Japanese cuisine · Fish & Seafood

Hokke no Himono

Butterflied mackerel cured overnight in brine, grilled — the izakaya classic from Hokkaido.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 4 oven-ready mackerel
• 80 g coarse sea salt
• 1 l water
• 3 tbsp sake
• 10 cm daikon radish
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 lemon
• 1 bunch spring onions

Instructions

1. Butterfly the mackerel from the back, remove innards and the center bone, rinse cold, and dissolve the coarse sea salt with the water and sake into a brine.
2. Let the butterflied fish steep in the brine in the fridge for 6 hours, better overnight, then rinse and pat dry.
3. Lay the fish skin-side down on a rack and let them dry in a cool, airy spot for 2–3 hours, until the surface turns silky matte and slightly tacky.
4. Preheat the oven grill or charcoal grill to high and grill the fish flesh-side up for 6–7 min., until the flesh is white and firm.
5. Turn and grill the skin side for another 4–5 min., until it is crisp and browned dark in places.
6. Finely grate the daikon, press out lightly and drizzle with the soy sauce; serve the fish hot with daikon, lemon wedges and fine rings of spring onion.