Mackerel fillet in white wine

Mackerel fillets in white wine from la belle-iloise, completely oil-free

Mackerel fillets in white wine from la belle-iloise are served in a clear marinade of wine, vinegar, and vegetables, without any added oil. Lemon, onion, carrot, cornichon, and capers provide seasoning, while the fish itself provides the fat.

Mackerel fillets in white wine are an oil-free canned fish product from la belle-iloise in Quiberon, Brittany. Inside the tin, skinless fillets rest in a marinade of white wine, spirit vinegar, and white wine vinegar, accompanied by slices of carrot and onion, lemon, cornichons, and capers.

Acidity, vegetables, and natural fat content

The mackerel is a fatty fish, and it is precisely this fat that takes on the role played by olive oil in other recipes. As a result, the dish feels light without being dry.

The wine provides freshness, the two vinegars sharpen the acidity, and the carrot and onion add a subtle sweetness underneath. Cornichons and capers provide the salty highlights on top.

Lemon slices are included in the broth, releasing oils from their zest over the weeks. The result tastes brighter than any recipe using only oil and salt.

The vegetables are meant to be eaten as well, as the carrots and onions soften while cooking in the sealed container, having absorbed the acidity. This makes the tin a ready-to-eat appetizer that only requires bread.

Canned fish for the buffet and picnic basket

Served chilled from the refrigerator, the la belle-iloise marinade is at its freshest, and all it needs is a slice of baguette on the side.

It works as a cold starter for a summer buffet, and it can handle being in a picnic basket without refrigeration. In a quick potato salad, the marinade and vegetable bits act as the dressing, leaving you with only herbs to add.

Placed on a cracker with a little cream cheese, it becomes a perfect appetizer bite. A glass of the same dry white wine used in the marinade is the obvious pairing.

Capers, buds from the Mediterranean

Capers are the unopened flower buds of a shrub that grows on dry walls and rocks around the Mediterranean, thriving in sparse soil.

They are picked by hand at dawn before the sun makes them bloom, then matured in salt or brine. This is when the tart, mustard-like note develops, which the fresh bud does not yet possess. The smaller the bud, the finer the flavor.

In this tin, they meet a fish from the cold Atlantic, and this span between south and north creates the recipe's unique appeal. At la belle-iloise, the mackerel are landed in season, filleted by hand, and tinned on the same day. The fish travel in large schools off the Breton coast and spoil faster than almost any other, which is why this speed is an essential part of the recipe.

The broth is added only afterwards, and everything cooks slowly together until the wine has been absorbed and the fillets have retained their shape.

Light through the summer, straight from your pantry

Unopened, the tin will keep for years in your cupboard; once opened, keep any leftovers covered in the fridge and eat within two days. Further tinned fish can be found alongside it, and the entire la belle-iloise assortment is available in our selection from Quiberon.