Grilled Mackerel with Romesco Sauce

This bright and vibrant Grilled Mackerel with Romesco Sauce recipe has all of the signature flavors and visuals of a classic Mediterranean Seafood dish. Imagine yourself parked up at a little Tapas bar somewhere in the Mediterranean sipping some Wine and enjoying a few light plates of delicious food. That’s exactly what this dish is all about. It’s a very simple dish to prepare, and showcases the amazing flavor of Mackerel

How to perfectly cook Mackerel every time

Mackerel is such a delicious fish to eat. The good news is that it’s one of the simplest fish to cook too. Mackerel is one of the oiliest fish you can get, even more so than Salmon. It benefits from a light cook so that the Oils are still juicy when the Fish is eaten. You want to just barely cook the Mackerel, only a few minutes of heat is required

For everyday home cooking of Mackerel, we recommend cooking it under your Broiler / Grill / Salamander. Set the Broiler to its highest setting and while it’s heating up you can prepare the fish. Simply pat it dry and lay the Mackerel filets out on a lined sheet pan. Season it generously on both sides with Salt and a little Olive Oil and it’s ready for grilling

Like most fish dishes, the cooking will need to be done 90% on one side. We like to start the Mackerel by cooking it on the flesh side first. Place the fish skin-side down on the sheet pan and place it under the broiler for 30 seconds. Just enough time to get a little color on the flesh

Take the fish out, flip it over then finish it off on the skin side. Now, Mackerel is not one of those fishes that you’re going to get crispy skin. Instead, it will lightly scorch and (may) lightly caramelize. So, you don’t want to leave the fish under the Broiler for too long. Most Mackerel fillets will cook in about 2 – 3 minutes. Just keep your eyes on them and once the skin starts to bubble up a bit, it’s done

Another fun way to cook Mackerel that may not be for everyone

If you want to get a little bit adventurous, try blow torch cooking the filets of Mackerel. This isn’t for everyone, as I imagine a lot of home kitchens don’t have a blow torch ready for cooking! If you do, then why not give it a try! Simply run the torch up and down the skin until it lightly chars. Flip it over and give it a little torching on the flesh side and it’s done

If you are using this method we recommend doing so in an open area with lots of ventilation and no obvious hazards nearby. Using a blow torch can be fun, but its not the most practical way of cooking. We recommend sticking with the Broiler for a simple and delicious method to make this Grilled Mackerel with Romesco Sauce recipe

Prepare your Romesco Sauce in advance

Any time you can make an element of a dish in advance I always advocate for it. It not only makes the cooking a lot simpler, but you can ensure that all elements of the final dish are going to be piping hot and perfectly ready for eating when it’s dinnertime. Romesco Sauce is a fantastic sauce to make in advance, as its taste and texture will remain the same once re-heated, even up to 2 – 3 days after it has been prepared

The primary ingredients in a Romesco Sauce are Grilled Bell Peppers and Onions, which are blitzed along with some crushed Tomatoes and Almonds. Yep, Almonds! It may seem like a weird addition to a Sauce, but lightly roasted Almonds are blitzed up along with the other veggies, adding body and flavor to this famous sauce

Use Unsalted Almonds when making Romesco Sauce

We always recommend avoiding any kind of Salted Almonds when making Romesco Sauce. This goes for any ingredient in cooking really. You want to be able to control the Salt levels by adding your own Salt to the dish. Using heavily salted ingredients like Salted Almonds make it very difficult to control how much seasoning is going into the dish

For the best result when making your Romesco Sauce, use either Roasted and Unsalted Almonds, or simply get your hands on some Raw Almonds and roast them yourself before adding them to the Sauce. Roasting Almonds is easy enough to do. Just scatter them out on a sheet pan and roast them in the oven at around 375F for 10 minutes or so. Let them cool before adding them to the Blender along with the other ingredients

Sourcing the best Mackerel

Depending on where you live, getting access to some good quality Mackerel may vary. The time of the year also weighs a factor, as local fish can be seasonal in their availability. Regardless, Mackerel is a very common fish worldwide, so the chances of you finding some at your local market or fish monger are relatively high

There will likely be different types of Mackerel available depending on where you are in the world. You can also get Mackerel that are massive! As this recipe is an appetizer, I would advise against using the huge ones, just get a decent sized Mackerel that’s going to easily fit on a plate or bowl

Many times, the fish may only be available whole. If you want to avoid the effort (and mess!) involved in filleting the fish yourself, simply as the fish monger to do it for you. You’ll have to pay for the whole fish, but it’s usually a cheap option and it will save you the hassle

The Mackerel fillets are likely going to have some bones in them. You can either keep them in the fish when cooking (which is totally fine) and watch out for them when eating. Otherwise, using some tweezers you can remove the bones that run alongside the middle of the filets before cooking

The best way to enjoy this wonderful Grilled Mackerel with Romesco Sauce dish

I’m not here to tell you when and where you can eat this recipe. Any time you’ve got a hankering for some beautiful Mediterranean flavors then this should be your go-to dish. It is the kind of dish that screams summer, but can be enjoyed all year round

My only recommendation: make sure you’ve got a nice glass of ice cold White Wine to pair with the dish. A nice Chardonnay or Riesling is going to taste so good with this dish, especially when sitting outside in the sunshine with family and friends!

Grilled Mackerel with Romesco Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 Filets of Mackerel
• ½ tbsp. Olive Oil
• Salt
  
  

Romesco Sauce Ingredients

• 1 Large Red Bell Pepper
• 2 Brown Onions, peeled and quartered
• 8 oz. Canned Tomatoes
• ½ cup Roasted Almonds (unsalted)
• 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 tsp. Salt
  
  

Equipment Needed: Blender or Food Processor

Instructions

1. Line a large baking sheet with foil and place the Bell Pepper and prepared Onions on it. Season with half the Olive Oil and Salt then roast for 45 minutes at 400F (turning halfway through) until charred
2. Remove from oven and allow to cool before removing the skin / seeds / core from the Pepper. Place Red Pepper into the blender along with the Onions, Canned Tomatoes, Almonds, and remaining Olive Oil
3. Blitz until smooth and then set aside until ready to serve. Simply reheat in a Saucepan before serving
4. Pat the Mackerel dry with a paper towel and season well on either side with Salt and place skin-side down on a sheet pan
5. Turn your Broiler to its highest setting and once hot, place the Mackerel directly under the heat. Cook the skin for 30 seconds then remove from heat. Flip over to expose the skin and place back under the Broiler
6. Cook for 2 minutes until the skin begins to lightly scorch / bubble. Remove from heat and serve on top of a bowl of the Romesco
   
   

Recipe Notes

• You can prepare the Romesco Sauce in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Simply re-heat it right before serving
• Finish the plate by drizzling a little bit more Olive Oil over the Mackerel along with a sprinkling of finishing Salt. Lemon Wedges are also great to serve on the side
  
  

For bright and bold flavors of the Mediterranean this Grilled Mackerel with Romesco Sauce dish hits the spot. The richness of the Romesco Sauce pairs perfectly with the beautiful oily Mackerel, making for a harmonious and delicious plate of food

If you enjoy this recipe then we also recommend you try these amazing dishes of ours:

• Easy Steak Tartare
• Salt and Pepper Squid
• Kingfish Crudo with Jalapenos
• Corn Ribs
  
  

Happy Cooking!