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An angler's privilege.
The fat that rises the moment you sear it

Spanish mackerel in shops is sold as fillets for miso-marinating or grilling. It rarely appears as sashimi-grade, because the soft, watery flesh is hard to keep in that condition through distribution.

Catch one yourself, ice it, and you can fillet it the same day. Searing the skin side ('yaki-shimo-zukuri') is the dish the angler is closest to.

In collaboration with food researcher Mipi
  • ・Specializes in creative seafood cooking
  • ・Admires Indo Curry-ko
Searing lifts the aromaSoft, high-moisture fleshHolds up well frozen
Coming soon

Three reasons a Spanish mackerel you caught is special

1

You create the condition that makes sashimi possible

Spanish mackerel rarely reaches shops sashimi-grade because the flesh is soft and goes off fast.

Ice it right after landing and gut it early, and you create that condition yourself.

It's a way of eating the fish you'll seldom find at a shop.

2

Choose by size

The young fish (sagoshi) and a fully grown one carry very different amounts of fat.

Which to slice raw, which to marinate or fry — only the angler chooses.

3

It holds up well frozen

Spanish mackerel takes well to cooking — miso-marinated, deep-fried and more.

Freeze what you can't eat as fillets and you'll never be short of uses.

Mipi's recommended Spanish mackerel dishes

Seared on the day. Marinated and fried for the rest.

Seared sashimi (yaki-shimo-zukuri)

The reward for the day you caught it

Sear only the skin side over high heat, chill it immediately and slice thick. You get the fragrance of the skin and the sweetness of the fatty flesh at once. Because the flesh is soft, thick slices hold their texture better than thin ones.

  • ・Sear the skin side only — don't cook the flesh
  • ・Chill it right after searing to firm the flesh
  • ・Slice thick rather than thin

Mipi's note: Sear the skin hard and fast, then chill it straight away. Slicing thick keeps texture in flesh this soft.

Seared sashimi (yaki-shimo-zukuri) (coming soon)

Saikyo-yaki (miso-marinated and grilled)

Marinate and let it rest

Fillets marinated in sweet white miso, then grilled. The miso draws out water and firms the flesh, making soft Spanish mackerel much easier to handle. You can freeze it still in the marinade, which makes it a good destination for what you can't eat that day.

  • ・Pat the fillets dry before marinating
  • ・Wipe the miso off before grilling (it burns easily)
  • ・You can freeze it still in the marinade

Mipi's note: Just wiping the miso off before grilling completely changes how it browns. Being able to freeze it in the marinade is a real help.

Saikyo-yaki (miso-marinated and grilled) (coming soon)

Tatsuta-age (marinated and fried)

Where soft flesh becomes the point

Seasoned, coated in potato starch and deep-fried. The coating holds together flesh that would otherwise fall apart: fragrant outside, moist inside. And when raw isn't an option, cooking it right through makes it something you can eat with confidence.

  • ・Season with soy sauce and ginger to keep it clean-tasting
  • ・Coat with starch just before frying
  • ・Heat it thoroughly to the center

Mipi's note: Coat it just before frying and it comes out crisp. The coating holds the soft flesh together, so it's easy for children to eat too.

Tatsuta-age (marinated and fried) (coming soon)

Seafood, including Spanish mackerel, can carry parasites such as Anisakis. Remove the innards early after landing, and if you eat it raw, inspect the flesh carefully and remove anything you find. Searing heats only the surface and does not address parasites. Cooking thoroughly to the center, or freezing sufficiently in a home freezer, does. If you have any doubt at all, choose a cooked dish such as saikyo-yaki or tatsuta-age. How quickly raw food spoils depends on storage, temperature and transport time. If the smell, color or condition seems off, do not eat it.