Butterfish

Its pearly white flesh literally melts in your mouth: butterfish has truly earned its name. Find out in our product information which species is behind the term and discover the culinary versatility of this maritime delicacy.

Interesting facts about butterfish

What you get in the shops in this country as butterfish is actually snake mackerel. How did it get its alternative name? Thanks to its high fat content of up to eighteen percent, the snake mackerel is known as “oilfish” in the English area. A term that became “Butterfisch” in Germany.

Under this name, the deep-sea fish caught wild in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and Pacific has become increasingly popular in recent years. No wonder: the firm yet tender meat is practically boneless and, thanks to the high fat content, has a particularly fine, almost sweet aroma. For comparison: carp has only five percent fat.

Purchasing and storage

Butterfish is always wild caught. Therefore, when buying, look for special environmental seals that indicate responsible capture, such as the MSC seal.

The delicacy is available in stores as raw fillets or as smoked butterfish. The latter, like smoked salmon, can be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days.

Cooking tips for butterfish

There are many ways you can cook butterfish – and correspondingly countless butterfish recipes. Smoked butterfish is particularly popular. Enjoy it as a snack on its own or on a piece of bread. Roasted or grilled butterfish fillets are best served with parsley potatoes, a green salad, or all kinds of steamed vegetables. In this cooked form, mackerel is also ideal as a fish during pregnancy. Incidentally, the fatty meat also tolerates strong, spicy notes well. So feel free to season butterfish with chili or horseradish. Butterfish is also ideal for homemade sushi thanks to its slightly sweet taste and soft consistency.

Good to know: Sensitive stomachs can react to the fat content of butterfish with intolerance – but this usually only applies if large quantities are consumed.