Mediterranean anyone? Baked mackerel with onions, lemons, cherry tomatoes and hot peppers.

Olives marinated with oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, whole peppercorns, allspice, bay leaf, red onions, garlic and olive oil

Any suggestions for the wine? 😁

Products for 4 servings

2 medium size mackerel, cleaned

2 medium size white onions

3 lemons

1 head of garlic

4 table spoons vegetable oil

2 oz. cherry tomatoes

3-4  hot peppers (optional)

For the olives

1 pound of pitted olives of choice 

1 small head red onions

3 cloves garlic

2 table spoons capers

1 bay leaf 

3 oz virgin olive oil

1 tbsp whole peppercorns

2-3 allspice

2-3 sprigs of:

rosemary

thyme

oregano 

parsley

Directions:

The fish

Cut the white onions in one-inch wedges and slice one of the lemons in half an inch circle. Put them together with the cherry tomatoes and the hot peppers in a bowl and mix well with a little bit of salt and pepper. Cover the bottom of a cast iron pan (or regular one) with vegetable oil and spread the mixture of the bowl on it.

Wash the fish well and put salt and pepper on it, and a little bit inside. With a sharp knife make slices in the skin, inch and a half apart. Cut the rest of the lemons in wedges an put them inside the fish. Lay the fish ( sliced side up) on top of the onions, lemons, cherry tomatoes and peppers and brush the fish with a little bit of vegetable oil. Cut the garlic head in half (no need to peel) and put it on the side of the fish.  Put in an oven preheated to 400 F. After 10 minutes turn to broil and bake it for 10 more minutes, or until the color of the fish is golden brown on top. Let it rest 10 minutes before serving.

The olives

Peel the red onions and the garlic in very thin slices. Mix them in a bowl with the herbs, spices and the olive oil. Add the olives and stir well. Let it marinade couple of hours in the refrigerator (overnight will be even better). Because the olive oil will thicken in the refrigerator leave the bowl at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving so the oil goes back to normal.

Enjoy!

Stay active, eat well!