Lunch's main course this day was mackerel, a bluefish perfect for a light meal. My sister in law met up with the fishmonger and he recommended making it into a cold dish. Easy and tasty. We accompanied it with sautéed green pepper strips, eggplant, and cherry tomatoes, and a salad. Ended with bread and cheese. Fantastic.
Whole mackerel here are tiny fish, about 6-8" long, and our fishmonger cleans them. Of course they shouldn't smell at all or be slimy. Mackerel have skin and no scales so are perfect for quick cooking.
Lay the fishes in a pan and barely cover with water. Add a teaspoon of salt, a little dried or fresh mint, a few fennel seeds, and bring to a soft boil. Reduce and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the fish, let cool a bit, and gently split into filets and remove bones. Place fillets on serving platter.
Salmariglio is the standarddressing for Italian meats and fish. Chop a large bunch of fresh parsley, add to this the juice of a lemon, a little zest as well, about 1/4 c of olive oil, a teaspoon salt and a couple cloves of crushed garlic. Mix well and gently dress fish. Let sit while you prepare your side dishes and serve room temp. Decorate with a few sliced cherry tomatoes.
This made for the perfect meal to eat with the balcony doors open wide and the breeze keeping us cool, and a little naturally effervescent water from the tap, bubbly thanks to our local volcano. Perfect.
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