Grilled skin-on mackerel with lettuce and sliced onion in crusty bread, with a lemon wedge beside it

Last updated: 18 October 2026

Fish Sandwich

Name: Fish Sandwich
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 4 Mackerel fillets (Atlantic, skin-on), pin bones removed, 5 oz each; 1 tbsp Olive oil; Table salt, to taste; Pepper (black), to taste; 4 Bread rolls (crusty), 3 ½ oz each, split lengthways; 1 Onion (medium), thinly sliced; 1 tsp Sumac (ground) (optional); 3 oz Lettuce, washed, dried and shredded; 1 Lemon, cut into wedges

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Balık ekmek

Hot mackerel in crusty bread with crisp lettuce, sliced onion, lemon and optional sumac.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 10 min
Rest: 0
Total: 25 min
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Equipment

Use a griddle or heavy frying pan with enough room to keep the fillets apart, and a food thermometer. A smaller pan requires additional batches.

Method

Prepare the onion, lettuce and lemon on a clean board before handling the raw fish. Toss the sliced onion with the sumac, if using. Split the bread and keep the fillings ready.
Püf noktası · Kitchen tip
- Preparation & Knife Skills
  Slicing evenly
  Make slices of a similar thickness with a steady board, a curled guiding hand and a controlled cutting motion.
Check each fillet carefully for pin bones and remove any you find. Pat dry, brush with the olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Wash your hands and clean the board and utensils after handling raw fish.
Püf noktası · Kitchen tip
- Preparation & Knife Skills
  Filleting fish
  Follow the bones to lift two intact fillets from a round fish, then check carefully for the small bones left behind.
Heat a griddle or heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Lay the fillets skin-side down with room between them, pressing gently with a spatula for the first few seconds to keep the skin flat. Start checking after 4 minutes, then turn and cook for another 2–3 minutes, or longer as needed. Check the thickest part reaches 145°F with a food thermometer. Lower the heat if the outside browns before the center is done. Cook in batches if necessary.
The fish reaches 145°F in its thickest part and separates easily into flakes.
Briefly warm the cut sides of the bread in a clean pan or on a clean part of the griddle. Divide the lettuce and onion between the rolls, add a hot fillet to each, and squeeze lemon over the fish to taste. Serve immediately; assemble each batch as its fish finishes.

Cooking guidance

Use raw, thawed Atlantic mackerel fillets, not smoked or canned fish. Keep chilled until preparation. Fillet thickness determines the final cooking time.

Keep the same fillet size when increasing servings. Add batches rather than crowding the pan; the cooking time per fillet does not double.

Check the bread ingredients for additional allergens. This recipe contains fish and wheat.

Storage & serving

Best assembled and eaten immediately. Refrigerate unused cooked fish and prepared fillings separately in covered containers at 40°F or below within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F. Assemble with fresh bread at serving time.