Grilled Mackerel With Roasted Rainbow Carrots, Black Olives, and Yuzu

By Spruce Eats Staff
Updated on 07/29/21
chef chris scott's grilled mackerel dish

Institute of Culinary Education

Prep: 60 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 70 mins
Servings: 2 servings
Yield: 1 plate

Looking to cook something new on the grill? Try this delicious grilled mackerel from Institute of Culinary chef Chris Scott. The one-time Top Chef contestant—who co-owned Brooklyn's Butterfunk Kitchen and Birdman Juke Joint in Connecticut—uses the grill in a variety of ways, pairing the oily fish with roasted rainbow carrots and three flavor-packed sauces. Yuzu is a type of citrus commonly found in East Asia. Yuzu juice can be found online and at many Asian supermarkets, but you can substitute lemon juice if it's not available.

Ingredients

For Fish:

  • 1 whole Spanish mackerel, gutted, pinned, and cut into filets

  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 1 clove garlic, minced with a fork

  • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For Carrots:

  • 1 bunch baby rainbow carrots

  • 1 shallot

  • 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

For Black Olive Puree:

  • 1/2 cup oil-cured black olives

  • 1/2 clove minced garlic

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 cup olive oil

For Parsley Oil:

  • 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley

  • 1/2 clove minced garlic

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon champagne vinegar

  • 1 cup olive oil

For Yuzu Sauce:

  • 1 cup yuzu juice

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Fish

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Mix parsley, salt, pepper, red pepper, garlic, and olive oil together in a small bowl and place fish filets in marinade. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

  3. With grill on high heat, drip off excess marinade and place fish filets on grill, flesh side down, and grill for 3 minutes. 

  4. Flip over and grill for 30 seconds more. Gently remove from grill and set aside in a warm place.

Prepare the Carrots

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Take a piece of aluminum foil and fold into a rectangle, folding edges to make ridges; this will be your makeshift grill pan. Set aside.

  3. Peel carrots and place in center of aluminum foil. 

  4. Peel and thinly slice shallot and place on top of carrots.

  5. Season with oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.

  6. Fold over foil, to make a “papillote,” then place on grill to roast for 20 minutes.

Make the Sauces

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Combine olives, garlic, sugar, salt, and oil in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into container and set aside.

  3. Clean blender. Place all parsley, garlic, salt, vinegar, and oil in blender and puree until smooth.

  4. To make yuzu sauce, place yuzu, sugar, and salt in a small sauce pot and reduce until syrupy. If necessary, this sauce can be thickened with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk until smooth.

Assemble the Dish

  1. Remove carrots from foil and place on a plate.

  2. Spoon some of the three sauces on plate. Top with fish filets.

  3. Top with a squeeze of fresh lemon and chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
3185 Calories
314g Fat
65g Carbs
38g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 3185
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 314g 402%
Saturated Fat 45g 224%
Cholesterol 107mg 36%
Sodium 4001mg 174%
Total Carbohydrate 65g 23%
Dietary Fiber 7g 24%
Total Sugars 50g
Protein 38g
Vitamin C 67mg 337%
Calcium 126mg 10%
Iron 6mg 31%
Potassium 1565mg 33%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)