Fresh Mackerel Steaks Ready to Cook

Mackerel cut across the body into thick steaks and short lengths rather than filleted, so each piece carries a band of dark blue-green skin over a creamy white cross-section with a clean pink centre. The skin is glossy and unbroken and the flesh is firm, sitting tight to the bone in neat blocks.

Oily fish like this takes hard, direct heat well. Pan-fry the steaks skin-side down until the skin crisps and blisters, grill them over coals, or roast them in a hot oven with nothing more than salt and a squeeze of lemon. The steaks are also good cold the next day, flaked off the bone into rice or a salad. Because they are cut thick and even, they cook through without drying at the edges.

• Cross-cut steaks, dark striped skin on
• Firm flesh, pink centre, tight to the bone
• Rich oily fish, holds up to high heat
• Pan-fry skin-side down, grill or roast

Keep frozen at -18C or below. Thaw in the refrigerator and cook thoroughly before eating.