Sanma Shioyaki (Salt-Grilled Pacific Saury)

1. Cut 1 Pacific saury (sanma) in half diagonally (to fit in my toaster oven). Place the fish vertically on the cutting board and insert a knife in the stomach side from top to bottom. Wash and get rid of the guts thoroughly in cold water. Wipe the entire fish dry with paper towels.
2. In a bowl, put the fish and 1 Tbsp sake and leave it for 5 minutes. Sake helps to make the fish fluffier and to remove the unwanted odor.
3. After 5 minutes, remove the moisture on the fish with paper towels. Right before broiling or baking, sprinkle both sides of the fish with Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

To Broil (Recommended)

1. Preheat the broiler* with a rack placed about 6 inches (15 cm) away from the top heating element (in the middle) for 3 minutes. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy cleaning (brush/spray the foil with oil or wrinkle up the foil so the skin doesn‘t stick). Place the fish on the baking sheet. Broil it on Medium/High until the surface is blistered and brown a bit, about 8–10 minutes, flipping once. *Typical broiler setting: Low 450ºF/232ºC, Medium 500ºF/260ºC, and High 550ºF/288ºC.

To Bake (Optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218ºC) with a rack placed in the middle and bake the fish on parchment paper until the surface is blistered and brown a bit, about 10–15 minutes, flipping once.

To Serve

1. Serve with a 1 wedge lemon and the grated daikon from 1 inch daikon radish. Drizzle 1 Tbsp soy sauce over the grated daikon and enjoy it with the fish.

To Store

1. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.