Living in Japan had a profound and unexpected impact on our eating habits. I would have assumed we’d eat out loads and get fat. Instead we ate out about as much as when we lived in HK (that is to say, a couple of nights a week and lots on a weekend) and somehow got healthier.
Some of this, I put down to exercise. At weekends we regularly walked 15,000-20,000 steps a day exploring one city or another, and I played hockey with a baffled group of Japanese 20 somethings. In the week we were moments from the pre-made running path by the Meguro river, the deserted 50m outdoor swimming pool in summer and the cleanest and friendliest branch of Anytime Fitness I have ever been in.
But putting this down to working out is only part of the story. Because we also discovered that Japanese supermarkets are, just like pretty much everything else there, the best example of their kind. Between Ozeki (a small chain that stocks fresh, seasonal and Japanese produce) and Tokyu (a bit less seasonal, a bit more international) we had access within a 5 minute radius of our house to some of the finest ingredients you could imagine. They were all fresh, tasty and healthy. With the exception of the snack cupboard we largely – and unintentionally – removed processed food from our diet, whilst upgrading our everyday eating experiences. I even came home once with a tray of fresh uni for under 1500yen.
The problem was what to do with what we found. Many ingredients were new to us. It was unclear what to do with 100 kinds of seaweed. Or 500 kinds of fish. But slowly we figured it out and developed a bit of a staple routine, which happily involved making good use of the fact that all Japanese kitchens come ready made with a little fish grill under the hob (which the estate agents always seemed to point out with delight every time when showing you round apartments – “fish grill!”).
The beauty of this recipe is the simplicity. You can imitate it anywhere. In London we use skin-on mackerel fillets from Sainsburys. But the classic version is always whatever fish looks good at Fudomae Ozeki, grilled quickly (“fish grill!)” served banchan-style with seasonal veggies and pickles on the pretty little plates we bought from Keyuca. It will never get old, even as we do.
A&A’s Grilled Fish
SHOPPING LIST
The beauty here is that you only need the fish and the rice. Everything else is customisable/optional depending on what you have or can get. We tend to try and get as many different veggies as possible, mixing textures, dressings and heat for maximum fun.
Must Haves
- Skin on fish fillets. Ideally an oily, meaty fish, like mackerel.
- Rice (preferably brown, because we love being brown rice w*****s).
- Miso soup. Ideally you make it from a dashi packet and fresh miso paste, but even an instant one will just about do.
Optional
Anything goes here really. Choose whatever is fresh and in season and try and mix it up between hot/cold/pickled/fresh. Liberal use of interesting sauces and sprinkles (ponzu, dried seaweed) heavily encouraged. Here are some of our favourite sides:
- Tofu, spring onion or other vegetables added to the miso.
- Asparagus, oiled and fried gently in a pan or under the grill until slightly blackened, often served with a sprinkling of dried seaweed
- Raw tomato, sliced and dressed in ponzu, or just simply with oil and good salt
- Tsukemono (Japanese pickles) or kimchi
- Grilled pumpkin or squash (cut into pieces, coat in oil and grill or roast)
- Sliced silken tofu, dressed with sesame oil, salt and sesame seeds
- Soft boiled eggs, sometimes marinated ramen-style
HOW TO MAKE
1. Place your fish skin side up, no salt no oil, on a tray. Pre-heat your grill/broiler so it is screaming hot. If you’re English, put it under the grill until the skin blackens and blisters. If you’re America, do the same but broil it (as apparently “grill” means something different there). Do not flip the fish. Cook skin side up the whole way.
2. If making miso, empty the dashi packet in 500ml of boiling water. Reduce the heat to below boiling and stir in the miso paste. Add tofu and spring onion (or other vegetable) if desired.
3. Make all the other sides, depending on what you have.
4. Serve the fish with a good scoop of (preferably brown) rice, with the sides presented banchan-style.