Herb Rubbed Smoked Mackerel
Mackerel happens to be my favorite fish. It is extremely strong in flavor; some may call it fishy. Mackerel is very oily, being high in omega-3 fatty acids. It is highly perishable and should be eaten with 2 days of being caught if buying fresh. You can find a large abundance of good quality frozen mackerel at just about every Asian market. The ones that I purchased came whole, frozen in a pack 3 for $1.99/lb. It was less than $6. That inexpensive. If you don’t know how to clean and fillet whole mackerel, I recommend watching YouTube videos. If you are grossed out, you can find boneless fillets for a few more dollars per lb. The fillets will only require 2 hours of brining time. The brine is just sea salt and a few bay leaves. Pat them dry once you’re finished brining. Let them dry out for another hour. They are then ready to smoke. If you want to add additional flavors to the mackerel, do so now. I seasoned mine with cracked black pepper and a mix of chopped fresh herbs.Since mackerel is very strong in flavor, it can take on stronger flavored woods when smoking. I did a 50/50 mix of pecan and cherrywood. Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. Through in the mackerel. Once the wood chips start smoking, turn the heat down to 215 degrees. Smoke the mackerel for 1 hour. Let cool completely before serving. The smoked mackerel will be good in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Equipment
- Electric Smoker
Ingredients
- 6 mackerel fillets or 3 whole mackerel; cleaned and filleted
- 3 tbsp fresh sage chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh oregano chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
- cracked black pepper
Brine
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup sea salt
- 3 bay leaves
Wood Chips
- 1/2 pecan wood chips
- 1/2 cherrywood chips
Instructions
- Mix the brining ingredients together. Add the mackerel fillets and the brine to a gallon sized storage bag. Brine for 2 hours.
- Place the fillets on a rack. Pat dry with paper towels. Let dry out for an hour before smoking.
- Season the mackerel with cracked black pepper. Mix the chopped herbs together and rub each mackerel fillets with them.
- Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. Throw the mackerel in the smoker. Once the wood chips start smoking, turn the temperature down to 215 degrees.
- Smoke the fillets for 1 hour.
- Let the mackerel completely cool before serving.
