Oven-poached, salt-cured mackerel
Serves 4
At Aponiente, chef and owner Ángel León prepares this dish using a sous-vide method, which means he cooks the fish in airtight plastic in a water bath. He serves it on plankton; you can use seaweed, if you like. Oven poaching is another way to cook the fish, let it absorb the delicious flavors of the marinade, and preserve the moisture. Substitute seaweed salad for plankton.
| 1 3/4 | pounds skinless, boneless Spanish mackerel |
| 1/2 | cup coarse salt |
| 1 | small clove garlic, crushed |
| 1/4 | cup sherry vinegar |
| 1/2 | cup cider vinegar |
| 1/4 | cup Manzanilla or aged sherry |
| 1/2 | cup olive oil |
| 1 | cup sunflower oil |
| 1/2 | cup water |
| 1 | tablespoon dried oregano |
| 1 | tablespoon smoked paprika |
| 1 | tablespoon sweet paprika |
1. Set the oven at 250 degrees. Have on hand a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, cover mackerel fillets with coarse salt. Set aside for 8 minutes.
3. In another bowl, combine the garlic, sherry and cider vinegars, sherry, olive oil, sunflower oil, water, oregano, and smoked and sweet paprika.
4. Rinse the mackerel fillets and pat dry. Place fillets in a single layer in the baking dish. Pour marinade over the fish. Cook for 40 to 50 minutes or until the fish flakes easily when tested with the tip of a knife. Adapted from Aponiente 
