Iwana no Shioyaki (Salt-Grilled Char)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 45 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 1 servings
- Ingredients
- 3
About this dish
Iwana no shioyaki is a Miyagi preparation from Kurihara and nearby areas.
Read more
A cleaned char about 25cm long is threaded onto a long bamboo skewer, seasoned with roughly 3g salt, and cooked slowly beside glowing charcoal. Char inhabit clear headwater streams and were difficult to catch, but Miyagi became the first place in Japan to farm them, making the fish more accessible. Wild char are prized in summer before spawning, while farmed fish are available throughout the year. Salting both sides and the tail from above gives an even coat, and steady radiant heat dries the skin while the flesh cooks through without burning.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Heat
Open the belly of 1 char about 25cm long and remove all innards and gills.
Quickly rinse blood from the cavity under cold running water, then dry the inside and outside thoroughly with paper towels. Keep the cleaned fish cold until grilling.
- 2Step
Guide 1 bamboo skewer, 40cm long, through the mouth and carefully along the backbone toward the tail.
Hold the body in a gentle wave on the skewer and check that the sharp point does not project toward your hand.
- 3Control
Pinch 3g salt and sprinkle it evenly over both sides from about 30cm above the fish.
Give the fins and tail careful coverage and let the salt settle on the surface for 5 minutes.
- 4Heat
Light charcoal only outdoors or in a purpose-built, fully ventilated cooking area and wait until the coals glow under a pale ash coating. Position the fish 15 to 20cm from direct flame and grill slowly for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the skewer every 4 to 5 minutes.
- 5Finish
Remove the fish when the thickest back flesh reaches at least 63°C, flakes opaque, and the skin is evenly dry.
Using heatproof gloves or tongs, slowly rotate the skewer while the fish is still hot to loosen it from the flesh, then withdraw it and plate the fish.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- A 25cm char secured on a long bamboo skewer
- Finish cue
- Remove the fish when the thickest back flesh reaches at least 63°C, flakes opaque, and the skin is evenly dry.
- Avoid this
- Keep the fish away from open flame; steady radiant heat from ash-covered coals cooks it before the salted skin burns.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
45min, 3 ingredients
Category median
32min, 8 ingredients
Based on 173 recipes