Saba Shioyake Grilled Mackerel
Salt-grilled mackerel, a Japanese classic that lets the fish shine with minimal seasoning. Fresh mackerel fillets are simply salted and grilled until the skin crisps and the flesh turns buttery and tender.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 310
- Protein
- 32g
Ingredients
- 2 fillets (about 6 oz each) Mackerel fillets, skin-on
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ lemon, cut into wedges Lemon
- 3 tablespoons Daikon radish, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon Soy sauce
Instructions
- 1
Pat both mackerel fillets dry on all sides with paper towels, pressing gently to remove surface moisture so the skin will crisp when grilled.
- 2
Place each fillet skin-side down on a cutting board and sprinkle 0.25 teaspoon of salt evenly over the flesh side, then flip and salt the skin side the same way.
- 3
Let the salted fillets rest on the board, uncovered, for 8 minutes so the salt draws out moisture and seasons the fish deeply.
- 4
Finely grate the daikon radish on a box grater using the finest holes until you have about 3 tablespoons of shredded daikon in a small bowl.
- 5
Set the grill grates over medium-high heat and let them heat for 3 minutes until you can hold your hand above them for only 2 seconds before pulling away.
- 6
Wipe a folded paper towel lightly across the hot grill grates with tongs to clean off any debris and prevent sticking.
- 7
Place both fillets skin-side down on the grill directly over the heat and do not move them for 4 minutes until the skin turns deep bronze and sounds crispy when you gently press with the spatula.
- 8
Flip each fillet carefully with a spatula and cook flesh-side down for 2 minutes until the flesh is opaque and just barely flakes when you nudge it with a fork, then remove from heat.
- 9
Slide each fillet onto a serving plate skin-side down, positioning them so the skin-side faces up and visible.
- 10
Mound about 1.5 tablespoons of grated daikon on the side of each fillet and drizzle 0.5 tablespoon of soy sauce over the daikon mound.
- 11
Arrange lemon wedges next to the fish so guests can squeeze fresh juice over the mackerel and daikon before eating.
Tools you’ll need
- Paper towels
- Cutting board
- Box grater
- Small bowl
- Grill or grill pan
- Tongs
- Metal spatula
- Serving plates
- Fork
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