Fire-Grilled Spanish Mackerel

Pistachio Pilaf, Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, Blistered Tomato–Olive Relish & Lemon Basil

Once again, my sister-in-law showed up with fresh fish from our local farmers market, where she works.

Every so often, the fishmonger has some extra fresh seafood at the end of the weekend. Through a bit of good fortune, some of it finds its way into my kitchen. That’s how the tilapia for my Tilapia Piccata with Scampi Rice landed here—and this time, it was about three pounds of beautiful Spanish mackerel fillets with the skin still intact.

I instantly went to the Mediterranean. More specifically, the Spanish Mediterranean.

Mackerel is a rich, flavorful fish that can stand up to fire, garlic, olives, capers, ripe tomatoes and the sweetness of roasted peppers. I had garden tomatoes ready to use, plenty of Mediterranean staples in the pantry and a bag of pistachios that gave me an idea for the rice.

A short time later, voilà—dinner was on the table.

The mackerel went directly onto a hot grill, skin-side down, until the skin was crisp and lightly charred. Underneath it, I built the plate with a clean circle of roasted red pepper sauce and a simple rice pilaf simmered in unsalted stock with onion, garlic and a bay leaf. Fresh lemon and toasted pistachios went into the rice at the end.

The finishing touch was a warm relish of blistered garden tomatoes, Kalamata olives, capers and red onion. Fresh lemon basil brought everything together.

It was bright, briny, smoky and fresh—the kind of dinner that tastes like late summer.

Jump to Recipe ↓

Building the Plate Around the Fish

Spanish mackerel has a deeper flavor than mild white fish. It doesn’t need to be covered up, but it does benefit from ingredients that can keep pace with it.

The roasted red pepper sauce brings sweetness and a little acidity. The pistachio pilaf gives the fish a nutty, savory base without becoming heavy. Tomatoes add freshness, while Kalamata olives and capers provide the salty, briny notes that work so naturally with an oily fish.

The lemon basil isn’t just decoration. Its citrusy aroma cuts through the richness and reinforces the fresh lemon used in the pilaf.

Every element has a purpose, but none of them competes with the mackerel.

Why I Kept the Skin On

The skin protects the delicate flesh from the direct heat of the grill while also giving the finished fish another layer of flavor and texture.

The most important step is drying it thoroughly. Moisture is the enemy of crisp skin. I pat the fillets dry, score the skin very lightly and brush it with olive oil just before it goes onto clean, hot grill grates.

Once the fish is down, leave it alone. Moving it too soon almost guarantees that the skin will stick. When it has properly seared, it will release much more easily.

Fire-Grilled Spanish Mackerel with Pistachio Pilaf

Pistachio pilaf, roasted red pepper sauce, blistered tomato–olive relish and lemon basil.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 4–6

Ingredients

For the Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

• 2 large red bell peppers
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2–3 tablespoons unsalted stock, as needed
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Pistachio Rice Pilaf

• 1½ cups long-grain white rice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1⅞ cups unsalted chicken or vegetable stock
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• ½ cup roasted unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1–2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Tomato–Olive Relish

• 1 pint garden cherry or grape tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
• ⅓ cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
• ¼ cup unsalted chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Kosher salt, only if needed

For the Mackerel

• About 3 pounds skin-on Spanish mackerel fillets
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup thinly sliced fresh lemon basil
• Fresh lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

Make the Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

1. Position an oven rack about six inches below the broiler and preheat the broiler.
2. Place the peppers on a foil-lined sheet pan. Broil, turning occasionally, until the skins are deeply blistered and blackened on all sides, about 10–15 minutes.
3. Transfer the peppers to a bowl and cover. Let them steam for 10 minutes, then peel away the skins and remove the stems and seeds.
4. Add the roasted peppers, garlic and sherry vinegar to a blender. Blend until smooth. With the blender running, slowly add the olive oil. Add enough unsalted stock to create a smooth, spoon-able sauce.
5. Season with salt and black pepper. Set aside or refrigerate until needed.

Cook the Pistachio Pilaf

6. Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Soak for 15 minutes in fresh warm water. Drain well.
7. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4–5 minutes, until softened but not browned.
8. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the rice and cook for another minute, coating the grains in the oil.
9. Add the bay leaf, stock and salt. Bring to a gentle boil, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 15 minutes, or according to the timing for your particular rice.
10. Remove the pan from the heat and let the rice rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
11. Discard the bay leaf. Fluff the rice with a fork, then fold in the pistachios, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Taste before adding the remaining lemon juice, salt or black pepper.

Prepare the Tomato–Olive Relish

12. Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat.
13. Add the tomatoes and cook without disturbing them for the first minute or two. Continue cooking, gently tossing occasionally, until the tomatoes are blistered and beginning to soften but haven’t completely collapsed. 
14. Add the red onion, olives and capers. Cook for another 1–2 minutes, just long enough to soften the onion slightly and warm everything through. Deglaze with a little unsalted chicken or vegetable stock as necessary.
15. Remove the pan from the heat and add the sherry vinegar and black pepper. Taste before adding salt—the olives and capers may provide all the salt you need.
16. Keep the relish warm while you grill the fish.

Grill the Mackerel

17. Preheat a clean grill to medium-high heat.
18. Pat the mackerel fillets very dry with paper towels. Lightly score the skin at one-inch intervals, being careful not to cut deeply into the flesh.
19. Brush both sides with olive oil and season with kosher salt and black pepper.
20. Place the fish on the grill skin-side down. Let it cook undisturbed for approximately 3–5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. The skin should be crisp and release naturally from the grates.
21. Carefully turn the fillets and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until the flesh is opaque around the edges and just beginning to flake. Avoid overcooking; mackerel cooks quickly.

Assemble the Plates

22. Spoon some of the roasted red pepper sauce into the center of each plate. Using the back of the spoon, spread it into a clean circle.
23. Place a portion of pistachio pilaf in the center of the sauce. Set the grilled mackerel over the rice, keeping the crisp skin visible.
24. Spoon the warm tomato–olive relish over the fish. Finish with the sliced lemon basil and serve with fresh lemon wedges.

Chef’s Notes

• Make the sauce ahead: The roasted red pepper sauce can be prepared up to three days in advance. Refrigerate it in a covered container and bring it to room temperature before plating.
• Jarred peppers will work: When fresh peppers aren’t available, substitute a 12-ounce jar of roasted red peppers. Drain and dry them well before blending.
• Keep the fish simple: Mackerel already has plenty of character. Olive oil, salt, pepper and fire are all it needs. The sauce and relish provide the additional seasoning.
• Taste before adding salt: Kalamata olives and capers bring a considerable amount of salt to the relish. Season only after everything has been combined.
• Don’t add the lemon too early: Stir the lemon zest and juice into the rice after it has cooked and rested. Simmering fresh lemon with the rice can mute its flavor and occasionally introduce bitterness.
• No lemon basil? Regular basil works beautifully. Finish the plate with additional fresh lemon zest to reinforce that citrus note.

A Little Good Fortune at the Farmers Market

I didn’t head into the weekend planning to cook Spanish mackerel. Until those fillets arrived, this dinner didn’t exist.

That’s one of my favorite ways to cook: begin with the freshest ingredient in front of me, consider where it comes from and then see where the pantry leads.

This fish pointed toward the Spanish Mediterranean. The garden tomatoes, roasted peppers, olives, capers, pistachios and fresh lemon did the rest.

Sometimes dinner doesn’t require a plan. It just requires paying attention when something particularly good lands in your kitchen.

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