Turkish Mackerel Sandwich with Onion
Fish and Seafood Sandwiches Turkish
Fish sandwiches inspired by those at Galata Bridge in Istanbul. I preferred to use my grilled pitas instead of baguette, even though this makes the recipe more elaborate. If you have time, it's really worth the effort. If not, store-bought flatbread or grilled baguette works too.
Ingredients
3 small mackerel pieces (headless; about 500g total)
50g butter
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar (or rice vinegar)
salt, black pepper, coriander seeds, chili flakes
Onion Salad
1 medium red onion
1 small white onion
5-6 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 bunch parsley
salt
Yogurt Mayo Sauce
1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise
3 tablespoons drinking yogurt
salt
Grilled Pita
250g white flour (type Bl55/550)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 packet dry yeast (5 grams)
120ml warm water
50g Greek yogurt (10% fat)
2 tablespoons olive oil
For serving
Mixed salad and cherry tomatoes
Pieces: 6
Calories: 450 cal / piece
How to prepare turkish mackerel sandwich with onion
- Prepare the pitas ahead of time (variant 1, without filling). Keep covered with foil.
- Dry the mackerel well with paper towels. Make several crosswise cuts across the body, being careful not to reach the bone. Brush with very little oil, just enough for the seasoning to stick. Generously sprinkle with coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper, chili flakes and coriander seeds crushed in a mortar.
- Arrange in a large heat-resistant tray, spaced apart from each other. Bake for 25 minutes at 190C (375F) (with browning mode if you have it).
- While the fish is cooking, prepare the mayo sauce: mix mayonnaise with yogurt and a little salt if needed. I used drinking yogurt which is thinner so the sauce comes out easy to pour, flows easily from the spoon.
- Also prepare the onion salad: peel the onions and cut into thin slices or rounds. Sprinkle with salt, mix and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain the water released and add the lemon juice. Let sit another 10-15 minutes. Add the oil and finely chopped parsley.
- When the fish is done, transfer to a cutting board. Debone as follows: split open along the belly with a knife and remove the spine. This process is quite easy, the meat comes off the bones easily. Mackerel doesn't have many bones. After removing the spine, check that no bones remain in the meat.
- In a wide pan, melt the butter over low heat and immediately add the paprika, cumin, a little salt and chili flakes if you want it spicier. Stir quickly until the sauce colors evenly. Add the vinegar and wait for it to sizzle lightly.
* if you have it, add sumac to the butter sauce, it's red and tangy and in this case don't add the vinegar. - Place the 6 deboned mackerel halves in the pan, skin side down. Fry briefly, just 1 minute and flip for another 1 minute on the other side. If all fillets don't fit in the pan, add them one at a time. Don't let the butter burn, if needed remove the pan from heat when it gets too hot.
- Place one grilled pita on each plate. Drizzle a little mayo sauce. Place one mackerel fillet over the sauce. Drizzle some sauce from the pan over it and the pita. Place a generous pile of onion salad along the mackerel. Serve with a good handful of mixed salad and cherry tomatoes cut in half (I just sprinkled these with a little salt, didn't dress them with oil or lemon juice).
