Mackerel
Scomber scombrus · Fish
Top 10 pairings
One of the oiliest common fish, mackerel is silver with steel-blue tiger stripes, smells frankly of the sea and tastes bold and fatty. It's grilled whole over coals, smoked, tinned, and in Japan, as saba, pressed into prized sushi.
Picking a good onedrag
Just landed, bright and firmOff: dull, sunken, sour
Iced and firmBuy itBuy it on ice and keep it at 4 C or colder. Histamine gives no sign; cooking or freezing won't remove it.
Skin and stripesShine fading, colours a little duller
EyesBarely sunken, a slight haze
Press the fleshFirm, springs back when pressed
Smell at the gillsNeutral, faint seaweed or nothing