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Published on Leave a comment on Angelo Parodi Mackerel Fillets with Pepper & Ginger

I received these Angelo Parodi Mackerel Fillets with Pepper & Ginger with a recent order from International Loft. The flavor combination sounded interesting, as I had not seen ginger used before. Fingers crossed.

Angelo Parodi Mackerel Fillets in olive oil with Ginger and Pepper open can
Initial impression upon opening the can: 5/5.

Very nice, appetizing-looking, skinless and boneless fillets of mackerel. The aroma from the can is of fresh fish, tuna-like. I'm not getting a sense of the seasonings yet. A sip of the oil is also unrevealing, save for a subtle hint of heat.

Tasting a bit of fish on its own, it has a robust flavor. The texture is firm, again reminiscent of tuna. But not in a bad way. The salt level is about right. The olive oil is of good quality.

Time to Eat
Angelo Parodi Mackerel Fillets in olive oil with Ginger and Pepper over rice

Pulling them from the can, the fillets remained mostly intact. A two inch-long pepper appeared, but I saw no ginger. Could it be powdered or?

I poured the rest of the contents over the fish and rice, hoping the heat would make the spices "bloom" a bit.

I arranged things nicely for a photo, then started to dig in. As I ate, I noted the spices remained as undertones to the fish flavor. A background heat, but also a certain something I could only attribute to the ginger. It wasn't in-your-face, but I can only characterize it as something you'd miss if it was no longer there.

Halfway through, a sliver of ginger appeared from nowhere. I tasted it, but its inherent flavor had apparently been subdued by the canning process. It still had a crispness to it, however.

I liked this, even if the spices weren't as intense as anticipated. The pricing was quite reasonable, the vendor being the direct importer likely having much to do with that.

Main Takeaways
  • Good quality, flavorful mackerel, even without the seasonings
  • Subtle spices didn't wow me as I had hoped
  • Still a bargain

Brand: Angel Parodi
Description: Mackerel Fillets with Pepper & Ginger
Species: Scomber sp.
Country of Origin: Italy
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $4-5

Published on Leave a comment on Matiz Wild Caught Mackerel in EVOO

So far, I've tasted and reviewed over a dozen tins of mackerel in various forms. Fillets, chunks, whole. Spiced, smoked, sauced, plain. Sometimes, I knew what I would find before I opened the can, Other times, for better or worse, I didn't. The carton description on this Matiz Wild Caught Mackerel was kind of vague, so let's see what I got.

Matiz Wild Caught Mackerel carton
Matiz Wild Caught Mackerel open can
Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

Nice looking fillets. I wasn't sure if I was getting fillets or whole fish. The carton didn't give as much as a hint one way or the other.

The can is packed reasonably full, although it's a little on the light side at only 3 oz. net weight. The EVOO has a nice golden/green hue. There was nothing in the way of a fish aroma I could detect. A sip of the oil was also neutral. I wasn't getting any of the notes I would have liked to from a good EVOO.

The meat was firm enough for the fillets to remain intact when gently stabbed with a fork. Yet they also flaked readily when prompted to do so.

Time To Eat

I decided to try this plain, in order to best assess the quality. I figured if I thought it needed something to help it along, I would decide that as I went.

The taste was mild with a hint of a tuna-like tang, but it wasn't a huge negative. The problem lay in the fact that it was a bit dry, even to the point of a little mealy, which I was not expecting. I also thought a little more salt would have been in order. It didn't seem to be the 310mg. the carton listed. Ultimately, I finished the can with no embellishments.

Final Thoughts
  • The carton says the fish are sourced from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Mediterranean Sea, then hand packed in Galicia. There was no indication on the carton or can as to which FAO fishing area this particular can's content was from.
  • I think the carton oversells the fish, describing it as, "a rich, fatty fish, with a firm yet tender texture and mild, buttery flavor." I could only agree with a small part of that assessment.
  • Looking back, I note there have been other mackerel fillets I apparently liked better. Several, most in fact, cost the same or less than this one. And in all cases, the net weight was at least one third higher.

Reasonably priced in lot quantities at Amazon.

Brand: Connorsa / Matiz
Description: Wild Caught Mackerel in EVOO
Species: Scomber sp.
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO N/S
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3 oz.
Price Range: $5-6