Stewed dishes with mackerel are always loved by many for their deliciousness and nutritional value from the fish. Today, TasteVN will guide you on not just 1 but 2 extremely delicious and nutritious ways to stew mackerel. Let’s get cooking right now!
1. Stewed mackerel with sour vegetables
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Preparation
20 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Stewed Mackerel with Sour Vegetables Serves 3 people
Mackerel 500 gr Sour vegetables 300 gr Oyster sauce 1 tablespoon Garlic 7 cloves Green onions 2 stalks Fish sauce 1 tablespoon Cooking oil 4 tablespoons Common spices a little (salt/ sugar/ monosodium glutamate/ pepper)
How to choose fresh and delicious sour vegetables
- Choose sour pickled cabbage that has a natural color, is not bruised, with beautiful leaves, and is not torn.
- You can buy packaged sour pickled cabbage at the nearest supermarket TasteVN or from reputable places, paying close attention to the packaging and expiration date.
- You can also make sour vegetables at home following the simple recipe from TasteVN below.
How to Prepare Braised Mackerel with Sour Pickles
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Prepare and Marinate the Mackerel
Clean the mackerel, remove the intestines, gills, and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Marinate the fish with 1/2 tablespoon of salt, 1/2 tablespoon of monosodium glutamate, 1/2 tablespoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of ground pepper, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce.
Mix well and let the fish marinate for 15 minutes to absorb the seasoning.
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Prepare Other Ingredients
Rinse the sour pickled mustard greens to reduce saltiness and sourness, then squeeze dry.
Crush the garlic, peel and finely chop. Clean the green onions and chop finely.
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Fry the Fish
Place a pan on the stove, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and sauté half of the minced garlic until fragrant. Then add the fish and fry until the fish is firm.
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Fish stew
Put another pan on the stove, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and sauté the remaining minced garlic until fragrant. Then add the pickled mustard greens and stir-fry for about 5 minutes.
Next, add the pickled mustard greens to stir-fry with the fish. Add 200ml of water, season with 1 tablespoon of sugar, and simmer for about 20 more minutes before turning off the heat. Drizzle a little chopped green onion on top to finish.
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Final product
When eating, you can feel the sweet taste of the fish, the sour and salty flavor, and the crunchiness brought by the pickled mustard greens. This dish will surely be a unique choice for your family meal.
2. Mackerel stew 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 Serves 3
Mackerel 400 gr Pork belly 500 gr Red onion 4 bulbs Fish sauce 2 tablespoons Coloring sauce 1 tablespoon Cooking oil 3 tablespoons Common seasonings a little (salt/ sugar/ pepper)
How to Choose Fresh and Delicious Pork Belly
- To buy good pork belly, choose pieces with a balanced amount of meat and fat, and moderately thick skin.
- Choose pieces with a fat layer about 2/3 of your finger width, with the lean meat tightly attached to the fat.
- In addition, fresh pork belly will have a dry outer layer, light red or bright pink color. When cut, the meat should be bright pink, with white-pink skin that is soft.
- Absolutely do not buy pork belly that has an unusual smell, leaves fingerprints when pressed, or shows a slimy layer on the surface of the meat.
How to Prepare Braised Mackerel with Pork Belly
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Prepare the Mackerel
Wash the mackerel with saltwater and then rinse with clean water. After that, cut into pieces about 1 finger width, wash clean, and let drain.
Marinate the fish with 1 minced red onion, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Mix well and marinate for 15 minutes to absorb the flavors.
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Prepare the pork belly
Buy pork belly, wash it clean, and cut it into bite-sized pieces about the size of a finger joint.
Effective ways to eliminate the smell of pork- Soak the meat in diluted salt water for 15 minutes, then rinse it with clean water.
- Blanch the pork in boiling water for about 3 minutes, then rinse it with cold water and continue cooking. Doing this will effectively eliminate the smell of pork.
- Alternatively, for a more effective smell removal, you can add a little white wine to the boiling water before removing the meat.
Marinate the meat with 1 minced shallot, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Mix well and marinate for 15 minutes to absorb the spices.
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Stir-fry the meat
Place a pan on the stove, add 3 tablespoons of cooking oil, and sauté 2 minced shallots until fragrant. Then add the meat and 1 tablespoon of coloring sauce to the pan, stir-fry until the meat is browned.
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Cooking mackerel
After the meat has tightened, reduce the heat, add the mackerel, and cook. Cover it, keep the heat low, and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, then open the lid, season to taste, and turn off the heat.
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Finished product
Place the fish and meat on a plate, drizzle a little pepper on top, and you have a delicious plate of braised mackerel with pork belly.
When eating, you can feel the two distinct delicious flavors of meat and fish, combined together, providing you with a very enjoyable experience. Be assured that your rice pot will be emptied quickly!
How to choose fresh and delicious mackerel
- Buy fish that have their gills intact and are firmly attached to the body, bright red in color.
- Choose fish that have firm and elastic flesh.
- When touching the fish, if the flesh is too soft, do not buy it as the fish is no longer fresh and not tasty.
- Avoid fish that are not firm, have discolored gills, or have a foul smell, as they are old and spoiled.
Effective ways to eliminate the fishy smell
- Soak the fish in rice water for about 15 – 20 minutes, then rinse it thoroughly with clean water. The fishy smell will be significantly reduced.
- Pound ginger and slice it, then add it to the soaking water with the fish for about 5 minutes.
- Squeeze lemon juice into warm water, then soak the fish for about 5 – 7 minutes, which is also an effective way to eliminate the fishy smell.
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Hope the 2 recipes for mackerel cooked with sour vegetables and pork belly that TasteVN just shared with you can add flavor to your family meals. Wish you success!
*Refer to images and recipes from the Youtube channel Happy Kitchen and Delicious Cooking Tips for Kids
