How to pickle red fish at home

Red fish is considered to be an exquisite delicacy. This kind of seafood is used in Japanese restaurants for making sushi and rolls, and at home, fish is simply salted. It is important to understand that an incorrectly performed procedure contributes to a quick spoilage of a dish, as a result of which salmon, trout or pink salmon lose a number of useful properties. In order to carry out the fish ambassador correctly, you must have sufficient knowledge regarding cooking technology.

Salting red fish: a classic of the genre

There is a single basic recipe that is suitable for salting red fish of any variety (pink salmon, trout, salmon, etc.).

• red fish - 1 kg. (sirloin or steak)
• ground salt (preferably iodized) - 70 gr.
• beet sugar - 35 gr.

Preparation
Before proceeding with the procedure, read the recommendations and make the appropriate preparations. Many people want to make salting as economically as possible, in this case, buy not steaks or fillets, but a whole (not gutted) fish. As a rule, the cost of the latter option is 2–2.5 times lower.

At the same time, you don’t need to grab your head if the total weight of the fish is 4-5 kg. Most of the product will go to the soup set (head, tail, etc.), the next section is suitable for frying (the area in front of the tail), you can pickle the fillet.

When buying fish in the store (if you do not cut it yourself), give preference to a high and even piece of fillet. At the same time, do not listen to sellers who are trying to “suck” you in the goods. Feel free to ask to cut the desired piece from your favorite piece of fish.

Technology
After choosing the loin or steak, proceed to salting the red fish. Forever remember that according to the classic recipe for 1 kg. product is taken 70 gr. (2 tbsp.) Crushed salt and 35 gr. (1 tbsp.) Sugar. This is a classic technology practiced in many countries.

1. Prepare a plastic container (suitable utensils for microwave or food storage in the refrigerator). The size of the container should be larger than the tenderloin, in no case not vice versa. Place the fish in a bowl, sprinkle the seafood with sugar, wipe with your hand to evenly distribute the composition. Repeat the salt manipulation, paying attention to all areas of the product. Important! If desired, you can replace the small iodized salt with a large sea salt, most importantly, observe the proportions.
2. After adding salt and sugar to the fish, close the lid of the container and send it to the refrigerator for 48–72 hours. Important! After a day, the fish will acquire a salty taste, which is more suitable for making salads, rolls, sashimi and sushi. After two days, the product can be used to make sandwiches. Fish will not seem tasteless to you, as it will gain sufficient saturation. After three days, the red fish will be salted to such an extent that it can feed children in moderation, without fear of an intestinal upset.
3. After salting, the fish can be cut. Remove from the loin portion of the bone using a special device, if desired, use manicure tweezers or a kitchen knife. As for the skin, it is separated without much difficulty. It is enough to pry the edge with a sharp object or fingernail, then gently lift and pull it in the opposite direction at an angle of 45-50 degrees.
4. Salted fish is best consumed within 3-4 days after cooking. In cases where this is not possible, drain the brine liquid, remove the pieces, grease them with olive oil, transfer to a container and refrigerate.It is important to understand that the aging time will increase by another 4-5 days, not longer. If possible, cook the product every week, not allowing it to stale.

Scandinavian red fish

The recipe is considered more complex, however, it refers to the basic. Thanks to vodka, which is part of the preparation technology allows you to achieve the desired taste characteristics in 30-40 hours.

• red fish fillet - 1.6 kg.
• chopped sea salt - 65 gr.
• dried dill - 15 gr.
• vodka - 60 ml.
• granulated sugar (preferably cane) - 55 gr.
• pepper (peas) - 4-5 pcs. (taste)
• ground black pepper - 7 gr. (1 teaspoon)
• coriander - 7 gr. (1 teaspoon)
• sugar, salt, seasonings - to taste

Preparation
Wash the fish, dry it with paper towels or a towel. Cut the fins and tail with scissors or tear them “clean” with tweezers.

Chop off the head, remove the skin, divide the fish with a knife across the stomach to get 2 sirloin pieces. After that, pull out the ridge, remove the remaining bones. Do not throw away the skin, pour vodka into the glass.

Technology

1. Place the fish in a plastic container, fill it with alcohol, rub with spices on both sides, sprinkle with dill. Lay the layers on top of each other, wrap them in the skin.
2. Tighten the product with cling film in a tight roll, send to the refrigerator for 36–48 hours. At the end of the period, cut the fish into slices, store in a closed container for no more than 1 week.

Practical recommendations

1. If desired, slices of citrus fruits (lime, orange, grapefruit, lemon, etc.) can be laid out over the entire surface of the fish.
2. If there is no vodka on hand, replace it with medical alcohol (halve the amount), whiskey, gin or cognac.
3. Experiment with seasonings. Instead of dill, you can add parsley or cilantro.
4. To get a light caramel aftertaste for the fish, use not beet, but cane sugar.
5. The finished product goes well with garlic and sour cream sauce.

How to pickle red fish: pink salmon

• pink salmon - 1 kg.
• table salt - 100 gr.
• ground pepper (black) - 25 gr.
• white onions - 1-2 pcs.
• garlic to taste
• olive oil

1. Cut the loin into slices or chop the fish into pieces, if you purchased it whole. Do not forget to remove the fins, head, tail and body fat.
2. Mix ground pepper and salt in one loose mixture. Grate the fish with spices, place in a container, close the lid and wait about 1 hour.
3. At the end of the period, remove the fish from the bowl, wash it in cold water, and dry with paper towels.
4. Cut the white onions into rings, pass the garlic through a crush or chop in another convenient way.
5. Rub the fish with garlic, put in a container and fill it with onion rings, pre-crushing them in the palms (juice comes out).
6. Pour a little oil into the container, roll the product from all sides, leave for 1 hour. After this time, drain the liquid.

Serve the fish as a standalone dish or as an addition to your favorite side dishes.

How to Pickle Red Fish: Trout

This recipe is suitable for salting both trout and salmon, salmon, pink salmon, etc. The use of dill with white pepper is considered a cooking specialty.

• trout - 1.1-1.3 kg.
• dill - 1 bunch
• cane sugar - 25 gr.
• ground salt (preferably sea) - 55 g.
• white pepper (peas)

1. Rinse fish, remove fins, tail. Cut it along the abdomen, remove the bones and the ridge with tweezers. Do not remove the skin, do not remove the scales.
2. Put pepper in a mortar, mash it. You can also use a rolling pin and a towel. Grind the dill, mix it with salt and sugar, add crushed pepper.
3. Rub the fish with the resulting mixture, put one piece on top of the other, wrap it with cling film and place in a resealable bowl.
4. Keep the product in the refrigerator for at least 48 hours, after this time, unpack, turn the loin side up, wait another 10 hours.
5. After this period, remove the fish and rinse it with water at room temperature. Dry with paper towels or a towel, sprinkle with lemon juice and serve.

How to Pickle Red Fish: Salmon

• salmon - 750 gr.
• shallow sea salt - 65 gr.
• granulated sugar (cane) - 30 gr.
• fresh dill - 0.5 bunch
• fresh parsley - 0.5 bunch
• ground black pepper - 5-7 gr. (half a teaspoon)
• lemon juice - for dressing (optional)

1. Rinse the salmon under running cold water, dry it with paper towels or napkins. Peel the fish from the skin (optional step, salting with a cover is permissible), cut along the spine, remove the ridge and bones. You will get 2 sirloin pieces that need to be cut in half for better salting.
2. Combine granulated sugar, sea salt and ground pepper in one composition. Rinse dill and parsley, chop finely. Break the bay leaf into thin slices.
3. Take a suitable bowl in which all the slices of fish will fit. Put a mixture of salt, pepper, bay leaf and sugar on the bottom. Top with finely chopped dill and parsley.
4. Take pieces of fish and envelop them in the resulting mixture one by one, then send to a separate container. When all parts have been processed, sprinkle the inside with lemon juice.
5. Place the pieces of fish on top of each other, wrap them in foil or cling film. Put in the refrigerator for 35-70 hours, after the time has passed, rinse it, sprinkle with lemon juice again and start the meal.

It is easy to salt red fish if you clearly follow the instructions. If possible, use steaks or fillets, these parts are well impregnated with the composition. Experiment with the amount of salt and seasoning, complement the recipes as you wish.

Video: how to pickle red fish