I chose this JOSÉ Gourmet Smoked Small Mackerel in Olive Oil as part of a recent online order not really knowing what I would get. There was no photo. The description didn't say fillets, but all the smoked mackerel I'd had before was either slices or chunks of fish. Perhaps "small" should have been a clue.
Initial impression upon opening the can: Oh, no...
OK, maybe that assessment was a little premature. The last whole small mackerel I had was not that impressive. Its seasonings were lackluster, and the loins of fish still had most of their fins.
Pressing on. The aroma and taste of a sip of the oil were both smoky, the latter quite distinctively. The carton doesn't specify method, but it was clearly derived from natural wood smoke. I want to say it was borderline acrid, but hoped it didn't translate to the fish that way.
Extracting a fish from the can, the skin is remarkably iridescent, shifting color from charcoal to gray to blue to bronze as it moves in the light. I know that's not really germane to the flavor, but interesting nonetheless. A bite of the fish is firm, but doesn't seem dry, at least not any drier than typical smoked fish.
Out onto rice, you can see they were substantial in size, even though described as small.
Trying to pierce them with a fork, they were resistant to being divided up into bites crosswise, but did readily split open along the spine.
Unfortunately, the smoke flavor was just strong enough to predominate, and by the end had become a little fatiguing on the palate. I also thought they might have benefited by a little more salt.
So far, I've been a fan of everything JOSÉ Gourmet I've tried, but this may be the exception. YMMV.
Main Takeways
- Nice looking fish
- Not as small as expected
- Overly smoky
See it at Amazon.
Brand: 100 Misterios / JOSÉ Gourmet
Description: Smoked Small Mackerel in olive oil
Species: Scomber sp.
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $10