Sanma Shioyaki (Grilled Pacific Saury) is a classic Japanese preparation where fish is cooked whole over charcoal until the skin crisps up. The smokiness from the grill adds a level of amazingness to the dish. Enjoy with grated daikon and lemon.
Living in the US, autumn seasonal recipes that come to mind usually have pumpkin, baking, and a variety of comfort dishes. However, my first craving for fall dishes is actually fish, mushroom, and chestnut. You might think it’s a bit strange, but these are a few from many autumn ingredients that the Japanese look forward to as the temperature started to drop and air in the evening gets crisp.
Sanma (秋刀魚) or Pacific Saury is fish that becomes available in fall, and literary means “autumn swordfish” in reference to sanma season and its body shape resembling a sword.
As you know, the Japanese eat fish raw for sushi and sashimi; therefore, fish in Japan is generally very fresh. In order to enjoy the fundamental quality of the fresh fish itself, the most common preparation of fish is to sprinkle salt and grill. We call it Shioyaki (塩焼き) – shio means salt and yaki means grilled. Now you start to recognize the menus from Japanese restaurants such as Saba Shioyaki (Salt-Grilled Mackerel), Salmon Shioyaki, and so on.
One unique feature about preparation for sanma is that it is usually grilled whole with the head and guts intact. This highly nutritious gut part is very bitter, but some Japanese actually eat the guts.
Last year I shared Sanma Shioyaki recipe but I broiled it in the oven toaster. Since my husband mastered in charcoal grilling over the summer (see our BBQ recipes), we actually charcoal-grilled this fish for the first time, just like how some of the Japanese restaurants cook their grilled dishes over charcoal.
The smokiness from the charcoal added another layer of flavor to the dish and it was AMAZING!
Just in case you wonder how we eat this fish, I’ll quickly go over. The fish is usually served with grated daikon radish and a wedge of lemon (usually we use sudachi).
- Pour a dash of soy sauce over grated daikon.
- Squeeze lemon/sudashi all over the fish.
- Place the daikon (now soaked in soy sauce) on top of the fish.
- Use your chopsticks to dissect the fish by spreading the fish from the center where it’s scored.
- Place the fish and daikon together in the mouth.
Hmmm! Delicious! I love fall. Sanma can be found in most of the Japanese supermarkets this season. Enjoy!
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Sanma Shioyaki (Grilled Pacific Saury)
Ingredients
- 2 whole Pacific saury (sanma)
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
For Serving
- 2 inches daikon radish (peeled and grated; optional)
- 1 lemon (cut into wedges; optional)
- soy sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. To grill the fish under the broiler in the oven, see my recipe for Salt-Grilled Pacific Saury.
- Rinse 2 whole Pacific saury (sanma) under cold running water and pat dry. Sprinkle Diamond Crystal kosher salt on both sides of the fish. Set aside for 10 minutes. This will dehydrate the fish.
- To keep the fish skin from bursting during grilling, insert a sharp knife next to the gills and score lengthwise (see below).
- The fish has a line running across its body where you need to score so just follow that line.
- Repeat on the other side.
To Grill
- Start the grill.
- Place the sanma on the grill, presentation side down (the side that is going to be showing when you serve). Grill for about 8–10 minutes on each side.
- Grill over strong heat but no flame. When the charcoal gets too hot and the fish is about to catch fire, sprinkle some water on the flame so the fish doesn’t burn.
- After 8–10 minutes, the eye will turn white; that’s the sign that it’s cooked. Flip the fish carefully just once.
- Grill the other side for 8–10 minutes. Remove and serve on individual plates.
- Right before you serve, grate 2 inches daikon radish. Squeeze out some of the liquid gently and serve alongside wedges cut from 1 lemon. Pour soy sauce over the grated daikon and place it on top of the grilled fish to eat together.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for a day or in the freezer for a week.
[…] follow the same way and usually serve a simple grilled fish such as Grilled Pacific Saury (Sanma), Grilled Mackerel (Saba Shioyaki) or Salted Salmon […]
Reviving this. I am still amazed on how the Japanese disect the bones using their chopsticks!
Hi Onio! Hahahahhaha! Yes, all we need is a pair of chopsticks. 😉 Thank you for making me smile!
Hello Nami,
Thank you so much for all your recipes. They inspire me a lot !
I have one question concerning grilled fish ! For some recipe you use sake and salt, but for some recipe, you only use salt. Could you precise when if we need sake according to the fish ? Or you can do both wah for every kind of fish ?
Thank you.
Hi Suzanne! I’m happy to hear my recipes inspire you. 🙂 You have a great question!
In general, salt is used to remove the fishy smell. Usually use 2% of fish’s weight (200g fish, 4 g salt). Salt draw the moisture from the fish and wipe off the moisture with paper towel.
Now sake can remove/mask the odor too, but it also brings out the umami of the ingredients and make the fish flesh “plump” (that’s how we express in Japanese).
So… use the salt for sure, but sake can be up to you. 🙂
I like to put some soy sauce on the fish instead of salt. My mother did it that way. This is a good tasting fish and reminds me of growing up and visiting my relatives in Japan!
Wanted to add… just bought some from my local market. Sanma from Japan! Cleaned them and my hands smell like fish! I don’t mind. So delicious soon!
Hi Chieko! We usually sprinkle salt to cook, but when we eat, we pour soy sauce over the grated daikon and eat it together with sanma. Sanma in season is so delicious! I need to get some too! 🙂
p.s. sorry about my late response!
wo bekomme ich den fisch (sanma)
wo kann ich diesen fisch käuflich erwerben
If Google translates correctly, you are asking where we can get Sanma. You can find it in Japanese/Asian supermarkets, but it’s seasonal fish, so either during fall/winter months or it can be in freezer section. Hope you can find it. 🙂
Thank you for the simple instructions! I’ve always wanted to grill sanma at home.
What (veggie) side dishes would you recommend, aside from the daikon?
Hi CM! Thank you for your comment. This is one of the easy recipe and I hope you enjoy sanma at home!
Here are some of my favorites:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/eggplant-with-sesame-ponzu-sauce/
https://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/green-bean-shiraae/
https://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/spinach-with-sesame-sauce/
https://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/spinach-ohitashi-japanese-spinach-salad-with-bonito-flakes/
Hope that helps!
Hi Nami,
Thanks for sharing another simple recipe. I’ve seen this fish in asian markets and have always wondered how to cook it.
Hi Candice! Sanma season is very short, so I’m going to enjoy this fish as much as I can. 🙂 I think this dish is popular in Asian countries too.