Red fish is a rich source of proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and essential polyunsaturated fatty amino acids that our body needs. Salmonids are distinguished by a large number of trace elements necessary for humans, therefore, with frequent consumption of dishes from such a product, the protein-vitamin balance in the body is completely restored. In this case, of course, excellent health and well-being will be provided.
One of the inexpensive, but very tasty and nutritious representatives of the salmon family is char. You can find out where these individuals live, how and what can be prepared from them, and what effect on our body is caused by the regular consumption of dishes from this fish from our article.
Where dwells
Loach fish belongs to the salmon family. It is a close relative of chum salmon, pink salmon, trout and salmon, but charred ones themselves are divided into subspecies (kunja, malma, Arctic char) and at the same time they have several forms of migratory, lake-river and lake varieties.
All of them live in the Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and their range is mainly limited to the Arctic Circle. For spawning, the char enters rivers, therefore it is present in the cold reservoirs of Eurasia, North America and off the coast of Japan.
The largest representative is the Arctic char. Its mass can reach 14-15 kg with a body length of up to 90 cm. There are about 20 species of this variety, among which the most famous are rainbow, lake and brown trout. The famous trout of Lake Sevan also refers to representatives of Arctic char. Recipes for cooking fish of this species are very popular among gourmets and connoisseurs of fine cuisine.
The char, belonging to the variety of kunj, is slightly smaller. Its weight usually does not exceed 10 kg. This representative is found off the Japanese coasts and in the reservoirs of the Russian Far East.
The weight of malma usually does not exceed 3-3.5 kg. It is found in eastern Asia, the western coast of North America. To spawn, this fish goes to the rivers of Iceland, Norway, Novaya Zemlya, along the coast of Siberia to the Ob, Yenisei, and is also widespread in the Alpine lakes and Baikal waters. It’s precisely the malma that we most often meet on the shelves of Russian stores.
Description of char fish
All subspecies of these fish have a different morphology and lifestyle. These are small fish predators. In ocean water they have a silver color with a dark blue back and a pink abdomen. The sides of these fish are often covered with large spots of orange or red. Unlike salmon breeds, they completely lack dark spots on the body. When a char enters the rivers to spawn, its color changes: the back and sides acquire a greenish-brown hue. The pectoral fins, usually colored red-blue, also become darker with a brownish green tint.
Nutritional value
Loach is a fish with tender and juicy pink meat, which is why it is an excellent raw material for salting and smoking, therefore it is widely used for the manufacture of canned food. Excellent raw materials for the preparation of slightly salted and smoked products, as well as a large assortment of canned goods and culinary products. If you know how to cook char fish properly, you can get an amazing dish, not too fat, but not dry.
About 45 essential trace elements are present in the meat of this fish, as well as in the meat of other salmonids, including polyunsaturated fatty amino acids not synthesized in the human body. Depending on the fishing area, the fat content of meat may vary, therefore, fish is widely used in dietetics.
Char char: benefits and harms
This fish should be present in the diets of children, pregnant and lactating women, as well as elderly people. The rich vitamin and mineral composition of char meat is able to compensate for the deficiency of essential trace elements, strengthen immunity and normalize the work of the cardiovascular, food and nervous systems. However, it must be remembered that parasites can be present in this fish, so all dishes prepared from char should be thoroughly cooked. In extremely rare cases, it can cause allergic reactions. With moderate consumption, the meat of this fish is extremely beneficial for the human body, but subject to proper storage and preparation of char.
In what form is it better to use
Many chefs do not recommend frying this fish. Loach during such processing loses many useful and tasteful qualities. According to cooks, this product is better to boil or bake. Nevertheless, many people enjoy eating fried char, since it does not lose its taste in such a treatment. At the same time, such dishes are prepared easily and quickly, and in the process of preparation they acquire a delicious and crispy crust, which is very popular with adults and children.
However, according to nutritionists, fish meat will remain truly tasty, juicy, and healthy if steamed properly. Dietary and healthy dishes remain if the fish is stewed with vegetables or baked in the oven. Very often, the ear is cooked from char or its meat is used as a filling for pies. Interesting options for serving char in the form of pastes, tartlets and canapes. Delicious and healthy char remains in the form of various cold appetizers and fillings for rolls and pies.
Oven baked char
Cooking char fish according to recipes that offer baking in the oven makes it possible to feel the fullness of the taste of the most tender meat and preserve the main vitamins. There are many options for baking. Fish is stuffed, cooked in pieces or whole in the oven or on coals, in foil, sleeve or without them.
One of the simplest and fastest options for preparing char fish is foil cooking. Here you will need:
- carcass of fish weighing about 1 kg;
- onions - 1 medium head;
- some lemon juice;
- salt and favorite spices.
The fish is cleaned of the insides, washed thoroughly in running water and make small cuts on the sides. Smear with salt mixed with spices and sprinkle with lemon juice. Onions are cut in half rings, spread on foil and the prepared carcass is placed on top. Wrap the dish in foil and bake in a preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.
Loaf of casserole with cream cheese
To cook this amazingly delicious and delicate dish, you will need:
- char fillet - 0.4 kg;
- potatoes - 4-5 medium-sized tubers;
- chard leaves - 0.5 kg;
- garlic - 1 clove;
- butter - 1 tsp;
- ripe tomato (medium) - 1 piece;
- vegetable broth - 1/2 cup;
- lemon juice -1 tbsp. a spoon;
- processed cheese - 200 grams;
- dry mustard - 1 teaspoon;
- breadcrumbs - 1 tbsp. a spoon;
- salt, pepper, other spices to taste.
Wash and dry the vegetables. Chop the leaves of chard and stew with chopped garlic in butter, add spices and a little salt to it. Boil the potatoes in their skins, peel and cut into cubes and put in a baking dish sprinkled with breadcrumbs. Put the diced tomato on top, add salt and pepper. Place the fish fillet on top of a potato-tomato pillow and sprinkle with lemon juice. Melt the cheese in a preheated vegetable broth and add dry mustard. Pour the dish with the resulting sauce and sprinkle with the remaining breadcrumbs. Bake fish char in the oven for 30 minutes. It turns out a very tasty and nutritious meal.
Ear
To cook this simple, but at the same time healthy and light dish, you do not need special knowledge in how to cook char. To do this, it is enough to clean it, rinse well and cut into portions. Sometimes, instead of a whole fish, a head and tail are taken in the ear. The cooking process itself consists of pouring water into a pan, adding a pair of peeled and chopped potatoes, one chopped onion and grated carrots (optional). When the vegetables boil, the dish is salted, pepper and put the prepared fish into the water. Boil for 20-25 minutes over low heat. Shortly before the end of cooking add bay leaf. In the prepared ear for taste, you can add greens: dill, onion, parsley or cilantro.
Char, ginger and cream
Char fish (in recipes for the oven) is usually garnished with vegetables and boiled rice. Such meals are served for lunch or dinner. In the version with ginger and cream, fish can be served as a separate dish: it is perfect for a festive table or a quiet family dinner.
To cook char on this recipe, you will need:
- large char - 1 carcass;
- onions - 1 medium-sized head;
- fresh ginger root - 100 grams;
- about 1/2 cup cream of 10% fat;
- salt, white pepper.
The fish must be gutted, remove the ridge and fins, rub with salt and pepper. Thinly chop the onion into strips, ginger into rings. Put the carcass in foil on an onion-ginger pillow. Top with ginger rings and add cream. Wrap the foil and send it to the oven. The cooking time of such a dish depends on the quantity of products and the possibility of an oven, however, it will take at least 30 minutes.
Loaf of aspic
There are several recipes for preparing char fish in the form of aspic dishes, and here is one of them. Would need:
- char (large) - 1 piece;
- medium carrot - 1 piece;
- onions - 1 head;
- celery stalks and roots;
- dill;
- water - 0.75 l;
- spices (bay leaf, allspice and black pepper) - to taste;
- gelatin - 1 tbsp. a spoon.
The fish is cleaned, washed and cut on a fillet, separating the head, tail, fins, skin and bones. The separated parts are placed in a pan with water, add peeled and washed carrots and onions to it, add spices and boil for 20-25 minutes. Then add the pieces of fillet and cook for another 5-8 minutes. Gelatin is poured with a small amount of water for swelling.
Remove the cooked fillets and carrots from the pan, filter the broth through cheesecloth, paper towels or a sieve and add gelatin to it. Bring to a boil, (but do not boil), filter again. Various figures are cut out of carrots: daisies, circles, rhombuses, etc. Carrot figures, greens, celery roots are laid at the bottom of the form, then sliced fillets and fill with broth. The mold is placed in a cold place for 8 hours. Many housewives, along with carrots and herbs, add boiled chicken eggs, sliced in rings, and green peas to the aspic. It turns out not only beautiful, but also very tasty.
Fish appetizer
Instead of racking one's brains over how to cook fish, char can be served in the form of snacks. Slices are made from it rationally or used for making salads, sandwiches, tartlets and canapes. These dishes can decorate any table.
However, in this case, you need salty char, which can be purchased at the store, or you can cook it yourself.
How to pickle char
The recipe for salting this fish is very simple. To do this, you need to prepare a marinade from water: 1 liter takes a tablespoon of salt, a teaspoon of sugar, black pepper, bay leaf, vinegar and vegetable oil. Pour the fish with this brine and send the container with the lid to the refrigerator for the night. The shelf life of salted char from this recipe is 1 week.