Baked Mackerel with Provençal Herbs and Lemon
I remember a tiny, sun-drenched restaurant in Cassis, a small fishing village near Marseille, back in the summer of 2018. The air was thick with the scent of salt and pine. An old fisherman named Jean-Luc served us the simplest dish: mackerel, just caught, baked with a fistful of herbs from his garden and a slice of lemon. That meal taught me a profound lesson: the most memorable flavors don’t come from complexity, but from the integrity of the ingredients. This recipe is my tribute to that day. It's about transforming a humble fish into something truly elegant with just a few thoughtful touches. It’s a testament to how cooking is, at its heart, about letting quality speak for itself.
9Ingredients
- 2 large (approx. 200g each) mackerel fillets, skin on
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp Herbes de Provence
- 1 lemon
- 200 g cherry tomatoes
- 2 tbsp slivered almonds
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 handful fresh parsley, chopped (for serving)
Nutrition Facts
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Pat the mackerel fillets dry with a paper towel. Place them skin-side down on the prepared tray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season generously with sea salt and black pepper.
Sprinkle the Herbes de Provence evenly over both fillets. Thinly slice half of the lemon and arrange the slices on top of the fish. Zest the other half of the lemon over the fish for an extra aromatic kick.
In a small bowl, toss the cherry tomatoes and slivered almonds with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Scatter them around the fish on the baking tray.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the mackerel is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, and the tomatoes have started to burst.
Remove from the oven. Squeeze the juice from the zested lemon half over everything. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately. The pleasure IS part of the nutrition.
Chef's Tip
To complete the meal and boost its fiber content, serve this mackerel alongside a generous portion of steamed green beans and a small side of quinoa. For the best flavor and sustainability, look for mackerel sourced from well-managed fisheries.
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Baked Mackerel with Provençal Herbs and Lemon
Ingredients
- 2 large (approx. 200g each) mackerel fillets, skin on
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp Herbes de Provence
- 1 lemon
- 200 g cherry tomatoes
- 2 tbsp slivered almonds
- 0.5 tsp sea salt
- 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 handful fresh parsley, chopped (for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Pat the mackerel fillets dry with a paper towel. Place them skin-side down on the prepared tray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season generously with sea salt and black pepper.
- Sprinkle the Herbes de Provence evenly over both fillets. Thinly slice half of the lemon and arrange the slices on top of the fish. Zest the other half of the lemon over the fish for an extra aromatic kick.
- In a small bowl, toss the cherry tomatoes and slivered almonds with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Scatter them around the fish on the baking tray.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the mackerel is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, and the tomatoes have started to burst.
- Remove from the oven. Squeeze the juice from the zested lemon half over everything. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately. The pleasure IS part of the nutrition.
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