[bingo]

Hello everyone,

I plan to cook mackerel tonight. Any advice for me?

Is mackerel a common enough fish to be found at Park N Shop? Can I get them to clean it and so on?

I'm really new to this, buying live fish and all...

Thanks for any tips.

regards,
Bingo

[bagel]

Hi,

I am into buying live fish too but given that most of the labels are in Cantonese it is a bit inconvenient! I wish there were English labels on fish at the Wellcome Store.

Mackeral is very easy to prepare. Just pan fry in some olive oil, put lemon and sprinkle salt and voila!

[bingo]

Well, I found out how to say it in cantonese. So Wellcome sells fresh, alive and kicking mackerel?

[berryplucker]

oooh - yuck! Pan-frying mackerel? It's one of the oiliest fishes there is already - simply grilling it is fine. Why is there this obsession with frying things here? Salmon is another one that people fry and it's revolting.

[bagel]

actually berry plucker's suggestion is sound. grilling mackeral and salmon would be more appropriate.

[HKFella]

Agree with BP (for once) re mackerel. Don't remember ever having salmon fried, but its cousin, the trout, can be excellent fried, e.g. a foot long rainbow done lightly (http://www3.sympatico.ca/danfaber/re...ishdianne.html - can substitute butter with a mix of olive oil and unsalted or clarified butter) or quick deep fried pieces with skin on as our gillies used to do with freshly caught browns in mountain streams back in Kashmir - unsophisticated but delicious.

Speaking of fish in general, as opposed to other sea food, obsession with frying probably came from BP's home country UK (fish & chips); locally, steaming's more the norm.

[bingo]

Oh dear, but all of you are missing my point. Where can I get fresh mackerel?

I have my recipe all planned out, Delia Smith's recipe. And yes, I will be grilling it.

[HKFella]

Try the shops on Wan Chai Road, the stretch from opp Tai Yau Bldg corner on Johnston Road heading towards Urban Council Wanchai (Wet) Market at junction with Queen's Rd East. Lots of fresh fish, some on ice - you'll have to point out the mackerel if you don't speak Cantonese. I'm sure they can clean it up for you. Parked 20 min in a car opp one such shop (near junction with Tai Wo St), was witness to some quick and clean cut-up jobs and 2 or 3 "other jobs" which were shall we say not for the squeamish (this desire for freshness is all very well, but I wouldn't carry it to this extreme).