FOR THE MISO-BRAISED MACKEREL:

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2 skin-on mackerel fillets salt, to taste

1 cup dashi (see the tip on page 17)

2 tablespoons sake

2 ½ tablespoons peeled and thinly sliced ginger

3 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons red miso paste

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FOR THE SOY-BRAISED DAIKON RADISH:

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1 (3.5-ounce) daikon radish, peeled and cut into 1-inch-thick rounds

1 ½ cups dashi

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sake

1 tablespoon mirin

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FOR THE MISO SOUP

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1 piece kombu or wakame seaweed (approximately 6 x 6 inches)

2 cups warm water

2 teaspoons dashi powder

2 cups boiling water

2 tablespoons white miso paste

1 block soft tofu, cubed

1 green onion, sliced

sesame seeds, toasted

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1. Rinse the mackerel fillets under cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle salt on the fillets and let the mackerel drain in a colander for 45 minutes to remove the additional water from the fish.

2. While the mackerel is draining, make the soy-braised daikon radish. Place the daikon in a medium pan and add the dashi, soy sauce, and sake. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the daikon pieces are tender and slightly brown on the sides.

3. Take the pan off the heat, then add the mirin to the daikon radish. Stir and set aside for 10 minutes.

4. To prepare the mackerel, bring a medium pot of water to a boil and blanch the fillets for 2 to 3 minutes. This process will remove the odor from the mackerel. Remove the fillets using a strainer, drain, and set aside.

5. Place the fillets in a medium nonstick frying pan, skin-side up, over medium heat. Pour the dashi and sake over the fillets. Add the ginger slices and bring to a simmer. Cover the fillets with a drop lid or a smaller lid so fillets are against the bottom of the pan.

6. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and miso. Add 2 tablespoons of the fish stock from the pan to the miso paste and mix until combined. Add the miso mixture back to the pan with the mackerel, and stir.

7. Cover the pan with the lid and continue to simmer, occasionally spooning the miso stock over the fish until the miso stock becomes thick and glossy, about 7 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

8. Place each miso-braised mackerel fillet on a plate, spooning the leftover miso sauce onto the fillet. This is to be accompanied with some pickled daikon radish and a small bowl of Morning Miso Soup

   FOR THE MISO SOUP

9. Clean the kombu or wakame by rubbing any dirt off with a damp towel. Soak the kombu in warm water for a minimum of 30 minutes.

10. While the seaweed is soaking, dissolve the dashi powder in a bowl of boiling water and set aside.

11. When the seaweed is fully hydrated, discard the water and cut the seaweed up into ½-inch strips. Place the dashi powder mixture and seaweed in a medium pot and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, for approximately 7 minutes.

12. Place the miso paste in a soup ladle and lower it into the pot until the water partially covers the miso paste. Dissolve the miso paste in the water using a pair of chopsticks and return the liquid from the ladle back into the pot.

13. Keep the miso soup at a simmer and gently add the tofu. Let the soup boil for 3 to 5 minutes.

14. Spoon the miso soup into 2 small porcelain bowls. Garnish the soup with chopped green onion and toasted sesame seeds.