Broiled Whole Mackerel with Crispy Ginger, Garlic, Tomatoes, and Spring Onions

I've never understand when people say, "I don't like fish that's too fishy." Isn't that the point? I love fishy fish. Especially a nice broiled mackerel. Mackerel is flavorful, high in the good omegas, cheap, and still sustainable if you care about that kind of thing. It's pretty popular in Korean cuisine, and when I Googled recipes there were a lot of British recipes as well. I'll throw my hat in the ring with the recipe I came up with tonight for Whole 30 Day 12. The crispy aromatics were a nice textural contrast to the oily fish, and the white balsamic vinegar was a nice substitute for rice vinegar.

If you're squeamish about handling whole fish like I am, close your eyes :)  It's well worth the ickiness. Or you could use mackerel fillets. But cooking a whole fish is so much more hard core!

Ingredients:

1 whole mackerel, cleaned and gutted

2-3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

1" piece of ginger, julienned

1 green spring onion

handful of cherry tomatoes

1 tbsp coconut aminos 

1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar (available at Trader Joe's)

1 tsp coconut oil

Cut slits in the mackerel. Allegedly this helps prevent the skin from exploding; I think it just looks good. Sprinkle the mackerel with freshly ground black pepper. Place on a baking sheet (with parchment paper if you hate scrubbing pans). Broil in the oven for 10-12 minutes, flipping over half way through. You'll know the fish is done when it feels firm to the touch. You'll also be able to see the white flaky meat in those slits you cut.

While the fish is broiling, fry the garlic, ginger, and white bulb of the onion in the coconut oil. Add the cherry tomatoes and continue to cook till they blister and split a bit. Add the coconut aminos, white balsamic vinegar, and the green stems of the onions. 

When the fish is done, drain some of the oil from the pan. Mackerel is very oily and you don't want to overdo it with the grease. Pour the prepared sauce over the fish and dig in.