TEMBANI OF MACKEREL (Fish Delicacy)

Ingredients

• 1 good-sized whole fish Mackerel (Whole, fresh mackerel. Ask your fishmonger to clean it if you prefer, but you will still need to remove all bones yourself at home.)
• 1 medium-large whole radish Fresh radish (daikon/white radish) (A large white daikon radish is the traditional choice. Peel before slicing.)
• 1 cup Soy sauce (syou sauce) (Syou is the historical romanisation of shoyu, meaning Japanese soy sauce. Use a standard Japanese soy sauce such as Kikkoman.)
• 1 tablespoon Vinegar (A mild rice vinegar or white vinegar works best. Added at the very end, off the heat.)
• 1 tablespoon (grated zest) Orange or lemon peel (Use the fine side of a grater or a zester to remove just the coloured outer peel, avoiding the bitter white pith beneath.)
• 0.5 cup Cooking juice (Refers to a plain cooking liquid such as water or a light unseasoned broth used to balance the soy sauce in the simmering liquid.)
• 1 pinch (for fish) plus extra for boiling water Salt (Used in two places: sprinkled over the diced fish to draw out moisture, and added to the boiling water for the radish.)
• 4 cups Water (for boiling radish) (Bring to a full boil and add a generous pinch of salt before adding the radish slices.)

Instructions

1. 1Rinse the whole mackerel under cold running water. Using a sharp knife, cut off the head and tail, then slit the belly open lengthways. Remove all internal organs and rinse the cavity clean. Run your fingers along the spine to feel for bones, and use fish tweezers or needle-nose pliers to pull out any pin bones you find. Finally, peel away or cut off the skin if you prefer. Your goal is a clean, bone-free piece of mackerel flesh ready for dicing. Beginner tip: work slowly and feel carefully — even small bones should be removed.
2. 2Cut the cleaned mackerel flesh into roughly half-inch (1.25 cm) cubes — think of the size of a large sugar cube. Place the fish cubes in a bowl, sprinkle a good pinch of salt evenly over them, and toss gently to coat. Leave uncovered at room temperature for about 30 minutes. This salting step draws out excess moisture and firms the fish so it holds its shape during simmering. Beginner tip: set a timer so you don't forget the fish.
3. 3While the fish is resting, peel the radish using a vegetable peeler, then wash it under cold water. Cut the radish into thin round slices, about 3–4 mm thick (roughly the thickness of a coin). Bring 4 cups of water to a full rolling boil in a medium saucepan and add a generous pinch of salt. Carefully add the radish slices and boil for about 5 minutes until they are just beginning to soften but are not fully cooked through. Beginner tip: the radish will look slightly translucent when ready. Drain the radish through a colander and discard the cooking water completely — this removes bitterness from the radish.
4. 4Return the drained radish slices to the same saucepan. Pour in half a cup (120 ml) of soy sauce and half a cup (120 ml) of cooking juice (plain water or light broth). Stir gently to combine. Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring the liquid to a full boil, letting it bubble actively for about 1 minute. This builds the base of your braising liquid. Beginner tip: the liquid will smell strongly of soy sauce at this stage — that is perfectly normal.
5. 5Once the soy sauce and cooking juice mixture is boiling, gently add the salted fish cubes from step 2 into the pan, distributing them evenly among the radish slices. Reduce the heat to low so the liquid is gently simmering — you should see small, lazy bubbles breaking the surface, not a vigorous boil. Let everything simmer together, uncovered, for about 25 minutes. Stir very gently once or twice during this time to ensure even cooking, but try not to break up the fish cubes. Beginner tip: a gentle simmer is key — boiling too hard will make the fish fall apart and turn tough.
6. 6After 25 minutes of simmering, remove the pan from the heat entirely. Add one tablespoon of vinegar to the pan and stir gently to incorporate. Do not return the pan to the heat after adding the vinegar — adding it off the heat preserves its bright, tangy flavour. Beginner tip: taste the broth at this stage; it should be savoury, slightly salty, and have a gentle tang from the vinegar.
7. 7Warm a serving platter by rinsing it with hot water and drying it quickly, or placing it in a low oven for a few minutes. Carefully spoon the fish and radish onto the hot platter, arranging them neatly. Spoon some of the simmering broth over the top. Using the fine side of a box grater or a zester, grate a tablespoon of fresh orange or lemon peel directly over the dish — the fragrant oils will release as you grate. Beginner tip: grate only the coloured outer layer of the peel and avoid the white pith beneath, which is bitter.
8. 8Serve the tembani of mackerel immediately while hot, accompanied by plain boiled rice. To serve, place a portion of rice in each bowl or on each plate and spoon the fish, radish, and some of the savoury broth alongside or over the top. Beginner tip: if you are cooking rice at the same time, start it about 20 minutes before the fish finishes simmering so everything is ready together.