Yoshino Sushi Honten
A Namba-adjacent stall specialising in battera: kombu-marinated mackerel pressed over seasoned rice and sold by the half-piece in wax paper.
Try: Battera (pressed mackerel sushi)
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1 saba mackerel fillet, pin-boned
- 2 tbsp salt for curing
- 100ml rice vinegar for curing
- 400g cooked sushi rice, seasoned with vinegar, sugar, salt
- 1 sheet kombu, 20x10cm
- Gari (pickled ginger) to serve
Method
- Salt the mackerel fillet and leave for 30 minutes; rinse and pat dry.
- Submerge in rice vinegar for 20 minutes; the flesh will turn opaque.
- Line a battera mould or small loaf tin with cling film.
- Lay the mackerel skin-side down in the mould, then place kombu on top.
- Press seasoned sushi rice firmly over the kombu in an even layer.
- Cover with the lid or a weighted board and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
- Remove from mould, slice into 8 triangular pieces, and serve with gari.
Tip from the editors. The pressing mould can be improvised with a loaf tin and a weighted board; the flavour improves after 4-6 hours of pressing in the refrigerator.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Where to eat battera (osaka pressed sushi)
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