Balik Ekmek

Balık Ekmek (Turkish Grilled Mackerel Sandwich)

The iconic Istanbul street sandwich: a whole mackerel fillet grilled over charcoal, tucked into a split bread roll with raw onion, lettuce, tomato and a hard squeeze of lemon. Best made outdoors on a grill for the smoky flavour the dish is known for.

Prep

25 min

Cook

12 min

Total

37 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •4 whole mackerel fillets, skin on, about 150 g each; ask your fishmonger to fillet and pin-bone them
• •4 whole crusty bread rolls or half baguettes, Turkish somun or a small ciabatta works well
• •1 medium white or red onion, very thinly sliced
• •4 leaves lettuce, cos or iceberg, shredded
• •2 whole ripe tomatoes, sliced
• •2 whole lemons, 1 cut into wedges, 1 for juicing
• •1 tsp sumac, optional, for sprinkling over the onion
• •1 tsp salt, plus more for seasoning the fish
• •2 tbsp olive oil, for brushing the fish
• •1 pinch black pepper, optional

Steps

1. 1 Pat the mackerel fillets dry with kitchen paper. Brush both sides lightly with olive oil and season with salt and a pinch of pepper. Let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes while you prepare the salad.
2. 2 Toss the sliced onion with the juice of half a lemon, a pinch of salt and the sumac (if using). This lightly 'cooks' the raw onion and takes away some of its harsh bite.
3. 3 Preheat a charcoal or gas grill to medium-high heat (about 200°C / 400°F). Oil the grates well to prevent sticking.
4. 4 Grill the mackerel fillets skin-side down first, without moving them, for 4–5 minutes. The skin should release easily from the grate and be crisp and lightly charred.
5. 5 Carefully flip the fillets and grill for a further 3–4 minutes, until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily when pressed with a fork. The internal temperature should reach 63°C / 145°F at the thickest part.
6. 6 While the fish cooks, split the bread rolls and warm them briefly on the grill cut-side down, about 30 seconds, until lightly toasted.
7. 7 Assemble: lay a lettuce leaf in each roll, add a few tomato slices, then place the grilled mackerel fillet on top. Spoon over the sumac onions.
8. 8 Squeeze a lemon wedge generously over each sandwich, add another pinch of salt if needed, and serve immediately while the fish is hot and the bread crisp.