Mackerel pickle - 4 recipes at home

Hello! I want to share 4 brine recipes for mackerel. I will tell you how to salt it whole and in slices, make a light-salted appetizer, and also prepare the fish for smoking.

Important points:

1. While carcassing, it is necessary to remove from the abdomen not only the intestine, but also the black film - it gives the finished product bitterness.
2. Fill the fish only with fully cooled brine. In a hot and even warm liquid, it will lose some of the beneficial substances.
3. You can fill mackerel in any of the brines presented in whole and in pieces. In the first case, for complete salting out, it must be kept in the liquid for at least 2 days, in the second - 24 hours.

Whole salted fish with onion husks

• Cooking time: 40 minutes preparation + 2-3 days salting.
• Servings Per Container: 3-4.

The fish cooked according to this recipe acquires a pleasant golden hue and resembles smoked in appearance. The proportions of the ingredients are given for salting 1 carcass, but if you want to do more, the amount of liquid and spices will need to be increased. But remember that the ratio should be like this: for 1 whole mackerel 1 liter of water. And the number of seasonings can be adjusted as desired.

The composition of the brine:

• water - 1 l;
• salt - 2 tbsp. l .;
• sugar - 1 tsp;
• husk from onions - 5 tbsp. l .;
• bay leaf - 3-4 pcs.;
• peppercorns - 3-5 pcs.

How do I prepare a pickle for salted mackerel at home:

1. I wash the onion peel, gently wring it out and let it dry a little.
2. I boil water in a saucepan, introduce salt, sugar, bay leaves and peas of pepper.
3. Reduce the heat to a minimum, pour onion peel and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Let the marinade cool completely. In the cold season, it is better to put it on the balcony.
5. I filter the liquid and fill it with fish previously cleaned from the head, tail, fins and entrails.By the way, you can put the whole carcass, and clean and cut it after it is salted.
6. I clean the fish tank in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Tip. To make the color of mackerel even more beautiful and saturated, pour steep tea leaves into the brine (1 tbsp. L. Black tea for 1 cup boiling water).

Spiced ambassador slices at home

• Cooking time: 40 minutes preparation and 24 hours salting.
• Servings Per Container: 7-8.

This recipe is for those who love in store mackerel spiced salting. You will be able to salt fish on your own, not inferior in taste to the purchased option. And at the same time save, because cooking snacks at home will cost less than buying.

Ingredients for 2 gutted and cut carcasses:

• water - 700 ml;
• salt - 3 tbsp. l .;
• sugar - 1 tbsp. l .;
• lemon juice - 3-4 tbsp. l .;
• peppercorns - 6-7 pcs.;
• dried cloves - 4-5 buds;
• mustard seeds - 1 tsp;
• ginger - 0.5 tsp a powder or a piece of root 2-3 cm in size;
• coriander - 0.5 tsp;
• laurel leaves - 2-3 pcs.

Operating procedure:

1. I sprinkle pieces of mackerel with lemon juice and leave at room temperature to soak a little.
2. I bring water to a boil, pour sugar, salt and other spices.
3. I keep it on minimum heat for at least 10 minutes, then let the brine cool completely.
4. I shift the fish pieces into a jar or plastic container, fill with liquid, clog the lid and put on the middle shelf of the refrigerator. After a day, you can taste the snack.

Important! Do not keep the pieces in the brine longer than the specified time - if saturated with liquid, they will begin to fall apart. Better transfer them to a suitable-sized container and fill with vegetable oil so that it covers the contents to about half.

Salted Mackerel Recipe

• Preparation time: 40 minutes preparation + 3-4 hours salting.
• Servings Per Container: 6-7.

To quickly and tasty make salted mackerel, you should not only cut it into pieces, but also remove the bones. There are not so many of them in sea fish, and it is not difficult to do so. But if you do not want the extra hassle, you can skip this step.

Ingredients for 2 carcasses:

• water - 1 l;
• table vinegar 6% - 3 tbsp. l .;
• salt - 4-5 tbsp. l .;
• sugar - 1 tbsp. l .;
• peppercorns - 5-7 pcs.;
• bay leaf - 3-4 pcs.;
• dried cloves - 3-4 buds.

Sequencing:

1. I boil water, add all the ingredients for the brine, except for vinegar.
2. I leave the liquid over low heat for 7-10 minutes, then cool to room temperature.
3. Add vinegar to the marinade, mix and fill in pieces of fish folded into a container of suitable size.
4. I clean in the refrigerator or leave at room temperature (only if the room is no more than 20-22 degrees) for 3 hours. After that, the appetizer can be served at the table by pouring vegetable oil and garnishing with onion rings.

Attention! Salted product can be stored in the refrigerator for no longer than 2 days.

How to marinate mackerel before smoking

• Cooking time: 40 minutes preparation + 2 hours salting + 35 minutes drying.
• Servings Per Container: 5-6.

When preparing mackerel for smoking, one must act carefully so as not to damage the skin, otherwise it will soften. You can free the carcass from the head, tail, fins and entrails, or do it when it is ready. Salt and sugar for salting fish before smoking will require more than in previous cases.

Ingredients for 2 carcasses:

• water - 2 l;
• lemon - 1 fruit;
• garlic - 4 prongs;
• salt - 1 cup;
• sugar - 100 g;
• peppercorns - 5-6 pcs.;
• bay leaf - to taste.

Order of preparation:

1. I heat water in a pan, and when it boils, I put salt, sugar, pepper and bay leaf.
2. I cook the brine for 5 minutes, and then add the juice squeezed from the lemon and the garlic passed through the press.
3. I keep the liquid on fire for another 5 minutes, let it cool.
4. Pour the marinade over the fish, send it in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
5. After the specified time, I spread the carcasses in a colander or sieve and let the liquid drain.They will be ready for smoking when the marinade stops dripping. As a rule, this takes a little more than half an hour.

This method of salting is suitable for both hot and cold smoking at home.