LEWIS SPADA, the manager at Fish Tales in Brooklyn, was momentarily flummoxed when I asked for Boston mackerel. Of all the fish that made it onto our ''guilt-free'' list, it is one of the least popular. ''It's not something we get a lot of requests for or even really any requests for,'' Mr. Spada said, adding that most people are turned off by the fish's full-flavored, dark and oily meat. But that's the happy secret of mackerel.
While its flesh is red and unctuous when raw, once cooked -- say, covered in lemon-infused olive oil and broiled -- it turns white, flaky and no more forbidding than a broiled trout's. In fact, the rainbow trout I had sautéed the day before -- stuffed with sautéed spinach, pine nuts, raisins and dill -- was actually more intensely hued and robust, if no less delicious, than its misunderstood scaly companion. Also on the healthful, eco-friendly menu were Alaskan halibut fillets that I pan-seared with caramelized spring onions and finished with balsamic vinegar and thyme. At the other end of the intensity spectrum, I roasted silver-skinned, brown-fleshed sardines after bathing them in an equally assertive mixture of olive oil and smoked Spanish paprika.
At the end of the week I realized that less popular fish were not any less versatile than the usual tuna-salmon-shrimp roster, and in fact could all be cooked pretty much interchangeably. Use your favorite recipes, substituting fillets for fillets and whole fish for whole fish, and adjust the cooking time (denser, thicker pieces need longer). With these recipes, you can swap fillets like mahi-mahi or Pacific wild salmon for the halibut, or, as Mr. Spada suggested, black sea bass for the mackerel. But not me. At $3.99, or even less, for a pound of its tasty flesh, mackerel is on my menu for good.
Broiled Boston Mackerelwith Spring Herb Salad and Sugar Snap Peas
Time: 30 minutes
For the mackerel:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Grated zest of 1 lemon
4 1-pound Boston mackerel or black sea bass fillets, rinsed and patted dry
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the herb salad:
1 1/2 packed cups fresh mixed herbs, such as parsley, basil, mint, celery leaves, lovage and tarragon
6 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed and thinly sliced lengthwise
5 small radishes, thinly sliced
3 scallions, white and green parts, trimmed and thinly sliced lengthwise
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Coarse sea salt or kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1. To make mackerel: preheat broiler. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and lemon zest.
2. Place mackerel skin-side down on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper; spoon lemon oil over tops. Broil mackerel until white and flaky, about 4 minutes.
3. To make salad: in a bowl combine herbs (tear large leaves into smaller pieces), peas, radishes and scallions. Add oil and lemon juice; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Place one fish fillet on each of four plates. Arrange herb salad on top of fillets and serve.
Yield: 4 servings
Roasted Sardines With Smoked Paprika Oil and Aioli Potatoes
Time: 40 minutes
Kosher salt
4 Yukon Gold potatoes
1 large garlic clove, peeled
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons canola oil
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons smoked hot paprika
8 2-ounce fresh sardines, gutted, rinsed and patted dry
1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make aioli: Using a knife or mortar and pestle, mince and mash garlic clove to a paste with a pinch of salt. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and lemon juice. Combine 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil and the canola oil in a measuring cup with a spout. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle oil into egg mixture until oil has been incorporated. Whisk in the garlic paste and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Whisk together 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil and paprika. Place sardines on a baking sheet and season inside and out with salt and pepper. With a pastry brush or spoon, coat fish with paprika oil. Roast sardines until they are just cooked through, about 7 minutes.
4. To serve, place 2 sardines on each of four plates. Drain potatoes, slice into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and divide among plates. Spoon aioli over potatoes. Drizzle fish with remaining paprika oil.
Yield: 4 servings
Rainbow Trout Stuffed with Spinach, Pine Nuts and Dill
Time: 30 minutes
4 8-ounce rainbow trout, filleted, butterflied, rinsed and patted dry
Kosher salt or coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 garlic clove, minced
10 ounces spinach, cleaned
1/4 cup golden raisins, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1. Season each fish inside and out with salt and pepper. In a large pan over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add pine nuts and garlic, and sauté until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add spinach and let wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the raisins and dill, and cook 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Divide spinach mixture into quarters and stuff each fillet with filling. Secure fish with metal skewers or tie with kitchen string.
3. Return pan to medium heat and warm oil until sizzling. Cook fish until skin is golden and fish opaque, about 5 minutes for first side and 3 minutes for second side. Remove skewer or string before serving.
Yield: 4 servings
Pan-Fried Pacific Halibutwith Balsamic-Glazed Spring Onions and Thyme
Time: 30 minutes
4 Pacific halibut fillets (about 7 ounces each), rinsed and patted dry
Freshly ground black pepper
3 bunches spring onions
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 sprigs fresh thyme, plus leaves for garnish
Kosher salt or coarse sea salt
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, more for serving
Fresh chopped chives for garnish
1. Season fish with black pepper. Trim spring onions, leaving root end intact; remove outer layer. Cut onions into quarters.
2. In a very large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add onions and thyme and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until almost tender, about 3 minutes.
3. Uncover pan and continue to cook until onions caramelize, about 3 minutes more. Add 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar to pan, let cook for 10 seconds, then immediately transfer onions to a bowl.
4. Heat remaining oil in pan until very hot. Lower heat to medium-low, add fish skin-side down, and cook until just opaque, about 4 minutes a side. Add remaining balsamic vinegar and remove from heat.
5. Transfer fish to four serving plates and top each fillet with some onion mixture. Drizzle with additional vinegar and sprinkle with sea salt. Garnish with thyme leaves and chives.
Yield: 4 servings.
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