ことしはニシンの「群来」の様子が北海道西岸に見られているほど豊漁のようです。北海道民として喜ばしい限り。ながく不漁が続いてきていたので、わが家でもニシンを食べる食習慣、それも自分で捌いて焼き魚として食べるということはほとんど絶滅していました。人生を遡って考えても母の手料理でもニシンの焼き魚の食事記憶はほとんどない。
　それが、この冬には馴染みのスーパー鮮魚コーナーでゴロンと生さかなとして販売されている。さすがにアニサキスが怖いので刺身や寿司ネタとして挑戦しようとは考えませんが、毎朝の焼き魚としてすっかり馴染んできています。それも店頭価格が「3尾399円」というお値頃価格。１尾あたり133円ということになるのでコスパ最強。
　味わいは淡白でしかも青さかななのに独特のコクがあって適度な油分も感じさせてくれる。なにより飽きのこない風合いであります。朝食についてはわが家の健康維持作戦のキモと位置づけていて、多品種少量のおかず類としているのですが、その要の位置にニシンがどっしりと坐ってくれている。北海道民であるよろこびを毎朝、堪能させてもらっているのですね。３尾も捌いておくと、たっぷり10日分ほどにもなっている。
　捌いているとニシンは小骨が多いと実感しますが、適時包丁で小骨を処理すれば味わいには影響しない、というか、むしろその小骨丸ごと味わうことで、カルシウム分まで摂取できるとも思えてくる。白子については冷凍保存はさせているけれど、まだ調理の挑戦はしておりません。包丁仕事でいちばん難しいのはおなかの部分の「小骨」の除去なのですが、この部分と背骨部位はアラ汁としても楽しめる。骨回りのさわやかな煮込みも野趣満点であります。
　わが家では捌くのはわたしの専属業務ですが、カミさんもここのところの食習慣化で、その味わいにすっかり魅了されています。
　ニシン漁は4/5までというようなアナウンスがありましたので、もうあと２週間ほどの「期間限定」で、そのあとは加工食品として味わうことになるのでしょうが、地元への深い愛情を込めて、たのしく「春の味覚」を味わい続けたいと思います。ありがとうね。

English version

The joy of handling herring, ‘3 fish for 399 yen’, which continue to arrive in large numbers.
Herring have played a major role in Hokkaido’s unique place in Japanese history, but as residents of Hokkaido, the custom of eating grilled fish has been far from common. Thanks to the herring. …

　This year, the catch seems to be so plentiful that a ‘shoal’ of herring has been seen along the western coast of Hokkaido. As a resident of Hokkaido, I am delighted. Because the fishing had been poor for so long, the custom of eating herring in my family, and even of processing it and eating it as grilled fish, had almost died out. Even when I think back over my life, I have almost no memory of eating grilled herring, even in my mother’s home-cooked meals.
　This winter, however, it is sold as raw fish in the fresh fish section of the supermarket I am familiar with. As expected, I am afraid of anisakis, so I don’t think of trying it as sashimi or sushi material, but I have become completely familiar with it as a grilled fish every morning. The price in the shops is a reasonable 399 yen for three fish, which is 133 yen per fish, making it the most cost-effective.
　The taste is light and blue, but it has a unique richness and just the right amount of oil. Above all, it has a texture that you will never get tired of. Breakfast is the cornerstone of our family’s health maintenance strategy, and we have a wide variety of side dishes in small quantities, but herring sits solidly at the heart of it all. When I process three herring, I have enough for about ten days.
　When you process them, you realise that herring have many small bones, but if you deal with the small bones with a knife in a timely manner, they do not affect the taste, or rather, you can even consume the calcium content by tasting the whole of those small bones. As for the milt, I keep it frozen, but I have not tried cooking it yet. The most difficult part of the knife work is removing the ‘small bones’ from the belly, but this part and the backbone part can be enjoyed as ara soup. The fresh stew around the bones is also full of wild flavor.
　In our house, it is my exclusive job to handle the fish, but my wife has recently become a habitual eater and is completely fascinated by the taste.
　There was an announcement that the herring fishing season ends on 5 April, so it will only be available for about two more weeks, after which it will probably be enjoyed as processed food, but I would like to continue enjoying the ‘taste of spring’ with deep affection for the local area. Thank you.

Posted on 3月 24th, 2025 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: おとこの料理＆食