Baked mackerel stuffed with cheese

Rinse the mackerel (1 piece). Pat dry with paper towels. Make a cut along the belly. Remove the insides and thoroughly rinse the cavity. Cut off the head. If desired, remove the tail.

Place the fish with the back side up. Make a deep longitudinal cut along the spine from head to tail.

Open the fish like a book. Use your fingers to separate the meat from the spine on one side. Lift the spine at the base of the head. Pull it towards the tail, using a knife to help cut the meat along the bones.

Remove the rib bones by slicing them off in thin layers. Use tweezers to remove small bones. Leave two fillets connected by the skin.

If it’s difficult to extract the spine, split the fish into two fillets and remove the bones separately.

In a bowl, mix feta cheese (50 g), mustard (1 tsp), minced garlic (5 g), lemon juice (5 g), and dill (10 g). Mash into a paste.

Spread the filling on one fillet. Cover with the second fillet. Lightly press down and shape into a whole fish. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the fish belly side down. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bake at 180–190 °C for 15–18 minutes until cooked through. Serve hot or warm. If desired, drizzle with lemon juice.