Quick Lunch: Mackerel Fried Rice

One of the pleasures of having a day off is making a quick lunch from things in the fridge and pantry. While I don't have a wok and was too hungry to brown this more thoroughly, it was still tasty. It was also a welcome reminder of how easy and fulfilling it is to cook.

1-1/2 T vegetable oil
2 fat scallions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup day-old rice
2 T soy sauce, plus more to taste
1 4.375 oz. tin of mackerel (this one was water-packed), flaked

Over high heat, quickly saute the scallions and garlic.

Add the rice, stirring constantly until it's coated with the oil.

Add the soy sauce and mackerel and cook till the fish and scallions are starting to brown.

Enjoy!

Mackerel Simmered in Soy Sauce

Another first - cooking with mackerel, which is one of my favorite fishes (especially in sushi). Bittman's recipe was simple, easy and flavorful - perfect over white rice with a side dish of butter-sauteed enoki and a bottle of Jennifer's Jamabalaya. Recipe, with a couple of tweaks, reproduced below.

UPDATE, 8 Jan 2010: Doubled this recipe, skipping the water and using mirin instead of the sake and sugar. Also tasted wonderful.

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup sake
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 8-9 thin slices ginger, peeled
• zest of 1 lemon, grated (about 1 loose, heaping tbsp.)
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 skin-on mackerel fillets, 1-1.5 lbs.
• 1-2 scallions, chopped

 In a skillet large enough to hold all the fish fillets in one layer, mix the soy sauce, sake, sugar, rice vinegar, water, ginger, lemon and garlic. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Put the fish in the skillet, skin-side down. Simmer till done (when the fish is opaque, about 7-10 minutes).

Serve on a plate with white rice and some of the sauce, garnished with scallions.