Braised Mackerel

Something new!  I’ve never had mackerel before so this is pretty exciting for me :) Fish is one of those things I only cook in one way, baking.  It’s usually pretty expensive so I don’t want to screw it up! and I can control the internal temperature and seasonings fairly well while baking.  I love fish in soups but since it’s pricey, it almost feels like waste, it’s like taking a beef tenderloin and pot roasting it! Ugh….I shutter to think…But to further educate myself, I should try this braising technique on fish, and it’s mackerel, I got 3 whole ones for under $9, so I won’t feel completely terrible if it turns out bad.  

Not only have I not cooked with mackerel, I’ve never purchased a whole fish before.  So cleaning and gutting it should be interesting.  Here goes…

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+3 Mackerels
+½ cup soy sauce
+2 T sugar
+¼ cup hot pepper flakes
+1/3 cup garlic, minced
+1 T ginger, minced 
+Korean radish cut into 2x2x1" pieces (I used the daikon from my homemade kimchi) 
+1 onion sliced
+3 green onions cut into 1" pieces
+7 red chilies (I used dried) 
–recipe compliments of maangchi.com 

1.  Prep fish by removing head, tail, fins and cuts.  Cut the fish across into 2" pieces, rinse with cold water and set aside.

2.  Combine soy sauce, sugar, hot pepper flakes, garlic and ginger in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.  

3.  Place the daikon at the bottom of a pan, spreading evenly.  Then layer the onion evenly, and top with the mackerel.

4.  Pour the soy sauce mixture on top of the mackerel along with 1 cup of water.  Close lid and boil over high heat for 20 minutes.

5.  Make a well in the center of the pot for the broth to gather and baste the fish several times.  

6.  Add the green onion and the chilies.

7.  Reduce to a simmer, close lid and cook 30-40 minutes, or until the daikon is cooked thoroughly and has absorbed most of the broth.  

8.  Repeat step five and baste repeatedly.  Serve with rice and kimchi.  

How it turned out:

Hands down my favorite Korean dish thus far.  I’m lovin’ this one pot cooking thing! So easy, flavorful, and the aroma will perfume your house :) I was really worried about all the bones, so when I first cut up the fish, I tried to filet it and get all the bones out, but there were WAY too many and if I cut around them I’d be wasting most of the meat.  So I just said screw it and sliced it up the recommended way.  And there’s a reason why it’s like that.  The flesh just peeled right off the bones without hassle! And the bones stayed connected to the spine of the fish so there weren’t any runaway bones.  It was awesome.  I will definitely make this again!  Maybe even try it with other types of fish, or maybe but a cut of fish without the bones :) 

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  1. xkitchenchronicles-blog posted this