One of the most popular food products in our country is smelt fish. Snout is its closest relative, which is slightly smaller, but tangible health benefits, convenient and quick cooking combine these two fish. Both of them belong to the smelt family and to the class of ray-finned fish.
Fish smelt. Description
There are three types of smelt: small-breasted, American (or scalloped) and European, which is also called smelt. The fish has an elongated body, shiny scales, which are very easy to remove when cleaned. The "European" is slightly smaller (8-9 cm) than its closest "relatives", and its dorsal fin is located in the central part of the body. The fish has a short side line. The body consists of an axis of only eight to twelve scales.
Habitat
Snout is a fish that lives in Lake Ladoga, the Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Finland, Lake Onega and in reservoirs in the northern part of Russia. Thanks to the excellent acclimatization, European smelt can descend into the Kuibyshev, Saratov, Gorky and Rybinsk reservoirs. The fish lives long enough - about three years. Her weight is an average of six to eight grams.
Beneficial features
Smelt fish is recommended for use by people suffering from diseases of the heart, bone system and blood vessels. The composition contains a balanced amount of vitamins and minerals. Almost twenty percent of the fish consists of easily digestible protein. The composition contains magnesium and phosphorus indispensable for humans, calcium and potassium, molybdenum and iron, nickel and sodium.
Experts have proven that smelt fish (constantly or periodically eaten) will provide reliable protection for the nervous and muscular systems, help to avoid problems with blood vessels, hormones and increased insulin levels in the blood. The ingot normalizes the digestive tract, improves the functioning of the heart, brain, lungs, relieves swelling and reduces inflammation.
Fishing features
Charcot is a fish that you do not have to buy at grocery stores. It can be easily caught with your own hands. Smelt fishing becomes especially active with the onset of cold weather. In the central part of the country, for example, in the Gulf of Finland, fishermen go on ice in early December. Active biting occurs precisely in the winter. At this time, you can catch about five kilograms of fish, in which there will be about four hundred pieces.
Of course, catching European smelt requires a certain dose of patience, perseverance and dexterity. But believe me, the result is worth the time. Snout - fish, the recipes for which are very diverse. It can be dried and dried, salted and fried, smoked and baked in the oven.
Soup
The simplest and fastest dish that can be prepared from a product such as smelt fish.
To do this, you will need:
- Two large potatoes.
- One onion.
- Celery root.
- Parsley.
- Peas of black pepper.
- Salt.
- Bay leaf.
- A pinch of nutmeg (ground).
- Smelt and smelt fish are one and the same. We take the one that is in the store or which we managed to catch. In total, about ten to fifteen pieces will be required per two-liter saucepan of soup.
Firstly, it is necessary to prepare a fragrant and rich broth from vegetables. To do this, pour one and a half liters of water into the pan, put peeled, diced potatoes, celery, a whole onion. After the broth has boiled, add spices: a bay leaf, black pepper peas (to taste), a pinch of nutmeg and the same amount of salt. Cook until vegetables are tender. After that, turn off the fire, remove the saucepan from the stove. We take out the onions, bay leaves and celery - they have already played their role in the preparation.
Now it’s the turn of the fish. It is necessary to rinse, clean, remove your head. We put in the broth and let it boil for another ten to fifteen minutes. The soup is ready. Add a little fresh greens, a slice of butter before serving.
Fried smelt
Fried smelt fish is one of the most popular dishes. Cooking takes a matter of minutes, but the result is surprisingly tasty and satisfying. So, to cook this dish, you need vegetable oil, a little salt, a couple of tablespoons of flour for breading, a frying pan and, of course, a cleaned and decapitate smelt.
After the carcasses of the fish are cleaned and washed, put them in a large container and sprinkle with salt, pepper and spices for the fish (optional). Mix thoroughly. Add the flour and mix again. Snout is a fish that does not need to be given too much attention. Breading every small fish in breading is simply a waste of time.
Pour the vegetable oil into the pan. We spread the fish in even rows and fry on one side for three minutes. Then we turn the carcasses, cover the dishes with a lid and fry the fish for another five minutes. Ready fried snet fish. The recipes and the description of the preparation are as simple and understandable as the process of frying this fish itself.
Whiteburn in white sauce with onions
If you want a more original dish, we advise you to pay attention to the recipe, where the usual, it would seem, smelt turns into an exquisite product that is not ashamed to serve on the festive table, and treat unexpected guests.
In order to prepare such a dish, you will need to take the following products:
- Smelt - 10-20 pieces.
- Onions - one piece.
- A little vegetable oil.
- Salt mixed with black pepper or ready-made seasoning for fish.
- 300 ml of milk or heavy cream.
- One bunch of fresh herbs (parsley, dill).
- A couple of tablespoons of flour.
- A bit of white dry wine.
How to cook
Onions will need to be chopped very finely. After that, fry it in vegetable oil until a “blush” appears. We spread the fried onions on a separate plate. Try to leave oil in a frying pan.
Now you can proceed to the preparation of the sauce. To do this, put a piece of butter in a skillet and melt it over low heat. As soon as the oil changes from a solid to a liquid, flour can be added. It is recommended to fry it for about two to three minutes.
As soon as the flour begins to change its white color to a darker shade, with a thin stream we begin to pour in a little cream (milk). We arm ourselves with a whisk and carefully mix all the ingredients in a pan. It is important that the sauce does not have even the slightest hint of unpleasant taste lumps. Slightly add the sauce and leave it over low heat until the final thickening.
It's time to cook the fish. Smelt must be cleaned, remove all the insides and get rid of the head. Now rinse the fish under running water and pat dry with a paper towel. We take a small pan (stew-pan), put a smelt there and add the fried onions and chopped greens on top. Pour half a liter of water and dry wine. We put the dishes on a slow fire and simmer until the smelt is ready.
We return again with the sauce. To make it more aromatic and tasty, it is recommended to add to it a couple of ladles of wine and fish broth, in which smelt was cooked. We bring it to a boil again, reduce the heat and wait for it to thicken. The resulting mixture can even be filtered. Spread the boiled smelt on a plate with a colander spoon and pour on top with white sauce. Boiled rice will be the best side dish for such a gourmet, but very simple and quick to prepare dish. The second option is to fry the smelt, and then dip it in white sauce.