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Saba no misoni
Mackerel simmered in miso
Saba no misoni (鯖の味噌煮): mackerel fillets simmered in ginger, sake and miso
Saba no misoni is a fixture of the set lunches in Tokyo's office districts and a weeknight dinner in homes across Japan: mackerel fillets simmered in a sweet, thick sauce of miso, sake, sugar and plenty of ginger, which mellows the rich, oily fish. It is served with rice, miso soup and a green vegetable. Mackerel is high in omega-3 fats, so it is filling rather than light. A portion is about 330 kcal. Sake contains alcohol but it is simmered off; the note gives an alcohol-free swap. The most common mistake is adding the miso at the start and boiling it hard, which makes it grainy and dull; dissolve it in once the fish is nearly cooked. Chef's tip: pour boiling water over the fillets before simmering (shimofuri); it firms the skin and removes the fishy smell.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 4 mackerel filletsskin on, about 100 g each, scored with a cross on the skin
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup sakecontains alcohol; or 100 ml water and 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 ½ tbsp sugar
- 1 ⅝ in fresh gingerhalf thinly sliced, half cut into fine strips
- 3 tbsp red or mixed miso
- 1 tbsp mirincontains alcohol; or 1 tsp sugar
- 1 spring onion (optional)cut into fine strips
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 4 mackerel fillets in a sieve skin side up and pour boiling water over it until the skin turns white. Rinse under cold water and pat dry.
2 minStep 2: In a wide pan, bring ¾ cup water, ½ cup sake, 1 ½ tbsp sugar and the sliced ¾ in fresh ginger to the boil and boil for 1 minute to cook off the alcohol.
3 minStep 3: Lay in the fillets skin side up in one layer. Spoon the liquid over, lay a small lid or a circle of baking paper on top and simmer on a medium-low heat for 8 minutes.
8 minStep 4: Mix 3 tbsp red or mixed miso with a ladle of the hot broth until smooth and pour it around the fish. Add 1 tbsp mirin. Simmer uncovered for 5–6 minutes, spooning the sauce over, until it is thick and glossy and the fish is opaque and flakes easily.
6 minStep 5: Serve with the sauce spooned over and topped with the shredded ¾ in fresh ginger and 1 spring onion.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does saba no misoni take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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