Growing up it was always Fish on Fridays. As a child I never understood this, as I didn’t like meat, let alone FISH, but by the time I went to college, the canteen, would only serve fish on a Friday, to those who for religious reasons couldn’t eat meat. By that time, I didn’t meat in any shape or form but I really liked fish, especially battered cod, so I used to smile and say Yes, when questioned to my religious beliefs! Can you imagine, that happening today? Discrimination in any shape or form let alone questioning one’s religious beliefs!

Flipping through various books, I came up with two ideas for dinner tonight, one for Himself and a different on for me! Why you might ask, but himself really likes mackerel and I really don’t!

I am going to have Fish teriyaki and himself Mackerel with a sweet mirin sauce.

For the Mackerel

1. 2 tsp sake
2. 2tsp mirin
3. 1tbsp soy sauce
4. 3 cms fresh ginger grated
5. 1tsp sesame oil
6. 2 mackerel fillets with the skin on.

Mix together the ingredients for the sauce and set to one side

Heat a frying pan, add the oil, and cook the mackerel skin side down for two minutes, turn over and cook for another 30 seconds.

Pour in the sauce, reduce slightly and spoon over the fish.

Serve on a bed of rice.

For the Teriyaki Fish

1. A portion of fish per person, with skin on
2. 1tsp sesame oil

For the sauce

1. 3 tbsp mirin
2. 3 tbsp soy sauce
3. 1tbs sugar/ honey
4. 2tsp rice vinegar
5. 1tsp cornflour
6. 4 cm freshly grated ginger.
7. Heat some sesame oil in a pan, when hot add the fish, skin side down. Cook for about 4 minutes and flip over to finish.

Put sauce ingredients into a small saucepan, stir well and bring to the boil.simmer for a couple of minutes to reduce to a thick sauce.

Use straight away, or it can be kept in a sealed jar in the refrigerator until needed.

Place the fish on a bed of rice and spoon over the sauce.

If you don’t have mirin, here are some suggestions for substitutions.

You can just use dry sherry or sweet marsala, for instance. Or you can dissolve a small amount of sugar in a little white wine or sherry, perhaps a 1/4 teaspoon of sugar to 1/4 cup wine wine.