There are many recipes for cooking fish, starting with the simplest fish soup and ending with the most complicated dishes. And the fatter it is, the tastier it comes out. Representatives of the red fish family are completely out of competition. And the queen among them is salmon. Its tender meat is beautiful in any form, but all the beneficial substances are best preserved during salting. At home, salmon cooks very quickly. As a result, you get a great snack that will decorate any holiday table.
Fish selection
The fresher it is, the more predictable the result. This fish is not cheap. On the one hand, this suggests that trading companies will closely monitor high quality. But on the other hand, it is likely that she will lie on the counter for a long time. Salting of salmon at home (as in production) is carried out without heat treatment, which only increases the need to monitor the quality of the original product.
The meat must be elastic and dense, have a pleasant aroma. Pay attention to eyeballs. They must be clean and transparent. The skin should be shiny, and the meat elastic and dense. If the fish meets all the stated requirements, then it can be safely eaten.
Preparing for salting
Usually we buy frozen carcass or steak in the store. Now your task is to defrost correctly. How to do it at home? Salting salmon will be successful only if the procedure is performed in accordance with all the rules. And the main thing is compliance with the temperature regime.
You need to defrost the fish in an ordinary refrigerator, until it is completely thawed, that is, until it becomes soft to the touch. It takes a lot of time. Depending on the size of the fish and the temperature of the refrigerator, this can take up to two days. When defrosting at room temperature, meat loses many useful substances. And if you submerge the fish in water, especially hot, then it will become unsuitable for pickling.
Fish cutting
It doesn't matter if you bought a whole carcass or steak. It is necessary to cut it into pieces suitable for further cooking. Salting salmon at home can be done in several ways:
- In a big piece.
- Thin stripes suitable for sandwiches.
In any case, it is necessary to separate the meat from the bones. For this, the carcass needs to be cut along the ridge into two halves. One will be pure meat, and the second will remain the spine. Now with a thin knife, carefully remove it and get the second filet.
Most popular ways
Size does not matter much. If you cook the whole fillet, it will take more time. Therefore, if tomorrow is a holiday and you want to treat your relatives with delicious sandwiches, then it is better to cut it into strips. So it is guaranteed to be ready in a few hours. How to do this, we will now examine in detail with a photo. Salting salmon at home is not as difficult as it might seem. Usually one of three methods is used for this:
- Immersion in brine.
- The dry method, that is, the fish is rubbed with salt and sprinkled with spices.
- Some housewives prefer to combine these two methods. First, the fish is salted in a dry way, and then immersed in brine. It is justified for large pieces of fillet that are cooked whole.
The most popular salmon salting recipe at home is to use a dry mixture of salt and herbs. But industrial enterprises usually use brines. The third method is used so rarely that it does not deserve much attention.
Easy way
You will need a kilogram of fillet, peeled from bones and peels. If you still took ready-made salted fish in the store, now you can cook it yourself. It is only necessary once to try salting salmon at home. Tasty and healthy, after that you will regularly prepare such a snack for your family.
- Thawed fish should be divided into fillets. The peel can not be removed. Sprinkle the fillet well with a mixture of sugar and salt in equal proportions. Do not regret salting mixture. Fish should not remain raw.
- The amount of salt depends on your taste preferences. Some like salted fish, others prefer a richer flavor. On average, one tablespoon of fish requires 3-4 tablespoons.
- Having carefully coated the fish, it remains to be put in an enameled pan, carefully closed with polyethylene and crushed with a small load.
- Put the pan in the refrigerator and wait 24 hours.
- After this, the fillet can be removed and wiped from salt. Wrap in cling film or immediately cut into sandwich wedges.
Salted Spiced Salmon
Everyone has different taste preferences, so it is not surprising that every housewife has her own recipe for delicious salted salmon. At home, unlike production, you are free to experiment and break technology a little each time.
On sale there are universal sets for spicy salting, but professionals recommend buying all herbs separately and combining with each other. The following set can be called basic:
- on a sprig of parsley and dill;
- several pieces of bay leaves;
- a teaspoon of black pepper;
- a tablespoon of lemon juice;
- 4-5 tablespoons of salt;
- 1-2 tablespoons of sugar.
You will need to grate each piece with the resulting mixture and put it in the refrigerator. After three days, we take out and wipe the salting mixture. Pour lemon juice and you can try.
Quick option
Traditionally, it takes several days to cook the fish. And what about those who need it quickly? Salmon salting recipes at home allow you to adjust the time spent and prepare an appetizer exactly on time. You will need a fillet cleaned of bones and skins. After that, cut it into thin strips, as if you were cutting a finished piece into sandwiches. Then it is very convenient to get them out and immediately spread them on bread.
Take 4 tablespoons of sugar and salt per kilogram of fillet. You can grind them into powder, then the process will be even faster. Prepare a plastic container and wash it thoroughly. After that, sprinkle the bottom with the prepared mixture and start spreading the sliced slices close to each other. Sprinkle with salt and sugar, after which you can make a second layer. It is recommended to leave the container warm for several hours, and then put it in the refrigerator. Lovers of slightly salted fish can try it already on the same day, after 4-5 hours. Dry salting of salmon at home is so easy and fast that schoolchildren also cope with this task.
Salmon with lemon
Usually, they are watered with fish immediately before serving. But there is a recipe in which the fillet is proposed to be pickled initially in lemon juice. Cooking in this case is faster, and the taste is more refined. We need a whole piece of fillet. In a similar way, we prepare a salting mixture, that is, in equal proportions we take sugar and salt.
Put prepared fillet pieces in a container and pour plenty of lemon juice over them. After that, leave it at room temperature for several hours, after which we pour plenty of salting mixture and put the container in the refrigerator. Lemon will make the meat more tender and juicier, lovers of salted fish can try it the next day.
Cooking pink salmon
Salmon is a tasty fish, but quite expensive. Therefore, on weekdays, you can choose another representative of this family. And the most affordable is pink salmon. Many do not like her for the pungent smell and dry meat. But well cooked, it is even nothing. Salting pink salmon for salmon at home is done in several ways.
- Dry ambassador. The pink salmon fillet is thinner, so it will be easier to cut it immediately with portioned strips, 3-4 cm wide. Separately, prepare the pickling mixture. It is recommended to add 1.5 teaspoons of sugar to 1.5 tablespoons of coarse salt. If desired, put a few peas of black pepper and chopped parsley. The prepared container is generously lubricated with refined vegetable oil. All pieces must be carefully rolled in salting mixture and laid tightly to each other. If everything does not fit in one layer, then again sprinkle with salt and grease on top, then repeat the calculation. Put in the refrigerator for a day.
- The second method allows you to make the fish even more like a salmon. It is necessary to prepare brine, that is, a concentrated saline solution. In a liter of water, dilute 5 tablespoons of rock salt. Check its concentration with potatoes. If she does not sink, then everything is fine. The fish must be cut into strips and lowered into water, crush them with oppression and leave for 40 minutes. After that, remove them from the brine, pat them with a paper towel and put them in a container, pouring each layer with vegetable oil. After about 5-6 hours, the fish will be ready.
Instead of a conclusion
You can talk endlessly about the benefits of fish. But best of all, it retains the beneficial trace elements and omega-3 fatty acids in salt form. The unique composition of salmon, as well as its taste makes this product in demand on the market. But if the price seems too high to you, then try to cook pink salmon. In terms of the content of omega-3 fatty acids, it is somewhat inferior, but still plays an important role in human nutrition.