Miso-Simmered Spanish Mackerel (Sawara no Misoni)
さわらの味噌煮 · Sawara no Misoni
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Sawara (Japanese Spanish mackerel) is a soft, mild-flavored fish that shows up often on school lunch menus in Japan, and simmering it in miso is one of the classic ways to serve it. The sauce here is a gentle blend of dashi, miso, a little sugar and ginger, sweet and savory enough that children who are wary of fish will still reach for it. In preschool kitchens we bake the fish in flour first before it goes into the pot, which tames any fishy smell and keeps the flesh tender, so it is worth the extra step.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 67.5 gSpanish mackerel (sawara)A mild, soft-fleshed fish popular in Japan, sold as fillets. Substitute: Any mild white fish fillet such as cod or halibut.
Seasonings
- 3.8 gflour
- 54 mldashi stockJapanese soup stock, usually made from kombu (dried kelp) and/or bonito flakes; the base of most Japanese soups and simmered dishes. Substitute: Instant dashi granules dissolved in water, or a mild unsalted chicken or vegetable stock.
- 2.1 gmisoFermented soybean paste. Salty and savory, it is Japan's everyday seasoning for miso soup and many simmered dishes. Substitute: Any light (white or awase) miso. Misos differ in saltiness, so start with a little less and taste. Some misos are made with barley or wheat, so check the label if you avoid them.
- 1.4 gsugar
- 1.4 gsakeSake (Japanese rice wine) is used in small amounts to soften the smell of fish and meat and add depth. Japanese "cooking sake" often contains added salt. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: The same amount of water (the taste will be a little simpler), or dry white wine.
- 0.4 gginger paste (tube)Grated ginger sold ready to use in a squeeze tube, a staple in Japanese kitchens. Japanese school lunch kitchens grate fresh ginger for its aroma, but for cooking at home Aoi says the tube works just fine. Tube pastes often contain added salt, oil and other ingredients, so check the label. Substitute: Use freshly grated ginger in the same amount. 1 teaspoon of paste is about 5 g.
- 0.7 gsoy sauce
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- Spanish mackerel (sawara) (さわら)
- A mild, soft-fleshed fish popular in Japan, sold as fillets. Substitute: Any mild white fish fillet such as cod or halibut.
- dashi stock (だし汁)
- Japanese soup stock, usually made from kombu (dried kelp) and/or bonito flakes; the base of most Japanese soups and simmered dishes. Substitute: Instant dashi granules dissolved in water, or a mild unsalted chicken or vegetable stock.
- miso (みそ)
- Fermented soybean paste. Salty and savory, it is Japan's everyday seasoning for miso soup and many simmered dishes. Substitute: Any light (white or awase) miso. Misos differ in saltiness, so start with a little less and taste. Some misos are made with barley or wheat, so check the label if you avoid them.
- sake (酒)
- Sake (Japanese rice wine) is used in small amounts to soften the smell of fish and meat and add depth. Japanese "cooking sake" often contains added salt. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: The same amount of water (the taste will be a little simpler), or dry white wine.
- ginger paste (tube) (しょうがチューブ)
- Grated ginger sold ready to use in a squeeze tube, a staple in Japanese kitchens. Japanese school lunch kitchens grate fresh ginger for its aroma, but for cooking at home Aoi says the tube works just fine. Tube pastes often contain added salt, oil and other ingredients, so check the label. Substitute: Use freshly grated ginger in the same amount. 1 teaspoon of paste is about 5 g.
Directions
- 1
Dust the fish with flour and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake in an oven preheated to 200°C (400°F) for about 10 minutes.
- 2
Put the dashi stock, miso, sugar, sake, ginger and soy sauce in a pot and bring to a boil.
- 3
Once the sauce from step 2 is boiling, add the fish from step 1, cover with a drop lid (otoshibuta) and simmer.
- 4
To finish, keep simmering while spooning the sauce over the fish until it thickens and coats the fish. After plating, spoon the remaining sauce over the top.
Dusting the fish with flour and baking it first softens any fishy smell and gives a tender result. In step 3, adding the fish before the sauce is boiling can bring out fishy odors, so always make sure it has come to a boil first.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 135 kcal | 270 kcal | 135 kcal |
| Protein | 14.3 g | 28.5 g | 14.3 g |
| Fat | 6.8 g | 13.5 g | 6.8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4.8 g | 9.6 g | 4.8 g |
| Fiber | 0.3 g | 0.6 g | 0.3 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.6 g | 1.2 g | 0.6 g |
| Calcium | 13.5 mg | 27 mg | 13.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.8 mg | 1.5 mg | 0.8 mg |
| Potassium | 381 mg | 762 mg | 381 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 135 kcal | 14.3 g | 6.8 g | 4.8 g | 0.3 g | 0.6 g | 13.5 mg | 0.8 mg | 381 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 270 kcal | 28.5 g | 13.5 g | 9.6 g | 0.6 g | 1.2 g | 27 mg | 1.5 mg | 762 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
Ingredients in this recipe
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