Easy Baked Mackerel (Saba Fish)
This baked mackerel (saba fish) recipe comes about because I saw maameemoomoo’s grilled saba with teriyaki sauce recipe (update: this site is no longer online so I removed the link) and I fell in love with it. Her grilled fish not only looked so deliciously beautiful, I also like the fact that they were oven-baked, saving lots of splatters and effort in cleaning up. My version, ever the lazy one, involves seasoning the fish with basic salt and pepper. This is a quick way to sneak in one more meat dish to the dinner table effortlessly.
STEP-BY-STEP PHOTOS (BAKED MACKEREL/SABA FISH]
Preparation is really easy. If using frozen saba fish like I did, thaw them before cooking. Line baking tray with parchment paper for easy cleaning, then place the de-boned fish fillet skin side up without overlapping each other on the tray. Brush olive oil over the mackerel skin. Season the fillet with salt and black pepper.
Bake the saba fillets for about 20 minutes, or until the skin starts to brown & crisp. The ingredients are few and this is a super easy recipe!
Easy Baked Mackerel Recipe
This recipe has only a handful key ingredients: mackeral fish fillets, olive oil, salt and pepper. The taste is great despite the minimal effort & ingredients.
Feel free to cook more fillets, just make sure they occupy one layer on the baking tray.
Ingredients:
- 2 mackerel (saba) fillets (if using frozen, thaw before use)
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- one small lime (halved) or 2 lemon wedges
Condiment (Serving Suggestion)
- ponzu sauce
- grated daikon (white radish)
Tools
- pastry brush
- baking tray
- parchment paper
Directions:
- Pull out any bones from the mackerel fillet using kitchen tweezers.
- Brush olive oil with a pastry brush over the mackerel skin. Season the fillet with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Line baking tray with parchment paper for easy cleaning. Place mackerel fillets skin side up. Bake the fillets at preheated oven of 200°C (392°F) for about 20 minutes, or until the skin starts to brown & crisp. Serve with lime and a side condiment of grated daikon in a saucer of ponzu sauce.