Japanese · dinner, lunch
Saba Shioyaki (Salt-Grilled Mackerel)
Video by Cooking with Chef Dai on YouTube · Open on YouTube
- Carnivore if you leave out the daikon radish, lemon wedge, parsley and soy sauce
- Keto (1.1 g net carbs a serve)
- Pescatarian
- Gluten-free with a swap: use gluten-free soy sauce (tamari)
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
Contains: Gluten, Fish, Soy. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
Mackerel is an oily fish rich in omega-3 fats: one fillet gives about 3 g of omega-3, around a day's vitamin D and many times the daily vitamin B12, and it is grilled with nothing but salt.
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Ingredients 6
Method
Tap a time to watch that step in the video.
- Pat the mackerel fillets completely dry; any water left on them dilutes the flavour and stops the skin crisping. 2:12
- Lightly score the skin in a criss-cross pattern so it doesn't curl, and cut each fillet in half. Thread onto skewers if you like, to hold the pieces flat. 0:26
- Season both sides liberally with salt. 2:32
- Cook under a very hot overhead grill (broiler) for about 5 minutes on the first side, then flip and cook about 3 minutes more, until browned and crisp but still juicy inside. 2:45
- Twist the skewers out gently so the flesh doesn't tear. Serve skin-side up with a mound of grated daikon, a lemon wedge and parsley; squeeze lemon over the fish and add a drop of soy sauce to the radish as you eat. 3:48
Tip. Serves 2 (our estimate: one fillet each). For strict carnivore, eat it with just the salt and leave the daikon, lemon and soy sauce off. A very hot grill pan or barbecue works too.
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One serve gives you 1 of 2
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 1%
- Protein 37%
- Fat 62%
Fits keto: 1.1 g net carbs a serve, with 62% of the energy from fat.
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
Vitamin B12 High950%
23 µg a serve, mostly from mackerel fillets (100%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Omega-3 High203%
3.3 g a serve, mostly from mackerel fillets (100%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Selenium High113%
62 µg a serve, mostly from mackerel fillets (100%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Vitamin D High96%
19 µg a serve, mostly from mackerel fillets (100%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Vitamin B6 High30%
0.5 mg a serve, mostly from mackerel fillets (96%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Magnesium High29%
124 mg a serve, mostly from mackerel fillets (94%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Vitamin K High22%
26 µg a serve, mostly from parsley (63%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Potassium Source12%
570 mg a serve, mostly from mackerel fillets (84%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Iron Source12%
2.1 mg a serve, mostly from mackerel fillets (89%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Vitamin E Source12%
1.8 mg a serve, mostly from mackerel fillets (99%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Zinc Source11%
1.2 mg a serve, mostly from mackerel fillets (93%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Vitamin C Source11%
10 mg a serve, mostly from daikon radish (66%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
Show the other 3
Vitamin A8%
69 µg a serve, mostly from mackerel fillets (94%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Folate3%
12 µg a serve, mostly from daikon radish (68%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Calcium2%
29 mg a serve, mostly from mackerel fillets (62%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
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Recipe and video by Cooking with Chef Dai; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.