Recipe
Must-Try for Fish Haters! Crispy Mackerel Tower with Mushroom Glaze
Ingredients
- 2fresh mackerel fillets
- 1/4onion
- 25–30gcarrot
- 1/2pack shimeji mushrooms
- 100ml water
- 45ml mirin
- 45ml vinegar
- 2tsp sugar
- 60ml soy sauce
- Potatostarch slurry: 1.5 tbsp (1 tbsp potato starch + 1.5 tbsp water)
- 1tsp salt
- 5–6tbsp potato starch
- 1/3tsp oil
- Greenonions, to taste (for garnish)
About "Crispy Mackerel Tower with Mushroom Glaze"
A crowd-pleasing dish featuring fresh mackerel salted to remove any fishy odor, coated in a thick layer of potato starch, and pan-fried to crispy perfection. Smothered in a sweet and sour glaze packed with onions, carrots, and shimeji mushrooms, this recipe is incredibly satisfying and perfect with rice. With its crunchy exterior and juicy interior, it's highly recommended even for those who usually dislike fish.
Tips for Making "Crispy Mackerel Tower with Mushroom Glaze"
-
Prep
- Choose low-sodium fresh mackerel, sprinkle with salt, and let sit for 10 minutes to draw out moisture and odor. This step eliminates any fishy smell and elevates the final flavor.
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Prep
- Thoroughly dry the salted mackerel with a paper towel, cut into bite-sized pieces, coat generously with potato starch, and rest in the fridge for 15 minutes to lock in moisture for a crispy yet tender texture.
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Seasoning
- Add the soy sauce to the glaze at the very end. Cooking off the alcohol in the mirin before adding the soy sauce helps preserve its rich aroma.
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Heat Control
- Once the oil is hot, pan-fry the mackerel skin-side down over medium heat for 3 minutes without touching, then flip and cook for another 3 minutes. Give the skin side a final quick sear to ensure a crunchy exterior and juicy interior.
Ingredients for "Crispy Mackerel Tower with Mushroom Glaze"
14 items* Tap ingredient names to find on Amazon
How to Make "Crispy Mackerel Tower with Mushroom Glaze"
- 1
Prep and Deodorize the Mackerel
Choose mackerel with low salt content (fresh or frozen is fine). Sprinkle 1 tsp of salt evenly over the fish and let it sit for about 10 minutes to draw out moisture and eliminate any fishy odor.
- 2
Prep the Vegetables
Slice 1/4 onion and julienne 25–30g of carrot. Cut off the base of 1/2 pack of shimeji mushrooms and break them apart by hand.
- 3
Make the Mushroom Glaze
Transfer the cut vegetables to a pan and add 100 ml water, 45 ml mirin, 45 ml vinegar, and 2 tsp sugar. Hold off on adding the 60 ml soy sauce for now. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once bubbling, pour in the soy sauce and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in 1.5 tbsp of potato starch slurry to thicken, let it concentrate slightly, then turn off the heat.
- 4
Dry and Cut the Mackerel
Thoroughly wipe off the moisture drawn out of the mackerel with a paper towel. Cut the fillets into bite-sized pieces.
- 5
Coat with Potato Starch
Spread a generous amount of potato starch on a tray and coat the mackerel pieces completely until they are white. Let them rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. This step locks in the moisture, resulting in a crispy yet tender texture.
- 6
Pan-Fry the Mackerel
Heat 1/3 tsp of oil in a pan. Once hot, place the mackerel skin-side down and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes without touching. When the edges start to turn white, gently move them to distribute the oil evenly. After 3 minutes, flip and cook the other side for another 3 minutes. Finally, flip back to the skin side for a quick final sear.
- 7
Assemble and Serve
Stack the cooked mackerel pieces alternately on a plate to build a tower. Generously pour the warm mushroom glaze over the top and garnish with chopped green onions.
Food Science
The combination of inosinate, a rich umami compound found in mackerel, with the guanylate and glutamate in shimeji mushrooms creates a powerful umami synergy. Additionally, salting the mackerel draws out excess moisture along with any fishy odors, while the potato starch coating locks in the savory juices. Thickening the sweet and sour glaze with potato starch also helps the sauce cling to the ingredients, creating a smooth mouthfeel and keeping the dish warm for longer.
Detailed Commentary on "Crispy Mackerel Tower with Mushroom Glaze"
* Content organized by topics from the video.
Tips for Prepping and Deodorizing Mackerel
In the video, the chef recommends choosing mackerel with low salt content, whether fresh or frozen. Joking that if you aren't sure about the saltiness, you could take a bite at the supermarket before putting it in your basket, the chef moves on to sprinkling salt over the low-sodium fish to draw out moisture and odor. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. Doing this prep work carefully eliminates the fishy smell and dramatically improves the final flavor.
Prepping the Vegetables for the Glaze
While the mackerel is resting, prepare the vegetables for the glaze. Slice 1/4 of an onion, then julienne 25–30g of carrot. The exact amounts don't need to be precise—just use what feels right—and the julienned carrots don't need to be perfectly thin. Next, cut off the base of 1/2 pack of shimeji mushrooms and break them apart by hand. The chef humorously muses that there should be a high-paying part-time job just for separating shimeji mushrooms.
The Golden Ratio for an Aromatic Glaze
Transfer the cut vegetables to a pan and add the seasonings: 100 ml of fresh water, 45 ml of mirin, 45 ml of vinegar, and 2 tsp of sugar. The key here is to hold off on adding the 60 ml of soy sauce. Adding the soy sauce later is a deliberate choice to preserve its rich aroma. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, and once it's bubbling, pour in the soy sauce. Boil it thoroughly to cook off the alcohol in the mirin, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in a slurry made of 1.5 tbsp of water and 1 tbsp of potato starch, cook a bit longer to concentrate the glaze, and turn off the heat.
Drying and Coating the Mackerel
After 10 minutes, the mackerel will have sweated out its moisture. Wipe it off thoroughly with a paper towel. Making a self-deprecating joke about wishing they could lose weight as easily as the salted mackerel in 10 minutes, the chef cuts the fish into bite-sized pieces. Next, spread a generous amount of potato starch on a tray and coat the mackerel completely until it is white. Don't skimp on the starch—coating it generously is the secret. Once coated, let it rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. This resting period allows the starch to lock in the mackerel's moisture, ensuring a crispy yet tender texture.
How to Pan-Fry Mackerel to Crispy Perfection
Heat about 1/3 tsp of oil in a pan, aiming for a shallow pan-fry. Once the oil is hot, place the mackerel in the pan skin-side down. Cook undisturbed over medium heat for 3 minutes. When the edges of the mackerel start to turn white, gently move them to distribute the oil evenly. After 3 minutes, flip them over and cook the other side for another 3 minutes. The cooking times are just a guide; the goal is a crispy exterior and fully cooked interior. Finally, give the skin side one last quick sear to cook off any remaining moisture between the skin and flesh, resulting in a wonderfully crunchy outside and juicy inside.
Stacking the Auspicious Mackerel Tower
Now, plate the cooked mackerel. Believing an unverified rumor that 'the higher you stack mackerel, the better your next life will be,' the chef stacks the pieces alternately to build a tall tower. While playfully complaining about modern business jargon and wishing people would just use simple language, the chef generously pours the warm, vegetable-packed mushroom glaze over the towering mackerel. Garnish with chopped green onions to finish.
Tasting: Rich Glaze and Exquisite Flavor
The finished 'Crispy Mackerel Tower with Mushroom Glaze' looks incredibly appetizing with its rich, glossy sheen. The sweet and sour glaze clings perfectly to the thick crispy coating. Taking a bite, the savory aroma of the mackerel combines beautifully with the soy sauce and vinegar in the glaze, prompting an involuntary exclamation of delight. It's a highly satisfying dish that goes perfectly with rice—even those who dislike fish will want to eat this once a week. The chef wraps up the video with a humorous sign-off: 'I think I'll go sprinkle some salt on my own stomach and let it sit for a bit.'
About 夕方食堂
夕方食堂
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