Photograph of the finished Shime saba

Japan · Cá thu ướp muối giấm Shime saba

Shime saba

40 min Hands-on time + 6 hr waiting
HardDifficulty
6 stepsSteps
Serves 4 Amounts follow along 4

What to get ready

  • Photograph of Saba mackerel Saba mackerel 3.5 lb
  • Photograph of Coarse salt Coarse salt 1.1 lb
  • Photograph of Rice vinegar Rice vinegar 4 ¼ cups
  • Photograph of Sugar Sugar 3.5 oz
  • Photograph of Kombu seaweed Kombu seaweed 1.4 oz
  • Photograph of Pickled red ginger (gari) Pickled red ginger (gari) 3.5 oz
  • Photograph of White radish White radish 11.3 oz
  • Photograph of Wasabi Wasabi 1.1 oz
  • Photograph of Soy sauce Soy sauce ⅓ cup

Method

  1. 1 Fillet the two mackerel fillets, cover them with coarse salt, and refrigerate for 3 hours.
  2. 2 Rinse off the salt, pat dry, and soak in a vinegar and sugar mixture with kombu for 40 minutes.
  3. 3 Salting first and then vinegaring are two separate steps; doing it in reverse will make the meat or fish mushy and fishy.
  4. 4 Remove from the water, pat dry, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for another 2 hours to firm up the meat.
  5. 5 Peel off the thin, silvery skin from the fish's head to tail by hand.
  6. 6 Slice into 8mm thick slices and serve with grated radish, pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce.
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