Shime Saba ‡ Recipe

Prepare fillets

If your mackerel are whole, rinse them and pat dry. Fillet each fish into two skin-on fillets, remove pin bones with tweezers. Keep the skin intact. If you purchased pre-filleted mackerel, inspect and remove any remaining pin bones and pat dry.

Salt cure

Mix the kosher salt and granulated sugar in a bowl. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap in a shallow tray or dish. Place one fillet skin-side down on the plastic. Sprinkle a generous layer (about half the salt/sugar mix for each fillet) to fully cover the flesh surface. Place the second fillet flesh-side down on top (creating a sandwich) or cure them individually if you prefer. Cover the exposed fillets with the remaining salt/sugar mix so the flesh is fully in contact with cure.

Weight and refrigerate

Cover the fillets tightly with plastic wrap, then place a heavy object or small tray on top to apply gentle pressure. Refrigerate for 30–60 minutes. For larger or thicker mackerel, you can extend curing to 90 minutes, but total cure should not exceed 2 hours to avoid over-salting. The cure draws out moisture and firms the flesh.

Rinse and vinegar soak

After curing, remove the fillets from the cure and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to remove all salt and sugar. Pat the fillets dry with paper towels. Mix the rice vinegar and mirin (if using). Place the rinsed fillets flesh-side up in a shallow dish and pour the vinegar mixture over them so the flesh is submerged or well-coated. Let them sit in the vinegar for 10–15 minutes to lightly pickle and add acidity; this gives shime saba its characteristic tang.

Dry and chill

Remove the fillets from the vinegar, pat dry again, and place skin-side up on a rack. Wrap loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm and allow the flavors to settle. You can refrigerate up to 6 hours for a firmer texture and more developed flavor; some preparations rest overnight (up to 12 hours) but monitor salt level and firmness.

Slice

Using a very sharp knife, slice the chilled fillets thinly across the grain into sashimi-style pieces, leaving skin attached to each slice. Aim for 3–4 mm slices for typical shime saba. Wipe the knife between passes with a damp cloth for clean cuts.

Plate and garnish

Arrange slices on a serving plate skin-side up or slightly fanned. Garnish with julienned fresh ginger, thinly sliced scallions, shiso leaves if using, and a light sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.

Serve

Serve immediately with soy sauce and wasabi on the side. Shime saba is also excellent atop rice or as a component in sushi or small plates. Consume within 24 hours for best quality.

Use a clean work surface and chilled tools. Keep fish refrigerated when not actively working. Sanitize surfaces and hands after handling raw fish.