Spanish cuisine · Fish & Seafood

Mackerel Escabeche

Mackerel fillets pickled in a marinade of wine vinegar, carrots, garlic and thyme, eaten cold on bread.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 8 mackerel fillets
• 3 carrots
• 1 onion
• 8 cloves of garlic
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 150 ml wine vinegar
• 200 ml olive oil
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Pat the mackerel fillets dry, check for bones, season lightly with salt and chill for 15 min. so the flesh firms up.
2. Peel the carrots and cut into thin slices, shave the onion into rings and lightly flatten the unpeeled garlic cloves.
3. Heat 4 tbsp of the olive oil in a pan and fry the fillets skin-side down for 2 min., then turn briefly and lay them in a shallow dish.
4. In the remaining olive oil, sweat the carrots, onion and garlic over medium heat for 8–10 min. until the carrots are tender-crisp and the garlic is fragrant.
5. Add the thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns, deglaze with the wine vinegar and 100 ml water, simmer uncovered for 6–8 min. and pour the broth still hot over the fillets.
6. Let cool covered and rest overnight, then serve lukewarm or cold with the vegetables from the broth and crusty bread.