Simmered Miso Mackerel (Saba no Misoni)
Saba No Misoni is a classic Japanese fish dish made with mackerel fillets simmered in a delicious broth flavored with miso. The mackerel is tender and flavorful, it's simple to make and goes perfectly with rice and pickles.
- Prep time
- 5 min
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2-4 mackerel fillets (depending on the size)
- water (freshly boiled and ice cold for cleaning)
- 150 ml water (for cooking)
- 150 ml sake
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 20 g ginger root (sliced)
- 2 tbsp yellow miso paste (awase)
- 2 tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
- 50 g Japanese leek (naganegi) (cut into 5cm pieces)
- 6 shishito peppers (optional)
Instructions
- 1
First, score 2-4 mackerel fillets with a cross on the skin side, about 2mm deep. The cut should pierce through the skin and lightly cut the flesh inside.
- 2
Place the scored mackerel into a heatproof bowl and set a bowl of ice cold water next to it. Pour freshly boiled water over the top of the mackerel and wait for 10 seconds.
- 3
Use tongs to transfer them immediately to the ice cold water and rub the surface to clean them.
- 4
Remove them from the water and pat them dry with a paper towel.
- 5
Take a large pan (big enough for the mackerel) and add 150 ml water, 150 ml sake, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sugar and 20 g ginger root. Bring to a boil over a medium heat.
- 6
Once the liquid is boiling, lower the heat to simmer and place the mackerel into the pan with the skin side facing up.
- 7
Spoon the cooking liquid over the skin of the mackerel for about 1-2 minutes and then place a drop lid on top. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- 8
Take a small bowl and add 2 tbsp yellow miso paste (awase), 2 tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu) and 2-3 tbsp of hot cooking liquid from the pan. Mix well, you should have a loose miso mixture. (If it's too thick, add more liquid from the pan.)
- 9
Remove the drop lid and add 50 g Japanese leek (naganegi) and 6 shishito peppers. Pour the miso mixture around the pan.
- 10
Continue to simmer without a lid until the liquid is reduced by half. Spoon the cooking liquid over the mackerel from time to time to stop it from drying out.
- 11
Transfer the mackerel to serving plates with the spring onion and shishito peppers. Pour a generous drizzle of the sauce and garnish with some finely sliced ginger from the pan. Serve with rice, miso soup, and pickles!