- 1 salmon cutlet (steak), 260g (9.2oz)
- 1 Spanish mackerel cutlet (steak), 230g (8.1oz)
- 1 blue eye cod fillet , 290g (10.2oz), about 5 cm (2”) wide
- Salt
- 300 g (10.1oz) Saikyo miso (note 2)
- 1½ tbsp sake
- 1½ tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp sugar
- A tray or a shallow container with a flat bottom in which the fish can be placed without overlapping
- 2 muslin pieces cut into the size of the tray
- Shiso (Japanese perilla) leaves
- Pickled ginger
- Radish
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Cut salmon and Spanish mackerel cutlets into two portions each by cutting the flesh along the bones, starting from the top (the dorsal side). Please visit my post Japanese Salmon Mirin-zuke (Mirin Marinade) which explains how to cut it, including photos.
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Slice the blue eye cod down the middle to make two thin fillets.
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Sprinkle a pinch of salt over each of the fish pieces and leave for 1 hour during which excess moisture in the fish comes out.
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Pat dry using paper towel to remove the moisture.
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Place the Saikyo Miso Marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well ensuring that the miso paste is smooth with no lumps.
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Spread half of the miso mixture in the tray evenly and place a piece of muslin to cover the entire surface of the miso mixture.
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Place the fish on the miso mixture without overlapping each other, then place the other piece of muslin over the entire fish. Pour the remaining miso mixture over and spread evenly.
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Using a thin spatula, press along the inside wall of the tray to ensure that the miso mixture covers the sides of the fish pieces. Trace along the gap between the fish pieces with the spatula and ensure that the miso mixture goes in between the fish pieces.
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Cover the tray with a lid (if it comes with it) or aluminium foil/cling wrap and leave it for minimum 1 day, preferably 3 days in the fridge (note 5).
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Pre-heat the grill.
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Cut aluminium foil to 60cm length and scrunch it gently, then spread it over a baking tray.
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Remove the upper muslin of the fish tray gently by folding towards one side. Take the fish out and place them on the scrunched aluminium foil.
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Place the tray under the oven grill. The distance between the heat and the fish should be about 10cm (4”). If the grill is too close to the fish, the fish will burn before it is cooked.
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Cook for 4-5 minutes until the edge of the fish starts burning. Turn it over and cook further 3-4 minutes. (note 6)
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Remove the fillets from the grill and place them on the serving plate.
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Add garnish if using and serve immediately.
1. I used three kinds of fish to show you how each fish comes out but you can use one kind of fish instead. The size of the fish can be different, too.
In the case of the fillet, I recommend slicing it into thinner fillets otherwise one side of the fillet is covered with the skin and the marinade does not penetrate well.
2. Saikyo miso (西京味噌) is a particular kind of miso which is very sweet and has a creamy pale colour. It might also be sold as “shiro miso” (白味噌, white miso) due to its colour.
3. Instead of marinating the fish in a tray, you could use a large plastic bag. In this case, you would have to wrap each piece of fish with muslin so that you can put all the fish and the miso mixture in a bag. Mix well to cover every piece of fish with miso.
You don’t need to use muslin to marinate the fish. The muslin is used simply to avoid the miso mixture sticking to the fish. If you are not using muslin, you need to make sure that the miso mixture is wiped off the fish before grilling. Otherwise the fish will burn quickly due to the sweet miso on it.
4. You can buy shiso leaves at Japanese grocery stores. I used shiso leaves merely to give colour to the dish. You could use a large green leaf from your garden instead.
Pickled ginger is thinly sliced ginger marinated in sugar and vinegar which is usually served when you order sushi. It refreshes the palate. You can buy pickled ginger at Asian/Japanese grocery stores.
I used a tiny radish for the salmon Saikyo yaki for a change. To make the tiny flower, slice the radish thinly leaving the bottom part of the radish intact, then slice again in the same way perpendicular to the first cut. Cut the radish into two, sprinkle with salt and gently press down and spread to make it look like tiny petals. Rinse off the salt.
5. You can freeze the marinated fish. After marinating the fish for 1 day, freeze it together with the miso. When I know that I am going to freeze the fish, I usually wrap it with muslin individually then marinate. After 1 day of marinating, take each piece of fish and some miso mixture into a small freezer bag as if it is marinated individually, then freeze.
6. Cooking time varies depending on the grill and the thickness of the fish. The fish I cooked was 1.5cm – 2.5cm (½” - 1”) thick. You could also grill on a BBQ or a grill pan over medium heat. Watch the fish as it could burn very fast.