Chef-tested recipe
Mackerel gently simmered in a glossy miso, sake, mirin, ginger, and scallion sauce
Saba misoni, also called saba no misoni, is a Japanese home-style dish of mackerel simmered in a savoury-sweet miso sauce. Ginger and the green part of a scallion temper the fish’s richness, while sake and mirin round the sauce. Briefly blanching the mackerel before simmering removes surface impurities, and cooking it skin-side up under a drop lid helps the fillets stay intact.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Prep Time
- 15 mins
- Cook Time
- 25 mins
- Resting Time
- 5 mins
- Total Time
- 45 mins
- Cuisine
- Japanese
- Course
- Main dish
- Cooking Method
- Blanching and drop-lid simmering
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Best Served With
- Best served with steamed Japanese rice, blanched greens, miso soup, and takuan or another crisp pickle.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Wide saucepanpaid link
- Drop lid or parchment paperpaid link
- Heatproof traypaid link
- Chef’s knifepaid link
- Fish tweezerspaid link
- Ladlepaid link
- Digital kitchen scalepaid link
- Measuring jugpaid link
Ingredients
For the mackerel
- Skin-on mackerel fillets, pin bones removed: 600 g
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 4 g
- Boiling water, for blanching: 1.5 litres
- Cold water, for rinsing: 1 litre
For the miso simmering sauce
- Water: 300 ml
- Sake: 100 ml
- Mirin: 70 ml
- Caster sugarpaid link: 40 g
- Japanese soy saucepaid link: 15 ml
- Fresh ginger, thinly sliced: 30 g
- Green onions, cut into 6 cm lengths: 120 g
- Awase miso or a mixture of red and white misopaid link: 90 g
Preparation Overview
Cut the mackerel into four portions and score each skin once diagonally. Sprinkle with salt for 10 minutes, then wipe away moisture. Dissolve the miso in a small ladleful of the measured simmering liquid so it can be incorporated without lumps.
Method
Place the salted mackerel in a heatproof tray and pour boiling water over it until the surface turns pale.
Transfer immediately to cold water, rub away any blood or loose scales gently, and drain well.
Combine the water, sake, mirin, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and green onions in a wide saucepan.
Bring the liquid to a boil so the alcohol begins to cook off.
Place the mackerel in the pan skin-side up, keeping the pieces in a single layer.
Cover with a drop lid and simmer over medium-low heat for 7 minutes, spooning liquid over any exposed areas.
Lower the heat and stir the dissolved miso into the liquid around the fish without breaking the fillets.
Replace the drop lid and simmer gently for 7 to 9 minutes more, basting twice, until the fish is cooked.
Transfer the mackerel and scallions to serving plates. Reduce the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly glossy.
Spoon the miso sauce over the fish, rest for 5 minutes, and serve warm.
Beginner Technique Notes
Blanching is not intended to cook the fish; it cleans the surface and gives the finished sauce a clearer flavour.
Keep the skin facing upward so the fillet is less likely to break against the base of the pan.
A parchment circle with a centre vent works as a drop lid when an otoshibuta is unavailable.
Miso scorches easily. Add it after the fish has partly cooked and keep the final simmer gentle.
Tips and Variations
Use awase miso for balanced flavour, or combine equal weights of red and white miso.
Sardines or yellowtail may be cooked by the same method, with time adjusted for thickness.
For a less sweet sauce, reduce the sugar to 25 g but retain enough mirin to keep the glaze rounded.
Serve leftover sauce sparingly because it is concentrated and salty.
Serving Ideas
- Place one mackerel portion skin-side up in each shallow bowl, add softened scallion, and spoon the glossy miso sauce around rather than completely covering the skin.
Storage
Refrigerate cooled fish and sauce in a covered container for up to 2 days. Reheat very gently on the stovetop with a splash of water. Freezing is possible for up to 1 month, although the sauce may loosen after thawing.
Nutritional Value
Allergen Notes
Contains fish and soy. Standard soy sauce and some miso contain wheat; choose clearly labelled gluten-free products when required. Sake and mirin contain alcohol, although much of it cooks off.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is saba?
Saba is the Japanese word for mackerel.
Which miso is best?
Awase miso gives a balanced result. Red miso is stronger and saltier, while white miso is sweeter and milder.
Why blanch the mackerel first?
The hot-water treatment removes blood, loose scales, and strong surface aromas without drying the fish.
Can I omit sake and mirin?
They are central to the traditional flavour. If alcohol must be avoided, use water with a little extra sugar, understanding that the result will differ.
