Walking along the Bosporus in Istanbul, cookbook author Yasmin Khan recalls the iconic sight of men grilling fresh mackerel to make these sandwiches, known as Balik Ekmek. In her book, Ripe Figs: Recipes and Stories from Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus, you’ll find Khan’s interpretation of the recipe, which she says is great for feeding a crowd at picnics and cookouts. These sandwiches traditionally feature grilled mackerel (always fresh, never canned!), so if you can cook the fish outdoors over an open flame, we highly recommend doing so. Feel free to tweak the ratios of crunchy veg, but the dressing and mint are essential to cut through the mackerel’s intensity. Can’t find fresh mackerel? You can sub in snapper or black bass, but the flavor will be more mild.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 2
Ingredients
Dressing
2
2
1
½
¼
1
¼
Mackerel and assembly
2
2
2
1
1
½
Preparation
Dressing
Step 1
Whisk oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, Aleppo-style pepper, sumac, and garlic in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Let sit 5 minutes, then fish out and discard garlic. Stir in onion; let sit until ready to use.
Mackerel and assembly
Step 2
Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Season fish with salt and lightly coat flesh side with dressing. Cook fish, skin side down, until skin is browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. Turn over; cook until flesh side is browned and fish is just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Step 3
Drizzle cut sides of rolls with oil. Divide fish among bottom halves and top with tomato; season with salt. Add arugula, carrot, and mint to dressing and toss to coat. Mound on top of tomato; close up sandwiches.