Yaki-saba no Nitsuke (Grilled Mackerel and Onion Simmer)

Name: Yaki-saba no Nitsuke (Grilled Mackerel and Onion Simmer)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: fully cooked whole grilled mackerel 1 piece; onion 1 piece; water 600 ml; sake 100 ml; sugar 25 g; soy sauce 100 ml; ginger 15 g

Quick answer

Total time: 35 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 3 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

A mackerel that has already been grilled whole is broken into large pieces and simmered a second time with onion.

In inland Tottori, grilled fish kept and traveled well, and cooking it again this way became the habit. Even with the head and backbone gone, small bones stay in the grilled flesh, and a fingertip run along it finds them. Ginger is used twice: thin slices go into the broth, and fine shreds go on top.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

fully cooked whole grilled mackerel1 piece

onion1 piece

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Instructions

5 steps

1

Remove fins, head, and large backbone from the fully cooked grilled mackerel and divide flesh into 5cm pieces.

Check carefully with fingers and tweezers for small bones.
2

Cut the onion vertically into eight wedges through the root so layers stay together.

Slice half the 15g ginger to 2mm and finely shred the remainder.
3

In a wide pan that fits the fish in one layer, combine 600ml water, 100ml sake, 25g sugar, 100ml soy sauce, and sliced ginger and boil for 2 minutes.
4

Place mackerel skin-side up and tuck onion into the gaps.

Cover with a damp paper lid and simmer on low for 12 minutes without hard boiling or turning the fish.
5

When onion accepts a skewer and mackerel reaches at least 75C, turn off heat.

Rest under the paper lid for 15 minutes, transfer with a wide spatula, and garnish with shredded ginger.