Mackerel is an overlooked treasure. When they are running along the coast of New Jersey and New York in the spring and fall, there are acres and acres of them just offshore. Like salmon, they are a fatty fish, full of omega-3s, and take well to citrus, which cuts through the fat and refreshes your palate. Unlike salmon, they are inexpensive. Mackerel must be fresh because the delicious oils in their flesh get rancid very quickly. My dressing is based on agrumato, which is a lemon-infused olive oil made in Abruzzo, Italy, where hand-harvested olives and fresh-picked citrus are put through the same press. It’s a very special flavor that can’t be duplicated, so I recommend that you seek it out in gourmet stores or markets specializing in Italian food. A flavorful cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil is a good pinch hitter.
Ingredients
- 1 Cara Cara orange
- 1 pound sushi-grade Spanish mackerel fillet
- 1 red jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and sliced paper thin (wear plastic gloves when handling)
- 2 tablespoons shiro soy sauce ½ lemon Juice
- 12 sprigs mint, torn into pieces Sea salt to taste
- 3 tablespoons agrumato or cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
- Section the orange, removing the pith and membrane over a bowl to catch the juices. Using a sharp knife, slice the fish into ¼-inch-thick slices crosswise.
- Arrange the slices on a serving platter and scatter the jalapeño pepper over. Splash the soy sauce, lemon juice, and orange juice all over the fish, followed by the mint and the orange sections. Season lightly with the sea salt and drizzle with the agrumato.