I bought this Wild Planet Wild Mackerel Skinless & Boneless Fillets in Extra Virgin Olive Oil on sale for under $4 at Whole Foods, with an eye toward comparing it to their smoked mackerel.
Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.
Reasonably full packing of fish. Neutral aroma, fresh, not fishy. The EVOO is also neutral in flavor. As with most tinned mackerel, the meat is pale in color, firm in texture, but flakes readily.
Let's Eat
Not wanting to waste the EVOO, I poured most of what was left in the tin over the fish and rice. This would alleviate any impression of dryness that might be had.
The flavor of the fish is mild and pleasant enough to stand on its own. But, I'm always looking for different ways to spice things up. To that end I added, variously, a few dashes of Valentina for some mild heat, a spoon or two of MW Polar Crunchy Garlic Chili Sauce, and a sprinkle of a Sriracha flavored furikake. All separately, of course. Of the three, I thought the garlic chili sauce, a taberu rayu style condiment, actually, best complemented the flavor of the mackerel.
A blurb on the carton calls mackerel a "plentiful, underutilized species', and I'd have to agree. I'm more satisfied with most of the cans of mackerel I try vs. half of the cans of tuna.
Main Takeaways
- Generous portion
- Mild flavor, maybe too mild
- Priced well, better if on sale
Brand: Wild Planet
Description: Wild Mackerel Skinless & Boneless Fillets in EVOO
Species: Scomber colias
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $5