I, as a good host, prefer to regale my loved ones not with purchased salted fish, but prepared with my own hands. My homemade mackerel is praised by everyone who has tasted it. And this is not surprising, because it is much tastier and healthier than a store product, and you can not worry about its freshness. In this post I will share with you the secrets of homemade salting of mackerel and my signature recipe.
Preparing mackerel for salting
For this culinary delight, I usually use fresh frozen mackerel. If you are lucky enough to get some fresh fish, it will be even better.
Before you start making homemade salted mackerel, you need to defrost it and cut it properly. The final result depends on how competently these manipulations are performed.
Defrosting
I defrost the mackerel before salting it in the refrigerator. To do this, I take the fish out of the freezer and transfer it to one of the lower shelves of the refrigerator. I leave it there for a day.
It is also acceptable to leave frozen mackerel indoors. At room temperature, it will defrost in 12 hours.
You can speed up the process by placing freshly frozen mackerel in a container of cold water, to which a little table salt has been added. However, I do not recommend that you do this. Defrosting in a saline solution does not affect the taste of the food in the best way.
I strongly advise against defrosting fish in the microwave or hot water. With this defrosting, mackerel will lose some of the muscle juice with mineral salts. As a result, its aroma and taste will suffer.
Butchering
In the process of cutting, I cut off the fish's head with tail and fins, remove the insides, remove the dark film from the abdomen.
Then I rinse the carcass thoroughly in running water. Then I cut it into small pieces (they should be approximately the same size), put them in a deep bowl.
Ingredients for homemade mackerel pickling
To salt fish according to my signature recipe, I stock up on the following products:
- mackerel - 1 large fish;
- water - 1 l;
- granulated sugar - 1 tbsp. l .;
- salt - 2 tbsp. l .;
- bay leaf - 2 pcs.;
- mustard powder or beans - 1/2 cup;
- coriander, allspice and black pepper - at your discretion;
- sunflower oil, onions - for serving.
Step-by-step instructions for salting mackerel
I salt the mackerel at home by following this sequence of actions:
- I bring the water to a boil.
- I add salt and sugar to it.
- After 5 minutes, add spices with mustard to the boiling liquid.
- I remove the brine from the fire. Let it cool down (the temperature should be below +40 ⁰С).
- Pour chopped mackerel with cooled brine.
- I put a plate on the fish in brine, and on top of it - a container of water.
- I leave the mackerel in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Some tips for making home-salted mackerel
If you want to add more flavor and aroma to salted fish, add a little spice like cloves to the brine. 5-6 dried buds will be enough.
For a highly salted and very fragrant mackerel, keep it in the refrigerator for a longer time - 3-4 days.
1 week after salting, the fish will lose its elasticity. If you want to avoid this, keep the bagged salted fish in the freezer. This storage method will not spoil its taste.
Serve the salted fish to the table, sprinkle with vegetable oil and garnish with onion rings. Lemon juice and spicy herbs like parsley or dill will add freshness to the taste of the dish.
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