of the usual season. This could be as a result of warming waters as mackerel usually seek warmer waters around autumn time to spawn.
Closely related to tuna, mackerel is a delicious and versatile fish. They are commonly smoked to achieve the most flavour, but can also be pan fried, barbecued whole, or even eaten raw.
LOW-IMPACT CATCH METHODS
Hook and line
Mackerel are usually too small to be picked up in nets, which are mainly used to target bass, so they are predominantly caught by hook and line fishing.
No bait is needed to catch these fish. Feathers are the most popular way of catching mackerel, and you typically have five or six feather on one fishing line. If you’re lucky enough to find a school of mackerel, you can often land six mackerel in one go!
PREPARATION ADVICE
Preparing Mackerel
Due to its small size, mackerel can sometimes be a tricky fish to prepare as it can be quite fiddly. On the plus side, mackerel doesn’t have any scales, so that removes one step of the process.
Here is a brilliant video on how to prep mackerel, courtesy of Fish For Thought TV. They show you how to prepare mackerel in four different ways; fillet, butterfly, whole and head off. Note that mackerel has a pronounced bloodline running along the underside of the spine. Be sure to remove this before cooking as it can affect the taste of the fish.
Photo credit: (2022) Denis Agati via Unsplash
COOKING ADVICE
Cooking Mackerel
If you’d like to branch out from the usual barbeque or pan fried mackerel, then ceviche is a great option. This recipe is for a lovely light dish, perfect for a hot summer's day.
(serves two)
lime
lemon
apple
tomato
courgette
spring onion
parsley
fresh mackerel
olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper
Finely dice the apple and courgette and finely chop the tomato, spring onion and parsley. Combine into a bowl and set aside.
Juice the lemon and lime.
Fillet and pinbone the mackerel. You can also skin the mackerel, but this can be quite difficult, so most people usually leave it on as it is perfectly edible. Finely dice the mackerel into 1-2cm cubes, and set aside in a separate bowl.
Add the citrus juice to the diced mackerel and season with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and mix well. Set aside in the fridge for 10 minutes.
Combine the chopped vegetables, fruit and herbs with the mackerel, mix well and serve.
Photo credit: (2022) Denis Agati via Unsplash
