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Saba Tatsuta-age (Fried Marinated Mackerel)
Serves 2 · About 45 min (20 min of this is just letting it soak)
Mackerel marinated in soy sauce and ginger, coated with potato starch and shallow-fried. Still tasty when cold, so it's good for bento too.
① Cut the mackerel→② Marinate→③ Coat with potato starch→④ Shallow-fry→⑤ Drain the oil
What to buy
Fish
Seasonings
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How to make it
1
Cut the mackerel
- Put the mackerel skin-side down on the cutting board
- Run your finger over the flesh, and pull out any hard bones that are left
- Cut into 3 cm wide pieces (5–6 pieces from each)
How to tell it's doneAll pieces are about the same size.
2
Marinate
- Mix 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sake and 1 tsp ginger in a bowl
- Add the mackerel, coat it all over, cover with plastic wrap, and put in the fridge for 20 min
How to tell it's doneThe fish has turned light brown.
3
Pat dry and coat with potato starch
- Take the mackerel out of the marinade and pat off the liquid with paper towels
- Spread 4 tbsp potato starch on a tray or plate, add the mackerel and coat all over
How to tell it's doneThe mackerel is covered all over with white powder.
Be carefulIf liquid is left on, the coating gets sticky and the oil splatters when you fry.
4
Shallow-fry
- Put vegetable oil 1 cm deep (about 300 ml) in a frying pan and heat over medium heat for about 3 min
- Check the temperature with dry chopsticks (you can add the fish when it looks like the 'How to tell' note below)
- Lay the mackerel skin-side down with space between pieces. If they don't all fit, fry in 2 batches
- Fry about 2 min without touching. When crispy, flip and fry about 2 min
How to tell the oil temperature, and when it's done fryingWhen you touch the tip of dry cooking chopsticks to the bottom of the oil, small bubbles keep fizzing up (about 170°C). If no bubbles come up, it's still too cool. If big bubbles rush up and it smokes, it's too hot, so turn down the heat.
When fried, the outside is crispy and deep golden brown. Break the biggest piece open with chopsticks: it's white and not see-through all the way through.
When fried, the outside is crispy and deep golden brown. Break the biggest piece open with chopsticks: it's white and not see-through all the way through.
Be carefulThe oil is very hot. Do not leave the pan while frying. If water is left on the fish, the oil splatters, so slide it in gently, from the near side away from you.
5
Drain the oil and serve
- Put the fried mackerel on a rack or a plate lined with paper towels to drain the oil
- When everything is fried, turn off the heat and put on a plate
ReadyNo oil is pooling under the mackerel.
Be carefulDo not move the used oil while it is hot. Clean up after it has cooled completely.
📚 Learn more about this dish
🥬 Ingredient guide
🔪 Cutting & cooking tips
If it didn't work out
The coating is soggyYou didn't pat off the liquid in step 3, or the oil wasn't hot enough. Next time, pat dry well before coating, and add the fish once the bubbles are fizzing.
The outside burned blackIt has soy sauce in it, so it burns fast if the oil is too hot. Next time, keep it at medium heat and watch the bubbles.
The flavor is weakIt wasn't marinated long enough in step 2. Next time, give it the full 20 min.
The coating came offYou moved it around many times while frying. Next time, wait 2 min on each side without touching.
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