Steamed Mackerel with Lemon-Pepper Sauce

"You're going to have a baby brother!" -Grandma

...Grandma tells a four-year-old Sis, who is trying to convince her that she's actually going to have a baby sister. "Mom said the doctor said it was a sister," she stated matter-of-factly. But no, Grandma could not be swayed. She felt in her heart that her eldest son, a.k.a. Dad, was to have a son and that the doctors had no idea what they were talking about. Nonsense really, compared to the "gut feeling" of a Grandma. Spoiler alert: she was wrong. 

She couldn't even look at me for the longest time, but she was the grandma that I grew up with. I wasn't on her hate list—which definitely existed—but I was never a favorite. That spot remained firmly in place for Sis when it turned out the doctors were right. I don't have the same fond memories she recalls of Grandma. We experienced two different sides of the same woman. In the eye of Sis, Grandma was loving, warm, and generous, but to me she was rigid, cold, and frightening.

But despite her questionable beliefs, no one could cook like Grandma—she had a talent for food. No matter how well you knew the recipe, no one could replicate her dishes. A favorite she made for her family and later taught Mom was steamed mackerel with lemon pepper sauce. No where else in China do they eat mackerel in quite the same way as the small village where Grandma was raised. The dish is exactly as it sounds. You steam the mackerel, leaving the fish with all of its natural, fatty goodness, which is then dipped in a very simple sauce that—when combined with the mackerel—creates a beautiful, umami-rich bite.

Grandma passed away a year ago after a long, happy life. Her funeral didn't bring sadness as much as it did joy for what she has done and how far she has brought her family.

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Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 15 mins

INGREDIENTS (FOR 3)

1 whole mackerel

1 tbsp olive oil

2 lemons, juiced

1 tsp peppercorn, ground

1/8 cup white vinegar

1 Thai chili pepper*

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

*Any hot pepper will do.

PREPARE

1. Chop mackerel into three to four pieces and toss with olive oil. Set into steamer. 

COOK

1. Bring a pot of water to boil.

2. Place the steamer with fish into water when it's at a rolling boil. Set the timer for eight minutes. 

3. Mix together lemon juice, ground peppercorn, white vinegar, chili pepper, minced garlic, salt, and sugar.

4. Check on the fish. If the eyes look plump then it's ready. If not, continue cooking for two minutes. 

EAT

Serve it with a side of rice and veggie of choice. Luckily mackerel doesn't have too many bones, so you can pry off the spine and dip each bite into the prepared lemon-pepper sauce. Enjoy!