How to soak salted fish? Why is this necessary? You will find answers to these and other questions in the article. Many dishes are prepared from fish or seafood. Very often, fish gets to our table in frozen or chilled form. Different dishes can also be prepared from a slightly salted product, but only if it is really slightly salted. How to soak salted fish, find out below.
Salt content
Often people ask how to soak salted fish. Many people who see a beautiful looking fish in a package with the inscription “Fish SS” in the store acquire a treasured piece. And when they open it at home, they are completely disappointed: the food is so salty that it can be eaten only with water.
If the fish contains more than 14% salt, it is called highly salted, if from 9 to 14%, then medium salted. In slightly salted fish is from 5 to 9% salt.
Preparation
Few know how to soak salted fish. If it is large, it must first be cut into pieces. It is also necessary to boil in pieces over low heat in a large volume of water, constantly removing the scum that appears.
Process
How to soak salted fish correctly? It is generally accepted that this procedure should last as many hours as how many days the fish salted. Usually it is soaked in cool water in the refrigerator. Water needs to be changed every two hours.
When a fish begins to surface, it means that it has lost enough salt. In summer, it is best to soak it in the refrigerator, but if you do not have such an opportunity, change the water in a timely manner, otherwise the food will quickly deteriorate.
It is not recommended to save soaked fish for more than 24 hours. Eat it immediately for food or cook fish dishes using heat treatment.
Nuances
Many people wonder if salted fish can be soaked. Yes, of course you can. Reducing the amount of salt with this procedure, it must be remembered that not only the loss of this substance occurs, but also mineral salts, proteins, and nitrogenous substances, which leads to a deterioration in the taste properties of fish. The food absorbs water, and its mass can increase by about 25%.
To soak the fish faster, add vinegar to the water in a ratio of 10: 1 (ten parts water to one part of vinegar).
Soaking Herring
There is an old way that significantly speeds up the procedure and improves the properties of the resulting food:
- Cut herring into two halves along the spine, do not remove the skin.
- Soak the fish in sweet strong tea or fresh milk.
Tea contains a huge number of tannins, which prevent the pulp from softening. Milk acts on the contrary: actively softens the flesh of herring, making it very delicate in taste.
Additives
Experienced culinary experts advise when creating salted fish dishes to use components that add a juicy rich taste to the dish: vegetable oil, a variety of sauces, cream. This must be done because it is drier than fresh. For example, dressing herring with vegetable oil not only significantly improves the taste of fish, but also its nutritional value. Salted fish appetizers with vegetable oil are perfectly balanced in the composition of fatty acids.
By the way, when stored in the tissues of salted fish irreversible transformations of food substances are performed, which reduce its quality. That is why its specific gravity in food is small.
Soaking in the enterprise
How long is salted fish soaked in the enterprise? It is known that when this product goes into production, it contains from 6 to 17% salt. In fish intended for cooking, there should be no more than 5% salt, and for frying - no more than 2%.
First, the food is placed in cold water for swelling, then it is cleaned of scales, the fins are removed and the head is plastered. You can soak the product in production in running and replaceable water. In the second case, the fish is poured with water in a ratio of 1: 2. Since the difference in salt concentration in water and fish at the beginning of the process is large, diffusion is rapid. An hour later, it ends, as the equilibrium of saturation occurs.
Diffusion slows down as the salt content in the fish decreases, so water can be changed less frequently (after 1, 2, 3, and 6 hours). The salt concentration is reduced to 5%, usually after 12 hours.
Next, the cooks perform test cooking and, if necessary, continue soaking, changing the water after three hours. What is the disadvantage of this method? Between individual water changes, the soaking process slows down as salt accumulates in the liquid. In addition, by the end of the procedure, due to a decrease in the density of salt in the pulp, the fish may begin to deteriorate.
If the fish is soaked in running water, then it is placed in a bath with a grate, under which are placed the pipes that supply water. The liquid is removed through a pipe located in the upper zone of the bath. The process lasts 8-12 hours, after which test cooking is performed.
Why do you need to soak the fish?
The fish is soaked in order to maintain its delicate and pleasant taste and its health. Salted fish is present not only in many gourmet dishes, but also in various cold snacks. For example, salads containing the following components are prepared on its basis:
- eggs, grapefruit and spinach;
- quail carrots, tomatoes and eggs;
- greens and vegetables (as in the “Royal salad”);
- There is a Olivier recipe based on light-salted fish.
If salted fish contained salads, not only its taste, but also the taste of the food as a whole would be spoiled. In addition, it is harmful to a person to consume a large amount of salt. To feel normal, it is enough to eat only 10 g of this substance per day. With an increase in dose, the body will try to get rid of excess salt and a person will often have to consume water. In ancient times, the Chinese killed themselves by eating a pound of salt at a time. With excessive use of this substance, this is what happens:
- salt adversely affects the mucous membranes of the intestines and stomach;
- increases the sensitivity of the central nervous system and provokes problems with blood vessels and heart;
- binds calcium and removes it from the body;
- accumulates in the joints, provoking various ailments of the musculoskeletal system.
What do you need to have?
So, how to soak salted fish at home? This will require:
- a container with a lid for soaking;
- cutting board, knife and scissors (tools for processing fish);
- spice;
- soaking solution;
- salty fish.
Ways
The following salted fish steeping techniques are:
- in milk;
- in water;
- in tea;
- in marinades made according to special recipes;
- under running water (industrial method).
The technology depends on the mass of fish, its type and taste, as well as on the preferences of the housewife. Soaking the fish, remember that additional operations impair its taste. Therefore, consider the process in advance.
Salmon family
How to soak salty red fish? Salmon are always welcome on the festive table. Due to the presence of nutritious substances and unsurpassed taste, they are very popular among housewives. Since this fish is expensive, soaking methods are used here intricate.
It is important not to spoil the food. Manufacturing Option:
- Cut the red fish (you can until the state of the fillet) and cut into pieces.
- Make marinade with spices, vinegar, cherry syrup and so on. The marinade must be boiled.
- Put the fish in the hot marinade.
- Cool everything, then rinse the fish and again fill the marinade, filtered through a sieve.
How much soak salted red fish? She can be in the marinade for a couple of days in the refrigerator. Often, red fish is also soaked in tea with the addition of cherry syrup, vodka or sugar.
In milk
No less popular is the method of soaking fish in milk. As a result, it becomes soft and pleasant to the taste. To do this, you must:
- Chill fresh milk in the refrigerator.
- Put the fish in a container and pour cool milk completely.
- Send fish to the refrigerator at the scheduled time.
The time of the procedure depends on the degree of salinity of the fish. For example:
- Large and very salty carcasses need to be soaked for 1 to 5 days.
- Medium-salted fish can be kept in solution for a couple of hours.
- If you want to quickly rid the fish of excess salt, put it in a marinade or hot water.
Spiced salmon fish
This is the name of the fish, in the process of salting of which spices were also used. By this method, mackerel, herring, and pink salmon are salted. This fish is soaked either in milk or in water.
Soaking Method:
- Place the fish in a container so that it is completely in it.
- Combine water with vinegar in a ratio of 10: 1 and fill the fish with this solution.
- Put the container in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
Soaking technique in strong tea:
- Cut the fish into pieces of the right size.
- Pour strong tea with syrup or sugar into the container.
- Immerse the fish in tea and send for a couple of hours in the refrigerator.
This method has its advantages: in the tea there are tannins, so that the fish does not lose its beneficial properties.
Dry fish
Salty dry fish is considered an excellent snack, although often due to the impressive salinity it simply can not be eaten. Such seafood must first be sent to water, and then to milk.
Soaking time is usually determined experimentally, so many fail to cook tasty fish the first time. Nevertheless, it is better to spend a little time on research than there is a poor-quality store supply of dubious aroma and taste. With salted fish, you can correct the situation like this:
- Soak seafood in cold water for a day, changing the water every four hours.
- Soak the fish in milk for 4 hours.
- Soak the fish in water mixed with grated lemon.
Enjoy the hassle in the kitchen!