In Soviet times, hanging mackerel was a welcome guest on the home table. Fish prepared according to this recipe is a real delicacy. Due to the low price of the initial product, you can afford to enjoy a cold snack on holidays and on weekdays. Among the variety of options, I chose a time-tested cooking method.
Material Content:
What is a suspended fish
Suspended fish is a gourmet product obtained by short drying. For this processing method, only fatty and semi-fatty fish species are used with a ratio of fat and protein of at least 0.8-1.2. This is silver carp, perch, catfish, horse mackerel, and, of course, mackerel, which contains about 15% fat and 18% protein. Due to too high protein content, salmon, tuna, and sturgeon are not suitable for drying.
Delicatessen preparation technology includes salting and soaking whole carcasses (if the fish is medium-sized), or cut into fillets, balyk (back), tesu (abdomen), sideboard, half back, followed by short hanging in a closed well-ventilated room at an air temperature of about 20 ° C.
In the process of drying, the fish “ripens”: the fat is evenly distributed over the fibers, and the flesh is dried, but to a lesser extent than with full drying. The mass fraction of moisture in the finished product is 50-66% (average 58%), which is higher than that of dried fish (35-45%). A properly cooked delicacy should contain no more than 7% salt and have a slightly condensed juicy consistency.
Spring fish has a rich flavoring bouquet and is valued higher than dried, dried, salted or smoked.But the finished product has a very short shelf life, so its production is limited, and you can rarely find it on sale.
The right recipe at home
Almost half a century ago, an interesting recipe for making mackerel was on the move. This technology, corresponding to Soviet standards, is still considered the most correct.
Ingredients:
- mackerel - 3 pcs.;
- salt - 100 g;
- sugar - 10 g;
- water - 1 l;
- allspice - 4 g;
- ground black pepper - 4 g;
- bay leaf - 5 pcs.
When buying fish, it is worth giving preference to larger specimens. Small mackerel in the process of drying can become a little dry.
Stage 1: salting out
- Boil brine water. By the time the mackerel is ready to be salted, the liquid should have cooled.
- Separate heads from fish carcasses.
- After cutting the abdomen, remove the insides. In this case, you can help yourself with a small knife.
- Rinse the mackerel well inside and out. Remove excess moisture with dry wipes.
- Add salt, sugar, bay leaf and both types of pepper to the cooled water. Mix.
- Put the fish in a pike perch or in a 2 liter plastic bottle. Pour with brine so that it covers the carcasses.
- Send in the refrigerator for 3 days. So that the mackerel is evenly soaked, it will have to be turned over every 4-5 hours.
Important! To pop-up carcasses do not wind, you need to cover the sudok with a piece of parchment.
Stage 2: wilting
- Remove the fish from the marinade, get wet with napkins. You do not need to wash it!
- Having made a loop from a thin rope, tie the mackerel by the tails and hang it in a cool ventilated room (porch, balcony). The air temperature should be from 15 ° C to 25 ° C. It is important to ensure that insects do not enter the area chosen for drying.
- After 1 day, you can remove the product and taste it.
Important! Stored mackerel should be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature not exceeding 5 ° C, wrapped in parchment paper, for no longer than 3-4 days. Even if, after this time, the smell and appearance of the fish have not changed, you can’t eat it anyway.
A delicious and hearty mackerel appetizer is easy to prepare at home. It is enough to make a marinade, strictly following the recipe, soak the fish in it and sow it. Days of expectation will more than pay for minutes of enjoying an unusual taste.
The right recipe at home
Ingredients
- 3 PC. Mackerel
- 100 g. Salt
- 10 g. Sugar
- 1 l Water
- 4 g. Allspice
- 4 g. Ground black pepper
- 5 PC. Bay leaf
Step-by-step instruction
- Stage 1: salting out
- Boil brine water. By the time the mackerel is ready to be salted, the liquid should have cooled.
- Separate heads from fish carcasses.
- After cutting the abdomen, remove the insides. In this case, you can help yourself with a small knife.
- Rinse the mackerel well inside and out. Remove excess moisture with dry wipes.
- Add salt, sugar, bay leaf and both types of pepper to the cooled water. Mix.
- Put the fish in a pike perch or in a 2 liter plastic bottle. Pour with brine so that it covers the carcasses.
- Send in the refrigerator for 3 days. So that the mackerel is evenly soaked, it will have to be turned over every 4-5 hours.
- Stage 2: wilting
- Remove the fish from the marinade, get wet with napkins. You do not need to wash it!
- Having made a loop from a thin rope, tie the mackerel by the tails and hang it in a cool ventilated room (porch, balcony). The air temperature should be from 15 ° C to 25 ° C. It is important to ensure that insects do not enter the area chosen for drying.
- After 1 day, you can remove the product and taste it.
