Sockeye salmon fish is one of the most valuable in the salmon family. Its value lies in the fact that it can rightfully be called a red fish, because at the time when it spawns, its abdomen acquires a bright red hue. In the rest of the time, it has a silver color.
Nutritional value
Sockeye salmon also has a rich red color. And all because she eats enough fat crustaceans - kalyanidami. Copepods have a red tint - these are their pigments and they color fish meat in that color. Therefore, sockeye salmon differs from other representatives of the salmon family, the carcass of which has only a pinkish tint.
Due to the fact that sockeye salmon fish is a true gourmet, its meat has a more rich taste and nutritional composition. Therefore, a variety of delicacies and exotic dishes are often prepared from it.
Sockeye salmon fish live in the Pacific Ocean; therefore, they are caught most often in the eastern seas of Russia (Okhotsk, for example). Americans were a little more fortunate - fish abound on their shores. Sockeye salmon fish is not large. Its fishing length reaches 80 cm, and weight ranges from 1.5 to 7 kg. Her meat is rich in vitamins and healthy fats. Despite this, the brightest member of the salmon family is a dietary product that can be used to prepare a wide variety of diets.
How to cook delicious?
There are many ways to cook this delicious meat. So, often fish is cooked in the same way as salmon. Sockeye salmon is also good in the oven. Perfectly it turns out in a slow cooker. However, there are dishes that require the use of this particular meat.
True connoisseurs assure that having tasted the meat of sockeye salmon once, it is simply impossible to forget its taste. Moreover, even chum salmon is in many ways inferior to sockeye salmon cooked in the oven. It makes excellent baliks. And how good salty sockeye salmon is! It can be eaten just like that, or it can be used as the main ingredient for salads and a wide variety of cold snacks.
From words to practice - it's time to familiarize yourself with some traditional fish recipes.
How to salt a salmon?
There are many ways of salting fish, but they all have one feature - meat will take salt exactly as much as it needs. This means that the product cannot be oversalt. The following ingredients will be needed:
- The sockeye fillet itself is about 1 kilogram.
- A tablespoon of sugar and salt.
- Any other spices for fish.
Pour all the loose ingredients into the mortar and rub them thoroughly. Place the salmon fillet in a container for pickling, sprinkle it with a mixture of spices, then put another piece and also salt it. After two days, the red fish delicacy is ready to eat.
Salting fish in brine
To begin with, it is worth deciding how the fish will be salted: a whole piece or steaks. By the way, the latter method is much faster. It is necessary to prepare a salt solution - for this it is necessary to dilute in 1 liter of water 330 grams of salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar. You can add bay leaf and several varieties of pepper.
In order for the brine to absorb the aromas, it is advisable to boil the brine. However, they need to be filled with fish only when the brine has completely cooled. Sockeye salmon is lowered into a container for salting, filled with brine and covered with a lid on which oppression is established. How much time she spends so depends on who loves which fish more. For sockeye salmon to be slightly salted, 24 hours is enough, for strong salting, it is necessary to withstand fish in brine for at least two days.
Bake in the oven
This is ideal for a festive meal. Baked sockeye salmon will surprise everyone who gathered at the table with its beauty and unusual aroma. So, to create a culinary masterpiece, you will need the following ingredients:
- 4 sockeye salmon steaks;
- bay leaf - by the number of steaks;
- 2 small lemons;
- onions - 1 pc.;
- salt, spices and spices for fish.
First of all, you need to cut onions and lemon into thin rings. Grate fish steaks with a mixture of seasonings and leave for some time for marinating.
Put a sheet of foil on a baking sheet, and lay on it all the ingredients in layers: fish steaks, then onions, and then lemon. Sprinkle everything with lemon juice, cover with another sheet of foil and send to a preheated oven. The dish is cooked for 20 minutes. After that, you need to get a baking sheet, but do not open the fish, finely chop the green onions and parsley, put the steaks on portioned dishes and serve to the guests, sprinkled with chopped herbs.
How to salt a whole carcass of sockeye salmon?
Salted fish has a number of undeniable advantages:
- First, home-cooked fish does not contain as many preservatives and additives as there can be in a store product.
- Secondly, in this case, you can get exactly the taste that you want.
- Thirdly, salted red fish is much cheaper.
Now you just need to get acquainted with a rather unusual way of salting carcasses of sockeye salmon. To do this, it is not at all necessary to buy fillets or steaks - you can salt the whole carcass directly. First of all, it is necessary to cut it, freeing it from the insides and head, then rinse thoroughly and dry with a paper towel. It is recommended to salt a whole carcass of sockeye in the classical way, using the following ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of salt;
- the same amount of sugar;
- a large bunch of fresh dill;
- one medium-sized lemon.
Greens and lemon need to be washed. Dry the dill on a towel, and cut the lemon into thin rings. Take a third of the greenery and line it with the bottom of the tank in which the fish will be salted. Grate the sockeye carcass with a mixture of salt and sugar (you can add crushed bay leaves and a few peas of black pepper). Inside the fish, put chopped lemon and the second part of dill, and on top cover the sockeye salmon with the so-called cover of dill branches. The fish should be covered with a lid and put on top of oppression, and then put away in a cold place for 24 hours.
Grilled sockeye salmon
You can simply fry the steak on both sides and season it with a spicy sauce, or you can cook a small culinary masterpiece. For these purposes, it is necessary to prepare an unusual mixture of spices and spices, as well as other ingredients:
- Directly the sockeye fillet itself (steaks can be) - 6-7 pieces.
- A teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
- A tablespoon of dry thyme.
- A tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper.
- The same amount of oregano.
- The same amount of paprika.
- Half a teaspoon of lemon zest.
- Vegetable oil for frying.
- Sea or most common salt.
This dish is perfect for a special dinner, when you want to not just feed everyone gathered at the table, but surprise them with an unusual taste and original presentation.
Cooking method
First of all, you need to mix all the spices - you can simply crush them in a mortar. After that, you need to cut the carcass of the sockeye into steaks and generously spread each of them with vegetable oil, after which you also grate with a previously prepared mixture of spices and spices. Heat the pan and fry the steaks on both sides so that a delicious golden crust forms.
After this, pieces of fish should be laid out on portioned plates and sprinkled with chopped herbs. You can sprinkle with lemon juice. The calorie content of fried sockeye salmon is low, so it can be used as a dietary dish to maintain good shape. So, 100 g of the product contains only 184.33 kcal - this is 9% of the daily value.
Sour cream stew
Many do not really like red fish just because it has a characteristic bitterness. However, there are little secrets that will help fix this. Sour cream sauce and vegetables are what you need to make a small culinary masterpiece. The following ingredients must be prepared:
- Fish fillet - 1 kilogram.
- Olive oil for frying (can be replaced with vegetable).
- A tablespoon of tomato paste or sauce.
- Three medium sized onions.
- Two small carrots.
- Sour cream of medium fat content - 500 grams.
- Bay leaf, pepper and salt, as well as any other spices as desired.
And now it’s worth familiarizing yourself with the most detailed recipe for preparing a not quite ordinary dish.
How to cook?
First of all, it is necessary to thoroughly wash and dry the sockeye fillet, and then cut it into small portions, which need to be greased with a small amount of olive oil and lightly salt.
Now you need to do vegetables. Finely chop the onion, and grate the carrots. Put the pan on the fire, heat the oil in it and fry the vegetables: first onion until soft, and then carrots. Once they are ready, you should reduce the temperature and add tomato paste. Just a minute after that, add the sockeye filet and increase the fire to the maximum mark. All this is fried in a few minutes. The fish should evenly fry and acquire a slightly pale shade.
Now you need to add sour cream and spices, mix everything carefully and add bay leaf at the very end, then reduce the heat and continue to stew the fish for another 5-10 minutes.
Sockeye fish: recipes
Fillet or steaks can be fried, stewed or salted. Sockeye salmon is great for preparing a wide variety of cold appetizers and salads. Fillet fried in batter, with the addition of piquant sauce will be an excellent option for a celebration or celebration. The sockeye soup, which can be prepared for Sunday lunch, is no less tasty.
You will need the following ingredients:
- Sockeye carcass weighing 1-1.5 kg.
- Carrots and celery - 35 grams each.
- 2 cloves of garlic.
- 2 potatoes.
- Vegetable oil.
- 2 medium sized onions.
- Cherry Tomatoes - 2 pieces.
- Spices.
First of all, it is necessary to cut the fish: remove and discard the insides, separate the head and bones, wash and dry the fillet. From the heads and fish bones, cook the broth with the addition of bay leaf and black pepper. While the broth is being prepared, it is necessary to chop the potato tubers and one onion, chop the carrots and celery. Melt the butter in a pan and fry the vegetables in it. Lower the second onion whole in the broth along with chopped potatoes. Cut the fish fillet into small pieces together with tomatoes, fry along with the remaining vegetables, then send to a saucepan with soup. Add spices and spices, cover and let the dish brew.
As you can see, you can cook sockeye in different ways. The main thing is to find your own recipe, which will become the main dish.