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Fish, East Asian

Salt grilled mackerel with rice and miso soup

Salt grilled mackerel with rice is a complete Japanese dinner for 4, ready in 30 minutes, very easy, for €3.40 per person. Salted then grilled mackerel, plain rice and a miso soup with tofu make a simple, balanced meal. The key is salting the fish beforehand, which firms up the flesh and lets the skin crisp properly under the heat.

A mackerel grilled with salt, the skin cracking, a little grated radish and a bowl of miso soup, the simplest Japanese dinner there is.

Salt grilled mackerel with rice and miso soup
Total time
30 min
Difficulty
Very easy
Cost per person
€3.40
Calories per person
520 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Fall

Salt grilled mackerel is about as direct as cooking gets, the kind that lets the fish speak for itself. Salted just before grilling, it releases some water, the flesh firms up, and the skin cracks under the broiler or in a hot pan. Grated radish brings a sharp freshness, lemon lifts everything, and the warm miso soup rounds out the meal without weighing it down.

This is a weeknight dinner that comes together in half an hour, no fussy sauce and no long shopping list. Adults who like straightforward fish and bold Japanese flavors will enjoy it, though it's less of a sure thing for young kids because of the crispy skin and the miso. Mon Chou suggests it whenever mackerel looks good at the fish counter, through summer and into fall.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Mackerel fillets 4

Pantry

  • Coarse saltoften in the pantry 2 tsp
  • Miso paste 3 tbsp
  • Instant dashi brothoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Black radish or round radish 200 g
  • Lemon 1
  • Scallions 2

Dairy

  • Firm tofu 150 g

Allergens Fish, Soy

The step by step recipe

  1. Salt the mackerel fillets on the skin side with the coarse salt and let them sit for ten minutes. 10 min

    Pat them dry afterward with paper towels, otherwise the skin won't crisp up.

  2. Grate the radish, press it lightly in a sieve, and cut the lemon into wedges.

    Real daikon is sold in Asian grocery stores, but black radish works very well, just a bit sharper.

  3. Cook the rice in salted water, then drain it. 11 min

    Round sushi style rice is more authentic, but long grain rice works fine too.

  4. Heat 1 liter of water with the dashi, add the diced tofu, then off the heat whisk the miso with a little broth before stirring it in. 5 min

    Never let the miso boil, it loses its flavor.

  5. Grill the fillets under the oven broiler or in a pan, skin side down, for six to seven minutes, then flip for one minute. 8 min

    Set them on a rack so heat circulates on both sides and the skin blisters.

  6. Serve each fillet with grated radish, a lemon wedge, the rice and the soup topped with scallions.

    A little soy sauce on the grated radish finishes it off nicely.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick mackerel fillets that are truly fresh, with firm flesh and a clean sea smell, that's the one ingredient that won't forgive shortcuts.
  • Keep the skin intact by handling the fillets gently after salting, since it's what gives you the crispy bite you're after.
  • Get the grated radish and lemon ready while the rice cooks, so everything lands on the table the moment the fish comes off the heat.

The variations

  • Swap the mackerel for salmon or sea bass, the salting and cooking stay the same.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the fish with eggplant slices salted and grilled the same way, keeping the rice and miso soup as they are.
  • To save time, use 2 minute steam rice and an instant miso soup packet instead of making the dashi and miso separately.

What to serve it with

  • Hot green tea or lemon water
  • Steamed salted edamame as a starter
  • Rice vinegar pickled cucumber

Storage

Cooked mackerel keeps a day in the fridge in a sealed container, but it loses its crisp skin, so it's best eaten fresh. The cooked rice keeps two to three days in the fridge and the miso soup one day, reheat gently without boiling so the miso keeps its flavor.

Questions about this dish

Can you cook the mackerel without a broiler or a pan?

A hot nonstick pan works just fine, the key is starting skin side down so it crisps properly. An oven broiler gives a result close to the traditional Japanese grilling method.

Can you replace daikon with another vegetable?

Black radish or regular round radish work very well instead of daikon, with a slightly sharper bite. Grated carrot works in a pinch too, though the flavor will be different.

Can you make the miso soup ahead of time?

You can prepare the dashi broth with the tofu ahead of time and stir in the miso only right before serving, gently reheated. Miso loses its aroma if it boils or sits too long in hot broth.

Is salt grilled mackerel good for kids?

It depends on the kid, some enjoy the bold taste of oily fish and the crispy skin. Others prefer milder flesh, in which case a cod fillet cooked the same way can stand in for the mackerel.

How long does it take to make a salt grilled mackerel with rice and miso soup?

Count 30 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “very easy”.

How many calories are in a salt grilled mackerel with rice and miso soup?

About 520 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a salt grilled mackerel with rice and miso soup cost?

About €3.40 per serving, or €13.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish, soy. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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