Spanish Mackerel Sashimi with Lemon, Soy & Ginger

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

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. 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. 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.

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 ate that raw while we cooked cobia steaks on the grill. It has become one of our preferred ways to enjoy bluefish and mackerel.

Both bluefish and mackerel often have a bad rep as table fare, but this is mostly due to poor handling. 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.

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. Either of these fish kept on scant ice or worse, no ice, will get mushy and start tasting fishy in no time. Keep the fish as cold as you can and you’ll be rewarded with some of the best tasting fish there is.

This recipe is super simple: mix the ingredients for the sauce and pour over the fresh fish. 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. 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. 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.

This recipe is best done with super fresh fish. 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. Anything we don't eat fresh gets smoked or canned within two days. 

Between the bluefish and the mackerel, I’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite. 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. 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.

Spanish Mackerel Sashimi with Ginger, Lemon & Soy Recipe

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves: 1-2

Ingredients:

Fresh spanish mackerel or bluefish, whole, packed in ice and (preferably) bled

Sauce:

1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated

3 tbsp lemon juice

¼ cup + 1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp water

1 tsp sesame oil

Garnish:

Lemon zest

Jalapeno

Sesame seeds

Cucumber

Method

Combine all ingredients for the sauce and mix, set aside.

Fillet the mackerel and remove any pin bones. Slice on the bias with a very sharp knife about ¼ - ⅛ inch thick. Spread out on a plate and pour the sauce over the slices. 

Garnish with hot peppers, cucumber, sesame seed and lemon zest. Eat as-is for a super light appetizer, or pair up with sushi rice and nori for a filling lunch or light dinner.