Shime saba
This recipe for shime saba (Japanese soused mackerel) from Angelo Sato is an excellent way to enjoy very fresh mackerel. The mackerel is served with some refreshing but intricate shiso gazpacho-infused compressed cucumber, that has been stuffed with mackerel belly tartare. For the parsley and shiso oil, check out our recipe for more details on how to make herb oils from scratch.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
Mackerel
- 2 large mackerel
- salt, as needed
Saba vinegar
- 400g of rice vinegar
- 120g of filtered water
- 60g of sugar
Shiso gazpacho
- 100g of celery, roughly chopped
- 100g of cucumber, roughly chopped
- 5g of ginger, roughly chopped
- 1g of garlic, roughly chopped
- 15g of shiso leaves, roughly chopped
- 20g of white onion, roughly chopped
- 8g of flaky sea salt
- 10g of parsley, roughly chopped
- 10g of coriander, roughly chopped
- 15g of shiso oil
- 15g of parsley oil
Ponzu base
- 100g of light soy sauce
- 55g of rice vinegar
- 25g of mirin
- 2g of cane sugar
- 3g of bonito flakes
- 25g of lemon juice
Compressed cucumber
- 1 cucumber
Mackerel tartare
- 5g of shiso leaves
- 5g of sesame oil
Umeboshi
- 1 umeboshi, seeded and diced
Equipment
- Vacuum bag and machine
- Ring cutter
Method
Fillet the mackerel and keep the skin on. Season both sides with salt and cure for 30 minutes
- 2 large mackerel
- salt, as needed
Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the saba vinegar and simmer until the sugar has dissolved
- 400g of rice vinegar
- 120g of filtered water
- 60g of sugar
Gently rinse the salt off the mackerel well
Cure the mackerel in the saba vinegar for 30 minutes
Marinade all the ingredients for the shiso gazpacho, except for the shiso and parsley oil, for 30 minutes
- 100g of celery, roughly chopped
- 100g of cucumber, roughly chopped
- 5g of ginger, roughly chopped
- 1g of garlic, roughly chopped
- 15g of shiso leaves, roughly chopped
- 20g of white onion, roughly chopped
- 8g of flaky sea salt
- 10g of parsley, roughly chopped
- 10g of coriander, roughly chopped
For the ponzu base, bring the soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin and sugar to a simmer
- 100g of light soy sauce
- 55g of rice vinegar
- 25g of mirin
- 2g of cane sugar
Remove from heat and add the bonito flakes and lemon juice, then pass through a chinois. Set aside
- 3g of bonito flakes
- 25g of lemon juice
Pat the mackerel dry, then remove the centre bone, trim the belly fat for use in the mackerel tartare, and then slice the cured mackerel into 1 cm slices
Blend the gazpacho ingredients together with 145g of ponzu base, then mix together the shiso oil and parsley oil and add to the gazpacho
- 15g of shiso oil
- 15g of parsley oil
Slice half the cucumber into 1 cm thick rings. Punch out the centre of the cucumber rings with a ring cutter so that they are a doughnut shape
- 1 cucumber
Use a melon baller to scoop balls of cucumber from the other half of the cucumber
Compress both the rings and the balls of cucumber in 100g shiso gazpacho
Dice the mackerel belly. Season with salt to taste and add the shiso and sesame oil
- 5g of shiso leaves
- 5g of sesame oil
Stuff the mackerel tartare into the compressed cucumber rings
To serve, place 4 slices of mackerel on each plate, then garnish with the cucumber balls and stuffed cucumber. Dot about some umeboshi and add 30g shiso gazpacho to each plate. Garnish with the leaves and herbs
- 1 umeboshi, seeded and diced
- shiso cress leaves
- celery leaves
- edible flowers
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