Cookbook:Mackerel
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Category | Seafood |
Cookbook | Recipes | Ingredients | Equipment | Techniques | Cookbook Disambiguation Pages | Ingredients Category:Ingredients#Mackerel | Seafood
Mackerels are a broad group of fish found worldwide.
Characteristics
Generally speaking, mackerels are small fish,[1][2] though size varies according to variety and age. The fish are long and slender, with a shape somewhat akin to that of tuna.[3] The flesh is firm and fatty,[2][4][5] with a robust flavor on average.[1][3][4] It is very light pink to grey when raw and off-white when cooked.[5]
Varieties
Category:Saltwater fish#MackerelA few varieties of mackerel are common in cooking. Atlantic mackerel can be found in the northern Atlantic Ocean;[3][6] they have silvery-blue skin with vertical stripes along the back,[6][7] and the flesh has a strong and oily flavor.[6][7] Chub mackerel (both Atlantic and Pacific varieties) are fairly similar to Atlantic mackerel. King mackerel is a large, grey to silver variety found in the Western Atlantic,[4][7][8] also with fatty and flavorful flesh.[7] Spanish mackerel is a fairly lean and mild variety, with yellow spots.[3][7]
- Atlantic mackerel
- Pacific chub mackerel
- Spanish mackerel
- King mackerel
Selection and storage
Select and store mackerel according to the general criteria for other fish. Note that mackerel deteriorates rapidly and should be rapidly killed, gutted, and iced to prevent spoilage.[1][2][3] Scombroid food poisoning can occur if the fish spoils.[3]
Use

Mackerel may be used in a variety of ways, from raw to cooked preparations. It may be preserved by salting, curing, and/or pickling.[3] Larger varieties like king mackerel may be cut into steaks for cooking.[4] It does well when broiled, grilled, smoked, or baked.[2][5]
Recipes
References
Category:Saltwater fish#Mackerel- 1 2 3 McGee, Harold (2007-03-20). On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4165-5637-4.
- 1 2 3 4 Farrimond, Stuart (2017-09-19). The Science of Cooking: Every question answered to perfect your cooking. Penguin. ISBN 978-1-4654-7079-9.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 The Culinary Institute of America (CIA); Ainsworth, Mark (2009-02-04). Kitchen Pro Series: Guide to Fish and Seafood Identification, Fabrication and Utilization. Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-1-4354-0036-8.
- 1 2 3 4 Gisslen, Wayne (2015-03-12). Essentials of Professional Cooking, 2nd Edition. Wiley Global Education. ISBN 978-1-119-03072-0.
- 1 2 3 Labensky, Sarah R.; Hause, Alan M.; Martel, Priscilla (2018-01-18). On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals. Pearson. ISBN 978-0-13-444190-0.
- 1 2 3 https://www.mass.gov/info-details/learn-about-atlantic-mackerel.
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(help)Category:CS1 errors: missing titleCategory:CS1 errors: bare URL - 1 2 3 4 5 The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) (2011-09-13). The Professional Chef. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-42135-2.
- ↑ Fisheries, NOAA (2024-09-06). "King Mackerel | NOAA Fisheries". NOAA. Retrieved 2025-02-14.