Yuan-yaki Spanish Mackerel (Yuzu-Soy Marinated Sawara)

Name: Yuan-yaki Spanish Mackerel (Yuzu-Soy Marinated Sawara)
Total time: 50 min
Yield: Serves 2
Ingredients: Spanish mackerel (sawara) fillets 2 fillets; Yuzu (Japanese citrus) 1; Soy sauce 2 tbsp; Mirin (sweet rice seasoning) 2 tbsp; Sake (Japanese rice wine) 2 tbsp; Plastic wrap As needed; Parchment paper for frying pans 1; Paper towels 3–4 sheets

🥗 Lighter 💪 If you exercise

Serves 2 · About 50 min (30 min of this is just marinating in the fridge)
Fish marinated in soy sauce, mirin and sake with slices of yuzu, then cooked. A grilled fish with the scent of yuzu.

① Make the dressing→② Marinate the fish→③ Pat dry→④ Line the pan and cook→⑤ Add yuzu on the side

What to buy

Fish

Spanish mackerel (sawara) fillets2 fillets

Vegetables & fruit

Yuzu (Japanese citrus)If you don't have it, 1/2 lemon is OK1

Check what you already have

Soy sauce2 tbspMirin (sweet rice seasoning)2 tbspSake (Japanese rice wine)2 tbspPlastic wrapAs neededParchment paper for frying pans1Paper towels3–4 sheets

Tap an item to check it off (checks clear when you close the page).

How to make it

Cut the yuzu and make the marinade

About 3 min

Wash the yuzu, pat dry, and on the cutting board cut half of it into 4 rounds 5 mm thick (remove the seeds)
Cut the rest of the yuzu into 2 wedges for serving
Mix 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin and 2 tbsp sake in a tray and add the yuzu rounds

How to tell it's doneThe marinade and yuzu rounds are in the tray.

Marinate the fish

In the fridge: 30 min

Pat the fish dry with paper towels
Put it in the marinade and place the yuzu rounds on top
Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 30 min (up to 1 hr). Flip once halfway through

How to tell it's doneThe fish has turned light brown.

Pat dry

About 1 min

Take the fish out of the marinade and remove the yuzu rounds
Lightly pat off the liquid on the surface with paper towels
Wash your hands with soap after touching the raw fish, before touching the yuzu wedges for serving

How to tell it's doneNo liquid is dripping from the fish.

Line the pan with parchment paper and cook

Medium-low heat, lid onAbout 4 min per side

Line a frying pan with parchment paper and put the fish on it skin-side up
Cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 4 min
Flip with a spatula, cover, and cook about 4 min

How to tell it's doneBoth sides are lightly browned. Put chopsticks into the thickest part and open it: if it's white and not see-through all the way through and the fish flakes apart easily, it's cooked. If any part is see-through, cook 1–2 min more.

Be carefulSoy sauce and mirin burn easily. If it starts to turn black, turn down the heat.

Plate and add yuzu on the side

1 min

Put on a plate skin-side up
Add the yuzu wedges you cut in step 1. Squeeze when eating

ReadyEat while hot. Squeezing the yuzu makes the scent stronger.

📚 Learn more about this dish

🥬 Ingredient guide

Mirin Shoyu (soy sauce)

🔪 Cutting & cooking tips

Heat levels (high, medium, low)Kushigata-giri (wedges)Wa-giri (rounds)

If it didn't work out

It burnedThe heat is too high, or you didn't pat off the liquid. Pat it dry and cook over medium-low heat.

It doesn't smell of yuzuIt wasn't marinated long enough. Marinate 30 min or more, and squeeze yuzu over it when eating too.

Too saltyMarinated too long. Next time, keep it to 1 hr at most.

The fish is dryOvercooked. Turn off the heat as soon as you see the signs in step 4.

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Made by YUU, a teen who loves cooking → About me