Grilled Spanish Mackerel (Samchi-gui)
A nutritious grilled Spanish mackerel that even kids love as a side dish. The fish is dusted with flour, pan-fried until golden, then lightly glazed in a soy-lemon sauce for a mild, tender finish.
Ingredients
Main
- Spanish mackerel2 fish
- FlourAs needed
Sauce
- Soy sauce1 tbsp
- Lemon syrup (lemon-cheong)2 tbsp
- Soju2 tbsp
Directions
- 1
Get the Spanish mackerel and lemon syrup ready. You'll pan-fry the fish, then briefly simmer it in a sauce of soy sauce and lemon syrup.
- 2
Soak the mackerel in rice-washing water for a while. This fish has little fishy smell, so you can skip it, but it's nice to do if you have leftover rice water.
- 3
Lemon syrup is handy to keep on hand — great for drinks and as a sauce. It pairs especially well with fish.
- 4
You can grill the mackerel as is, or lightly coat it in flour before frying.
- 5
Fry the flour-coated mackerel over medium heat.
- 6
Once it's golden brown, it's done.
- 7
Coating it in flour gives the outside a nice crisp finish.
- 8
There's almost no fishy smell, even while frying. The mild mackerel flesh comes out tender and delicious.
- 9
Make the sauce with 1 part soy sauce, 2 parts lemon syrup, and 2 parts soju (using a rice spoon). The mackerel is already seasoned, so you don't need much sauce.
- 10
Bring the sauce to a boil once, then lower the heat and add the fried mackerel, spooning the sauce over it.
- 11
Since the mackerel is already seasoned, there's no need to coat it heavily with sauce.