At a Loose End, Recipe, Mackerel With Mustard Sauce

A couple of years ago my brother took early retirement and after he finished doing all the jobs around the house he had always meant to do, if he ever found the time. He started on the garden; his wife however wasn’t best pleased, since she considered the garden to be her domain. Nevertheless she put up with it, she also accepted that he would help with the shopping, but what she wasn’t prepared to allow was any interference in the running of the household.

So she came up with a cunning plan to get him out of her hair, she bought him a fishing rod, all the equipment to go with it and suggested that he join a fishing club, which as far as I am aware he did. Although I never did hear how he got on with the fishing club, I did hear how he got on when he went on a sea fishing trip off the Northeast coast. It was amazing and to someone as new to fishing as my brother was, it must have seemed a fisherman’s dream come true. In one short trip alone he caught one hundred and seventeen mackerel, all by hand, no nets involved.

He gutted and cleaned the lot, gave a quite a few of them away to friends and family tried various recipes and even bought a smoker so that he smoke some of them. The rest he put in the deep freeze for future consumption and since he did another couple of trips I assume his deep freeze is still well stocked with mackerel as well as other fruits of the sea.

Mackerel is a health, fairly oily fish; full of omega 3, which is good for you and English mustard has the bite needed to make an excellent contrast with this rich fish. So why not try the recipe below I think you will enjoy it.

Fred Watson April 2008

Mackerel with mustard Sauce.

4 fresh mackerel

Salt and ground black pepper

1 ½ oz of butter

2 oz of finely chopped onion

½ oz of butter

½ oz of flour

I large teaspoon of ready made English mustard

A pinch of sugar

½ pint of water

4 tablespoons of milk

1 oz of grated cheese

To bone the mackerel yourself: gut and clean, remove the head, tail, fins and any tiny spines, cut open to the backbone from belly to tail.

Open out slightly and place on a board with skin side up,

Bang along the backbone until fish is flat. Turn over and you will find that the backbone just pulls out, remove any long bones remaining. Wash fish and pat dry.

Lay fish in a large flat dish, season with salt and pepper, cover with foil and bake in a moderate oven, Gas 6, 400ºF, 200ºC, for 15 minutes.

While it is in the oven melt butter in a small pan and cook onions until they are tender, put to one side.

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Now make the sauce using another pan, melt butter, remove pan from heat and beat in the flour and mustard, add sugar and blend in water.

Return to the heat and bring to the boil, simmer for five minutes stirring often. Remove pan from heat and add milk and half of the cheese.

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Take the dish out of the oven, scatter cooked onions over the top and pour sauce over. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and brown under a hot grill