The catfish pulp is a versatile product that contains a minimum of bones. During cooking, you don’t have to clean the scales, puzzling yourself with other unnecessary work. Truly refined taste has cold smoked catfish. To achieve an impressive result is easy at home. The main thing is to have basic knowledge regarding the preparation of pulp, pickling and pickling, and the use of a smokehouse. How to cook cold-smoked balyk catfish worthy of any table? We offer to learn about this from this article.
About the taste of the dish and the content of nutrients
Properly prepared cold-smoked catfish allows you to enjoy the spicy sweetish flavor of fish. In the structure of tender flesh, almost no bones are found. The dish acts as a source of vitamins of groups B, C and E. Fillet contains a wide range of amino acids essential for the human body. Among the useful trace elements, it is worth noting the abundance of iodine, fluorine, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc. These substances are especially urgently needed by children and pregnant women. The use of dishes promotes the renewal of hair and nails, positively affects the functioning of the nervous system.
People who have all kinds of health problems are not recommended to lean on smoked meats. However, the catfish fillet is an exception to the rule. But still consult your doctor before including this dish on the menu.
Cold smoked catfish - calories
Catfish contains an impressive amount of protein. The use of about 200 grams of fillet of such fish ensures the satisfaction of the daily norm of the substance for the body. However, the above should not cause concern for a person who, for one reason or another, is forced to strictly comply with the instructions of a nutritionist. Significant carbohydrate reserves are represented in the fillet structure of most fish species. Catfish meat goes out of the general row. Body tissues of the fish include plenty of water. This explains the inclusion of cold-smoked catfish in the category of low-calorie dishes. According to calculations, 130 calories are consumed per 100 grams of product.
Seasonings
Before considering the recipe for cold smoked catfish, I would like to say a few words about the best spices for processing such meat. A universal solution is a combination in equal proportions of black, red and white pepper. Inside and outside, it is advisable to process the product with dill. The latter should be carefully ground for better impregnation of meat with a specific flavor.
In general, do not abuse seasonings. After all, catfish should preserve a characteristic sweetish taste and somewhat marshy piquant smell. If you plan to experiment, a little nutmeg, ground bay leaf should be added to the above combination. These spices go well with fish dishes, including catfish fillet.
Meat preparation and salting
At first, they resort to gutting fish. It is extremely important to do everything extremely carefully so that bile does not flow. The omission leads to the acquisition by the meat of a repulsive bitter taste. If this happened, the fish is qualitatively washed under running water.
Then the gills are removed, which makes it possible to get rid of the saturated swamp flavor. The meat is wiped with paper towels over the entire area, not forgetting the processing inside. This manipulation allows you to get rid of the remnants of the spreading blood and thereby increase the shelf life of the fish until immediate cooking.
A number of neat cuts are made in the fillet structure, being careful not to touch the skin. A moderate amount of salt is poured here, after which the fillet is sent to an enameled pan under the lid. Pieces of catfish are layered. The product is periodically compacted by shaking the container. In conclusion, it is advisable to crush the meat with a load for several hours, so that the fillet is better salted. Dishes should be in a rather cool, dark place.
Cold smoked catfish. Recipe
Let's move on to cooking. Positive results can be achieved by subjecting the fish to heat treatment in a personal plot. The simplest version of the smokehouse involves the vertical placement of sufficiently thick stakes in the ground. The latter are covered with polyethylene or fabric made of dense material. A small hole is left above, through which smoke will come out. Here the lattice is fixed, where, in fact, pre-cut, salted and pickled catfish meat will be placed.
A small hole is dug under a row of stakes, which will serve as a place for the location of a metal firebox with firewood. It is recommended to use alder, oak or fruit wood. The main secret of cold smoking is maintaining the distance between the heat source and the fish fillet. Place the product over the fire at a distance of at least two meters. To make sure that the conditions correspond to the concepts of cold smoking, it is worth measuring the temperature of the smoke at the outlet of the device. The indicator should be no more than +25 ° C.
Cold smoked catfish is cooked for 6-8 hours daily. During this time period, firewood is regularly thrown into the makeshift furnace to ensure a stable smoke stream. In the future, a decrease in the density of smoke is no longer processed by smoke.
The dish can be considered fully usable after 3-4 days from the start of processing. The formation of an appetizing golden crust on the surface of the meat will tell you about bringing the fish to the right condition. Next, the smoked fillet is removed from the grill, transferred with food paper and sent for storage in boxes.
Product storage
Cold smoked catfish meat remains usable for a long time. About 10 days, the fish can maintain freshness at a temperature that does not exceed +3 ° C. Despite this, the most reasonable solution is to eat a fresh dish. Do not forget that smoked catfish gives a strong specific flavor. Therefore, it is better to store cooked fish in sealed containers. Otherwise, the smell is filled with other products.