April 20: Holy Mackerel!

Thanks to our lovely friend Chad, Paul and I were given some delicious fresh mackerel. As you can see from below, Chad caught an AWESOME 12 lbs. mackerel and was kind enough to share it with us.

P.S. Paul named this post.

Yay, Chad!!! Looks tasty.

We decided to grill the mackerel and serve it with a mango/avocado mixture on top. I started peeling the mangoes and slicing them up. I'm still trying to master mangoes -- making sure I get as much fruit off the pit as I can.

I think I have figured out how to handle slippery mangoes. Cut off the bottom first, so you can balance it. I feel good knowing all 10 fingers will remain intact.

We cut up two mangoes, two avocados, and added some diced red onion and lime juice. I also added a little salt as well -- I think that tends to bring out some of the flavors.

Pre-mixing.

I was secretly hoping for some cilantro hidden in the fridge, but alas -- no luck. I mixed everything together and let the mango/avocado mixture marinate, while we cooked up the mackerel.

Yum. This combo also goes well with tortilla chips. Just make sure you leave some to serve with your actual meal (something that happens to us a lot when making guacamole).

We had never cooked mackerel before, but figured it would cook much like a tuna steak. Paul seasoned the fish with salt and pepper and put them on the grill.

This is probably the freshest fish I've ever cooked.

He flipped them once, cooking for about 12-15 minutes. Paul cooked them on medium heat (on our gas grill).



Here's the final product, topped with some of the avocado/mango mixture.

The creaminess of the avocado and mango mixture really went well with the fish.

The fish was REALLY fresh and delicious. Paul did a great job cooking them -- the meat was firm, but not dried out. The avocado/mango mixture added brightness and citrus. We ate the fish with a simple green salad. 

We had a little of the avocado mixture left, and decided to use it as a topper for burgers the next day. Paul also added a little Gruyere cheese to his, alongside the sweet potato fries roasted in the oven. We cut the sweet potatoes thinly, more like fries (versus wedges, which is what we did last time), and they turned out crispier.