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Balık ekmek
Grilled mackerel sandwich
Balık ekmek: Eminönü's grilled mackerel sandwich with onion, salad and lemon
At Eminönü, by the Galata Bridge, boats rocking at the quay grill mackerel fillets over charcoal and pass them up in half a loaf with raw onion, lettuce and a squeeze of lemon; you eat it on a low stool with a cup of pickle juice. It is the simplest fish sandwich imaginable and depends entirely on fresh, oily fish and a hot pan. Serve with turşu (pickles) and a salgam or ayran. Chef's tip: grill the fillets skin side down for most of the cooking time; the skin crisps and protects the soft flesh so it doesn't stick and tear.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 8 mackerel filletsskin on, pin-boned, about 600 g
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
For the sandwich
- 4 crusty white loaves or baguettesabout 25 cm each, halved lengthways
- 1 red onionthinly sliced
- 1 tsp sumac
- ½ oz flat-leaf parsleychopped
- 1 cos lettuceshredded
- 2 tomatoessliced
- 1 lemoncut in wedges
- 1 tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper flakes) (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rub 1 red onion with 1 tsp sumac and ½ oz flat-leaf parsley and leave for 10 minutes to soften while you cook the fish.
Step 2: Pat 8 mackerel fillets dry, brush with 2 tbsp olive oil and season with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper.
Step 3: Heat a ridged grill pan or heavy frying pan over a high heat until smoking. Lay the fillets in skin side down and cook for 4 minutes without moving them, until the skin is crisp and the flesh is opaque two-thirds of the way up.
4 minStep 4: Turn and cook for 1 minute more, until the fish is opaque all through and flakes easily. Common mistake: turning too early; the skin sticks and tears.
1 minStep 5: Toast the cut sides of the 4 crusty white loaves or baguettes in the same pan for a minute to pick up the fish oil.
Step 6: Fill each loaf with 1 cos lettuce, 2 tomatoes, two fillets and the onion. Squeeze over plenty of 1 lemon, add 1 tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper flakes) if you like, and eat straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does balık ekmek take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of ground black pepper?
- Black peppercorns, freshly ground, same amount.
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
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