Mackerel VERA CRUZ Stile
- 30m Prep Time
- 30m Cook Time
- 1h 0mReady In
Mackerel fillets are seared and served with a tangy tomato sauce enriched with olives, capers, and mezcal. This Latin-inspired dish is flavorful and elegant.
Ingredients
- 4 mackerel fish fillets
- Flake sea salt
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 white onion diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 3 clove garlic very thinly sliced
- 1 lb plum tomatoes peeled, seeded, and diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 oz mezcal
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 cup Spanish green olives pitted and sliced
- 1 tsp olive brine
- 1 tbsp capers
- capers brine
- Sea salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- Avocado oil spray
- Fresh cilantro sprigs
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp Jerk Seasoning
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 14 lbs nitrate-free, natural uncured smoked bacon diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 lbs large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 shallot peeled and minced
- 1 clove garlic peeled and minced
- shishito peppers stems removed and sliced ¼ inch thick
- 1/4 cup green onions thinly sliced
- chicken broth
- 1/4 tsp arrowroot starch
- 1 lemon juiced
- Additional sea salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- Creamed Yucca
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 19 of 37 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 794 mg
- Iron: 20.4 mg
- Magnesium: 494 mg
- Phosphorus: 5156 mg
- Potassium: 7875 mg
- Zinc: 41.3 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- 4 mackerel fish fillets
- Flake sea salt
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 1/2 oz mezcal
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp olive brine
- 1 tbsp capers
- capers brine
- Sea salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- Avocado oil spray
- Fresh cilantro sprigs
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp Jerk Seasoning
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- chicken broth
- 1/4 tsp arrowroot starch
- Additional sea salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- Creamed Yucca
Prepare
- 1 white onion, diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 3 clove garlic, very thinly sliced
- 1 lb plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup Spanish green olives, pitted and sliced
- 14 lbs nitrate-free, natural uncured smoked bacon, diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 shallot, peeled and minced
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- shishito peppers, stems removed and sliced ¼ inch thick
- 1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
- Juice 1 lemon
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Using a sharp paring knife, make 3 or 4 shallow slits through the skin on each mackerel fillet, being careful not to cut into the flesh. Pat the fillets dry and sprinkle both sides with flake sea salt. Place the fish on a small rack over a plate (or just on a plate) and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the salt to slightly cure the exterior.
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Step 2.
While the fish cures, make the Vera Cruz sauce: Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons coconut oil and the diced onion, and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the thinly sliced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
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Step 3.
Add the diced tomatoes to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the mezcal to deglaze the pan (be careful—it may flame up). Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the raw alcohol smell dissipates.
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Step 4.
Add the bay leaf, dried Mexican oregano, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and cumin to the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened and most of the tomato liquid has cooked out. Stir in the sliced olives, capers, and brine, and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove from heat, season with sea salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.
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Step 5.
Heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Spray lightly with avocado oil to grease the pan. Remove the fish from the refrigerator and pat off any excess moisture and salt. Place the fillets skin side down in the hot pan and sear for 2 minutes. Use the back of a spoon to gently lift the skin to ensure it isn't stuck, then rotate the fillets 45 degrees and cook for another 2 minutes on the skin side to create crisscross grill marks.
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Step 6.
Flip the fillets onto the flesh side using a spoon in one motion. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the fish is just cooked through (mackerel is best medium, with a slightly undercooked center). Remove from the pan.
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Step 7.
To serve, stack two fillets on each plate off to one side. Spoon the Vera Cruz sauce in a crescent shape along the opposite edge of the plate. Garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs.