Tasty Canned Mackerel in Brine Recipe

In this blog post, I will start by sharing my personal experience with mackerel and some quick health and nutritional facts about mackerel. Then, I’ll share my really tasty mackerel recipe that will make you fall in love with canned mackerel (see Figure 1 below). Finally, to get you started with eating mackerel, I’ll share with you two easy meal ideas for canned mackerel fish that you can use for lunch, dinner or supper. 

 Figure 1: Prepared canned mackerel with fusilli pasta and a sprinkling of grated cheese and cilantro

Salt Mackerel versus Canned Mackerel

As a child, I loved salt mackerel with ground provision but I hated canned mackerel (see Figure 2 below). In terms of taste, salt mackerel and canned mackerel are as night and day. In fact, I loved salt mackerel so much that, as a child, whenever my family fasted on Good Friday from red meat, I actually looked forward to our Lenten meal of salt mackerel and ground provision. In case you’re wondering about what I do now as an adult on Good Friday, I know better now. So, no mackerel for me on Good Friday since I have to give up that which I love on that day for it to be a true fast.

Figure 2: Two tins of canned mackerel in brine

Health & Nutritional Benefits of Mackerel

Since I love good food and also eat to stay healthy, I did some sound research on mackerel. Mackerel has some wonderful health benefits but I started taking mackerel seriously when I learnt that it was one of 10 foods that help you sleep. This is powerful knowledge since many people suffer from insomnia, especially as they age. So, you can replace sleeping medication with this natural food remedy.

Some of the other health benefits that make mackerel really good for you include the facts that it helps keep the brain and nervous system healthy, promotes heart health and even builds and repairs muscles while you sleep.

In terms of nutritional benefits, you’ll be happy to learn that, canned mackerel retains all of the health benefits of fresh mackerel. Mackerel contains vitamins B12, D and E. Mackerel also contains minerals such as, calcium, iron, magnesium, protein, phosphorus, potassium and selenium. These vitamins and minerals mainly help build strong bones and teeth, convert food into energy, regulate blood pressure and control body fluids inside and outside cells, thereby preventing or delaying cell damage.

Figure 3: Drained mackerel in a bowl with seasonings – paprika, thyme and garlic

 

Canned Mackerel in Brine Recipe

Ingredients for Canned Mackerel Recipe

1 can of Mackerel in Brine (15 oz. or 425 g.)

¼ tbsp. Thyme (dried)

½ tbsp. Paprika

1 clove Garlic

¼ cup Warm water [*see Recipe Note 2]

1 ½ tbsp. Coconut milk powder

¼ tbsp. Apple cider vinegar

½ tbsp. Tomato paste

2 Red seasoning peppers

*Recipe Note (1): Do not add salt to this recipe. Firstly, the brine in which the mackerel was stored in the can consists of water and salt. So, the mackerel would have absorbed enough salt from the brine. Secondly, it is common knowledge that a pinch (less) of salt can save lives.

*Recipe Note (2): If you want more sauce in your recipe, you can use ⅓ cup of water instead of ¼ cup..

 Figure 4: Prepared canned mackerel; freshly cooked and ready to serve

Preparation Method for Canned Mackerel

§     Open your can or tin of mackerel in brine using a can opener.

§     Pour the mackerel from the can into a strainer or colander in order to drain out all of the brine from the mackerel.

§     Put the drained mackerel in a pot and add the thyme, paprika and garlic (see Figure 3 above).

§    Pour the warm water into a measuring cup, add the coconut milk powder and mix into a smooth milky liquid.

§      Add the coconut milk liquid into the pot of mackerel and seasonings.

§      Mash up the mackerel in the pot to small pieces or chunks (see Figure 4 above).  

§     Add the apple cider vinegar and tomato paste to the pot and roughly mix all the ingredients together.

§     Turn on your stove to very low heat since this canned mackerel has already been cooked before being placed in the tin or can. Consequently, it only needs to be lightly cooked so that the newly added ingredients blend in with it.

§     Lightly cook the pot of mackerel on low heat for five minutes, stirring every one minute in order to avoid it sticking to the bottom of your pot (see Figure 4 above).

§     Dice the red seasoning peppers, add to the pot of mackerel, stir in and cook for a final 30 seconds.

§     Turn off your stove and serve your prepared mackerel as desired.

Total Time: 12 ½ minutes

Preparation Time: 7 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 ½ minutes

Servings:  3 to 4

Fish Lunch or Dinner Ideas with Canned Mackerel

Now here are two meal ideas to help you get started with preparing and really enjoying my recipe for canned mackerel in brine. 

Figure 5: Prepared canned mackerel with mashed potato

(1) Mackerel and Potato Meal Idea Recipe

For this first fish recipe meal idea, I paired the prepared canned mackerel with mashed potatoes. I simply steamed one Irish potato and then crushed it with butter, garlic and dried cilantro. Then, I molded the mashed potato into mini pies using my mini hand pie mold (see Figure 5 above).

Figure 6: Prepared canned mackerel with fusilli pasta, grated cheese and cilantro

(2) Mackerel and Fusilli Pasta Meal Idea Recipe

For this second fish recipe meal idea, I combined the prepared canned mackerel with fusilli pasta. I boiled the fusilli pasta in water and salt for 10 minutes. Then, I drained all of the remaining salt water from the fusilli pasta. Next, I arranged the cooked fusilli pasta on a plate in such a way that there was a ringlike space in the middle of the pasta. Finally, I placed the prepared canned mackerel in that middle space and topped my meal with a sprinkling of grated cheddar cheese and dried cilantro (see Figure 6 above).

Steamer, can opener & pie mold for mackerel and potato recipe

   

     

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***Photo Credit & Copyright: All photos belong to the author of this blog, Heidi Vincent a.k.a. The Catholic Contributor and should not be copied or used without permission.