Hamachi Recipe

Prepare and slice fish

Pat the hamachi dry with paper towels. Lightly season both sides with the 1 tsp sea salt. Using a very sharp knife, slice the hamachi into 6–8 thin sashimi-style slices (about 1/8"–1/4" thick), keeping pieces uniform. Arrange slices slightly overlapping on a chilled serving plate.

Finish

Brush or lightly drizzle the 1 tsp neutral oil across the fish to add sheen if desired. Right before serving, squeeze a few drops of lime or yuzu over the slices to brighten the flavor.

Mix sauce

In a small bowl, combine 3 tbsp white miso, 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sake, 2 tbsp yuzu juice, and 1 tsp honey. Whisk until smooth. Add 1 tsp neutral oil and 2 tsp water to loosen the consistency so the sauce is pourable but still coats a spoon. Taste and adjust: add more yuzu for acidity, more honey for sweetness, or a pinch of salt if needed.

Optional warm technique

For a slightly deeper flavor, gently warm the sauce in a small saucepan over low heat for 30–60 seconds, whisking; do not boil. Cool slightly before plating so it remains glossy but not hot.

Apply to fish

Spoon or dot the yuzu miso sauce across the hamachi slices (about 1–1.5 tsp sauce per slice), or serve a small spoonful beside each portion so diners can combine flavors.

Char vegetables

Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan over high heat until smoking. Place the serranos, optional jalapeño, and roma tomato on the hot surface. Turn occasionally until skins are blackened on most sides (5–8 minutes). Transfer the charred vegetables to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a lid for 5 minutes to steam — this loosens skins.

Peel and seed

When cool enough to handle, remove charred skins from the tomato and chiles. For the chiles, cut open and scrape out seeds if you want milder heat (leave seeds for more heat). Roughly chop the peeled tomato and chiles.

Assemble salsa

Finely dice 1/4 red onion and mince 1/2 garlic clove. In a bowl, combine the chopped charred tomato and chiles, diced red onion, minced garlic, 2 tbsp cilantro leaves (chopped), 1 tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp neutral oil, and 1/2 tsp sea salt. Taste and adjust salt or lime. The salsa should be bright, slightly smoky, and moderately spicy.

Finish

Let the salsa rest 5–10 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Spoon small portions (about 1–1.5 tsp) of the charred serrano salsa on top or beside each hamachi slice when plating.

Arrange the hamachi slices on the serving plate. Dot or lightly spread the yuzu miso sauce over and between slices. Place small spoonfuls of charred serrano salsa atop some slices (alternate to balance heat). Scatter the 1 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, microgreens, thinly sliced scallion, and 1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds over the dish for color and texture. Finish with a light squeeze of lime or yuzu if desired.

Serve immediately so the fish stays cool and the salsa and sauce remain vibrant.