One of my personal secret loves is a good quality tinned or smoked fish. This mackerel from FruitsDeMer caught my eye in the refrigerated section at Whole Foods. It comes packed in Sunflower oil and has a pickled cucumber in side too – which frankly was all a bit superfluous.
Cooking: None, you can eat this directly from the packet my friend.
Taste and texture: Very good, very fishy, slightly smokey. For those who don’t like a fishy fish, take a wide berth; mackerel is as briny and funky as they come. The smoke works lovely with all the murky flavor. The texture is meaty with some chewy, do be aware of bones in a fish like this.
Verdict: A very good product. I like to eat smoked fish like this as a snack, or more typically on a sandwich with some good quality bread, mustard or red chili flakes
Other options: Duck Trap Smoked Mackerel is also another very fine product in the same class. I think its a smidge better/bigger.
Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC – Utah’s biggest and oldest online food magazine; I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV shows.
I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have covered the Utah dining scene for the better part of fifteen years. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. I started Shop Smart to catalogue my adventures in the grocery store and kitchen. Follow along on Instagram too!