Salted Mackerel - General Cooking Principles
Mackerel, salted at home, is no worse than a store snack. In addition, it is not so difficult to do this - just cut the fish and prepare the brine. The brine is usually done this way: add salt, black peppercorns, bay leaves, coriander and other spices to the water. The marinade is brought to a boil and removed from the heat. After the brine hardens a little, you can fill the fish. The exposure time varies from one to three days. Those who do not want to wait so much time can cook a slightly salted mackerel in just a couple of hours.
Salted mackerel - preparation of products and utensils
To cook salted mackerel at home, you will need:
- cutting board;
- sharp knife;
- pot for marinade;
- deep bowl;
- jar or container;
- plastic bag.
The most laborious moment in the process of salting the mackerel is cutting the fish. The head, tail and fins are cut off, then an incision is made along the abdomen and the viscera are removed. The carcass is properly washed in running water and dried with a paper towel. Some people prefer to fill whole fish with marinade, but if it is necessary to salt the mackerel quickly, it is better to cut the carcass into portions.
Separately make a marinade from a small amount of water, salt and seasoning. Pickle onions for serving, although you can do without them.
Salted Mackerel Recipes:
Recipe 1: Salted Mackerel
Indulge family members with delicious, home-made, salted fish. Why spend money on purchased mackerel when it is much cheaper and easier to pickle fish at home.
Ingredients Required:
- Mackerel;
- Three tablespoons of salt;
- A mixture of peppers;
- Two onions;
- Two teaspoons of vinegar (9%);
- A teaspoon of sugar;
- Two tablespoons of sunflower oil;
- Lemon.
Cooking method:
We take the fish and make an incision along the abdomen, take out the insides. The head is also cut off. We wash the fish inside and out, then dry with a towel. The ridge can also be removed. Cut the carcass lengthwise into two halves. Three tablespoons of salt are mixed with a mixture of peppers and rub this mixture with fish (both outside and inside). Fold both halves and wrap tightly in a plastic bag. We leave the fish to be salted in the refrigerator for one day. We wash salted fish.
Pickle onions: peel the onions and cut into thin half rings. Put the onions in a bowl, add the vinegar and some sugar. Add a little boiled water, mix and gently crush with your hands so that the onion gives more juice. Leave to marinate for 10-15 minutes.
We serve the fish: put the slices of salted mackerel on a wide dish, sprinkle with vegetable oil and a small amount of vinegar, spread the pickled onions and lemon slices on top. Decorate the composition with a sprig of parsley and serve.
Recipe 2: Salted Mackerel in Cinnamon Pickle
A very simple recipe for salted mackerel, which even an inexperienced chef will cope with. The fish are amazingly tasty and aromatic. For salting fish according to this recipe, it is necessary to prepare a hot brine.
Ingredients Required:
- Mackerel;
- Litere of water;
- Salt - ¼ kg;
- Pea pepper - pieces 15;
- A few bay leaves;
- Cinnamon.
Cooking method:
We cut off the head of the fish, rip open the abdomen, remove the insides. Thoroughly rinse the carcass both outside and inside. Leave the fish to dry. Prepare the brine: pour a liter of water into the pan, add 250 g of salt, a few bay leaves, peppercorns. Throw a pinch of cinnamon. Mix everything and bring to a boil. Cool the brine to 40 degrees and fill it with mackerel. Fill three days in the refrigerator. Cut salted mackerel into portions, serve with onions and herbs.
Recipe 3: Salted Mackerel with Basil and Coriander
Recipe for salted mackerel quick salting. The fish is salted in just one day, but it turns out much tastier than the store. Coriander, basil and cloves are ideal for mackerel, the marinade is very fragrant and piquant.
Ingredients Required:
- Mackerel;
- Lavrushka;
- Several clove inflorescences;
- Basil and coriander - a teaspoon;
- A spoonful of sugar;
- Two tablespoons of salt;
- Water.
Cooking method:
Prepare the marinade: pour a glass of water in a small saucepan, add the parsley, a spoonful of sugar, two tablespoons of salt, a teaspoon of coriander and basil, 3-4 heads of cloves. Bring the marinade to a boil and remove from the stove. Stir well with a spoon so that the salt and sugar dissolve. Leave to cool until warm.
We cut the fish: cut off the head with fins, cut off the dark film, remove the insides. Thoroughly rinse the carcass, dry and cut into small portions. We take a jar with a twisting lid and put all the pieces there. Pour the mackerel with marinade. We stand in the refrigerator for one day. Serve salted mackerel with onions and boiled potatoes.
Recipe 4: Salted Dry Mackerel Mackerel
Mackerel can be easily salted at home and without the preparation of hot brine. To do this, we need salt, sugar, coriander, pepper and ground mustard. What to do next - read in this recipe.
Ingredients Required:
- Mackerel;
- A spoon of salt;
- Half a tablespoon of sugar;
- Bay leaf;
- Ground black pepper;
- Ground mustard;
- Ground coriander.
Cooking method:
First, prepare the mackerel: cut off the tail and head of the fish, along the belly we make an incision and remove the insides. Also cut the fins and film. We wash the carcass in running water, dry it with a paper towel. Pour in a bowl a tablespoon of salt, half a tablespoon of sugar, a pinch of ground black pepper and coriander, half a teaspoon of ground mustard. Bay leaf crumble and also add to spices. At the bottom of the plastic bag we spread the fish, sprinkled with a mixture of spices and salt. We rub all sides and the inside of the mackerel with spices. Tie the bag tightly, shake it so that all the spices are evenly distributed and place in another bag. In the process of salting, the fish gives a lot of juice, so one packet can leak. We remove the mackerel in the refrigerator for two days, after which the fish need to be removed, washed in running water and dried with a paper towel. Cut salted mackerel into portions and serve with onions, lemon and herbs. You can store fish in an ordinary plastic container.
Recipe 5: Salty Mackerel in Two Hours
Too salty fish is not loved by everyone. According to this recipe, you can cook a gentle slightly salted mackerel in just two hours. Serve fish and potatoes or offer them to your guests as an appetizer. The recipe for salted mackerel in a hurry is definitely worth taking note of for those who do not want to wait several days while the fish is aged in the marinade.
Ingredients Required:
- Mackerel;
- Onion;
- Salt - one and a half tablespoons;
- Water;
- Pea pepper;
- Bay leaf.
Cooking method:
First, make a pickle: cut the onion into 4 parts. Pour 350 ml of water into a small pot, put on fire. After boiling, pour one and a half tablespoons of salt, throw seven peas of pepper, two bay leaves. We also spread the onion slices. Cook the marinade over low heat under the lid for 10 minutes. Leave to cool.
Let's prepare the fish: cut the head and tail off the mackerel, remove the entrails, rinse the carcass in running water, and dry it with a paper towel. Cut the carcass into the same portioned portions. We spread the mackerel in a jar and pour warm brine. We close the jar with a lid and put the fish in the refrigerator. We stand for two hours. For a more pronounced taste, fish can be left for a longer time. Serve salted mackerel with pickled onions and herbs.
You can marinate onions like this: cut the onion into thin half rings, put the onions in a bowl. Pour a little vinegar and water into the onion, add salt, black ground pepper and half a teaspoon of sugar. Knead the onion with your hands so that it gives more juice. Leave to marinate for 15 minutes.
Salted mackerel - secrets and useful tips from the best chefs
- mackerel can be salted by dry salting. For this, the prepared carcass is rubbed with salt, pepper and other seasonings, put in a bag and sent to the refrigerator for several days. After that, the fish is washed from salt in running water;
- to make the fish pickle faster, cut the carcass into small portions;
- you can salt both fresh and frozen mackerel.
