Miso-Glazed Mackerel with Young Sakura Hijiki
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Enhance your favorite miso-glazed fish dish, whether it's mackerel or Spanish mackerel, with the popular "Young Sakura Hijiki" for a sophisticated and flavorful plate.
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Ingredients (for 2 people):
- Young Sakura Hijiki (before desalting/reconstituting): 60g / 6g
- Mackerel: Half fillet (2 bone-in pieces)
- Ginger: 4 slices
- Sake: 60cc
- Mirin: 40cc
- Sugar: 1.5 tbsp
- Soy sauce: 1 tbsp
- Water: 140cc
- Miso: 2 heaping tbsp (approx. 60g)
How to:
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Rinse the young hijiki a couple of times, then soak in water for about 5 minutes to desalt it after rinsing off the salt. For Dried Hijiki, soak it in water for 6 minutes.
- [Mackerel preparation] Score the skin of the mackerel shallowly at an angle to prevent the skin from peeling off and to allow the heat to penetrate better. Place the mackerel in a tray.
- Pour near-boiling water over the mackerel to remove any fishy smell and blood. Quickly drain and clean the mackerel with chopsticks, then rinse under cold water.
- Pat the mackerel dry with paper towels. Slice the ginger thinly with the skin on.
- In a pot large enough to fit the mackerel, add the ginger, sake, mirin, sugar, soy sauce, and water. Bring to a boil.
- Place the mackerel in the pot, skin side up, and spoon the simmering sauce over the fish. Skim off any foam that forms. Cover with a drop lid (otoshibuta) and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix the miso with about one ladleful of the simmering liquid from the pot to dissolve the miso. Turn off the heat under the pot.
- Remove the drop lid and pour the miso mixture back into the pot. Bring it back to a gentle boil over medium heat, spooning the sauce over the fish. Simmer for about 3 minutes
- (Optional) Let the fish sit in the sauce off the heat for about an hour to allow the flavors to meld.
- Gently reheat and reduce the sauce to a slightly thick consistency over low heat.
- Transfer the mackerel to serving plates, spoon the sauce over the top, and garnish with well-drained young hijiki. Add julienned ginger if desired.