The other night I finally played catch-up with one of my cousins as we hadn’t seen each other since before my trip to Greece.
I showed her my pictures, relayed the good and bad parts (what bad parts?) of my trip and enthused about the wonderful food I ate.
If you’re a regular reader of Kalofagas, then you know that I do enjoy (love) seafood. One such love is for mackerel.
Not just any old mackerel but I REALLY like smoked mackerel. It’s a fish that’s often overlooked but when it’s fresh, damn is it good.
Mackerel also seems to available all around the world and in a smoked format. Upon my recent trip to the market, I found some locally smoked mackerel and bought in hopes of reproducing a meze (appetizer) I enjoyed during my stay in Athens.
I had the pleasure of meeting and becoming friends with Johanna of Food Junkie, Not Junk Food. Johanna is a native of Athens who’s an archaeologist by day, gourmet cook by night.
She razzles & dazzles her readers with original Greek dishes and her food has yet to disappoint me. When Johanna learned of my return to Greece, we immediately agreed that we should meet over food and drinks – a taverna.
Our decision to dine at” Logia Tis Ploris” was unanimous. We were both wowed and inspired by the rave review our fellow blogger Laurie gave of Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska. I was picked up by Johanna and her husband and we were also joined by a her childhood friend.
The taverna was very quiet, the music kept to a minimum and the service prompt. We ordered off the menu like a kid in a candy store with mom’s stolen purse…we barely had any elbow room on the table!
All of the dishes at Logia Tis Ploris were fabulous, whimsy and affordable. One such dish that both Johanna & I enjoyed was the grilled smoked mackerel.
There really is no recipe here other than to find a good source of smoked mackerel and to employ some fish boning and grilling skills.
To grill some smoked mackerel, one simply has to butterfly the fish, pull the sping column out and remove any pinbones in the fish.
I’m then left with two mackerel fillets, whereby I carefully remove the skin so as to keep the fillets in tact. I then separated each fillet into two. Each half of a fish naturally separates into two smaller fillets: the top part of the fish and then the bottom part.
The bottom part is not as firm and it really doesn’t an appealing form. Save those portions for a fish or seafood pie.
I then pre-heated my gas grill, brushed it well to remove any remnants of my previous grilling and wiped the grill surface with a towel treated with vegetable oil.
As smoked mackerel is already salted, all one has to do is brush some vegetable oil on each side and place on your pre-heated grill. You’ll need a medium-high heat in your grill and as your fish is already cooked, all you’re looking to do is give your mackerel some nice grill marks and warm it up.
Use a heat-resistant spatula to flip your fillet and voila…you’re done!
Place your grilled smoked mackerel, drizzle with some extra-virgin olive, black pepper, dried Greek oregano and a wedge of lemon for some squeezin’.
I served my grilled smoked mackerel with a roasted pepper and potato salad, a warm bean salad, crusty bread and some Tsipouro (Greek anise moonshine) on ice.
Johanna, I dedicate this smoked grilled mackerel to you….next time we cook for each other, endaxi?
47 Responses
Ooohh, this is so simple and yet so delicious!!!!!
how awesome that you got to connect with another blogger on your trip & have a fabulous meal together
I too LOVE smoked mackerel!! Mmmm YUM.
That was nice for you to be able to meet up with another foodie!
Next year me and you will HAVE to meet up in Greece too.
I absolutely love smoked mackerel and the bean salad is a Greek classic which go well together.
How fun to meet up with bloggers!!! It’s too bad she didn’t cook for you! Ii guess next time. I have never had smoked mackerel! Can you believe that??? I have to put it on my list of must tries!
Can I just say wow to this…like really. You know, you eat really really good!
-DTW
http://www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com
Opa!
Fish with a touch of lemon and olive oil sounds great!
It’s great to see you caught up with Joanna and got to indulge in your favourite food. Seafood! I must admit, mackerel scares me a little.
Nope..I dont think I have ever had Mackerel. I love that you had a visit w/ another foodie!
I’m so jealous you have an outside gas grill. I actually had our local fire department in our condo last week because someone called the emergency line when our alarm went off after pan-grilling. But alas, one day I will have a real outside gas grill and try this. So simple, so delicious!
I love this fish and look delicious! xGloria
I can hardly resist saying, “Holy mackerel!” but this fish looks amazing—so simple, yet so delectable. It’s great that you got to connect with fellow food bloggers during your trip!
I normally never do this, because it’s assholish, but I hafta admit I don’t like mackerel. Although to be fair, I’ve only had it twice: sashimi and once grilled. It has such a strong flavor.
I will qualify this, though, by saying that I’d eat just about anything you served to me.
Wow, Grilled Smoked Mackerel, that sounds interesting! It must taste incredibly good!
Cheers,
Rosa
Wow, Grilled Smoked Mackerel, that sounds interesting! It must taste incredibly good!
Cheers,
Rosa
Wow, Grilled Smoked Mackerel, that sounds interesting! It must taste incredibly good!
Cheers,
Rosa
Wow, Grilled Smoked Mackerel, that sounds interesting! It must taste incredibly good!
Cheers,
Rosa
Wow, Grilled Smoked Mackerel, that sounds interesting! It must taste incredibly good!
Cheers,
Rosa
Wow, Grilled Smoked Mackerel, that sounds interesting! It must taste incredibly good!
Cheers,
Rosa
Wow, Grilled Smoked Mackerel, that sounds interesting! It must taste incredibly good!
Cheers,
Rosa
Wow, Grilled Smoked Mackerel, that sounds interesting! It must taste incredibly good!
Cheers,
Rosa
It does look fantastic!! I love mackerel and if it’s smoked even better
Bad part is that you coudn’t eat all the dishes you wanted to eat when you wee in holiday in greece :-)
I look as tanned as you in the pic! How can that be? We had a fab time that night and soooooo much tsipouro! All this salt from the mackerel I guess :-)
Wow that looks so tempting. I really, really want to taste that!
How interesting Peter! I think that on my next trip to La Boqueria I will look for Smoked Mackerel… never tasted before this way.
How fantastic that you could meet with such nice fellow blogger as Johanna!!!
Peter, I hope you haven’t forgotten your promise to me for next year.
We’ll have fish in a greek taverna also and maybe we’ll cook together:))
Sounds like another wonderful night of your trip Peter. And I love the simplicity of this mackerel. I’m not sure I’ve had smoked mackerel before, I must hunt it down!
I never thought about grilling smoked fish. That grilled smoked mackerel meal sounds good.
Great meal w/friends… does it get any better than that!
I can never understand why mackerel is so underrated – it is one of my favourite fish. SO delicious. Great that you met up with another blogger too – I love meeting up with online mates. If you’re ever in London…
I think I am going to stop visiting your blog because I LOVE seafood, but Jon doesn’t. So I haven’t had a good seafood dish in years! I think I am going to start sneaking up seafood in our diets :-p
This looks delicious! It’s nice to be able to meet up with people, and over such a tasty treat!
That roasted pepper / potato dish looks wonderful and simple. Would love the recipe for that!!!
I love this community, it is so nice to have met a fellow blogger/friend so far away. You are right about the often forgetten mackerel. My dad use to cook this for us, I love it when seasoned properly.
I so enjoy your posts Peter but, I must admit this one really “takes the cake.” I adore Greek food but the closest I’ve ever gotten to Greece was when my daughter went a few years back and she brought me back perfect Greek honey.
What a GREAT idea to grill smoked mackerel. I must give it a try. Thanks for sharing…
10 days ago, i think i was sitting in the exact same spot that you were sitting in the photo (with the original reviewer)
How fun for you and Johanna to meet.
Never thought of grilling previously smoked fish, great concept.
And love your composite photo of the meal.
How wonderful it is to meet up with blog friends … good food tastes even better with great company ^o^
Holy Mackerel!!! (I couldn’t resist either) everything looks so good here! I’m eyeing those potatoes and peppers too, at least thats what it looks like. What is that yummy goodness?
You always have such a way with fish. I have had smoked mackerel and I liked it, so I know I would love this!
Wonderful that you were able to meet up with Johanna and her husband. Dinner with friends make4s for a perfect evening!!
i’m so jealous i could… well i don’t know but DAMN PETER. I WOULDA LOVED THIS ONE.
your food is the best.
An idea of the paradise Peter.
I’m drooling all over my keyboard now. Love, love mackerel, smoked or otherwise.
Peter, I’m so glad you were able to go to Logia tis Ploris, and that you liked it as much as we did. We recently met Maria there and had another wonderful meal. Can’t wait to go again!