Baked mackerel with aromatic herbs: a dream second course

Baked mackerel is good and quick to prepare, an excellent idea for healthy eating without sacrificing taste.

Baked mackerel is an inexpensive, but also appetizing and appetizing dish. The protagonist of this wonderful course is one of the most typical of the blue fish of our seas, also known as the mackerel. Its high quality/price ratio and its versatility in the kitchen make it one of the most interesting purchases to make in a fishmonger's shop. It can be cooked in many ways, and this recipe allows you to appreciate it in all its tasty flavour.

We decided to combine its meat with aromatic herbs, garlic, cherry tomatoes and lemon. Our choice fell on parsley, rosemary, thyme and basil, but if you like it you can also add marjoram, chives or other fantastic herbs. Let's start with the preparation right away!

How to cook mackerel in the oven

1. First of all, let's see how to clean mackerel, a very simple operation since it is a fish without scales. Cut off the side fins, keeping the head and tail instead. This is because we don't want to get fillets, but simply clean the fish keeping it whole .
2. At this point, make a cut on the abdomen that goes from the tail to the head and remove all the innards with your hands. Finally, rinse the fish thoroughly under running water.
3. Once the fish has been cleaned, wash the cherry tomatoes and the aromatic herbs , then take the garlic clove and remove the peel and the inner core, which would make it difficult to digest.
4. Chop the herbs with the garlic so as to create a tasty aromatic mixture with which to stuff the fish and which will serve to weaken the strong flavor of this type of fish. Also add salt and a little pepper and soften everything with olive oil.
5. Once this phase is complete, take a sharp knife and cut the surface of the mackerel by making cuts on the side of the fish and stuff them with the chopped herbs and then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
6. Arrange the cherry tomatoes next to them and season with salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil. Once done, cook for 20-25 minutes at a temperature of 180°C .
7. Serve the mackerel accompanied by slices of lemon . Enjoy your meal!

And if you're looking for a side dish for this recipe, we recommend serving it with magnificent thinly sliced ​​baked potatoes .

Mackerel, recipes for all tastes: the variations

Not only in the oven: mackerel lends itself to different types of preparations. There are many recipes for cooking mackerel : you can also prepare it in foil or if instead, especially in the summer, you want to avoid accessing the oven, you can enjoy it after having cooked it in a stew pan or on the grill. Alternatively you can also try the mackerel in oil .

Read also

Pan-fried mackerel with tomato, zucchini and onion: for those who love fish!

How to store mackerel in the oven

It is advisable to keep the mackerel in the refrigerator for a maximum of 1 day , making sure to store it in an airtight container or alternatively to cover it with plastic wrap.