Everyone loves salt fish. But far from everyone knows how to cook this at home. Meanwhile, salting fish is a fairly simple process that any housewife will master. In our article we want to talk about how to salt fish.
Process features
Even if you have never salted a fish in your life, mastering the process is not so difficult. Firstly, the procedure itself is not difficult, and secondly, the main thing is to know the recipe for a good brine for fish. In addition, there is no need to strictly maintain proportions. Having trained several times, you can improve any recipe by tailoring it for yourself.
It is worth saying that there are several ways of salting: in brine, dry and brine. In this case, we are talking about sea fish. The river must be handled more strongly. After salting, it must be smoked or dried. In our article, we will talk specifically about wet salting. Fish brine can be cold or hot. In cold brine, the product takes longer to cook for at least three days. But at the same time, the fish retains all its nutritional properties.
Hot brine for fish is good because the product is ready to eat by the time the solution cools. The salt concentration can be selected based on taste and preferences. But you need to understand that the richer the brine for salting the fish, the longer the shelf life.
However, there are small tricks that will make it possible to cook a great product. If you are too salted fish, then it must be held for several hours in milk, which can neutralize excess salt. At the same time, the fish becomes softer and softer.
If you add acid to the brine, for example, it can be lemon, wine, tomato or vinegar, then you get not salted, but marinated fish. Spices are added to marinades (caraway seeds, peas, mustard, coriander, cloves, garlic, etc.). However, you can pickle a fish without brine, for example, in wine. But as a rule, the product is first salted.
Salting salmon
On the eve of the holidays, every housewife seeks to cook something tasty and special. Table decoration can be, for example, salmon. Salting it at home can significantly save. The main thing is to choose the right recipe for cooking red fish.
Ingredients:
- salmon (two kg),
- coarse salt (five tablespoons),
- sugar (two tablespoons).
We remove the skin from the frozen fish, and then we wash it in running water. Next, cut it into thin pieces. We rub each piece with a mixture for salting, consisting of salt and sugar.
Next, we put the pieces tightly together in a container. Close the dishes and put it in the refrigerator. After eight hours, the fish is ready to eat. By the way, this recipe is most in demand among housewives.
Culinary recommendations
How to salt fish in brine? The recipes are very simple. For cooking, you need to purchase any salmon fish: pink salmon, trout, chum salmon, chinook salmon and more.
The pickle for salting red fish consists of water and salt. Moreover, the degree of its concentration may be different. Red fish is very popular and takes an honorable first place. It is often used as a snack for decoration of festive tables. Home-made red fish can be used to make salads and other dishes. Preparing brines for salting fish is very simple. But the result is invariably beautiful. Culinary experts say that salting a whole carcass is not very convenient. It takes more time. Yes, and brine for fish needs more. Therefore, it is preferable to cut the carcass into pieces, and remove any excess bones.
Many brine recipes have been invented. However, the fastest cooking option is the most popular. The fish is ready in an hour. It can be served with butter and onions.
Red fish: how to salt
Pickle for salting red fish is prepared quickly.
Ingredients:
- kilogram of fish
- Bay leaf,
- salt (three tablespoons),
- peppercorns (7 pcs.),
- Art. l table vinegar,
- bulb,
- vegetable oil (60 ml).
If you have a fresh fish, then you need to cut it right away. But ice cream must first be thawed, but not completely. So it’s easier to cut it. It is necessary to cut off the head, remove the fins. We divide the carcass into two parts, removing the bones and the ridge. As a result, we get the fillet. With a knife it is necessary to cut off the skin; we do not need it. Next, cut the prepared fillet into pieces and put it in a container.
Now that all the preparatory work has been completed, you can begin to prepare the brine for red fish.
Pour half a liter of water into a separate vessel, and cold. We put salt in it and mix well with a spoon until completely dissolved. The brine for red fish is ready. Pour it into a container with fillet. Press the fish on top of the yoke so that it does not emerge.
In brine, leave the filet for an hour and a half at room temperature. After we merge the old solution and prepare a new one. To do this, pour water into a glass and add a tablespoon of vinegar. With a mixture, pour the fish literally for three to five minutes. After this, drain the liquid.
Next, cut the onion in half rings and add it to the fish. Fill vegetable oil, add bay leaf and pepper. Mix all the ingredients and leave for another fifteen minutes. Salted fish is ready.
It can be used for sandwiches, appetizers, salads and simply served with potatoes on the table. There are plenty of options.
Another pickling option
If the previous option can be safely called quick, then this recipe has its own characteristics, so you can store the fish for a long time in oil with vinegar in the refrigerator.
Ingredients:
- kilogram of fish
- salt (four tablespoons),
- ground and allspice pepper,
- Bay leaf.
We prepare the fish for further cooking, as in the previous recipe. Next, take 700 ml of water, pour it into the pan and put on fire. After the liquid boils, add a mixture of peppers, salt and bay leaf to it. On low heat, the solution should boil for about five to seven minutes. After we turn off the gas and cool the brine to room temperature. We shift the fish fillet into a wide container or basin and fill it with a solution. Cover with a lid and send the fish to a cold place for half a day. After the specified time, we take out the fillet, cut it into pieces and serve. If you plan to store the fish, then you need to pour it with vegetable oil, and then pour the solution. It is prepared as follows: in a glass of water we breed a teaspoon of vinegar. Transfer the fillet into a sealed container and fill it with acetic solution.
If the fish cooked in the first way can be stored for only a few days, then the second recipe allows you to cook the product in such a way that it can stand in the cold all winter. Both options have their advantages and are in demand in different cases.
Quick salting
How to make a pickle for fish? Another recipe allows housewives to pickle fish very quickly. This option is based on the use of hot brine for fish.
Ingredients:
- fish steaks (five pcs.),
- salt (three tablespoons),
- litere of water,
- sugar (tbsp),
- Bay leaf,
- vinegar (tbsp. l.),
- coriander,
- pepper peas.
We wash the steaks in running water. We put a pot on the fire and boil a liter of water. After boiling, put sugar, coriander, salt, bay leaf and pepper. Boil the solution for about five minutes. Next, turn off the gas. Add vinegar to the brine. Now you need to wait until the solution has completely cooled. We put the fish steaks in a container and fill them with a cold solution. It must be remembered that the fish is salted for at least two days.
Hot Smoked Pickle
Smoked fish can also be cooked at home. However, before starting cooking, the carcass must be prepared. The fish is cleaned and washed. Small fish is smoked along with the head and all the insides. And larger carcasses need to be gutted and heads removed. If you have acquired a large fish, then it certainly must be cut. Steaks will look good on the table.
Ingredients:
- salt (two tablespoons),
- litere of water,
- Bay leaf,
- Art. l Sahara,
- according to Art. l cinnamon and pepper mixtures,
- onion, a pinch of rosemary, sage, thyme,
- half an orange and a lemon.
Smoked fish brine is prepared very simply. We put a pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Put salt in boiling liquid. Also add lemon, orange, onion and other ingredients. Cook the marinade for five minutes. After we turn off the fire and wait for the solution to cool. Pour the prepared fish with brine and leave it for 12 hours. In the future, we leave the carcasses in a well-ventilated room in a draft for a couple of hours. Then they can be smoked hot. The finished fish has a spicy aroma with citrus notes.
Wine marinade
Fragrant fish can be prepared using a marinade with white wine and soy sauce.
Ingredients:
- soy sauce (120 g),
- salt (120 g),
- lemon juice (140 g),
- garlic,
- sugar (95 g)
- two liters of fluid
- sugar (95 g)
- dry white wine (220 g),
- a pinch of coriander, basil and a mixture of peppers.
A pickle for pickling fish is very easy to prepare. We put a pot of water on the stove and bring the liquid to a boil. Add salt and sugar. We remove the liquid from the fire. After complete cooling pour in soy sauce, wine, lemon juice. We also add garlic and all spices to the marinade. Fill the fish with the prepared solution and leave it in a cool place for 12 hours. Over time, drain the liquid and dry the fish. After you can start smoking it.
Piquant pickle
For cooking fish with a piquant note, you can use natural honey. It would seem that the products are not at all compatible, but this is not so.
Ingredients:
- vegetable oil (170 g),
- lemon juice (90 ml),
- greens,
- seasonings for fish,
- a teaspoon of black pepper and salt,
- honey (110 g),
- garlic.
We mix all the ingredients in a container, add chopped garlic and parsley. Pour such an unusual mixture of carcasses and send the dishes into the refrigerator. Fish marinated for at least ten hours. The quantity of products given is calculated per kilogram of carcasses. If you have more fish, then you need to proportionally increase the ingredients.
Tender fish in red wine
Alcohol-based marinades have long been popular among housewives. It is the wine that gives the inimitable exquisite notes to any dish. And marinades are no exception.
Ingredients:
- cloves (five pcs.),
- water (1.5 l.),
- salt (three tablespoons),
- dry red wine (190 ml),
- caraway seeds (tsp),
- allspice (tsp).
Bring the liquid to a boil and put salt and clove in it, then boil for ten minutes. Turn off the fire and wait for the water to cool. After that, you can add all the other ingredients. We put the fish in a suitable container and fill it with brine. It takes at least four hours to prepare. The recipe is incredibly simple. The wine gives the fish meat tenderness and juiciness. But cloves create a unique aroma.
Kefir marinade
An unusual recipe based on kefir allows you to get juicy fish.
Ingredients:
- a glass of kefir,
- mint,
- garlic,
- vegetable oil (60 g),
- salt (tbsp),
- sugar (tsp)
- black pepper.
The marinade is prepared simply and quickly. In kefir add garlic, chopped peppermint and black pepper. Fill the fish with kefir mass and pickle it for about six to eight hours.
River fish: how to salt
The brine for river fish does not have large fundamental differences.
Ingredients:
- two liters of water
- salt (480 g),
- black pepper,
- Bay leaf.
Such a quantity of ingredients is given for salting three kilograms of fish. Medium-sized carcasses must first be gutted and washed. It is not recommended to salt the fish whole. Carcasses are placed in a container and poured with brine. It is imperative to use oppression. The brine is prepared by boiling. But they fill the fish only after complete cooling. You can use the finished product only after three weeks. The recipe is suitable for salting sprats, hamsa, sardines, herring. Small fish can be salted whole. It is worth remembering that after cooking, the product must be stored only in the refrigerator.
Cold pickle
Cold way pickle both river and sea fish. For cooking it is very important to observe the correct proportions to avoid the growth of bacteria.
Ingredients:
- onion (four pieces),
- vinegar (380 ml),
- salt (110 g),
- sugar (190 g)
- Bay leaf,
- water (580 ml),
- peppercorns,
- coriander (two tsp)
- Dill seeds.
We gut the small fish and clean it. It is not necessary to remove the heads, but you need to remove the gills. Larger carcasses are generally recommended to be cut into portions.
We bring a glass of water to a boil and add dill, coriander seeds, peppercorns and bay leaf. Boil the mass for about ten minutes. Then add sugar and salt. The brine should cool. Only then vinegar is poured into it and the remaining cold water is added.
We put the fish in glass or enameled dishes. Layers lay onion rings. Pour the marinade on top. We close the container with a lid and send it to a cold place, it is possible in the refrigerator. If you marinate the fillet, then it will be ready in three days, but for salting the carcasses it will take at least five days. It is recommended that you turn the fish over and over again so that it is evenly salted.
Ready carcasses must be stored in sterilized jars. In the container, we put the fish tightly to the very top and fill it with the same marinade. In this form, it can be stored for three to four months.
Hot pickle
Ingredients:
- three onions
- as many carrots
- Bay leaf,
- vinegar (180 ml),
- salt (three tablespoons),
- peppercorns,
- sugar (4 tbsp.),
- water (two liters).
We clean the fish and cut into pieces. Then rinse and dry. Bone the carcasses in salt and put them in the refrigerator for forty minutes. Meanwhile, we boil water in an enameled pan. In the container we also put onions, sliced in half rings, and slices of carrots. We boil the liquid for no more than ten minutes. Then add sugar, vinegar, salt, bay leaf, black pepper and the fish itself. After the brine with fish boils, reduce the heat to a minimum and cook another fifteen minutes. If necessary, remove the foam.
After cooking, the fish is very carefully removed from the pan and laid out in jars that must first be sterilized. Tanks need to be filled in only 2/3 of the volume in order to pour hot marinade on top. Next, the banks are clogged with lids. And after complete cooling, they are placed in the refrigerator. Fish can be eaten in two days.
If you cook chum salmon , salmon, salmon, tuna, then you can serve such fish on the table immediately after cooling the marinade. The fact is that the meat of red fish cooks much faster. Therefore, it does not make sense to wait a long time.
Instead of an afterword
As you can see, there are quite a few ways to make salted fish. Recipes differ in the ingredients used and the timing of the finished product. Each of them has its own advantages and advantages. The choice of this or that option largely depends on the fish you have. It is easiest to salt red fish, it has the shortest time for salting, so you can start experimenting with it. In general, all sea fish is prepared quite simply. But with river fish, you must be careful and accurately maintain the proportions.
If you like delicate fish flesh and the smell of spices, you should definitely use one of the marinades we have given. A particularly interesting combination is the use of dry white and red wine. The use of brine makes it possible to cook moderately salty and tasty fish, unlike dry salting. But still, the choice of recipes depends on your preferences.