Head To Tail Mackerel
One fish, four dishes. Chef Bobo Catoe maximizes his mackerel at Alewife.
No fish parts left behind! When Rising Star Chef Bobo Catoe breaks down a Spanish mackerel, he uses as much of the fish as he can. Although this mackerel spread isn’t on the Alewife menu as one big set, guests can typically find bones, heads, fillets, and tails popping up as appetizers and entrées. A Where’s Waldo of mackerel, if you will. Here’s what’s on the platter (starting clockwise):
Mackerel fillet that’s dried then grilled skin-side down for crunch, accompanied by a citrus salad
Schofield Farms shiitake mushroom and roasted turnip skewer, coated with foie gras vinaigrette. We know, we know—there isn’t mackerel in this one. But it is grilled right next to the mackerel on the binchotan!
A side of bamboo sticky rice
Black-garlic-glazed grilled mackerel tails. “Mackerel tails are probably my favorite part of the whole thing because there’s more richness from the gelatin,” says Catoe.
Mackerel fish head topped with a super herbal and citrusy tonnato that cuts through the fish’s collagen-packed fattiness
Breaded and fried mackerel rib cage covered in nori mayonnaise
photo: will blunt
