Sweet-and-Spicy Broiled Mackerel or Other Fillets

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon go chu jang (see headnote) or 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce mixed with about 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or hot red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mirin or sugar
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
• 4 fillets of mackerel or bluefish, preferably with skin on, or 2 swordfish steaks, a total of 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
• Toasted sesame seeds (page 596) for garnish
• Minced scallion, green part only, for garnish

Method

1. Preheat the broiler; adjust the rack so that it is about 4 inches from the heat source. (These can also be grilled, but you’ll need a basket, because they’ll stick if grilled directly on the grate.) Combine the go chu jang, soy sauce, mirin, garlic, and sesame oil and rub this mixture all over the fish, but primarily on the flesh side. Place skin side down in a broiling pan, preferably nonstick or lined with lightly oiled foil (you can use more sesame oil for this).
2. Broil until the top is brown and bubbly, less than 10 minutes. If the fish is not cooked through (a thin-bladed knife will pierce its thickest part easily), move it to the oven for a couple of minutes or lower the broiling rack a couple of inches. Serve immediately, garnished with the sesame seeds and scallion.10 min timer