My Grandma’s Authentic Miso Fish Recipe | Traditional Japanese Wisdom for a Healthy Soul 🐟✨

white miso paste

🥗Healthier: red miso paste

💰Cheaper: soybean paste

Red miso offers a deeper flavor, while soybean paste is more economical.

mirin

🥗Healthier: sake

💰Cheaper: rice wine

Sake provides a similar sweetness with fewer calories.

sesame oil

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Olive oil is healthier and more versatile.

fish fillets

🥗Healthier: tofu

💰Cheaper: canned fish

Tofu is a plant-based alternative, while canned fish is budget-friendly.

Sprinkle salt on both sides of the mackerel fillets to remove the fishy smell and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Rinse the Japanese sushi rice and soak it in water for one hour.

Mix one cup of rice with one third cup of beans (optional).

Soak unsalted dried wakame seaweed in water for 5 minutes to hydrate.

Remove the stems from shimeji mushrooms and thinly slice shiitake mushrooms.

Strain the wakame seaweed and squeeze out excess water, saving the liquid for cooking the rice.

Drain the soaked rice and beans, then transfer them to a rice cooker.

Add the saved wakame liquid, half tablespoon of sake, half tablespoon of mirin, and one teaspoon of soup stock powder to the rice cooker, then mix.

Cover the rice with mushrooms and cook on regular mode.

After 10 minutes, pour hot water over the mackerel for about 10 seconds to wash off the odor and excess salt, then transfer to an ice bath.

Gently rub the mackerel fillet to clean it, then score the skin to help absorb the sauce.

Chop leeks into big bite-sized pieces and thinly slice ginger.

In a pan over medium heat, add oil and cook the chopped leeks until charred on all sides.

In a pot or deep pan, add water or cooking sake and bring to a boil.

Add the mackerel fillets skin side up, followed by ginger and leeks, then cover with a kitchen towel or parchment paper.

Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

In a bowl, mix sugar, mirin, and yellow miso paste until well incorporated.

Remove any scum from the surface of the miso mixture.

Pour two thirds of the miso sauce over the mackerel and continue to cook over medium-low heat for another 7 minutes with the kitchen towel on.

Add the remaining miso sauce to the mackerel after 7 minutes to boost the aroma.

Optionally, add hydrated wakame seaweed cut into bite-sized pieces to the pot.

Once the sauce thickens (about 2-3 minutes), remove from heat and let it sit for 10 minutes for flavors to absorb.

Add chopped wakame seaweed to the rice and mix well, ensuring it's minced into small pieces for better cling.

Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the dish before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens