The Sushi Saba or Sushi of Mackerel finds its roots in the sushi Edomae (tokyo style of the 19th century). The mackerel net is salted and marinated in vinegar.
Mother if the variety of Japanese mackerel is slightly different from that caught in European waters, our common mackerel is perfect for. Often decried, when marinated with vinegar, the flesh of the mackerel has a complex flavor, rich in umami, to the iodized and sweet notes when it is oily.
The secret of the success of a good Saba Sushi lies in the perfect freshness of the fish because the flesh is deteriorating very quickly. To fix it, Japanese leaders practices the Saba shime technique which consists of salting strongly mackerel nets before sharing them in rice vinegar. It is recommended to eliminate parasites of the mackerel, freeze the whole fish for 48 hours before lifting the nets and salt and marinate them with vinegar.
Then you have to lift the edges and rub the flesh (not the part with the skin) with a good dose of salt and leave the fish dry so for one hour at 90 minutes before rinsing it gently to the fresh water to eliminate all the salt. The flesh should be a little firmer because salt will have eliminated excess moisture.
The vinegar used will be a mix of very good rice vinegar for 80% and 20% fresh water. The vinegar must completely cover the nets. If the mackerel nets are small, it will be necessary to marinate in the vinegar 20 minutes only. Count the double, 40 mn, for large nets.
Once marinated, the threads must be rinsed quickly to the water and then sponged from their moisture. They will then be enveloped individually, tight, in parchment paper then the food film and then placed in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Then unpack them and well dried with a sopalin and then peeling the first skin film.
Take the mold and moisten each wall with the vinegar of the marinade to prevent rice from sticking. Place the mackerel net, thread skin to the bottom of the mold, then the sushi rice and place the part to press on the top and press strongly. The slots on the sides of the mold allow to cut into regular portion before unmolding.
