[Charcoal Cooking] It was the best when I grilled a charcoal mackerel sandwich using the BBQ grill from Cainz on a hot summer day.

Having the "BBQ Grill Large" from Cainz at hand makes you want to cook over charcoal. On this day, while testing the grill with salted mackerel, I took on the challenge of making a charcoal grilled mackerel sandwich, perfect for summer. Will it turn out delicious?

I'll try making mackerel sandwiches using the grill net I bought for camping

I had purchased a "BBQ Grilled Net Large" from Cainz for grilling dried fish at camp. Since you can sandwich the ingredients and grill them with the net, you can flip the fish without having to grab it. Because it can be grilled without breaking even with raw fish, I thought, "Maybe I can grill mackerel?", so I decided to make mackerel sandwiches.

The basic ingredients for mackerel sandwiches (the quantities are as shown in the image above) are as follows.

・Salted mackerel
・French bread
・Sliced onion
・Cut lettuce
・Lemon
・Salt (to taste)

By the way, it seems that mackerel sandwiches are a Turkish specialty. The dish is made by sandwiching lettuce, sliced onion, and mackerel between French bread and seasoning it with lemon and salt, and since it requires almost no preparation, the cooking seems simple.

It seems to be basic to use plenty of sliced onion, so I tried soaking it in water to remove the pungency. After draining it in a colander, I dried it thoroughly with paper towels. If you prefer spicy onions, you might skip this step.

Let's try grilling mackerel with the finest binchotan charcoal.

I will grill mackerel using charcoal grills and high-quality Binchotan charcoal from Miyazaki Prefecture. This charcoal was too long to fit in the fire starter, so I placed it on the grill and lit it, and it heated evenly. However, upon later inspection, it seemed that it might have overheated, causing the grill to warp, so I do not recommend this method.

Once the fire is ready and the charcoal has turned white, I set the salted mackerel between the grills. It was a midsummer day and I was dripping with sweat. However, I feel like the mackerel sandwich, a famous dish from Turkey's mild Mediterranean climate, would be perfect on such a hot day.

Even when managing the fish at high temperatures, the grill provides peace of mind.

The strong heat from the Binchotan charcoal causes the fat from the salted mackerel to drip more and more, creating a sizzling sound. By the time there's a lot of smoke, one side is thoroughly grilled, and the other side is nearing completion as well. Since the salted mackerel is small, its position shifts on the grill, but it was very good that I could easily check if it was burning. The experience of using the grill was good, and it turned out to be the perfect item for grilling fresh fish and dried fish, just as I expected.

Since it is a full grill, I was able to toast French bread in the empty space while grilling the salted mackerel. This usage is a bit improvised, but I am excited to think of many other potential uses.

Now that the salted mackerel and French bread are done grilling, I will finish them up.

Grilled charcoal saba sandwich on a hot summer day is extremely delicious

I tried putting cut lettuce, sliced onions, and salted saba on a French baguette, and it turned out like the image above. Even though it was my first time making it, it turned out really well! Since the salted saba seemed to have enough salt, I didn't add extra. I'll drizzle a lot of lemon on it.

Thanks to the charcoal grill, the salted saba is crispy and has a smoky flavor added. The fat has dripped off the grill, so there is no unpleasant smell, and it's very easy to eat! The match of fresh onions and plenty of lemon is a refreshing taste, making it a really good combination. It's no wonder that this flavor has become a specialty in Turkey.

I also recommend changing the flavor with pickles or mayonnaise

I heard that pickles are often paired with it in Turkey, so I tried adding some homemade pickles I made earlier. It adds a different acidity and flavor than lemon, giving it a refreshing feel. I tried putting it in the sandwich, but it felt a bit off. It seems like it would be better to eat these homemade pickles separately.

What was great as an arrangement was the mayonnaise. It may seem like a heavy addition, but it masked the smell of the salted mackerel, resulting in a flavor that felt completely natural. I recommend adding it when you get tired of the taste as you continue eating.

Thanks to the BBQ grill I bought at Cainz, I was able to eat a mackerel sandwich for the first time. Having this makes you feel like, "Let's cook over charcoal!" so it's an item that I think was worth buying. Since it's the season for outdoor cooking, how about trying charcoal grilled mackerel sandwiches in the peak of summer?

Interview and text by Kazuma Tanaka

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