Grilled mackerel Godeungeo-gui 고등어구이

Hi, everybody, I’m introducing another Korean popular side dish to you today, godeungeo-gui – grilled mackerel. This salty mackerel side dish is one of the most common fish dishes in Korea. Mackerel is known as a fish that is a great source of nutrients such as good fat (omega 3 fatty acids), protein, vitamins, and minerals!

The more important reason for me to like this fish is that it’s tasty!
What else? : ) Yes, it’s also cheap!

When I lived in Korea, I used to buy a huge box of mackerel and split it with my friends. It was usual for us to meet at the wholesale fish market early in the morning to shop for fish! : ) I don’t think I can do it now, but at the time it was a good way to save  money and get very fresh mackerels during mackerel season. Besides, meeting my best friends at the market was a lot of fun.

In this video I only have 1 fish, but if you have a large family, or all your family members love mackerel, prepare several fish following my directions in the video and then wrap each piece of godeungeo in saran wrap. Keep them in the freezer and you can enjoy them for a long time.

Ingredients

1 mackerel (1¼ pound or about 600 grams), kosher salt, vegetable oil, flour.

Directions

1. Remove the guts from the fish – watch the video to see how.
2. Rinse the fish in cold water and drain.
3. Cut it in half crosswise.
4. Sprinkle 1½ tbs kosher salt evenly on both sides of each piece of fish.
   *tip: The amount of salt depends on your taste
5. Keep it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before cooking.

Now you can either pan-fry or grill.

Pan-fried mackerel:
Total cooking time: 10-12 minutes

1. Coat both sides of fish with flour.
2. Heat up the pan and add 2 tbs vegetable oil.
3. Cook the fish for 3 minutes over medium high heat, until golden brown.
4. Turn it over with a spatula and cook for 7 minutes over low heat.
5. Turn it over and cook for 1-2 more minutes before transferring it to a plate.
6. Serve with rice

Grilling:
Total cooking time 17 minutes

1. Preheat the oven and set it broil.
2. Rub some vegetable oil on both sides of the fish.
3. Broil on the bottom rack of the oven for 10-12 minutes.
4. Turn it over and cook 4-5 more minutes, until golden brown.
5. Serve with rice