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 savory-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.
- Prep
- 15 mins
- Cook
- 25 mins
- Rest
- 5 mins
- Total
- 45 mins
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
The recipe
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Before you start
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.
Ingredients
For the mackerel
For the miso simmering sauce
Quantities change with servings; cooking times stay the same.
Equipment
- Wide saucepan paid link
- Drop lid or parchment paper paid link
- Heatproof tray paid link
- Chef’s knife paid link
- Fish tweezers paid link
- Ladle paid link
- Digital kitchen scale paid link
- Measuring jug paid link
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.
Chef’s notes
Blanching is not intended to cook the fish; it cleans the surface and gives the finished sauce a clearer flavor.
Keep the skin facing upward so the fillet is less likely to break against the base of the pan.
A parchment circle with a center 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 flavor, 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.
Serve with
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.
Nutrition per serving (estimated)
- 410 kcal
- Calories
- 31 g
- Protein
- 19 g
- Carbohydrates
- 23 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 13 g
- Sugar
- 980 mg
- Sodium
Allergens
Contains fish and soy. Standard soy sauce and some miso contain wheat; choose clearly labeled gluten-free products when required. Sake and mirin contain alcohol, although much of it cooks off.
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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 flavor. If alcohol must be avoided, use water with a little extra sugar, understanding that the result will differ.
