Holy Mackerel Cakes

I recently devoured Chris Kresser’s new book Your Personal Paleo Code (full review coming soon). What I loved about Chris’s book is that after he explains the basic paleo framework, he offers suggestions for how to tweak it, based on specific needs, including three of my personal concerns: high blood pressure, weight loss, and thyroid challenges.

One of his suggestions was that I eat more cold water, fatty fish. Sure, one could go directly to salmon, but he also tossed out the option of mackerel — which made me realize that I’d never eaten mackerel.

How is it possible that I’m 45 years old and have never even tried a bite of mackerel?

The only option was to catch that fish, do some research, and experiment with a recipe. Plus, how could I resist repeated use of the phrase Holy mackerel?! Here’s what I learned about this silvery fish:

• It has firm, moist flesh — more meaty than flaky.
• It’s super affordable. My can of mackerel cost a whopping $1.79.
• It’s an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, and selenium.
• It has a strong-ish flavor. It’s not overly fishy, but it requires a spicy treatment that can hold its own. This is not a fish that invites a light lemon-and-herb treatment.
• It’s got history! Romans used mackerel to make garum, a fermented fish sauce that’s similar to the condiment used in Thai and Vietnamese cooking. (Hello, Red Boat!)
  

Holy Mackerel Cakes

I didn’t add any almond flour as a filler to these because I’m trying to minimize my nut consumption. That means they’re a bit more dense than they would be with a filler. If you are open to nuttiness, add 1/2 cup almond flour, and if you want to add more veggies, you could add a 1/2 to 1 cup riced cauliflower, instead. Warning: These are not quite as sexy as the salmon cakes in Well Fed 2, but they are tasty enough for me to share. And I’m pretty excited about this new way to get omega-3s.

Makes 8 cakes | Prep 15 minutes | Cook 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can wild-caught mackerel
1 cup boiled or roasted white potato, mashed
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
2 scallions, white and green, very thinly sliced
1/2 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon paprika (I used smoked.)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
zest from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil, melted

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425F and cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Drain the liquid from the mackerel and using your fingers, crumble the fish into a large mixing bowl, removing any large and/or sharp bones. Flake the fish with your fingers. Add the potato, eggs, parsley, scallions, Old Bay Seasoning, salt, hot pepper sauce, paprika, black pepper, and lemon zest. Mix well and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

3. Brush the parchment paper with some of the melted ghee, then use a 1/3 measuring cup to scoop the cakes and drop them onto the parchment. The patties should be about 2 1/2 inches wide and about 1 inch thick. Brush the tops of the cakes with ghee, then bake for 20 minutes. Carefully flip each patty with a spatula and return to the oven. (Brush with more ghee if that tickles your fancy.) Bake an additional 10 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and a little dollop of homemade mayo or your favorite sauce from Well Fed 2.

You Know How You Could Do That

This recipe is based on the Oven-Fried Salmon Cakes in Well Fed 2 with a few significant changes: white potato instead of sweet potatoes, no almond flour, and less salt. If you have the Well Fed 2 cookbook, you can try all the spice variations listed under “You Know How You Could Do That?” with mackerel, too — but I think sticking with white potato, rather than sweet, is the way to go with the mackerel. Somehow, sweet potato just doesn’t seem like a good match with the flavor of this fish.