Braised dishes made with mackerel always bring a rich and appealing flavor to family meals. Let’s cook with TasteVN with 2 ways to prepare braised mackerel with pork belly and braised pineapple, both delicious!
1. Braised mackerel with pork belly
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Braised mackerel with pork belly For 2 people
Mackerel 10 fish Fresh chili 1 fruit Spring onion 3 stalks Color water 1 tablespoon Fish sauce 2 tablespoons White wine a little Coarse salt a little Common spices a little (salt/ pepper/ sugar/ seasoning powder)
How to choose good pork belly
- You should choose pieces of meat that are bright pink, have high elasticity, and do not leave a dent when pressed with your hand.
- Fresh meat will be firm, evenly colored, not slimy, and without unpleasant odors.
- Additionally, you should choose meat with a balanced ratio of lean and fat, with a thick outer layer of skin, fat about 1.5 – 2cm thick, and the lean meat firmly attached to the layer of fat, making it tastier when braised.
See details: How to choose good pork belly
How to Cook Mackerel Braised with Pork Belly
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Prepare and Marinate the Mackerel
Buy mackerel and clean the scales, cut off the tail and gills, then rinse with salt water or vinegar and wash again with clean water.
Place the fish in a pan, add 1 crushed chili, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of pepper, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of caramel sauce, mix well and let the fish soak in the spices for 15 minutes.
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Prepare Other Ingredients
Wash the green onions, drain, and chop finely.
Wash the pork belly with a little coarse salt, then rinse with water and let it drain.
Cut the fatty part into small pieces and put them in a pan to render the pork fat. Cut the meaty part into bite-sized pieces and add to the marinated fish pan.
How to Clean Pork Meat Without Odor
- To completely remove the odor from pork, before cooking, briefly dip the meat in boiling water for about 2 minutes, then take it out and rinse with cold water.
- Another useful tip is to add a little white wine to the water used for blanching the pork. The wine effectively eliminates the odor.
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Fish Braising
Place the fish pan on the stove and turn the heat to high; when the water boils, reduce the heat to low, add the rendered pork fat, braise for 15 minutes, then season to taste and turn off the heat, sprinkle chopped green onions on top and serve on a plate.
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Final Product
The mackerel braised with pork belly when completed will have an eye-catching color from the caramel, the fish and pork belly will be delicious, the braising sauce will be rich, served with hot rice is just perfect!
2. Pineapple Braised Mackerel
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Braised Mackerel with Pineapple Serves 3 people
Mackerel 7 fish Pineapple 150 gr (ripe) Garlic 1 clove Green chili 1 piece Chili powder 2 teaspoons Cooking oil 2 tablespoons Fish sauce 2 tablespoons Vinegar a little Common seasoning a little (seasoning powder/ sugar/ pepper)
How to choose fresh and delicious pineapple
- Choose fruits that are bright yellow; avoid buying those that are unevenly colored. If the fruit is mostly green, it means it is not fully ripe, while fruits that are ripe yellow but mixed with dark brown color are overripe and about to spoil.
- Choose fruits that are moderately soft, slightly round in shape, short, have large eyes, feel heavy in hand, and have a sweet fragrance that is not too strong, indicating that the pineapple is just ripe.
- Avoid choosing fruits that are indented when pressed or have overly hard skin.
See details: How to choose good pineapple
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How to cook Braised Mackerel with Pineapple
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Prepare the mackerel
Clean the mackerel by removing the scales, cutting off the tail and entrails, then wash with salt or vinegar and rinse with clean water.
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Prepare other ingredients
Wash green chili peppers and slice them diagonally. Mince the garlic.
Peel the pineapple, then cut it into small bite-sized pieces.
Quick way to peel pineapple
- Cut off both ends of the pineapple, then slice it in half lengthwise and use the knife to cut diagonally on both sides of the core to remove it.
- Place the pineapple upside down on the cutting board and use the knife to carefully peel the skin away while also removing the eyes of the pineapple.
- Use the knife to carve parallel grooves along the body of the pineapple to shape it.
- Repeat the same with the other half of the pineapple.
See details: 5 simple ways to peel pineapple (thơm)
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Fry the fish
Heat a pan on the stove and add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, when the oil is hot, slowly add the fish and fry for about 3 minutes over medium heat until the fish is slightly golden, then turn off the heat and transfer the fish to a plate.
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Fish Stew
Place another pan on the stove and add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil; when the oil is hot, add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, then add 2 teaspoons of chili powder, stir well, and add the pineapple to stir-fry.
Season with 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, stir-fry for about 3 minutes, then add the fish along with about 200ml of water, adjust the heat to low, and stew for about 5 more minutes, then taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking, turn off the heat.
Plate the fish and garnish with thinly sliced green chili to complete.
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Final Product
Delicious mackerel blended with spicy sauce along with the sweet and mildly sour taste of pineapple, served with hot rice on cool days is just wonderful.
How to choose fresh and delicious mackerel
- To choose good mackerel, you need to carefully observe the outside of the fish. Look for fish with bright red gills and clear eyes. If the gills are pale red and the eyes have red streaks or are completely red, then the fish is spoiled.
- Additionally, you should choose fish that are slender, with light pink bellies and thick bodies. Especially, you should select mackerel with small bones, as these fish have more flesh, are firm, and taste sweeter.
- You should buy mackerel at supermarkets, seafood markets, or reputable food stores with clear sourcing.
See details: How to choose fresh and good quality fish
How to clean mackerel properly to avoid fishy smell
- Whole mackerel should be scaled, gutted, and cleaned by rubbing lemon on the surface to remove slime, then rinse thoroughly with water. Do not rub the lemon for too long as it will cook the fish skin.
- If you don’t have lemon, you can scrub with salt or rinse the fish with cold water mixed with a little alcohol or vinegar.
- Be sure to remove the blood along the fish’s spine to reduce the fishy smell.
- Continue to rinse the fish with clean water once more, then place it in a colander to drain.
- Alternatively, you can also buy pre-cleaned fish at supermarkets or reputable food stores to save time.
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Recently, here is the recipe that guides you to 2 ways to cook mackerel with pork belly and pineapple that is extremely delicious and appealing. Wishing you success!
*Image and recipe references from the YouTube channel DONG QUE VTT and Michelle Messina
