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Saba Misoni (Mackerel Simmered in Miso)
Serves 2 · About 30 min
Fish simmered with ginger and miso, with a slightly sweet taste. You can make it in a frying pan too.
① Prep the mackerel→② Boil the broth→③ Simmer the mackerel→④ Add more miso and cook down→⑤ Serve
What to buy
Fish
Vegetables
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How to make it
1
Pour boiling water over the mackerel
- Make 1 shallow cut in the skin of the mackerel with a knife (this keeps the skin from splitting)
- Put the mackerel in a colander and pour boiling water (about 1 kettleful) over both sides
- Pat them dry with paper towels
- Thinly slice the ginger with the skin on
How to tell it's doneThe surface of the mackerel has turned slightly white. This reduces the fishy smell.
Be carefulYou're using boiling water, so put the colander in the sink before pouring.
2
Boil the broth
- Put 150 ml water, 50 ml sake, 1 1/2 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp mirin in a frying pan (or shallow pot)
- Add 1 tbsp miso (half of it) and dissolve it with cooking chopsticks
- Add the sliced ginger and put over medium heat
How to tell it's doneWhen it starts bubbling at the edges, go to the next step.
3
Add the mackerel and simmer with a drop lid
- Lay the mackerel skin-side up so the pieces don't overlap
- Crumple aluminum foil into a circle a little smaller than the pan, poke 1 hole in the middle, and lay it right on top of the mackerel (a drop lid)
- Simmer over medium-low heat. Once or twice along the way, lift the foil and spoon the sauce over the mackerel
- Don't flip the mackerel (it will fall apart)
How to tell it's donePut cooking chopsticks into the thickest part and open it a little: it's white and not see-through all the way through. If any part is see-through, simmer 2–3 min more.
4
Add the rest of the miso and cook down the sauce
- Take off the drop lid
- Put the remaining 1 tbsp miso in a small bowl, add about 2 tbsp of the sauce from the pan to dissolve it, and pour it back into the pan
- Cook it down while spooning the sauce over the mackerel the whole time
How to tell it's doneThe sauce has gone down to about half of what it was, the bubbles are bigger, and it's thick.
Be carefulAfter adding the miso, it burns easily. Don't leave the pan during this time.
5
Serve
- Put the mackerel skin-side up in a dish (a spatula helps keep it from breaking)
- Pour the sauce over it and put the ginger on top
ReadyServe with rice.
📚 Learn more about this dish
🥬 Ingredient guide
🔪 Cutting & cooking tips
If it didn't work out
It smells fishyYou skipped the boiling water in step 1, or didn't pat it dry. Next time, always pour boiling water over it. You can also add a little more ginger.
The fish fell apartYou moved or flipped the mackerel while it simmered. Next time, once it's skin-side up, don't touch it until the end.
The sauce burnedThe heat was too high in step 4, or you looked away. This time, add 2 tbsp water to thin it.
It's too salty / too blandIf it's too strong, add water 1 tbsp at a time and reheat. If it's bland, cook it down a little more in step 4.
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