Fillets of Mackerel is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of filleted mackerel simmered with herbs, butter and stock that are served with a sauce made from the pan liquids. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Fillets of Mackerel.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
282. INGREDIENTS.—2 large mackerel, 1 oz. butter, 1 small bunch of chopped herbs, 3 tablespoonfuls of medium stock, No. 105, 3 tablespoonfuls of béchamel (see Sauces); salt, cayenne, and lemon-juice to taste.
Mode.—Clean the fish, and fillet it; scald the herbs, chop them fine, and put them with the butter and stock into a stewpan. Lay in the mackerel, and simmer very gently for 10 minutes; take them out, and put them on a hot dish. Dredge in a little flour, add the other ingredients, give one boil, and pour it over the mackerel.
Time.—20 minutes. Average cost for this quantity, 1s. 6d.
Seasonable from April to July.
Sufficient for 4 persons.
Note.—Fillets of mackerel may be covered with egg and bread crumbs, and fried of a nice brown. Serve with maître d'hôtel sauce and plain melted butter.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
2 large mackerel
30g butter
1 small bunch of herbs
3 tbsp medium stock
1 tbsp plain flour
3 tbsp béchamel sauce
salt, cayenne pepper and lemon juice, to taste
Method:
Clean and scale the fish then fillet and remove and pin-bones. Bring a pan of water to a boil, add the herbs and scald for 30 seconds then remove from the water and chop very finely. Add the herbs to the base of a stockpot along with the butter and stock. Lay in the mackerel fillets, bring to a simmer and cook gently for 10 minutes.
When done, remove the mackerel fillets and transfer to a warmed serving dish. Scatter the flour into the contents of the pan and stir until smooth then add the béchamel sauce and season to taste. Bring to a boil, immediately take off the heat and pour over the mackerel then serve.
