King Mackerel. Not everybody’s cup of tea at the dinner table but, handled and prepared properly one of the more surprising taste sensations. When you prepare King Mackerel the key to success, in this writers opinion, is not the varied and many creative preps (soak in Sierra Mist or Milk or ?) people ascribe but rather, the time from deck to dining room table. Keep it to a minimum and you’ll likely not go wrong. King Mackerel is a dark fleshed, oily fish bursting with a stout & savory flavor. Get it fresh, prep and cook it right away and you will have a table full of happy diners.

Prepare King Mackerel – Islamorada Style

This is a venerable Florida staple. Anywhere that King Mackerel is served, this is a likely candidate for how it has been prepared. While a somewhat “heavy” approach employing mayonaise, breadcrumbs, provolone cheese, and Italian herbs & seasonings this prep melds nicely with the natural flavor of the King.

Catch the whole recipe on the Cooking Channel Website

Marinated King Mackerel Steaks

This is a dead simple recipe with ingredients that present little challenge to the cook. Orange juice, soy sauce and !ketchup! are a few of the things you’ll need. It is on the list for this reason and oh, it happens to taste delicious as well. Well worth a shot.

Pick up the recipe on the My Recipes Website

Lemon Saffron King Mackerel

This preparation is one we cooked up here at Old Salt. Kingfish, what with our two annual King of the Beach tournaments, is part and parcel of our raison d’être. Straight forward and letting the Mackerel take the lead this recipe will become a big favorite after the first try.

Get the Old Salt – Lemon Saffron King Mackerel Recipe

Saba Sashimi

If you are a sushi/sashimi lover (like I am) King Mackerel (Saba) is one the great delights. Freshness is key for any sashimi dish and even more so where King Mackerel is involved. If you do this right you may never go back to the lighter fleshed fish:)

Learn how to prepare King Mackerel Sashimi at Salon.com

Image Credit: Takehiko Tsubakino

Pan Seared King Mackerel w/Smoked Gouda Grits and Tomato-Bacon Gravy

Ok. Ok! Yes, this picture is Grouper, not King Mackerel. Busted. This recipe, from the mind of Chef Justin Timineri, the culinary ambassador and executive chef for the state of Florida, is intended for Grouper. We are undeterred. With the Old Salt King of the Beach just around the corner, we will be substituting King Mackerel for Grouper in Chef Timineri’s wonderful recipe and presenting it here on the Old Salt blog for your review and comments. Look for this recipe in the November Salt email. Look for something tasty.

Get Chef Timineri’s original recipe on the Florida Fresh Website