UntrainedChef
Pan-Fried Mackerel with Spinach and Sugar Snap Peas - fish, seafood recipe

Pan-Fried Mackerel with Spinach and Sugar Snap Peas

30 min
2 portions

Summer on a plate. Fresh mackerel cooks fast and tastes incredible with wilted greens.

Instructions

  1. 1

    Score the skin of the mackerel fillets a couple of times. Heat a pan and add just over half the butter — when it stops foaming, it's hot enough. Lay the fillets in skin-side up and fry for 2–3 minutes, then flip and cook through. Leave them resting in the pan while you do the vegetables.

  2. 2

    Slice the spring onion and sugar snap peas thinly on the diagonal. Chop the dill.

  3. 3

    Heat another pan and add the remaining butter, then throw in the spinach, spring onion, and sugar snap peas. Fry until they just start to wilt. Season with a little salt and pepper, then scatter the dill over the top.

Per average serving

83
Calories
kcal
0.3
Protein
g
0.4
Carbs
g
9.2
Fat
g
0.1g
Fiber
0g
Sugar
5mg
Sodium

Tips from the kitchen

  • Scoring the skin is what stops the fillet from curling up in the pan. Two or three shallow cuts across the skin, not deep into the flesh, and it'll lie flat the whole time.
  • Wait until the butter stops foaming before you add the fish. If you put it in too early, the skin steams instead of crisping. You want that sizzle the moment it hits the pan.
  • The fillets keep cooking after you flip them, so pull them off the heat a little earlier than you think. Mackerel goes from done to dry fast. If the flesh flakes when you press it gently, it's ready.
  • Do the vegetables while the fish is resting in the pan. Spinach wilts in about a minute, and the sugar snaps should still have a little bite. Don't walk away from that second pan.

Ways to vary it

  • Swap the dill for flat-leaf parsley or tarragon if that's what you have. Both work well with mackerel.
  • A squeeze of lemon over the fish just before serving is a nice addition if you have one sitting around. Doesn't change the dish, just brightens it a bit.
  • You could use trout fillets instead of mackerel. The cooking time is roughly the same, and the greens work just as well alongside it.

Storage & leftovers

The fish keeps in the fridge for up to two days, though the skin won't be crispy anymore. Reheat it gently in a pan with a small knob of butter rather than the microwave, which tends to make it rubbery. The greens are best eaten the same day.

What to serve with it

Some boiled new potatoes on the side make this a proper meal. A cold glass of dry white wine doesn't hurt either.

UC
By Untrained ChefPublished 4 July 2026

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