One of the more elaborate dishes in Aegean and Black Sea cooking, stuffed mackerel is made by removing the flesh without tearing the skin, preparing a seasoned filling, and stuffing the skin again. The filling is enriched with hazelnuts and currants, making this a favorite meze for entertaining.
Cut off the heads of the mackerel and remove the innards. Gently tap along the back to loosen the flesh, then carefully peel off the skin without tearing it and set it aside. Keep the skin whole and do not turn it inside out.
Carefully remove every bone from the flesh, then finely chop it or mash it with a fork. Make sure no bones remain.
Sauté the grated onion in olive oil. Add the boned fish, hazelnuts, currants, and spices and stir. Remove from the heat, then stir in the parsley. Let the filling cool.
Press the cooled filling into the skins, shaping them to resemble the whole fish.
Fry the stuffed mackerel in hot oil in a skillet, turning until browned on all sides. Serve with sliced lemon.
Removing the flesh without tearing the skin takes patience; work slowly between the flesh and skin with a thin knife. Contains fish and tree nuts (hazelnuts); the hazelnuts can be omitted for anyone with a hazelnut allergy. Check carefully that all bones are removed from the fish.
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