Mackerel is an easy, oily fish that melts perfectly into a bowl of steaming rice with a pungent pickle or two. I’ve been making saba shioyaki by grilling mackerel in the oven for years. For a quick weeknight meal, I go to my local Asian grocery store and buy the frozen filets and let them defrost in the fridge overnight. A couple weeks ago, I was idling around the fresh fish at the Japanese grocery store with my friend who was shopping for dinner ingredients. His hands were full with green onions and tofu. When he asked what he should eat for dinner, I suggested fish to which he said that he likes fish, but doesn’t normally cook it for himself. On the way home, I invited him over for dinner with my roommates, and with each step, I stuck my head out from the kitchen to tell him the following:
Mackerel for four
4 mackerel filets
4 tbsp of sake
1 tsp of salt
Coat the filets in the sake and pat dry.
Transfer the filets onto a baking sheet and rub with salt.
Let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes
Preheat your oven to 425ºF and bake cooking skin side down for 15 minutes.
Serve with: kinpira gobo, rice, miso soup, home-made tsukemono