Description
A simple sandwich of savory grilled mackerel fillets with onions and lettuce in a French-style bread, famously known as the 'Mackerel Sandwich' in Istanbul.
Restaurants serving Balık Ekmek
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Mackerel fillets
- Bread(Ekmek)
- Onion
- Lettuce
- Lemon
- Salt
Instructions
- Fillet fresh mackerel and carefully remove bones (using raw, not salted, mackerel is key). Heat a little olive oil on a griddle or pan and grill the mackerel skin-side down until golden and fragrant. Sprinkle with salt while grilling. Cut Turkish baguette-style bread (ekmek) horizontally and lightly press the inside onto the griddle to absorb some fish fat. Stuff the freshly grilled mackerel, sliced onions, and lettuce into the bread. The seasoning is extremely simple: just salt and lemon juice.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Simplicity of just salt and lemon
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Raw mackerel fillets, Baguette
Pairing
Pickle Juice(Şalgam Suyu)
Trivia
[For Everyone] Well-known in Japan as 'Saba Sandwich', but the local rough saltiness and simple lemon flavor are exceptional. A tourist staple around the Galata Bridge.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Buy it from a rocking boat stall on the Bosphorus, and bite into it using the intensely sour and salty 'red pickle juice' as a chaser!
Allergen
Wheat, Seafood