# Where Does Spanish Mackerel Rank On Your Table Favorite List?



## SnookMook (Jan 7, 2004)

Well how bout it everyone? Just where do Spanish mackerel rank on your favorite fish to eat list? 

They are moving up on my list rather quickly. I just ate one that had been iced down since yesterday evening and filleted and cooked when I got off work a few hours ago. 

I've got tell you it was awesome. I used to give them away and didn't start eating them until about three years ago. I'm gonna be 47-years-old in July.

I can't believe I missed out on them for all those years because of other fishermen I knew trashing them compared to other fish like grouper, snapper, pompano, trout, etc. and such. 

I think Florida fishermen are spoiled. LOL

Those Spanish macks are right up there with my other favorite right now, the mangrove or gray snapper. :beer:


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

See my new entry in the recipe section. I really didn't like them until now. I got into some big spanish last weekend and decided to give them another try. Glad I did. I also now have a kid in the house that loves them too.


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## MDubious (May 10, 2008)

Great fish tacos. The fiance and I had a couple nights dedicated to spanish macky tacos this past year and mmmmmmmmm!


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## dnice (Apr 17, 2009)

I'm wondering if it being the next day has anything to do with it?

I've heard more than once that grouper is better the next day than fresh. I haven't had the opportunity to test that, but I wonder if its true, and what other fish would benefit from sitting on ice for a day or so? maybe spanish...

If i catch some I'll eat em and let you know


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## bjake (Jul 25, 2007)

Haven't like the spanish that I have tried but plan to try it again the next time I get a couple.Lot of people like them so it could be that I did a bad job of cleaning and preparing.
Jake


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

Not my #1, I'd rather have pomps, cobia, dolphin, sheeps, and a few others, but it's certainly good and I don't pass them up.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Sometimes I think it's what they have been feeding on... Usually I clean them that day and cook,and always have them fresh.. Thing is one time you eat them they are tasty,next time they are almost flavorless,and next time they taste like :--| 

I know if you catch them here after they've spent some time in the Pamlico Sound,they have a fairly strong flavor..


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## Peixaria (Dec 31, 2008)

Spanish not #1 but pretty good eating. Because they come in a burst during summer with a 10 fish limit, I always wind up freezing bags of them. They normally feed me into early winter. If you don't eat them you should, The pill makers charge big bucks nowadays for anything with Omega 3, and Mackeral is right up there with Salmon. #1 is probably fresh caught Tuna, Tile, Grouper, and maybe Black Sea Bass.


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## TreednNC (Jul 1, 2005)

With Jody Wilson's (DD's wife) fishcakes or Ryan's (Firespyder) ceviche, some garlic crackers and a splash of chalulah, Id just as soon eat them as anything else....ranks up there with blackened grouper, fresh smallies on the river bank, mahi mahi almost anyway you can fix it and wahoo....although wahoo is summmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm kinda good.


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## HDW2 (Feb 15, 2009)

I know it is more than likely just me but SM's dont even rate on my list of editable fish. As bait, ok, it might make the top 5. Being from the west coast, (Calif) Macks made the best baits for trolling, pier fishing, surf fishing. But as table fare, not even close. Like I said, it is probably my palet but it takes a top notch fish to make my top 5 to eat. #1 Grilled Swordfish steaks Thi marrinated for 24 hrs. #2 Blackened grouper. #3 Dolphin. #4 (Not well known) Trigger fish. #5 Any shellfish. Pompano aren't even very high on my list. But they are editable. Call me spoiled I guess. Always open to new suggestions on any fish I haven't tried though. 

One thought though. It was mentioned about being fresh Vs. sitting a day on ice. There may be someting to this. The best quality beef is aged under controlled conditions. There may be some species of fish that under controlled conditions may be even better than fresh. Will have to investagate that aspect.


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## SnapperHunter26 (Apr 28, 2009)

I personally do not care for Spanish Macks AT ALL...I've tried them 3 times, and didn't like them.


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## ddratler (Oct 14, 2007)

i love spanish macs, theyre reel easy to fillet and taste good in any recipie
i dont know about the whole sitting for a day thing i always thought the fresher the better


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## skipjack (May 1, 2009)

Im 43 years old and been eating spanish since i was a mud minnow and love um. I like to cook them on the grill with a little butter ,salt and pepper.


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## BubbaHoTep (May 26, 2008)

In terms of what we catch from the surf and pier down in South Carolina, I don't like Spannies as well as pompano, flounder, or specks, but they're one of my favorites cooked in the oven with butter/salt if they're fresh. The ones I've eaten have always been fresh. I heard a long time ago they weren't very good frozen. Now that I think about it, I don't believe I ever tried them panfried either. HDW, I had triggerfish one time, and they were good. I agree, but I've never caught one.

Also, bigger sea robins are pretty tasty to me.


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## chriscustom (Jun 17, 2006)

*spanish*

I think its all in how you prepare them.I would give all of them away because I had heard they were very oily.One day a guy came to avalon pier in N.C. an gave me a piece he fried,when I asked him what they were I was totally supprised.He showed me you have to filet them, lay'em with skin down take your knife and run it between the skin an meat to remove the skin.Turn it over with the dark meat(blood line) up,cut that out.Then it is ready to be cooked.I do all my fish this way now.Removing the dark meat takes out the strong taste some people dont like.


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## SnookMook (Jan 7, 2004)

I wasn't necessarily advocating leaving them sit for a day, however I don't think it really affects the taste as long as they are iced down real good. 

I too have heard they do not freeze well, so iced down for a day is considered fresh to me.

I also skin the fillets and cut out the blood line. I think cooking without the bloodline definitely gets rid of any strong taste.


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

I love spanish, but then again I think smoked filets from a 15-pound bluefish are the oceangoing equivalent of bacon.

As some posters have noted, you need to ice spanish mackerel down immediately and eat them within a day or two. It also helps to gut and gill them as quickly as possible.

My favorite preparation is to cut some slits in the side and marinate them in Italian dressing for a few hours, then wrap in foil and grill. Ceviche and sashimi are also really good.


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## Tracker16 (Feb 16, 2009)

They are not too bad. I have cooked them wrapped in foil with onion,green pepper and chunked tomato some butter and salt /pepper. I like Sand Flea's Italian dressing idea that sounds good.


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## virginia boy 1 (May 8, 2003)

Top 5.

Fillet and fry in peanut oil. Use House Autry/Potato chip breader. They don't freeze as good as some, but freeze in water and they are good.


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## hamlet (Sep 4, 2007)

I dont like them. Also contrary to popular holdings, i love baked bluefish.

My faves include whiting, croaker, striper.


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

*hmmmm*



MDubious said:


> Great fish tacos. The fiance and I had a couple nights dedicated to spanish macky tacos this past year and mmmmmmmmm!


Anykind of fish is good for fish tacos....Those little spanish tards are make fine tacos though.

When we eat spanish mackeral fish tacos, we sit at the big table in the dining room cause they just dont seem like they should be eaten in front of the TV on the Couch.


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

It's in my top 10.


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## SnookMook (Jan 7, 2004)

Yes I've had them in Italian dressing before as well. They are very good that way. 

I'm looking forward to eating quite a few of them over the next few months as the mackerel fishing is just now picking up for the summer here in Tampa Bay.


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## Newsjeff (Jul 22, 2004)

I love spanish. 

The only issue I've had is with my kids and those tiny pin bones.

http://www.chow.com/stories/10600

Kids don't like it when they get a bone stuck in their throat.

And adults don't care for it much, either.


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## surfchunker (Apr 10, 2006)

Just had some today from last summer .... they were iced as soon as they were caught and filet shortly after and vac. sealed and froze .... we made Crab Cakes out of them and they were damn good .... boil them for a couple minutes and peel the skin off and chunk out the dark meat and take the rest and use your favorite crab/ fish cake recipe .... smaller ones seem to taste a little better as is the case with most fish .... far from my fav but they are keepers


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## red_fish (Jul 22, 2007)

They make great cobia bait but they don't taste that bad either I agree with the ice quickly and eat fresh thing but I really don't eat much frozen fish though


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

I've learned that the fish caught from the beachfront taste better than the ones in the bays. I've also begun cutting their throats as soon as I catch them and then tossing them on ice.


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## SnookMook (Jan 7, 2004)

Emanuel--That's encouraging. The one I ate this past trip came from inside Tampa Bay about three miles inside from the Skyway.


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## SnapperHunter26 (Apr 28, 2009)

Spanish Mackeral. ranks somewhere down there by lionfish and scorpionfish...to me


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## Lipyourown (May 11, 2005)

I love spanish macs grilled. How do you make tacos out of them, just substitute beef/chicken for fish? Do you use taco suace?


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## Fireline20 (Oct 2, 2007)

sand flea said:


> I love spanish, but then again I think smoked filets from a 15-pound bluefish are the oceangoing equivalent of bacon.
> 
> As some posters have noted, you need to ice spanish mackerel down immediately and eat them within a day or two. It also helps to gut and gill them as quickly as possible.
> 
> My favorite preparation is to cut some slits in the side and marinate them in Italian dressing for a few hours, then wrap in foil and grill. Ceviche and sashimi are also really good.


Ditto on the Blues,,,,you gotta slit their throats as soon as you catch em, bleed them out in a bucket of fresh sea water for about an hour or so then ice em down. Never tried smoking the Blues though,,,gotta give that a shot:fishing:


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## Awesome John* (Dec 23, 2003)

I cut their tales as soon as they are landed.. they die more humanly than soficating as their geart pumps out all their blood and they just fall asleep.
The blood is not soaked in theit flesh so they taste not as heavy..
After they dies I gut them imediately and pac them inside with ice..

Then when I get home I washem cut them into steaks and soak them in milk for a few hours..

sounds weird I know but tastes delicious. Try it.


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## Coast'n (Jun 19, 2007)

I have not eaten a spanish but have cleaned thousands of fish and agree with your comments on packing fish on ice for at least three hours before cleaning. This causes blood to draw from the flesh of the fish into the organs and affects the color and taste of the flesh.


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## HStew (Jan 8, 2009)

broiled if cooked inside, grilled with some smokey wood chips if outside!yes sir!


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## Tracker16 (Feb 16, 2009)

All this talk is makin me hungry. Lets eat !!


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