Mackerel

Heat the oven to 200 °C. Roast whole, cleaned mackerel for about 20–25 minutes, or fillets for 10–12 minutes, until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily; lemon, sliced onion and herbs can go in the cavity.

Pat the fish dry, brush it lightly with oil and cook it over a well-heated grill. Whole fish usually needs about 4–5 minutes per side; turn it once, when the skin releases easily.

Keep it covered in the coldest part of the fridge and cook it within a day of buying. To keep it longer, wrap it well and freeze it; thaw it in the fridge before cooking.

Its rich flavour works particularly well with sharp or fresh accompaniments: try lemon, mustard, horseradish, pickled beetroot, capers or a crisp salad. Smoked mackerel is often flaked into pâté or kedgeree.

Yes, especially in pâté, salads or pasta, though sardines are generally smaller and have a milder flavour. Canned sardines have 131 kcal and 7.5 g fat per 100 g.

Only use mackerel sold and handled for raw eating, and keep it properly chilled. Otherwise, cook it until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily.

The flesh should turn opaque and separate into flakes when you press it gently with a fork. Check near the backbone of a whole fish, where it takes longest to cook.