Saikyo Yaki
The original recipe is from Kyoto and combines fresh fish with Saikyo miso. This is a white, slightly sweet, low sodium miso. The fish is marinated in miso and then grilled and served with pickled ginger. Lots of umami of course and the intriguing combination of miso and fish. Nowadays salmon is often used when preparing this popular dish.
Our approach is slightly different. We use white fish (haddock preferred, but rouget, halibut or cod are also fine) and marinate it in red miso for four or five days. The flesh will become beautiful deep red and the miso will gently flavour the fish, without overwhelming it. It’s not a subtle starter but the taste is great especially when combined with pickled cucumber and karashi (Japanese mustard).
Sake Pairing
Best served with a dry sake. We prefer Junmai Taru Sake as produced by Kiku-Masamune. This fine sake is matured in barrels made of the finest Yoshino cedar. The aroma has indeed clear hints of cedar. The sake will clear your palate and allow for a more intense taste of the marinated haddock.
What You Need
- Two slices of Haddock (thin is best)
- Red Miso (preferable with less salt)
- Cucumber Pickles
- Karashi
What You Do
Start four or five days in advance. Fully coat the haddock with miso. Cover the dish with foil and transfer to the fridge. Check on a daily basis if the fish is still fully coated.
Using a small spoon carefully remove most of the miso. Rinse the haddock with water and dry it with kitchen paper. The white flesh should now be red. Heat a non sticky pan until warm, but not hot, through and through. If too hot, the fish will burn. We set our induction hob to 6 (where 9 is the maximum). Add a bit of olive oil and then fry the fish for 2*2 minutes. Serve on a warm plate with pickles and karashi.
Cook and Drink 