Shime saba

Mackerel is not a luxurious ingredient.When I was little, I couldn't stand the smell of mackerel. There were no escape when my mum cooked mackerel. The smell was very strong! I only managed to eat Shime saba which is pickled mackerel. Now I grew up and changed my taste. I like mackerel very much. But the biggest reason I like the fish is good memory with my dad.

For many years, my dad have traveled around Japan on business. He often went to Kyushu which is south part of Japan and bought back beautiful mackerel called Seki saba. Saba means mackerel in Japanese. Seki is the name of place in Kyusyu. The mackerel is very popular. The skin is shiny and the flesh is a pale pink. It doesn't have strong fishy smell. At the age of 14, I already preferred fishes to sweets. My dad doesn't like sweet at all. He liked that I asked the fish rather than sweets. The shime saba using Seki saba is the best!

Though I mainly eat Shime saba as it is, I introduce a nice recipe. Having this dish with Sake together is perfect! You can find Shime saba in some Japanese store in London. Alternatively you can use pickled herrings which is almost as tasty.

Shime saba salad
Serves 4

Ingredients
100g shime saba fillet, sliced
200g daikon (white radish), skinned, julienned
4 shiso leaves, thinly sliced
25g gari (pickled ginger), thinly sliced
1 tbsp black sesame seeds, toasted
Soy sauce

Place all ingredients (except soy sauce) in a large bowl. Toss until well mixed. Serve with soy sauce in separate plates.