sabajaga

Recently came upon a site for everything beer (in Japanese only).

Not only do they talk about beer but they have recipes that pair with beer.

I recently tried one of their recipes because I wanted to use up some cilantro and potatoes that I had.

The recipe was super easy and tasty.

Sabajaga from Beergirl.net
1 can saba (mackerel), water packed about 180-200 grams
2 potatoes about 180-200 grams total
cilantro or watercress
shoyu (soy sauce)

Wash and cut potato into cubes.
Cook your potatoes until soft.
Peel the potatoes then mash them.
In a skillet (pan) add the mashed potato and canned fish with the canning water and break up the fish with a wooden spoon
On medium heat, cook until the water evaporates
Add some shoyu
Serve with cilantro or watercress

Beer that they recommended to pair with : IPA

NOTES: Instead of peeling the potatoes after they were cooked, I just washed them well, so I could leave the skins on.

Also instead of mashing them, I just smooshed them a little.

Instead of using shoyu, I put a little of this saku saku shoyu by Kikkoman's Cocoro Dining (photo from internet).

This condiment is super flavorful and I like the crunch from the almonds.

We've used it on salad instead of dressing already.

For this recipe, instead of shoyu or this saku saku type, I think the next time I make this I will use some fish sauce.

And will mash the potato so that when I put it into the pan, it will brown up and form a little crust on the bottom.

I'm glad I tried this and will make it again.

It's another 3-day weekend here (the New Emperor's birthday), hope you have a nice weekend.

saba tartare-style

I was recently watching a program and just knew their recipe would be tasty.

They call it saba (mackerel) tartare-style...If I am not mistaken, tartare is usually raw but this version is cooked.

Saba Tartare Style : about 4 servings : Recipe from NHK Gogonama

1 can water packed mackerel, drained
1 eggplant, diced
10 cherry tomatoes, diced
1 clove garlic, grated
1/2 onion, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons capers, crushed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
parsley
salt, pepper to taste

In a pan, heat the oil to medium and add the garlic and onions
When the onions get transparent, add the eggplant, cooking it until it starts to gets soft and has some color
Add the tomatoes, capers and then the mackerel, breaking the fish up with a wooden spoon
Add the vinegar and cook until most of the liquid evaporates
Salt and pepper to taste
If serving warm or cold, add the parsley before serving

NOTES: During the program they mentioned that this time of year we can get the end of summer veggies along with the start of autumn veggies, so this was a nice way to cook with both.

This appetizer was good warm and chilled.

I had this with crackers but think it would be even better with toasted baguette.

Super simple and this would be nice with a dry white wine.

I'm making this again.

aunty misao's saba patties

Many years ago, my grandma's sister gave me her recipe for salmon patties.

I finally got around to trying it the other night.

Since I didn't have canned salmon, I used canned mackerel.

Adaption of Aunty Misao's saba patties : makes about 8

1 can mackerel packed in water, drained (90 grams)
1/4 cup flour
3 tablespoons dry okara
1 egg
1/4 purple onion, diced
several grinds of pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

In a bowl, break the mackerel up with a fork.
Add the flour and dry okara
Mix
Add the egg, onion and pepper.
Mix well
Heat the tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan
With a soup spoon, scoop out and dollop into the pan, then flatten with back of the spoon.
Cook for at least 2-3 minutes then flip
After flipping, cover pan and cook for 2 minutes to cook through.
Take out of the pan and place on paper towel to "blot" the oil from the patties.

NOTES: I didn't have many of the ingredients in her recipe (canned salmon, breadcrumbs, water chestnuts, green onions). Her recipe also uses 3 eggs.

The can of salmon on her recipe has more volume (200 grams), which is probably why she uses a more breadcrumbs and 3 eggs.

Anyway, I'm glad I tried this.

In Hawaii, we would have these kinds of patties served with salad and rice...I just served ours on salad with a little sesame dressing.

On a rainy night like the other night, this was perfect comfort food.

It was easy to put together and I'll definitely be making this again.

smoked saba toasts

Was watching a Nigel Slater show and he talked about smoked mackerel toasts.

Smoked mackerel, cream, cheese and chives...mixed together and then baked onto bread slices.

I adapted this and served them on toast and then on crackers.

1 can smoked mackerel
1/4 red onion, diced
mayo
pepper
cheese

When putting this on toast, I put the cheese on just before toasting.

When we ate this on crackers, I didn't put the cheese.

NOTES: I think mixing the smoked mackerel with cream cheese and onions then nixing the mayo would be delicious too.

Kind of similar to smoked salmon dips.

The can of smoked mackerel is a brand from Shizuoka, I love the packaging.

The fish is caught in the area and packed in olive oil.

Will make this again soon!

saba soup

Recently on "Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai" they had an assortment of canned saba (mackerel).

During the show, they had a recipe for saba soup.

Of course, I had to try it because it is fahreezing these days...

Adapted from "Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai" : about 4 servings

1 can mackerel (packed in water) about 140 grams, drained
3 cups water
1 teaspoon shoyu
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1/4 onion, diced
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 package of maitake, shredded by hand
a small handful of kikurage (cloud ear fungus), reconstituted then chopped slightly
1/2 bunch of chinese chives, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 clove garlic, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Put the onion and red bell pepper into the pot and bring to a boil
Turn down to a simmer then add the fish, breaking it up
Add the maitake, chives and garlic
Then add the shoyu & oyster sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

NOTES: The show didn't really give much direction or amounts, so I am just listing up what I put into my soup.

I didn't add any salt so the taste was on the light side.

We've had this with rice and also with baguette.

I like how this soup is super easy to put together.

Definitely making this again.

saba tofu dry curry gyoza

The other day I made another batch of saba tofu dry curry, then for dinner, I stuffed the curry into gyoza wrappers.

I used 3/4 of the dry curry, placing 1/2 tablespoons of the filling into the 25 large gyoza wrappers.

Different but delicious.

Loved how the wrappers got really crispy.

Definitely making this again.

p.s. it's a holiday today, Culture Day and we're off to see MIL, have a nice weekend.

saba tofu dry curry

The other day I was surfing around and caught part of the many health programs they show here and one of the things they mentioned was how fish like saba (mackerel) can boost your good cholesterol.

They also gave an easy recipe so I tried it last night.

Saba Tofu Dry Curry : 4 servings (or less depending on your serving size) : adapted from television show

1/2 tofu (about 160 grams)
1 can saba (mackerel packed in water) (about 200 grams)
nub of ginger, grated
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

Press water out of tofu and break up with your hands, press between paper towel again.

Drain the water from the can and break up the saba into a pan.

Add ginger, tomato paste, curry and worcestershire sauce.

Cook on medium-low until all liquid has evaporated.

NOTES: Super easy to make and tasty.

The ginger helps to mask any "fishiness".

The original recipe calls for ketchup but I used tomato paste instead to cut out some sugar.

Also, I didn't have any worcestershire sauce, so I used tonkatsu sauce.

This was good on rice but I am also thinking it might be good in gyoza wrappers, and hope to try this way soon.

We have another typhoon approaching over the next couple of days...hoping this one won't be as bad.

Have a nice weekend.

update

Remember that can of saba (mackerel)?

Well, we finally had it today for breakfast, mixed with some mayo and put into a sandwich with some avocado.

To me, it was a bit "fishier" than tuna, but still very delicious.

I like that the pieces of mackerel in the can were whole filets, not broken up.

I'm definitely picking this up again.

ça va

If you know some French, you'll know that "ça va?" means "how are you?"

Well, if you also know some Japanese, you'll know that the Japanese cannot pronounce "v" and instead pronounce it as "b"...so "ça va" would be "saba"....saba is mackerel.

I thought this packaging was fun.

Made by a company in Iwate prefecture, apparently Iwate catches the most mackerel in Japan.

I'm not sure how I'll prepare this yet but can't wait to try it.

Do you have a favorite way of eating saba (mackerel)? Please share it in the comments.

bonbaiten

Monday was a National Holiday, Seijin-no-hi (Coming-of-age Day). It is when the 20 year olds are "initiated" into society. They can legally drink, which seems to pose problems and embarassment at the ceremonies. There are many girls who dress in furisode (long sleeved kimono) and the guys wear suits. I think it is losing its luster though, as I didn't see many out and about.

Since it was a beautiful day, Satoshi and I headed out to Shiga prefecture. On the way, we were able to see some snow flurries.

In Nagahama, they had an exhibition called Bonbaiten (potted plum exhibition). This is the 57th exhibition and it runs from January 10 until March 10. The admission was 500 yen.

Some potted plums were only 8 inches tall and some were 6 feet tall! There were many trees to view and some as old as 350 years! Some weren't blooming yet but they were still beautiful to see.

Lunch was in the Kurokabe area of Nagahama. We stopped into a machiya called Yokaro. Their specialty was saba (mackerel). I had the Bi-doro-bako (left photo) which was an assortment of seafoods like funa (carp), unagi (eel), kisu (sillago). Satoshi had the saba kaido (middle photo), this featured mackerel grilled then put on top of somen and on top of sushi. Everything was a bit too "fishy" for me, so Satoshi cleaned up what I couldn't finish.
We then were craving something sweet, but wanted to go somewhere closer to home, so I asked Satoshi if he would like to check out the place that I had had matcha fondue at. He was game, so we head to Kyoto. When we got to the place it was peak cafe time but the place was quite empty.

Satoshi had a babaloa (bavarian cream) with chestnut paste and bits of chestnut in it. I had the Saganoji, which was a light cheese cake with a sponge cake bottom, matcha mochi (green tea rice cake) layer in between and then was wrapped with a thin, soft mochi. I think it is supposed to resemble the cobblestones in Arashiyama, though it was light as a feather.

Hope your week is going well.

holy saba (mackerel)!

This was such an easy recipe and I found it on the back of the tomato paste package!

Tomato saba soboro (ground mackerel seasoned with tomato) adapted from Kagome tomato paste package
190g canned saba mizuni (mackerel packed in water)
100g tomato paste (about 6 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon shoyu (soy sauce)
1 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine)
2 inch nub of ginger, grated
2 tablespoon sesame seed

Put everything except the sesame seeds into a pan and heat until liquid has evaporated. Break up saba so that there are no big pieces. Put into a bowl and sprinkle sesame seeds. Eat with rice on the side or put onto your rice.

I also served this with kyuri asazuke(lightly pickled cucumbers) and steamed beans.

NOTES: I keep my ginger in the freezer, so a few minutes after taking it out, it was easy to peel and grate. Though this dish didn't look too appetizing, it was very delicious. I thought it might be too tomatoey but the ginger, shoyu and mirin actually makes this dish Japanese-y.

Has anyone tried the mackerel in tomato sauce? I haven't tried that and I was wondering what type of seasoning that has. If it is just tomato sauce, you may be able to use that and add in the ginger, shoyu and mirin to make this dish.

p.s. I wanted to show you this interesting apple. It is called Akibae and means glorious Autumn. And glorious it is, it is a cross between a Tsugaru and Chiaki apples. The red peel is so dark that it almost looks chocolatey or black. It is also quite crisp and sweet like a Fuji.