I love mackerel.  

You’ve got to eat it fresh, it looks beautiful, it tastes really strong and it reminds me of fun times trying to catch them in the summer from a very young age.

   
I also love sashimi, or meat and seafood that is lightly cured, smoked or marinaded rather than cooked outright.

So here is a simple recipe for preparing mackerel to eat, without the use of a cooker.

  
You will need:

• 2 mackerel fillets
• 4tbsps salt and an extra pinch or so
• 240ml clear vinegar (preferably rice vinegar)
• 20ml vermouth (optional)
• 1tbsp mirin

  

• Put the mackerel fillets in a container and cover them with the 4tbsp salt, making sure that no parts are left uncovered on either side.

  

• Transfer the fillets to a sieve and place it over some sort of container to catch any of the liquid that the salt will draw out.
• If you’re left with any salt in the container sprinkle it over the top of the fillets.
• Leave the fillets on the sieve for an hour then carefully take each one and rinse it under a cold water tap.
• Make sure the tap is not set on high pressure or you could damage the fillet.
• Carefully dry off the fillets with kitchen towel.
• Find a sealable container. It should be able to hold the two fillets and when filled with the liquid mixture you are about to make it should cover both the fillets.
• Mix together the vinegar, mirin, optional vermouth and extra pinch or two of salt.
• Stir so that the salt dissolves.
• Pour a little of the mixture into the sealable container.
• Lay the fillets in the container flat, side by side then pour over the rest of the vinegar mixture.
• Seal the container and put it in the fridge for 3 hours.

  

• Take the fillets out of the container and carefully dry them with kitchen towel once again.
• You will notice that the flesh has become more firm, almost as if the fish has been cooked.
• It feels like a drier version of ceviche.
• The next step can be quite satisfying once you get over the fiddly bit at the beginning.

  

• Start at the top end of the fish and find yourself a bit of the skin to hold on to. It’s sort of like trying to peel back a new piece of sellotape.
• Once you’ve peeled back a bit, gently pull the skin off all the way along the fillet.
• Some of the iridescence will inevitably come off but don’t worry. This is normal.

  

• Next, turn the fillets flesh-side up.
• Look carefully and feel along the middle groove of the fillet for any bones.
• Gently but firmly use a pair of tweezers to pull the buggers out.
• This task is less satisfying than peeling off the skin but it’s worth it, if you want to avoid having to give (or receive!) the Heimlich manoeuvre later on.
• The fillet is now ready for the final serving stage.
• There are several options here. It could be served as a simple sashimi piece, it could be pressed onto sushi rice to make battera or sliced into sticks and made into maki rolls.
• For this post I opted for a low-carb option and served it as a simple sashimi.

  

• I sliced the fillet into 4-5mm pieces, with a thin groove cut deep into the middle of each one.
• This groove allows the fish to soak up a little more sauce when you dip it.

  

• You can serve it like so with chopsticks and some dipping sauce.
• Soy sauce on its own is fine but for Shime Saba’s strong, oily taste I like to mix half soy sauce with half fresh lemon juice.
• I also served the mackerel here with cucumber tsukemono, grated fresh ginger (to help cut through the oily fish) and some simple shredded spring onion, with a dab of wasabi.
• Note that this is a very nutritious dish. It’s a much better drinks accompaniment than crisps or peanuts!

 

•  You can also serve it as a lunch or other meal.
• It keeps for at least a day in a sealed refrigerated container.
• I love how the blue skin colour contrasts with the salad.

  

• You can also serve the shime saba with small slices of lemon between each piece.
• Not only do the colours contrast nicely but again, the sharp citrusy lemon cuts against the oily fish. And what else goes well with lemon and seafood?
• Obviously a martini. I would recommend a classic martini with lemon peel, not olives.
• Alternatively you could try my nice winter warmer the Japanese Pickled Ginger martini.