Mackerel in Olive Oil

An effortless and flavorful way to prepare mackerel is to poach it in extra-virgin olive oil and aromatics. It makes cooking fish at home easy — no fuss, no muss. My favorite part is that there’s no mixing involved in the pan.

The inspiration for this dish comes from Spanish Sardines or Spanish-style Sardines, the ones sold in tin cans or glass jars.  It’s a pantry staple we constantly have at home. They are tasty, shelf-stable, and an excellent source of protein as well as omega-3 fatty acids. Making a homemade version does not require a lot of work and won't make the kitchen smell fishy. 

Jump to:

• Why you’ll love this recipe
• What you’ll need
• Ingredient notes and substitutions
• How to make this recipe
• Frequently asked questions and tips
• The key takeaway
• Watch how I make it here
• You may like these too
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why you’ll love this recipe

• These tender fillets of mackerel are delicious, healthy, and effortlessly prepared.
• It won't make your kitchen smell like you've just cooked fish.
• The dish is also gluten-free, it that matters to you.

What you’ll need

Ingredient notes and substitutions

• Mackerel: It is also labeled as Atlantic, Norwegian, Boston, or North Atlantic Mackerel. You can easily spot them in the supermarket by their distinctive wavy lines that run on their backs. Buy fillets of mackerel, or you can fillet them yourself at home. 
• Sweet pickles or gherkins: These are cucumbers pickled in sweet brine. Gherkins are a smaller variety of cucumbers with bumpier skin.
• Olives: I used green olives, but you can use any kind and preferably pitted.
• Extra-virgin olive oil: Aside from its health benefits, I specifically used extra-virgin olive oil for its flavor. The oil's rich flavor penetrates the fish and makes it delicious as the oil becomes the sauce in the dish. You can also use regular olive oil if that's what you have available.
• Vinegar: To get the fishy taste out of mackerel, use white distilled vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or cane vinegar.
• Bird's eye chilies: If not available, you can use ¼ teaspoon (or more) of red pepper flakes instead.

How to make this recipe

Prepare the Ingredients: (1)Cut each mackerel fillet into three pieces.

(2)Peel and slice the carrots diagonally into ½-inch thick pieces.

(3)Cut the sweet pickles or gherkins in half if they’re too big for one bite. (4)Do the same for the shallots.

(5)Smash the garlic and remove the peel. (6)Get the olives, bay leaves, and chilies ready.

(7)Peel a small knob of ginger, then grate or mince.

(8)Make the sauce by combining ¼ cup of water, vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, fish sauce, paprika, salt, sugar, and ginger in a cup or bowl. 

Cook: (9)In a sauté pan, arrange the fish preferably in a single layer. (10)Add the carrots, sweet pickles, olives, shallots, garlic, bay leaves, and chilies. There won’t be any mixing involved, so make sure you lay them out evenly. 

(11)Pour the prepared sauce. (12)Add ground pepper to taste. Set to medium heat, cover, and let it simmer for about 30 minutes until the carrots are tender.

Taste the sauce and adjust — you may need to add more sugar, salt, or ground pepper. If it's too watery, cook for a few more minutes uncovered to let some of the water evaporate.

Serve: If you are like me (and a million other Filipinos), I will enjoy this over a bowl of hot steaming rice. You can also serve it with pasta, potatoes, or use in sandwiches. As an option, you can add a squeeze of lemon.

Frequently asked questions and tips

The key takeaway

This recipe is hard to mess up; just remember to use good quality fresh or frozen fish.

Watch how I make it here

You may like these too

📖 Recipe