Mullet is probably one of the most famous fish of the Black Sea. Everyone knows thanks to the song of Mark Bernes about the Costa Fisherman, she takes pride of place on our tables. This is a small marine fish (rarely reaches a length of 1 meter), covered with scales, lives in warm seas, usually in large schools near the coast, which attracts fishermen. In fresh form, it comes to our table from the Black Sea, less often from the Caspian Sea, and in frozen — from the seas of South America and Africa. There it is grown industrially on plant feed. Mullet meat without small bones, white, soft to the taste, it is customary to fry, but many I recommend also smoked, and salt, and dried.
Since this fish lives in the seas of several continents, mullet dishes can be found in the cuisines of various countries. But the first association that comes to mind after the mention of mullet is Odessa.
That is why the first recipe for making mullet will be "in Odessa." Odessa cuisine differs from many others in the ease of preparation. It is simplicity, and not primitiveness, to which proof is the excellent taste of dishes prepared in Odessa.
So, cooking mullet in batter. Fish, preferably, of course, freshly harvested, cleaned, gutted, get the gills and how to rinse. Cut into portions. If not laziness, then you can remove the bones and cook the fillet. A beaten egg will serve as a batter. Heat oil in a frying pan, roll pieces of fish first in an egg, then in breadcrumbs, put in a pan. Like any other fish, mullet is cooked very quickly, so it is better to prepare the side dish in advance. You need to eat Odessa-style fried mullet with potatoes served with butter and chopped dill.
And here is another recipe for making mullet - an ear in the Black Sea. Well, of course, what’s the conversation about fish without fish soup? Wash and peel a couple of carrots and a half of celery root. Beautifully cut into cubes, put in a pan with boiling salted water. After boiling again add onions, fried in vegetable oil. Let it boil for 10-15 minutes. Dilute in warm boiled water half a tablespoon of flour. Peel the mullet, wash and cut into large pieces. Add fish to the pan with vegetables, then diluted flour. Let it cook, but not for long. After spilling the ear on plates, be sure to pepper and sprinkle with chopped dill.
The recipe for making salted mullet is surely known to any real fisherman. In fresh mullet, remove the gills without cutting the abdomen, remove all the insides and rinse several times with salted water. Dry slightly, then pour a large amount of salt and put under the bent upside down in a cool place. Over the next 6-7 days, repeat the procedure daily - rinse the fish and again fill it with salt. After about a week, the fish will be salted. It must be stored in a cold place, placed in saline (200 grams of salt per 1 liter of water). If the fish is not intended for long-term storage, then it must be washed and dried for 24 hours in a dark place.
Another fairly traditional recipe for making mullet is mullet in sour cream. To do this, headless fish (or several fish) prepared for frying must be marinated. To do this, you will need a large amount of onions, lemon juice, any favorite spices, herbs and a glass of white wine (for the marinade so far). Mix all this, put carcasses of fish in the resulting mixture, leave for a couple of hours, let it soak. After about an hour, grease the pan with vegetable oil. Remove the fish from the marinade and coat with the greasy sour cream that can be found. Bake mullet in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Can be served with rice and white wine.
Mullet is an inexpensive, affordable and healthy fish. Depending on the recipe for making mullet, both a real gourmet and a person who is far from culinary delights can enjoy it.