Masala Fried Mackerel
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats.
Whole mackerel is scored to the bone, rubbed with a ginger-garlic, chilli and turmeric marinade, and fried hot and fast until the skin crisps and the flesh turns deep gold. A short marinating time and a quick fry keep the fish's own flavour forward rather than masking it under a long-cooked curry.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Score the fish. Using a paring knife, cut 2-3 diagonal slits down to the bone on both sides of each gutted mackerel.
- 2
Mix the marinade. Stir the ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric, lime juice and salt together in a small bowl to a thick paste.
- 3
Marinate the fish. Rub the marinade all over both fish, pushing it into the slits with your fingers. Leave to marinate at room temperature for 8-10 minutes.
- 4
Fry. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat until it shimmers, about 180 °C. Slide in the mackerel and fry for about 4 minutes on each side, until deep golden brown and cooked through - the flesh should be opaque and flake easily from the bone, 63 °C at the thickest point. Turn the fish gently with a fish spatula so the skin doesn't tear.
- 5
Serve. Serve hot, with the lime wedges alongside for squeezing over.
Storage
Best eaten hot, straight from the pan. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and eat within 1-2 days, reheating gently until piping hot. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Why this label?
25 g protein for 336 kcal = 7.4 g per 100 kcal, so protein gives about 30% of the energy. High Protein needs at least 20% (5 g per 100 kcal), the condition in the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
EU nutrition claims
- Sugar-free: 0.2 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 0.5 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 253 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
0 g per serving
0 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 0 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- paring knife
- small bowl
- frying pan
- fish spatula or tongs
- citrus squeezer
- instant-read thermometer
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 336 kcal |
| Protein | 25 g |
| Carbohydrate | 5.7 g |
| of which sugars | 0.6 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 23.5 g |
| of which saturates | 4.7 g |
| Fibre | 1 g |
| Salt | 1.75 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
7.4 g meets High Protein (≥ 5 g, 20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
