Photos by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

In Sicily, this dish would be prepared with sardines, which are abundant in the Ionian, Mediterranean and Tyrrhenian seas. Here in Massachusetts, when we think of small(-ish) oily fish that are caught locally, we think of mackerel. The rich-flavored schooling swimmers are prized for their health benefits (omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B-12, calcium, iron) and also happen to be delicious when paired with this Sicilian-style sweet and sour relish. If your net comes up empty for mackerel, bluefish filets are a nice alternative, and especially abundant in the summer. Be sure to save some of the fennel fronds for garnish.

Serves 4

FENNEL AGRODOLCE
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup sliced almonds
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
½ medium red onion, finely diced
1 medium bulb fennel, trimmed and diced into half-inch pieces
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted and roughly crushed with a mortar and pestle
¼ cup dried currants or golden raisins
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 lemon, peel, pith and seeds removed, pulp finely chopped

In a medium skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the sliced almonds. Toast, tossing occasionally, until golden brown. Add a generous sprinkling of salt and transfer the nuts to a small bowl. Set aside until ready to serve.

In the same skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil until the surface shimmers. Add the onion, fresh fennel and 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add the crushed fennel seeds and currants or raisins and cook for 2–3 more minutes, or until the fennel is softened and beginning to caramelize.

Add the vinegar and honey to the pan and turn down the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 3–5 minutes or until the liquid is slightly reduced and syrupy. Stir in the parsley, chopped lemon pulp and season with additional salt, if you like. Set aside until ready to serve.

MACKEREL
¼ cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
juice of 1 lemon, plus extra wedges for serving
4 whole mackerel, about ¾ to 1 pound each, cleaned, rinsed and patted dry
salt and pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. Place the mackerel in a shallow baking dish large enough to fit them in 1 layer. Pour over the olive oil mixture and flip the fish around so they are evenly coated with the marinade. Set aside for 20–30 minutes.

Prepare a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium-high and clean the grill racks with a wire brush. Once your grill is nice and hot, oil the grates and season the mackerel on both sides with salt and pepper; reserve the marinade. Grill for about 8–10 minutes per side, or until the skin is nicely charred. Brush continuously with reserved marinade during cooking so the skin does not stick. Serve topped with the fennel agrodolce, reserved toasted almonds, reserved fennel fronds and pass around the extra lemon wedges.

This recipe appeared in the Summer 2023 issue as part of a larger story, A Sicilian Summer.