Grilled or Pan-Cooked Albacore With Soy/Mirin Marinade

By Martha Rose Shulman

Updated January 31, 2023

  • Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
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Total Time
About 45 minutes, after 2 hours' refrigeration
Rating
4(553)
Comments
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If you’re concerned about which fish are environmentally safe to eat, you can’t do better than consulting the Web sites of the Monterey Bay Aquarium or the Environmental Defense Fund for their handy pocket guides for buying seafood (or choosing it in a restaurant). You won’t break the bank buying fresh fish, but there can be a better selection of moderately priced varieties in the freezer department. Among my findings were albacore steaks, one of the few types of tuna that we can still enjoy with a clear conscience, and a great fish if you’re trying to eat more omega-3s. This is a sweet/savory marinade that I also use for tofu. If you are concerned about the quantity of soy sauce, know that most of it stays behind in the bowl when you cook the fish. If you are using frozen albacore steaks, wait until they are partly thawed before marinating.

Featured in: Flavorful and Sustainable Fish

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings.

  • ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)

  • 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

  • 1 ½ pounds albacore steaks

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

3 grams carbs; 66 milligrams cholesterol; 250 calories; 2 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 5 grams fat; 651 milligrams sodium; 43 grams protein; 1 gram sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine the soy sauce, mirin, vinegar, ginger and sugar in a bowl and whisk together well. Whisk in the sesame oil.

  2. Step 2

    Place the albacore steaks in a large bowl or baking dish and toss with the marinade. Cover the bowl, or transfer the fish and marinade to a large zip-top bag and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or longer.

  3. Step 3

    Prepare a hot grill, or heat a heavy cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the fish from the marinade. Cook the steaks for 2 to 4 minutes on each side, depending on how well done you like the fish to be. Serve hot.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
553 user ratings
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Comments

Tom Morales

I recommend using the marinade as a dipping sauce, instead. It's quite good but, used solely as a marinade, the flavor is muted. The next time I'll be grilling the fish with a light coat of sesame oil, then serving with the dipping sauce on the side.

Lisa

Delicious. I served with chopped scallions and a serrano pepper condiment I've been using on everything: gently poach serrano peppers in olive oil with a couple cloves of garlic and salt. When the peppers start to brown puree the whole thing. It paired well with the fish and added a little heat.

Dan Clements

Excellent recipe! We made just a couple of modifications after reading comments. First, a few minutes before cooking fish, placed marinade in a saucier to thicken it up and kill off any bacteria from raw fish. Spooned sauce on top of fish. Second, chopped some leaf parsley and sprinkled on top of fish with sauce. Really outstanding!

Sarah C

I double the marinade: 1/2 for marinating the fish overnight, 1/2 for dressing when I serve. Serve with rice, shaved cabbage, and a quick daikon pickle. Delicious and relatively easy!

Heather

I came over to say how fantastic the flavor was of the marinade. I put the fish in before I left for work and took it out around 7pm and it was very flavorful! I also thinly sliced scallions for a nice ending flourish! A reminder mostly to myself: do NOT overcook the albacore! I did it on a cast iron skillet and unfortunately cooked too long…😭

sola4

Made this with Ahi tuna (I’d try it with salmon or swordfish). We’re avoiding gluten & sugar. Used organic tamari. No mirin so upped the rice vinegar. 1/2 TB honey instead of sugar. Used dried ginger and mustard (I’ve also found fresh ginger can over dominate). Sesame oil must. Marinated 2 hrs. Used stove top cast iron grill. Moist & delicious. This easy fast recipe is now on rotation!

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