Salmon is not a cheap fish, but if you are lucky enough to get a tasty and healthy fish, then it is better to cook it right away, as repeated freezing spoils both the taste and useful properties of the delicacy.
Fish can be smoked, salted, or cooked pickled salmon at home.
What will you need for pickling?
Before cooking pickled salmon at home, you need to prepare:
- kilogram of salmon fillet;
- 100 grams of salt;
- 2 tablespoons of white sugar;
- 2 tablespoons of vodka or cognac;
- 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs;
- paper towels;
- food cellophane film;
- tray;
- flat dish
- cargo (can with water, for example).
The amount of other ingredients will vary depending on the weight of the salmon.
Preparation of ingredients for pickling
Preparation begins with choosing a good piece of fish fillet. It should be bold. In the process of pickling, the fat content will go away, and the taste will significantly improve.
Please note the following:
- Salmon should not be frozen, only chilled. Repeatedly frozen and thawed fish will not be tender and juicy.
- From a kilogram of salmon, 8 servings of pickled fish will be obtained, but provided that the fish is fresh, without spots and damage to the skin. By the way, the skin should be dense, healthy - this is one of the conditions. The pulp should be a bright orange-pink color and sufficiently elastic. Shades of red are a sure sign that the fish has been tinted. The skin should be dense, gray, with a silver tint, and not dark, soft, spoiled.
- It is advisable to buy fish on the day of pickling. If you buy a fish in a day or two, then store it in the refrigerator on the coldest shelf.
Marinade is prepared from the following ingredients:
- half a glass of Extra salt; rock salt does not need to be taken, it will spoil the taste;
- 3 tablespoons of sugar;
- 3 tablespoons of any fresh finely chopped herbs, for example, oregano, dill, basil, fennel or a mixture of Provencal herbs;
- 1/2 tablespoon of white ground pepper;
- a tablespoon of citrus zest (lemon) as desired.
Choose the salt responsibly, do not replace “Extra” with stone: this ingredient works as a natural preservative that absorbs excess moisture from salmon and enhances its taste.
Processing fish with finished marinade and alcohol
First you need to cook the marinade, then remove the salmon from the refrigerator, rinse it under running water and remove excess moisture with paper towels.
The baking sheet is covered with cling film wrapped in several layers, salmon is laid on it with the skin down. Remember that all bones must be removed, for this you can use the culinary tweezers.
After this, the fish is rubbed with vodka or cognac, left to soak for 10 minutes, and then filled with marinade. Alcohol is needed a little, just a couple of teaspoons, but the marinade is used generously to soak the fish on both sides and pickle. Excess marinade can be washed off, but it is better to leave it for piquancy.
How to pickle salmon at home?
After the salmon is pickled, it must be tightly packed in a plastic wrap. The edges of the film must be wrapped so that there are no cracks, and the air does not penetrate inside.
From above, the salmon is covered with some kind of flat dish or cutting board, and oppression is installed on the surface of the plate or board in the form of a jar of water, a heavy stone, a small kettlebell or dumbbell. This will help the ingredients better soak the salmon.
In this form, remove salmon in the refrigerator for three days. It is possible for two days, but then the fish will turn out less salty. During this time, you do not need to touch the fish, it must be pickled at rest.
After three days, the salmon is pulled out from under oppression, unwrapped from the cling film and washed under running cold water to rinse off the salt and the remaining marinade. If this is not done, then the fillet will turn out too salty and spicy.
After that, the fish is cut with a sirloin knife, moving horizontally in one direction. You get good slices for sandwiches. Take the sample: the fish may still be salty. Then rinse the fillet in water again.
Ready-made pickled fish is an ideal complement for salads, pizza and cold dishes.
Quick and easy
How to marinate salmon at home in 30 minutes? To do this, prepare a fish and a simple marinade, consisting of:
- juice of 1 lemon;
- mixtures of rosemary and basil;
- salt.
The amount of ingredients is determined by eye, depending on the amount of pickled fish. All the ingredients are mixed, roll the fish in them, tightly cover or send under oppression, put in the refrigerator for half an hour.
After that, you can safely fry salmon in a pan, bake in the oven or grill.
Some useful tips
To make the delicacy even more delicious, professionals pickle salmon, following the following tips:
- White sugar is replaced by brown to enhance sweetness.
- Use olive oil and exclusively fresh herbs.
- An extra-fast version of the marinade is the following recipe: cut the salmon into thin slices (like a sandwich), dip on both sides in the marinade, wrap it with cling film and put in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Ready-made fish is suitable for soups, and for sandwiches, and for salads.
Pickle Eastern Salmon
Exotic pickle of salmon. The fish are incredibly tasty, especially on sandwiches.
Before you begin, you need to prepare:
- 400 g of pure (without bones and skin) salmon fillet;
- 150 ml of water;
- 100 ml grape vinegar (7%);
- 0.1 kg of sugar;
- 3 things star anise;
- 6 clove buds;
- 6 peas of allspice;
- 10 peas of black pepper;
- 1 tsp salts;
- 1 tbsp. l fresh ginger;
- 3 shallots or 1 small sweet onion.
We pickle salmon in the east:
- Fillet is cut into thin slices, as for sandwiches.
- Onions are cut in half rings.
- All other ingredients, except ginger, are combined in a small saucepan, brought to a boil and cooled.
- Pour pieces of fish with chilled marinade, put in the refrigerator for a day. Ready fish can be served at the table.
Salmon in marinade with green tea
Another unusual recipe for how to deliciously marinate red fish. Prepare the following ingredients:
- 1 kilogram of salmon:
- a pinch of marjoram;
- cloves - 4 buds;
- salt - 3 tbsp. l .;
- green tea - 1 tbsp. l .;
- vinegar - 2 tbsp. l .;
- cloves of garlic - 4 pcs.;
- anise - a pinch;
- tangerines - a pair of pieces;
- dry rose wine - 100 ml;
- olive vegetable oil - 30 ml;
- a pinch of tarragon;
- red hot pepper - a piece;
- dried parsley;
- allspice - 8 peas.
Pickle the salmon according to the instructions:
- Green tea must be brewed in a steep tea leaves: 50 ml of boiling water per 1 teaspoon of tea. Brew for 10 minutes. Pay attention to the quality of green tea. It doesn’t matter whether it will be packaged or by weight, the main thing is the rich aroma and the absence of tea dust that remains on the walls of the cup.
- Garlic is grated or passed through a press.
- Hot pepper finely chopped, removing seeds.
- Tangerines are peeled, divided into slices and cut in half. Instead of slices, you can use citrus juice.
- The fish is cut into small pieces and placed in a bowl.
- Slices of tangerines, tea, spices, salt, squeezed garlic, wine and vinegar are added to the salmon. Mix well, lay out in banks and clean for two days in the refrigerator.
Conclusion
Marinating salmon is as easy as pickling it. Salmon is one of those varieties of fish that combines with many components. Choose your favorite marinade, and you will prepare a delicious fish delicacy, as in the best restaurants.