On cold, rainy early winter days like this, having spicy stews with a bowl of hot rice is simply perfect, isn’t it? Today, let’s join TasteVN in the kitchen to make 2 super delicious and simple spicy mackerel stew recipes for the family meal!
1. Spicy Mackerel Stew (recipe shared by a user)
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Preparation
10 minutes
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Cooking
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Spicy Mackerel Stew (recipe shared by a user) Serves 2
Mackerel 2 fish Chili 3 pieces Chili powder 1/2 tablespoon Molasses 1 tablespoon Fish sauce 2 tablespoons Cooking oil 5 tablespoons Common spices a little (MSG/ sugar/ salt)
Ingredient Image
How to cook Spicy Mackerel (recipe shared by a user)
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Prepare and marinate the mackerel
Use a knife or a scissors to cut off the gills, entrails, and tail of the mackerel, then rinse it with diluted salt water to reduce the fishy smell. Cut the fish in half and place it into a earthen pot. If you don’t have an earthen pot, you can also use other types of pots to cook as usual!
Marinate the mackerel with a mixture of spices including: 3 halved chili peppers, 5 tablespoons of cooking oil, 1 tablespoon of molasses, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of monosodium glutamate, and 1/2 tablespoon of salt. Use chopsticks to mix well and marinate for 15 minutes for the fish to absorb the spices.
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Making Spicy Mackerel
After marinating the mackerel for enough time, we will place the pot of fish on the stove, turn on the heat to high, and bring it to a boil. When the fish sauce starts to boil, reduce the heat, add 1/2 bowl (rice bowl) of water, and cover with a lid.
Simmer the fish on low heat until the sauce thickens slightly, then add 1/2 tablespoon of chili powder. Adjust the seasoning to taste and then turn off the heat.
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Final Product
We have successfully completed the very delicious spicy mackerel dish.
Fatty mackerel with rich flavors and spiciness served with a bit of hot rice is unbeatable. Remember to try making it in the kitchen right away!
2. Spicy Mackerel
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Preparation
20 minutes
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Cooking
1 hour
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Spicy Mackerel For 3 people
Mackerel 700 gr Chili 50 gr (or bell pepper depending on preference) Chili powder 2 tablespoons Green onions 2 stalks Chopped shallots 1 tablespoon Minced garlic 1 tablespoon Minced chili 1 teaspoon Ketchup 1 tablespoon Chili sauce 1 tablespoon Fish sauce 3 tablespoons Cooking oil 7 tablespoons Common spices A little (Seasoning/ Salt/ Sugar/ MSG)
How to cook Spicy Mackerel
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Preparing the mackerel
First, remove all the dirt and the intestines from the mackerel, then rub salt on the surface of the fish for 3 – 5 minutes, then rinse with clean water 1 – 2 times.
Use a knife to cut the fish into bite-sized pieces, and let it drain.
Effective ways to eliminate the fishy smell of mackerel:- Use lemon juice mixed with warm water to soak the fish for 5 – 7 minutes, and the fishy smell will disappear immediately.
- Another method is to soak the fish in salt water for 5 – 10 minutes or rub salt onto the fish body, which not only eliminates the smell but also effectively removes the slime.
- Additionally, don’t forget that simply soaking the fish for 15 – 20 minutes in rice washing water will work.
- Moreover, crushed ginger diluted in water soaked with the fish for 5 – 7 minutes will show immediate results.
- It would be a miss to overlook the method of using diluted alcohol or white vinegar to soak the fish for 5 minutes.
- Home cooks also frequently use fresh milk to eliminate odors, which will bring you great surprise.
See details: Effective ways to eliminate the fishy smell of mackerel
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Marinate fish
After preparation is complete, place the mackerel into a bowl with 1 tablespoon of seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 1/2 tablespoon of minced shallots, and 1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic, mix well and let the fish absorb the spices for about 5 – 10 minutes.
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Lightly fry the fish
Heat a pan on the stove with 5 tablespoons of cooking oil over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add 700g of marinated mackerel and lightly fry both sides for about 3 – 5 minutes before turning off the heat.
Tip: Lightly frying the fish helps the meat to be firmer, so you don’t need to fry it for too long!
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Fish Stew
Next, place a clay pot on the stove with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, 1 teaspoon of minced chili, the remaining shallots and garlic, and sauté them over medium heat until fragrant.
Then, add 600ml of water, 1 tablespoon of ketchup, 1 tablespoon of chili sauce, 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, and 2 tablespoons of chili powder, and cook for about 3 – 5 minutes.
Once the water is boiling, add the remaining 700g of fried mackerel and 1 tablespoon of sugar, while lowering the heat to simmer for 50 – 60 minutes, until the fish is tender, then season to taste, add 2 green onion tops and 50g of chopped chili, then turn off the heat and serve on a plate.
Tip: To enhance the flavor of the fish, you can use fresh coconut water instead of plain water when stewing.
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Finished Product
Just smelling the fragrant pot of spicy mackerel is already irresistible! Where can you find a dish that is both delicious and so incredibly enticing!
Each slice of soft, fatty mackerel combined with spicy sauce that makes your taste buds tingle is absolutely delightful when paired with a bowl of white rice!
How to Choose Fresh and Delicious Mackerel
- Fresh and delicious mackerel are those that are still alive, swim well, and have clear eyes where you can see the pupils distinctly.
- When pressing on the flesh, it should feel firm, not mushy, and have good elasticity like rubber.
- You should choose mackerel with cherry-colored gills; conversely, if they are dark brown or cloudy, it means the fish has spoiled and is no longer edible.
- Avoid selecting fish that have swollen bodies, swim weakly, and have pale colors, as these are fish that have been kept for too long. Additionally, avoid those with a strong, fishy smell.
How to choose fresh and delicious chili peppers
- Fresh ripe chili peppers are those that have a bright red color, and you can see that they have a shiny surface, without any unusual tiny spots appearing on the surface.
- You should not choose chili peppers that are excessively bruised or too soft because those are peppers that have been stored for too long and are no longer usable.
Hope that the 2 recipes for spicy braised mackerel shared by TasteVN above will help enrich your family’s meal menu. Wishing you success in your cooking!
