Delicious Sour Pickled Mackerel that Pairs Perfectly with Rice

How to cook pickled mackerel

• 1

  Prepare mackerel

  After buying mackerel, you need to gut the fish and use salt to scrub the outside to clean it, then rinse with water several times.

  Tips for cleaning fish without fishy smell:

  • You can use salt or lemon to scrub the fish’s body to remove the slimy layer and clean it.
  • You can soak the fish in diluted saltwater or vinegar to remove the fishy smell.
  • Another way is to marinate the fish with alcohol and ginger for about 2 minutes, then rinse clean with water. This way, the fish will no longer have a fishy smell.

  

  
• 2

  Preparing other ingredients

  Pickled cabbage is washed clean with water, then drained and cut into bite-sized pieces.

  Tip: Use pickled cabbage with many leaves for better taste when cooking.

  Shallots are peeled, washed, and minced. Chili is also washed, stems removed, and chopped small.

  

  

  
• 3

  Marinate the fish

  Marinate the fish with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1.5 tablespoons of sugar, chili, 1/2 of the minced shallots prepared earlier, and a bit of caramel color, mix well for the spices to soak evenly.

  Tip: After marinating, you can lightly fry the mackerel first to absorb the spices, and when stewing, the fish will not break when stirred.

  

  

  
• 4

  Stir-fried sour pickles

  Place a pan on the stove, turn on high heat to quickly heat the pan, then add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add the remaining amount of shallots and sauté until fragrant. Next, add the sour pickles and 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning, stir evenly for about 5 minutes for the spices to absorb.

  

  
• 5

  Cooking mackerel

  Next, add the marinated mackerel along with the pickled water into the pan and cook for about 30 minutes until the water in the pan is nearly evaporated, then add 1 tablespoon of fried shallots, stir evenly, then turn off the heat and remove the pan.

  Tip: To allow the fish to absorb more flavors, you can use a spoon to continuously ladle the marinating liquid over the fish. If there is not enough marinating liquid, you can add a little water to make it easier to cook the fish.

  

  

  
• 6

  Finished Dish

  The pickled mackerel braised with mustard greens has an enticing aroma, the fish is tender and flavorful, complemented by a slight sour and spicy taste from the pickled greens and chili, making it very appealing.