Go Back
–+ servings

Saikyo Yaki (White Miso Grilled Fish)

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Marinating Time1 day
Total Time1 day 25 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 2 servings

Ingredients  

Fish

  • 2-4 fillets Spanish mackerel (sawara) skin on if available, or black cod, salmon, yellowtail, swordfish, halibut
  • salt for the 30 minute pre-salt, to taste

Miso Bed

  • 100 g saikyo white miso or 100 g regular (not saikyo) white miso paste with 10 g granulated sugar as a workaround
  • 2 tbsp sake
  • ½ tbsp mirin
  • ⅛ tsp dashi granules

Finishing Glaze

  • 1 tsp mirin reduced to a syrup before brushing, for the final glossy finish

Instructions 

Day 1

  • Sprinkle a few pinches of salt over both sides of 2-4 fillets Spanish mackerel (sawara) and rest for 30 minutes in the fridge.
    Two fillets of raw Spanish mackerel sprinkled with salt in a steel container
  • In a bowl, mix 100 g saikyo white miso, 2 tbsp sake, ½ tbsp mirin, and ⅛ tsp dashi granules until smooth.
    whisking miso marinade in a steel bowl for saikyo yaki
  • Line a container with a sheet of plastic wrap and spread half of the miso mixture over the top. After 30 minutes of resting, pat the fish dry with kitchen paper and lay it on top of the miso in a single layer, no overlapping.
    two fillets of Spanish mackerel on the top of white miso marinade to make saikyo yaki
  • Spread the rest of the miso mixture over the top, then wrap tightly with the plastic wrap so all surfaces are fully coated. Cover with a lid, and store in the fridge for 24-48 hours.
    Spanish mackerel fillets coated in white miso marinade wrapped with plastic wrap in a steel container sealed with a lid to make saikyo yaki

Day 2

  • Preheat your fish grill or broiler on low. Scrape the excess miso off of the surface of the fish, then wash under cold running water until no more miso is visible. Pat dry thoroughly with kitchen paper.
    Two fillets of Spanish mackerel marinated and washed to make saikyo yaki
  • Break off a sheet of foil and scrunch it into a ball, then open it back out and place it on the grill with the fish fillets on top. Grill on low for about 7 minutes on each side.
    two fillets of Spanish mackerel half cooked and flipped on a piece of scrunched foil to make saikyo yaki
  • Pour 1 tsp mirin into a small heatproof bowl and microwave for 20 seconds at 500W.
    mirin in a small glass bowl
  • Increase the grill's heat to medium and cook the skin side for about 45 seconds or until lightly charred.
    saikyo yaki made with Spanish mackerel on scrunched foil over a Japanese fish grill draw
  • Remove from the heat, and brush with the prepared mirin until glossy all over.
    Brushing grilled saikyo yaki with mirin
  • Serve immediately with rice, miso soup and pickles. Enjoy!
    Saikyo Yaki made with Spanish mackerel served over a bamboo leaf on a rectangular cream plate with brown rim served next to multigrain rice and wooden chopsticks on a green fish-shaped chopsticks rest

Notes

Non-saikyo miso needs adjustment. If saikyo miso is unavailable, blend white miso paste with sugar at 10 to 1 by weight and cut the marinade to one overnight, because standard white miso contains more salt.
Fish alternatives: Black cod, yellowtail, salmon (keep marinade to 24 hours), swordfish, halibut, sea bream. Avoid regular mackerel and tuna.
Rinse, do not wipe. A quick rinse under cold water pulls the sugar-heavy miso residue off so it cannot burn on the grill. After 24 to 48 hours in the bed, the flavor is already inside the flesh, not on the surface.
Marinate 24 to 48 hours. Under 24 hours the koji enzymes have not worked through the fillet, and over 3 days sawara texture tightens and goes rubbery. The 48 hour mark is the sweet spot for me personally. Set a timer and pull the fish on schedule.