Salty herring with potatoes - real Russian food. You can buy fish in the store, but it is best to cook it at home. Today we will talk about how to deliciously pickle herring.
general information
Salty herring is one of the favorite Russian snacks. It is eaten not only on holidays, but also on weekdays. The fish is served on the table with boiled potatoes. And if you add the dish with pickled cucumbers and sauerkraut, you get a real feast.
Many residents of our country are sure that the salty herring is a Russian invention. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The homeland of this snack is considered Holland. It was here in the 15th century that the ordinary fisherman Willem Boykelson came up with a method of processing herring. The fact is that the fish had a bitter taste, which is why it was not popular with local residents. Herring salting in brine helped get rid of this problem. To begin with, the gills were removed, and then the marinade was prepared.
Nowadays, salted herring can be purchased at almost every step. But the Russians are not always satisfied with their purchase. In terms of appearance and smell, it is very difficult to determine the freshness and degree of salinity of the product. Therefore, you have to rely on Russian chance.
Having bought salted, dry or tasteless fish once, a person loses all desire to purchase it in a store. In this regard, people decide to salt the fish at home. At first glance, this process seems simple and straightforward: just cleaned the herring, sprinkled it with salt and dill, waited several hours, and brought it to the table with boiled potatoes. The main thing is to prepare a good pickle for herring. Each mistress has her own recipe. Someone abundantly flakes fish with oil and vinegar, while someone uses a large number of spices and spices. We will describe further how to salt herring in brine in various ways.
Benefits for the body
Many of us like to eat salty herring. But not everyone knows about what benefits it brings to our body. But this is very important.
The main component of salted herring is protein. He is involved in metabolic processes occurring in the body. Without it, the growth and restoration of tissues is impossible.
The composition of salted herring also contains:
- omega-3 fatty acids (necessary for the normal functioning of the entire cardiovascular system);
- selenium (minimizes the number of oxidation products in blood plasma).
How to salt whole herring
We will need the following ingredients:
- 1 tsp Sahara;
- Lavrushka - 4 leaves;
- 900 ml of water;
- fresh-frozen herring - 4 pieces;
- 5 peas of black pepper;
- 1 tbsp. l salt.
We offer you instructions on how to salt the whole herring:
1. Defrost the fish. In the morning we shift it to the middle or upper shelf of the refrigerator. And in the evening you can start processing herring. We pick up the scissors and carefully cut off the upper fins and one caudal fin. We remove the gills. We extract the insides. Do not throw caviar and milk, but wash it and put it in the abdomen again. What's next? I wash every fish with tap water. Wait until the liquid drains completely. Rinse herring with water and vinegar (1 tbsp. Per liter of water).
2. Prepare the brine using sugar, parsley, salt and peppercorns. All this with 900 ml of water. We transfer the fish to the pan and pour the cooled brine. In this form, the herring should stand for 6 hours at room temperature, then the same amount in the refrigerator. You can try the fish in a day.
Salting herring in a pickle in a bank
We will need the following grocery set:
- a pack of table salt;
- 3 kg of fresh herring;
- seasonings and spices.
Let's find out how to make a pickle for herring (a recipe for a can):
1. Let's start by processing the fish. You can pickle the whole, but in this case it is best to gut it. Cut the tail and fins, remove the insides.
2. Rinse each fish with water and send to a deep bowl for further salting. For this purpose, a wide bowl or a regular enameled basin is perfect. We put the carcasses not too closely so that between them there is a pickle for herring. The recipe involves the use of 3 kg of fish. Therefore, with suitable dishes you need to decide in advance.
3. Make a pickle. Based on a liter of water we take 170 g of salt. Pour the fish with the resulting solution. We remove the dishes with the contents in a cool place for 24 hours. No oppression is required.
4. We take the herring from the solution and rinse it with water from the tap. Now make a softer and more fragrant pickle. Based on 1 liter of water, we take 100 g of salt. Add spices (for example, coriander, a few peas of black pepper, etc.). We merge the old solution. The dishes must be rinsed. Put the fish in the same jar and fill it with new brine. Set the load on top. We send the container to a cool place. Herring ambassador in brine - the process is not fast. But the result is worth it. In a week you will be able to treat your household with a delicious and fragrant fish.
Spicy salted herring
Consider the list of required products:
- 1 tbsp. l mustard and coriander grains;
- two buds of cloves;
- herring - 3-4 pieces (about 1 kg);
- 4 tbsp. salts;
- 5-7 branches of thyme;
- 1 tbsp. l a mixture of black, allspice and white pepper;
- Lavrushka - 2 leaves;
- 150 ml of sugar.
For the marinade we will need:
- 100 ml of table vinegar;
- 2 tbsp. l salts;
- 300 ml of water.
So, we offer to find out how to deliciously pickle herring:
Step number 1. Mix water with vinegar. We put on the fire and wait for the moment of boiling. When the solution has cooled, you need to fill it with pre-cleaned fish. We set the load on top and send the container to the refrigerator for 12 hours.
Step number 2. Grind peppercorns and mix with other spices. These include: thyme, cloves, coriander, mustard, lavrushka, a mixture of peppers. Pour half the mixture to the bottom of the plastic container. In the same dishes we spread herring. Sprinkle it with the rest of the spices. Cover or wrap with cling film. We put a small load and put it in the refrigerator for a week. Before serving, cut the herring into pieces, sprinkle with onion rings and chopped dill.
How to choose herring for salting
Compliance with the recipe is only half the success. To make a delicious snack, you need to use the highest quality products. An ideal option for salting is freshly caught fish. But it is not available to everyone. Russians living in regions that do not have access to the seas and oceans have to be content with fresh-frozen herring. It is also suitable for salting.
If you have a wide assortment, it is advisable to choose Pacific or Atlantic herring. How to determine the quality of the product? The eyes of the fish should be bright, without any spots and stains. If the gills are tight to the carcass, then in front of you is a fresh herring. Experts do not recommend buying fish with a removed head. So many sellers try to sell stale goods.
An appetizer made from fish caught in the winter season is especially tender and tasty. And all because it contains more fat. Want to cook an excellent fish? Then choose heavy carcasses with rounded sides.
Storage rules
You treated your household to salt fish, but there were still many pieces left? Not sure how to properly store herring? We are ready to share the necessary information.
Herring, like other fish of the herring family, contains fat. Under the influence of oxygen, it quickly oxidizes. As a result, the fish gets an unpleasant odor and rancid taste. To avoid this, you must properly store salted herring.
Pieces of fish can be removed in the refrigerator, but not more than 2 days. Well, if you eat them the next day. As for the whole fish, salted whole, here we must do the following. Pour beer into a small pot. Add two bay leaves and a few peas of black pepper. Bring to a boil, and then completely cool. We put the whole herring in a jar and fill it with the prepared brine. Pour a little vegetable oil from above. Close the lid. So that the fish does not deteriorate, the brine must completely cover it.
Finally
We talked about how to make brine for herring. You can choose the recipe yourself, depending on your taste preferences. Salted fish can act as a dish on its own, as well as be an ingredient in salads (for example, a herring under a fur coat).