½ lb mackerel fillets, cut into 4 fillets
4 cups water
2 tablespoons sake
1 Japanese leek, cut into 1½” (4 cm) lengths
1” piece fresh ginger, sliced
Sake Mixture
½ cup (100 ml) sake
½ cup (100 ml) water
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Miso Mixture
3⅓ tablespoons (60 g) miso (preferably a mix of red and white)
3 tablespoons mirin
Equipment
Lid required
Bring water and sake to boil. Place mackerel fillets in a colander and drizzle over fillets to remove smell. Rinse fillets well with running water to remove remaining sliminess and pat dry with a paper towel.
Place fillets in the pan skin-side up, place leeks between the fillets and distribute ginger. Drizzle Sake Mixture over fish, cover with lid and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
Add in Miso Mixture, cover again and simmer over low heat for 3 minutes. Uncover and simmer for another 5 minutes, occasionally gently shaking the pan to thicken the sauce. Serve with rice.
Let flavors seep into the fillets by adding in miso at the end after braising with sake and sugar.
Drizzling boiling water and sake mixture helps remove fishiness of the mackerel.
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