Mackerel tempura
Endo Kazutoshi shares his recipe for mackerel tempura, a classic Japanese dish. The mackerel is first marinated in shio koji then dipped in a light tempura batter and fried until crisp. It sits in a warm broth of dashi, mirin, soy and raw grated daikon (known as daikon oroshi) which is said to help with digestion.
Ingredients
Mackerel
- 1 mackerel , best quality
- 40g of shio koji
- 100g of plain flour
- 360g of vegetable oil
- 40g of sesame oil
Tempura batter
- 500ml of water, (cold)
- 1 egg yolk
- 160g of plain flour
Tempura sauce
- 30g of light soy sauce
- 30g of mirin
- 150g of dashi
- 110g of daikon radish , peeled and very finely grated into daikon oroshi
To serve
- 1/4 myoga , julienned
- 1/2 tsp chopped chives
- 1 Japanese sudachi lime, finely sliced into wheels
Equipment
- Thermometer
- Microplane
Method
Begin by filleting, pin-boning and skinning the mackerel (you can ask your fishmonger to do this for you). Cut each fillet into 4 finger-sized strips, then place in a bowl with the shio koji. Mix to evenly coat and leave to marinate in the fridge for 3 hours
- 1 mackerel , best quality
- 40g of shio koji
Meanwhile, make the tempura batter. Whisk the yolk and water together in a bowl, then whisk in the flour to create a smooth, thin batter. Keep in the fridge until needed
- 500ml of water, (cold)
- 1 egg yolk
- 160g of plain flour
Once the mackerel has finished marinating, place the vegetable and sesame oil in a pan or deep-fat fryer and heat up to 175ºC
- 360g of vegetable oil
- 40g of sesame oil
While you wait for the oil to heat up, make the tempura sauce by placing the soy sauce, mirin and dashi stock in a pan and gently heating to 80ºC. Once it reaches this temperature, stir in the grated daikon and keep warm
- 30g of light soy sauce
- 30g of mirin
- 150g of dashi
- 110g of daikon radish , peeled and very finely grated into daikon oroshi
Remove the mackerel pieces from the shio koji marinade and lightly coat in flour. Dip each piece into the tempura batter then carefully lower them into the oil and fry until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper
- 100g of plain flour
Divide the warm tempura sauce between two bowls and add the tempura mackerel. Top with the julienned myoga, chopped chives and sudachi lime slices
- 1/4 myoga , julienned
- 1/2 tsp chopped chives
- 1 Japanese sudachi lime, finely sliced into wheels
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Mackerel tempura
