How to salt mackerel at home tasty and fast
Hello! Continuing the theme of cooking pickles, I will tell you how to salt mackerel at home tasty and quickly. In the material I will present to your attention a whole series of various step-by-step recipes.
First, I’ll tell you about the intricacies of choosing a mackerel and the features of subsequent cooking. After all, the final result largely depends on this. You are already familiar with the salted salmon cooking technique. It's time to master the art of salting mackerel.
Salting rules and tips
- Large or medium sized mackerel is suitable for salting. Small fish are bony and lean. The ideal option is a fish weighing 300 grams. It is better to salt fresh or fresh-frozen fish. If not, frozen will do.
- When choosing, be sure to pay attention to color. Fresh fish has a light gray tint with no signs of yellowness, the eyes are light and not cloudy. A good mackerel is characterized by a light fishy aroma, firm and slightly moist to the touch.
- When salting, the salt draws excess moisture from the fish and thoroughly impregnates the carcass. The process is carried out at a low temperature, since in hot conditions the product will go bad. At the end of salting, the mackerel is cleaned in a cellar or refrigerator.
- For the preparation of salted mackerel, dishes are used that are not oxidized. I use enameled, plastic and glass containers. If there is no suitable glassware, a wide plastic bottle with a cut-off neck is suitable.
- I recommend to salt mackerel at home with ordinary salt, iodized salt is not suitable. Iodine will not affect the taste of the finished dish, but it will ruin the appearance.
- It is better to use coarse salt. To dissolve it requires a lot of liquid, so more moisture will leave the fish, which will increase the shelf life.
- Whole carcases, fillets or slices are suitable for salting. This does not affect the cooking technology, but reduces the time for complete salting out. Whole mackerel is cooked for three days, slices are salted one day.
- The refrigerator is the best place to store. Pour mackerel with vegetable oil and store no more than 5 days. Do not keep salted fish in the freezer, after thawing the meat will become watery and soft.
- In order for the mackerel to fully reveal its taste and acquire a breathtaking aroma, in the process of salting add laurel and peppercorns. Coriander, cloves and allspice add a piquant flavor.
These tips will help you prepare a delicious, beautiful and fragrant salted mackerel.
Classic recipe
Shop windows are full of salted fish in a wide range. But there are times when a trustworthy brand, for certain reasons, delivers tasteless fish. If at hand a classic recipe for salting mackerel, frustration can be avoided.
IngredientsServings: - + 6- mackerel 1 pc
- water 1 l
- salt 4 tbsp. l
- sugar 2 tbsp. l
- vinegar 2 tbsp. l
- bay leaf 3 sheets
- pepper black peas 3 grains
- allspice 3 grains
- I dry my fish, cut it into pieces and remove the entrails.
- Pour water into an enameled container, add spices, bring to a boil. I boil for five minutes, remove from the stove. After the brine has cooled, I introduce the vinegar and mix it carefully.
- I put the pieces of fish in a container of glass, pour the marinade and place for a day in a place with room temperature, after I put the mackerel on a plate and taste it.
As you can see, homemade salting of mackerel is a simple task. Salted mackerel is combined with potatoes, rice and even buckwheat. If you tell in the comments your recipes for salting this wonderful fish, I will be grateful.
A simple recipe for salting mackerel
Ingredients:- Mackerel - 2 pcs. 350 g each
- Drinking water - 1 liter.
- Mustard powder - 1 teaspoon.
- Sugar - 3 tablespoons.
- Salt - 5 tablespoons.
- Peppercorns - 10 pcs.
- Laurel - 4 leaves.
- I pour water into a saucepan and put on the stove. After boiling water, add the spices provided for in the recipe and cook over high heat for three minutes. Turn off the fire, cover the marinade with a lid and leave to cool to room temperature.
- Preparing mackerel. I cut off the tail and head, remove the insides. I thoroughly douse the fish with water, dry it, cut it into slices 3-4 centimeters wide and put it in a glass dish.
- Pour the cooled marinade and send the container with mackerel into the refrigerator. After twelve hours, the fish is ready. It will take 2 days to fill in completely.
This is the most simple and incredibly successful recipe for making salted mackerel slices.
Spiced Mackerel Mackerel
Mackerel recipe for spicy salting is suitable even for herring and red fish. 12 hours after the completion of cooking, the dish will delight you with an incredible taste.
Ingredients:- Fresh mackerel - 2 pcs.
- Onion - 2 heads.
- Allspice - 5 peas.
- Laurel - 2 leaves.
- Wine vinegar - 50 ml.
- Salt - 3 tablespoons.
- Vegetable oil - 1 teaspoon.
- Dried cloves - 2 sticks.
- Ground black pepper.
- I remove the skin from the fish and cut the carcass along the ridge. Then gently remove the seeds and cut the mackerel fillet into slices of moderate size. Sprinkle with salt and set aside for 10 minutes.
- I cut the peeled onions into rings. To prepare the marinade in a bowl, combine vinegar with vegetable oil, add the spices indicated in the recipe, mix thoroughly.
- I season the mackerel with pepper, add the onion rings, mix, spread in a glass bowl and pour the marinade. I leave it at room temperature for at least 10 hours, after which I keep another two hours in the refrigerator.
Mackerel salted according to this recipe is incredibly tender. I usually serve spicy fish with boiled potatoes, although I often use them for making croutons and sandwiches. Guests empty the plate with this treat first of all.
Mackerel whole in brine
Ready-made pickled mackerel is sold in supermarkets, but it is much tastier to cook it yourself. Those who tried this homemade yummy will definitely agree with me. For the rest, I recommend reading the recipe for whole mackerel salting in brine.
Mackerel is a fatty fish that is highly valued and must be present in the diet of every person. I will share two wonderful simple recipes. You will be able to pickle fish on your own, even without special culinary skills.
Video recipe whole salting
Mackerel whole in brine with onion peel
Fish saturates the human body with useful substances. The most valuable is the red fish, however, it is the most expensive. The top of the list of available varieties is mackerel. It is smoked, cooked on the grill, baked, salted.
Ingredients:- Frozen Mackerel - 3 pcs.
- Plain salt - 3 tablespoons.
- Water - 6 glasses.
- Black tea - 2 tablespoons.
- Sugar - 1.5 tablespoons.
- Onion peel - 3 handfuls.
- I spread the frozen mackerel in a large bowl and wait until it melts on its own. I do not advise using a microwave oven for this purpose, otherwise the fish will not retain a dense texture and benefit.
- While the fish is thawing, I prepare the brine. I put onion peel in a colander and carefully rinse it under running water. I spread it in a pan, add salt, sugar, tea leaves and pour water. After boiling the liquid, remove the pan from the stove and cover with a lid.
- I carefully scrub the mackerel with water, gut it, rinse it again and put it in an enameled container. To this I add a filtered brine. I put the lid on the dishes and send them to a cold place for three days. Once a day I turn the mackerel, as a result, it is evenly colored and salted.
Three days later, I take out the fish, cut in portions and serve, decorated with slices of lemon and sprigs of greenery. Combined with such mackerel boiled and fried potatoes. You yourself decide what to submit this sophistication. My recommendations are inappropriate in this case.
Whole mackerel in tea solution
Whole salted mackerel is ideal for self-service. Difficult to say how much such fish is stored. I salt it in a few pieces, and it instantly disappears. But I am fully convinced that if you create this culinary miracle, no one else will want to buy salted fish in the store.
Ingredients:- Frozen Mackerel - 2 pcs.
- Salt - 4 tablespoons.
- Water - 1 liter.
- Sugar - 4 tablespoons.
- Leaf black tea - 4 tablespoons.
- I defrost a fish in a sink under running water. After cutting off my head, gutting, dousing with water and drying with paper towels.
- Pour black tea with boiling water, wait until it is brewed and cool, then add salt and sugar to it. Stir until completely dissolved.
- I put the mackerel in the prepared tea solution, leave it to marinate in the refrigerator for four days. I take the fish out of the marinade and hang it over the basin or sink by the tails for the night.
I advise you to serve a treat to the table in the form of portioned slices. To decorate salted mackerel, I use herbs, for a side dish I cook steamed vegetables or mashed potatoes. You can add it to some New Year's salad, from which it will become much tastier.
How to salt mackerel in 2 hours
A variety of salted fish is sold in stores, but it is sometimes problematic to buy a salted product. In order for the fish to retain its marketable appearance and stored for longer, producers do not spare salt. However, you can cook salted mackerel at home in 2 hours.
The recipe described below is suitable for impatient fans of homemade pickles. It is enough to be patient and after 2 hours to start tasting light-salted product.
Ingredients:- Mackerel - 1 pcs.
- Onion - 1 head.
- Water - 350 ml.
- Salt - 1.5 tablespoons.
- Black pepper - 7 peas.
- Laurel - 2 leaves.
- The first thing I do is pickle. Pour water into a small bucket, bring to a boil, add the onion, cut into four parts, indicated in the recipe for spices and salt. I cook the brine over minimum heat under the lid for no more than 10 minutes, then turn off the gas, remove the lid and let cool.
- While the marinade cools, I'm doing fish. I cut off the tail and head, make a small cut on the abdomen, remove the insides through it, wash the carcass with water and dry it with paper towels.
- I cut the carcass into slices 2 centimeters thick so that it quickly and evenly salts. I spread the pieces of fish in a jar or food container, pour brine, cover with a lid and send in the refrigerator for 120 minutes.
- After the specified time, the salted fish is cooked. If necessary, you can hold it in brine for another half hour. Before serving, I recommend decorating the mackerel with onion rings and herbs.
You must admit that some hot dishes take longer to cook than this incredibly tasty treat. The only drawback is the short shelf life. However, the fish does not threaten to deteriorate, since on the table for a long time it does not linger, like fried pollock.
Salted mackerel slices
Practice shows that salted mackerel slices at the same time an excellent independent dish, a wonderful addition to various side dishes and a great ingredient for snacks.
The recipe is intended for people who can not imagine their life without salted fish. Thanks to spicy brine, the fish becomes suitable for consumption overnight.
Ingredients:- Mackerel - 350 g
- Salt - 1 tablespoon.
- Sugar - 0.5 tablespoons.
- Ground pepper
- Vegetable oil
- Vinegar to taste.
- I pour water on fresh mackerel, cut off my head and tail, gut it, wash it once more and cut it into pieces three centimeters thick. I roll each slice in a mixture of pepper, sugar and salt.
- I put the mackerel tightly in a glass container, cover it and put it in the refrigerator until morning. Then I wash off the excess salt from the mackerel, dry it, put it in a clean jar and fill it with a solution of vinegar and vegetable oil. After two hours, you can enjoy the taste of salted fish.
It seems to me that the simplicity of the recipe surprised you greatly. A self-made treat is in no way inferior to a store product, and in some aspects it will give a big head start. As the first dish, you can make borsch, the second will go fish and potatoes, and for dessert homemade yogurt or quince jam. Excellent menu for a family dinner, right?
Fresh Mackerel Pickled Mackerel Recipe
Pickled fish is a favorite delicacy that is sold in any store. True, this pleasure cannot be called cheap. If desired, pickled fresh-frozen mackerel can be prepared at home.
Ingredients:- Mackerel - 3 pcs.
- Onion - 3 heads.
- Garlic - 3 cloves.
- Sugar - 1 teaspoon.
- Salt - 1 tablespoon.
- Vinegar - 3 tablespoons.
- Vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons.
- Laurel - 2 leaves.
- Allspice - 1 teaspoon.
- A mixture of peppers.
- I take the fish out of the freezer, wait until it thaws slightly. I wash the carcasses with water, gutting, cut off the head and tail, cut into portions. If the fish is thawed completely, the slices will turn out to be uneven, and after arriving in a spicy marinade the appearance will completely deteriorate.
- I clean the onion and garlic. I chop the onion with thick rings, garlic with thin plates, then I proceed to the preparation of the marinade. To do this, mix vinegar with vegetable oil, salt, sugar, pepper and bay leaf.
- I spread the prepared fish in a large bowl, add the onion and garlic and pour the marinade. I mix everything thoroughly and lay it out in glass jars, which I subsequently send for a day to a cold place.
That's all. You can make excellent sandwiches from pickled mackerel by adding a little green onion. The fish cooked according to this recipe is a beautiful, tasty and healthy treat.