Name: Japanese-Style Grilled Fish
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1/4 cup soy sauce; 1/4 cup sake or dry white wine; 1/4 cup mirin or sweet sherry; 2 tablespoons sugar; 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger; 4 fish fillets (bluefish, mackerel, or other oily fish), about 6 ounces each; Olive oil; Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; Lemon slices for serving

Most freshwater and ocean fish can be marinated for only 30 minutes at most—or they turn opaque and are essentially "cooked" before you even go out to the grill. The exception, though, is strong-flavored, oily fish like amberjack, bluefish, salmon, mackerel, marlin, mullet, or even our old standby, farm-raised catfish, which can stand up to longer marinating. In fact, marinating these oily fish for a longer time makes them taste even better.

Our Japanese-style marinade is not too acidic—it's the acid from citrus juices or vinegar that can "pickle" fish in minutes. Soy sauce and sake add a spirited flavor. Sugar and mirin, a sweet Japanese wine, give a glazed appearance to the finished dish. And fresh ginger makes it all come together.

Recipe notes

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