Wild macro fish how to#
Wild macro fish skin#
Wild macro fish full#

Once your knife hits bone, level it out and cut parallel towards the tail. Place your knife behind the pectoral fin (that’s the fin closest to the head) and angle your knife at a 45-degree angle towards the back of the fish. Lay the fish on the table so it’s parallel to the edge.

As long as you have a sharp filleting knife and follow these instructions, your fish will be ready in no time. Luckily, mackerel is one of the easiest fish to prepare, even for novices.

Wild macro fish how to#

How to Filet Mackerel for Smokingįileting a mackerel makes it easier to smoke as it creates an even surface for the fish to cook. From preparing the dry brine to getting the best wood, discover how to smoke mackerel today. Mackerel is easily one of the best fish to smoke, and this simple recipe is proof of just why. You can season the fillets with black pepper and mustard, or just leave them alone! The fish oil does wonders at locking in moisture and natural smokey flavors from your grill’s coals, and is a cut above any store-bought mackerel. In our simple recipe, we prepare the fish in a dry brine consisting of just salt, before smoking each mackerel fillet for a couple of hours over low heat. Best of all, it couldn’t be easier to do at home!

Wild macro fish full#

Unlike white fish like haddock or smoked tilapia, it’s an oily fish that is packed full of moisture and flavor. Smoked mackerel is unlike any other type of fish.

How to Brine Mackerel Filets for Smoking.

Use either fish, or any super fresh fish, for this recipe, but if you’re from the camp that thinks the only good thing to do with bluefish or mackerel is smoking it and making dip, this might change your mind.

Wild macro fish skin#

But if forced, I’d say the mackerel outshines the blue by just a bit, only because I like the slight textural difference that the skin adds. Anything we don't eat fresh gets smoked or canned within two days.īetween the bluefish and the mackerel, I’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite. Fish caught that day is best, but we have had luck with fish up to 24 hours old when the fish is left whole and packed on ice. This recipe is best done with super fresh fish. While there is nothing wrong with this, (mackerel and bluefish ceviche is very tasty) the sashimi preparation really allows the subtle textural qualities of these fish to shine. Too much acid and the sauce will start to denature the proteins, which will change the texture to more of a ceviche instead of a sashimi or crudo. We make changes to this recipe depending on what we have on hand when we are preparing this dish away from home, but the key is to find the right balance of savory and acidic elements. This recipe is super simple: mix the ingredients for the sauce and pour over the fresh fish. Keep the fish as cold as you can and you’ll be rewarded with some of the best tasting fish there is. Either of these fish kept on scant ice or worse, no ice, will get mushy and start tasting fishy in no time. I cut the gills and pack each bluefish and mackerel on as much ice as I can as we catch them- this helps the fish stay firm and keeps them in their best condition. And despite the fact that it’s fairly uncommon for people to eat either of these fish raw in this region, we have found that if properly bled and cooled, you’d be hard pressed to find a better fish for sashimi-style preparations. It has become one of our preferred ways to enjoy bluefish and mackerel.īoth bluefish and mackerel often have a bad rep as table fare, but this is mostly due to poor handling. We ate that raw while we cooked cobia steaks on the grill. That evening, I sliced up a bunch of bluefish and mackerel and dressed them with a simple mixture of soy, ginger, and lemon juice.

We try not to take more mackerel and bluefish than we plan on eating fresh, unless we have plans to smoke or pressure can some because neither of those oily fish freeze well raw. After a little bit of probing, we had more than enough for all of us to eat fresh fish for a couple of days, as well as put dozens of pounds of cobia steaks in the freezer. On a recent trip out for cobia, we put two large cobia on ice within 2 hours of launching the boat, then we switched the rods out to troll for spanish mackerel and bluefish. It’s all about knowing when and where, and Rachel and I are lucky to know some people that have a pulse on the Bay.

We have so much water to fish, and there is a vast variety of species to pursue. My friends and I are spoiled when it comes to fishing.