Teriyaki is the one sauce to rule them all. Transform an otherwise mundane piece of fish into a sweet and sticky sensation to go with rice.

Time: 3/5
Pan size limits batch size

Effort: 3/5
The only thing keeping this from being a two is the kitchen torch

One Sauce to Rule Them All

Following the success of Chicken Teriyaki, I had an abundance of both leftover teriyaki sauce and the desire to unleash the power of the kitchen torch again. The sticky, sweet and savoury glaze given smokey notes by a kiss of flame is pretty hard to resist.

One thing I’ve been trying to do is to have fish more often, for the health benefits of good fats, as well as to reduce meat consumption. That led to this attempt at Mackerel Teriyaki. Being a relatively fatty fish, mackerel is quite forgiving to cook in that it is not easy to dry out or otherwise mess up (spoiler alert – I still kind of did). Mackerel behaves similarly to salmon, which incidentally is also wonderful with a teriyaki glaze.

This kitchen torch trick is really growing on me. It’s an easy way to add charred flavour that would otherwise be impossible without access to a grill – a boon to dwellers of tiny apartments everywhere. My mind is already spinning with all the possibilities that might follow: flame-roasted peppers for marinating in olive oil, charring chilli peppers to make a real chilli for once, maybe actually trying my hand at those crème brûlées that were the justification for its purchase to the lady of the house …

One thing I would suggest is to get a small fire extinguisher for your kitchen if you do get a torch, like Internet Shaquille so prudently suggests (if you’re reading this Shaq you’re my hero <3 ). You never know what might happen, and it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Dramatis Personae

Fish – 1 to 2 fillets pax

Mackerel is usually sold in fillets, sometimes with several pin bones remaining. It’s easier to pick the pin bones out after the fish is cooked, if you’re into that. Like maybe if you were feeding your children, or someone older in the family. Any relatively large, sturdy piece of fish would probably respond to the teriyaki technique well.

Teriyaki sauce

A mix of soy sauce, mirin and sugar. Adjust the proportions to your liking. I like it quite sweet. Leave it plain, or reinforce it by simmering with ginger and/or garlic.

Garnish

Sesame seeds really pop, being specks of lightness against the dark colour of teriyaki sauce. All the usual garnish suspects will play well here, such as chives or green onions. Pickled ginger or radish is very nice if you have them, and fits well with the Japanese theme.

Vegetables – 100 to 200g pax

Always eat your veggies! I had a huge head of cabbage and a bunch of carrots from back when I panic-bought two week’s worth of groceries in one go, in anticipation for a covid lockdown that never happened.

Cabbage keeps well, so it was great to have around as it saves me the trouble of going shopping for vegetables. It’s also a super versatile ingredient which you can use as is, or fancy it up like this Japanese yasai itame.

Executive Summary

1. Get rice going.
2. Shred and sauté cabbage with some garlic
3. After the cabbage is done (or in parallel with another pan), fry fish on both sides until done.
4. Reduce teriyaki sauce in pan. Return fish to pan and toss to coat.
5. Blast fish with blowtorch until slightly charred
6. Don’t be a dummy like last time and remember to sprinkle sesame seeds after the torching

Play by play

I got a huge 2kg head of cabbage in preparation for a lockdown that never happened. You’re seeing half of it. Try not to have the cutting board jutting out precariously over the edge of the table like I do – this is like the only counter space I have. Gotta make do, ya know?

Cabbage sauteed with garlic until slightly browned, which brings out sweet and savoury notes not otherwise present. I’ve come across Buddhist vegetarian recipes that use diced and well-browned cabbage as a replacement for onions, so there’s an idea if you need one.

Searing both sides of the fish after patting them dry with kitchen towels. Despite mackerel being quite forgiving to cook, the skin stuck to the pan and got completely mangled when I tried to flip them. I guess it’s not a non-stick pan anymore.

Reserve the fish. It’s hard to stir and reduce the teriyaki sauce in a pan full of fish without breaking them up.

Deglaze the pan with the teriyaki sauce, or if you don’t have it on had you can make it right in the pan now. Here is the chance to add anything else you want like shallots, garlic or ginger. Reduce until thickened.

Tossing the mackerel to coat. The pan took almost all the skin; a steep tax. Go over the coated fillets with a kitchen torch, or put them under the broiler to thicken the glaze.

Mackerel glazed and garnished with sesame seeds. Served over rice and cabbage. Sides of miso soup, pickled radishes and tofu with preserved mustard greens. A squeeze of lemon juice right before serving really brightens up the flavours.

Itadakimasu~

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