Balyk from catfish - the dish is not only tasty, but also quite practical. Provided that it is cooked properly, such food is perfectly stored for a long time, easy to transport, and does not cause trouble when serving. The original role of all the balyks was precisely in this. Once upon a time, people came up with a smoked and sack-free fish fillet so that they could take it on a long journey, and there they could reinforce themselves without wasting time and effort organizing a feast. There was a balyk of fish without getting off the saddle. This is due to the yoke of the initial popularity. Times and needs of people have changed. And what was once commonplace and simple rationalism, today has become a real delicacy. Indeed, despite all the practical aspects, a balyk from catfish is a real delicacy!
Huge selection
Before making a balyk from catfish, we will understand the varieties of this fish. Today there are a huge number of catfish species. The smallest of them, mostly unsuitable for food, are aquarium catfish. However, even among them there are edible and very tasty species. For example, Angolan catfish is a medium-sized fish suitable for baking, frying, and smoking. In our latitudes it is a rather rare and expensive product. The largest catfish caught by fishermen had a weight of almost 300 kilograms! Not without reason since ancient times people believed in stories about catfishes-cannibals. These giants look so scary that looking at them makes it easy to believe. However, there is no evidence of their attacks on people. But for cooks, it’s giant catfish that are of the greatest interest. But they are an even more expensive rarity. Therefore, today we will talk about medium catfish - weighing 3-5 kg, which abound fresh rivers and lakes of the entire Eurasian continent.
How to choose a fish?
In order for the balyk from catfish to turn out tasty and high-quality, we will pay attention to the choice of raw materials. All the rules that we observe when buying fish are valid: clean eyes, no unpleasant odors and unnatural colors. There is another rule - the larger the fish, the tastier the dish. It is advisable that the catfish be fresh, not thawed. And the best option would be to cook a balyk from catfish, caught with your own hands!
How to cook balyk from catfish yourself: preparation
The process will take a lot of time, it will require accuracy and careful execution of the instructions. However, do not be afraid - after all, this is real creativity. And the result is worth it! So, be patient and proceed.
We wash the fish and wipe it with paper towels. To make the catfish salted, cut its carcass into pieces centimeters wide by 6. You can also salt it whole, however, except for the minute effect over direct use, this method has no advantages. It requires large dishes, space for drying, and cutting into pieces before serving it is extremely inconvenient. Therefore, we will prepare a balyk from catfish, cut into pieces.
We put the pieces in a pan, filling it no more than two-thirds. Proceed to salting. If the house has Extra salt, we remove it away. It is completely unsuitable for salting fish. On the contrary, the larger the salt, the better. The ideal option is marine. Its fraction is large enough, it dissolves slowly, and its taste is much richer and brighter than that of an ordinary one. You can add a little sugar to the salt, just a little bit. You do not need to prepare a brine - we just rub the pieces of fish with salt.
In a pan with fish, put a lid of a smaller diameter and put heavy oppression. What is it for? Heaviness squeezes out the resulting air bubbles, not allowing them to accumulate between the layers of fish. If this is not done, microorganisms will begin to accumulate in the bubbles, which can lead to spoilage of the product. It is necessary to salt the fish for day 3. And a kettlebell or a bottle of water is suitable as oppression. Salted pieces of catfish should be washed, put in a container with clean water and left for a couple of hours. This will remove excess salt.
Cooking balyk
Getting to the most difficult stage. We dry the pieces of fish, putting them on a draft. Do not overdry the fish! Otherwise, you will get an ordinary ram, and not a delicious balyk from catfish, the recipe of which has come to us from ancient times. Letting the pieces dry, we wrap each of them in a clean rag and put them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. We will have to fight the temptation to try delicious balichik for 15 days, or even better 30. Then the fish will simply melt in your mouth!