Japanese
Gluten freeTai no shioyaki (salt-grilled sea bream)
A whole sea bream, salted and roasted until the skin crackles
Tai, sea bream, is the fish of good fortune in Japan, because its name echoes medetai (joyful, auspicious), and its red-pink skin is a lucky colour. A whole salt-grilled bream is the centrepiece of celebrations nationwide: the Shichi-Go-San family meal in November, first-birthday feasts and the New Year table, always served whole to show a life lived from beginning to end. Salt is the only seasoning, drawing the moisture from the skin so it crisps and blisters, while the white flesh underneath stays sweet and moist. Serve with sekihan, a wedge of sudachi or lemon and grated daikon. Chef's tip: pack extra salt thickly onto the fins and tail before cooking; this decorative salt keeps them from burning, so the fish looks as fine as it tastes.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 230 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 whole sea breamabout 900 g to 1 kg, scaled and gutted
- 2 tsp fine sea saltfor the body
- 2 tbsp coarse sea saltfor the fins and tail
- 1 tsp neutral oilfor the tray
To serve
- 5 ½ oz daikonfinely grated
- 1 sudachi or lemoncut into wedges
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Rinse 1 whole sea bream inside and out under cold running water, checking for any stray scales near the fins, and pat it very dry, including the cavity.
4 minStep 2: Make two shallow diagonal cuts, about 5 mm deep, through the skin on each side at the thickest part, so the heat reaches the centre evenly.
2 minStep 3: Sprinkle 2 tsp fine sea salt evenly over both sides and inside the cavity from about 30 cm above, for an even coating, and leave on a plate in the fridge for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 425°F (400°F fan) and line a tray with oiled foil using 1 tsp neutral oil. Pat off the moisture that has drawn out of the fish. Common mistake: skipping this. The wet skin steams and sticks instead of crisping.
3 minStep 5: Rub 2 tbsp coarse sea salt thickly onto the fins and tail, so they are coated white, and lay the fish on the tray.
2 minStep 6: Roast for 20–25 minutes, then check at the thickest point by the backbone: the flesh should be white and opaque all the way through and lift easily off the bone with a knife tip (145°F on a probe). Give it 5 more minutes if it is still translucent.
23 minStep 7: If you like the skin more golden, finish under a hot grill for 2–3 minutes, watching it closely, until it blisters in spots.
3 minStep 8: Lift onto a long platter, head to the left and belly towards you as is customary, and serve whole with a mound of 5 ½ oz daikon and 1 sudachi or lemon. Lift the top fillet off the bone at the table, then remove the backbone to reach the lower fillet.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tai no shioyaki (salt-grilled sea bream) take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sudachi or lemon?
- Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).
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