Setsubun iwashi (salt-grilled sardines)
Whole sardines salted and grilled until the skin blisters, with grated daikon
In the Kansai region, Setsubun in early February is the night for grilled sardines: the smoke and strong smell are said to keep demons away, and many homes still fix a sardine head on a sprig of holly by the door (hiiragi iwashi) as a charm. Eating the oily fish is thought to keep you well through the turn of the season. Salt-grilling is the simplest way to cook them: crisp, salty, blistered skin over rich, soft flesh, cut by the cool sharpness of grated daikon and a squeeze of lemon. Serve with plain rice and miso soup. Chef's tip: salt the fish 15 minutes ahead and pat off the beads of moisture before grilling, which takes away the fishy edge and lets the skin crisp.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 8 whole sardinesabout 100 g each, scaled and gutted
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp neutral oilfor the rack
To serve
- 5 ½ oz daikonfinely grated and lightly squeezed
- 1 lemon or sudachicut into wedges
- 1 tbsp tamari (optional)for the daikon
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (1)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rinse 8 whole sardines inside and out under cold running water and pat them very dry with kitchen paper.
3 minStep 2: Sprinkle both sides and the cavity evenly with 2 tsp fine sea salt and leave them on a plate in the fridge for 15 minutes, until little beads of moisture appear on the skin.
15 minStep 3: Heat the grill to high with the rack about 8 cm from the heat, and brush the rack with 1 tsp neutral oil.
3 minStep 4: Pat the sardines dry again. Common mistake: grilling them wet. The skin steams, sticks to the rack and tears when you turn the fish.
1 minStep 5: Grill for 4–5 minutes, until the skin is blistered and golden, then turn carefully with a fish slice and grill the other side for 3–4 minutes. They are done when the flesh at the thickest part is opaque and flakes easily from the bone.
9 minStep 6: Serve straight away with a mound of 5 ½ oz daikon, a little 1 tbsp tamari poured over it if you like, and 1 lemon or sudachi to squeeze over.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 25 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does setsubun iwashi (salt-grilled sardines) take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Moreton Bay bugsSlipper lobster with garlic butter
Moreton Bay bugs are the flat, shovel-nosed slipper lobsters caught off the Queensland coast around Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, and for Queenslanders they are a summer treat, split and grilled at the beach house. The tail meat is sweet and rich, somewhere between lobster and prawn. Buy them raw, frozen or fresh, from a fishmonger and ask them to halve them if you like. A common mistake is overcooking, which makes the meat rubbery; it is ready the moment it turns white. Chef's tip: grill flesh side down first to mark it, then turn and baste in the shell.
Australian
Yaki onigiriGrilled rice balls
Yaki onigiri (焼きおにぎり) are rice balls grilled until they form a crisp, toasty crust, then brushed with soy sauce glaze. They are eaten all over Japan, at izakaya, at barbecues and from the freezer section, as a snack or with miso soup. The inside stays soft and steamy while the outside crackles. Best eaten hot, straight from the pan. Chef's tip: let the shaped rice balls dry for 10 minutes before they go in the pan. A drier surface forms a better crust and won't stick, and the glaze goes on only at the end so it doesn't burn.
Miso soup
Miso soup (味噌汁) is drunk every day in homes all over Japan, at breakfast as well as dinner, beside a bowl of rice. The base is dashi; this vegan version uses kombu and dried shiitake instead of bonito, which gives it a deep, rounded flavour. Silken tofu and wakame seaweed are the classic fillings. It takes ten minutes; just remember not to boil the miso. Chef's tip: add the miso at the very end and never let it boil. Boiling kills the miso's fresh, fermented aroma; Japanese cooks say the soup should only 'smile', with the surface barely trembling.