This Cajun mackerel recipe with lime mayo is a brilliant way to get more fish onto the family dinner table. The Cajun spice gives the mackerel a warm, punchy kick, while the fresh lime mayo cools things down and adds a burst of zesty flavour. It’s quick to make, needs just a handful of ingredients, and works just as well as a midweek dinner or a relaxed weekend meal.
Mackerel has plenty of small bones, so if you’re serving this to children, it’s worth asking your fishmonger to debone and butterfly the fillets for you. It saves time in the kitchen and takes the worry out of serving it to little ones.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the Cajun mackerel:
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 100g flour
- 4 mackerel fillets, deboned and butterflied, skin left on
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Lime wedges, to serve
For the lime mayo:
- 250ml good-quality mayonnaise
- Zest and juice of 1 lime (or more to taste)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the lime mayo, whisk together the mayonnaise, lime zest and lime juice. Season to taste and set aside.
To cook the mackerel, mix the Cajun seasoning with the flour in a shallow bowl. Toss the mackerel fillets in the flour mixture, making sure they’re evenly coated, then shake off any excess.
Heat a frying pan and add the olive oil. Place the mackerel fillets in the pan, flesh side down (cook in batches if needed — don’t overcrowd the pan). Cook for around 2 minutes, then carefully turn the fillets over.
Add the butter to the pan and cook for a further 2 minutes, until the fish is cooked through and the skin is crisp. Serve the mackerel on warm plates with lime wedges and a generous dollop of lime mayo on the side.
This recipe is adapted from The Eden Cookbook by Eleanor Walsh and Michael Durkin.
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