Types of fish
As a rule, all types of fish used in cooking are divided into two groups: sea and river. Dishes from the lake are also prepared less frequently. Each of them has its own characteristics regarding taste, smell, fat content and the presence of bones. It is impossible to say which fish makes the cutlets tastier, as this is a matter of personal preference. There are people who cannot stand the smell of silt and mud inherent in river fish. In contrast, some do not find this a big problem and would gladly try dishes from it. This has its advantage, since river fish is cheaper and can always be bought fresh. If you add spices to river fish cutlets, its smell will be neutralized, and the specific taste will become barely perceptible.
Since most chefs prefer to use sea fish in their recipes, we will focus on it. Such products are usually appreciated by supporters of a healthy diet. The meat of sea creatures is rich in iodine, fatty acids and other substances beneficial to the body. The only negative is that it is most often found frozen on sale.
River
Pike fish
The best river fish for cutlets is pike
, in second place
is pike perch
.
It is irrational to make cutlets from small river fish; cutting them will take too much time. Of the large ones, almost everything is suitable: ide, carp, pike perch, silver carp, catfish
. It is important to choose additional ingredients wisely. If the fish is dry, more moisture and fat are added. If there is a specific taste, then the amount of spices and onions increases.
With river fish, the cutlets need to be thoroughly fried, so after frying in a frying pan, you need to put them in the oven for a few minutes.
Product selection
To free yourself from the extra hassle associated with choosing bones, it is better to buy a large carcass. Fans of such dishes already know that this is the best option in their culinary business, which allows them to get maximum pleasure from their delicious dishes. There will be few small bones in it, and large ones are easily separated from the skeleton.
You can take catfish or a carcass from the sturgeon and salmon families. This, of course, is not cheap, so dishes from these types of fish are prepared on special occasions. To process fish meat, it is better to use modern kitchen appliances - a food processor or an electric meat grinder. With the help of household devices, even river fish with many bones can be easily ground.
If you approach the production of minced meat thoroughly, then you can choose simpler options. Of the smaller fish breeds, you should buy younger ones, since their bones are much softer and do not need to be removed. Raw materials for cutlets are obtained by grinding in a meat grinder in several passes. What is the best fish to use for minced meat? To do this, you can choose anchovy or any species from the anchovy family. Here you will have to work hard, since you definitely need to select the insides. Otherwise, this will greatly affect the taste of the cutlets, and such a dish itself will not justify the effort spent on it.
For preparing boneless minced meat, species such as hake, blue whiting, pollock, and haddock are suitable. To make the dish tasty and tender, you need to pass the onion through a meat grinder along with the fish. In addition, such minced meat requires a lot of spices or aromatic herbs.
For many skillful housewives, the question of which fish is best to make fish cutlets from has long been resolved. By using a flexible approach to preparing minced meat, the minced meat will have an optimal consistency, and there will be no need to remove bones from the finished dish.
Preparing the fish
Fish cutting
It is important to carefully cut the fish and eliminate the presence of bones. It’s easier to buy ready-made mixture for cutlets; there is no point in overpaying for clean, smooth fillets, it will still go into the meat grinder.
If the fish is bony and it is difficult to remove the bones in some places, simply cut off these places completely and leave them for preparing the broth. Remember that no one expects to have a bone in a finished dish, so there is no chance of it being there. Buy fish with a reserve, select the flesh where there are definitely no bones, and cook broth or fish soup from the rest.
Separating the pulp from the bone
For many experienced cooks, properly preparing fish cutlets begins with separating the meat from the backbone and small bones. To perform the necessary technological manipulations on the carcass, you will need the following kitchen utensils: a cutting board, a fairly sharp knife, scissors and tweezers.
- The fins are removed using kitchen scissors. The fish is cleaned of scales and entrails. If the carcass is slightly frozen, you can try to immediately remove the skin along with the scales, then you won’t have to peel it.
- I wash the fish well under running water, place it on a board and remove the gills (if it was purchased with the head). A deep cut is made in the same place, so that the knife touches the spine. Then the kitchen tool is carefully passed along the entire ridge. Using sawing movements, the knife is gradually deepened so as not to touch the bone itself.
- The fish is turned over and the other side of the flesh is separated in the same way. Next, the fillet is manually separated from the rib bones. It is convenient to remove small bones with tweezers. Using your fingers, you need to feel the flesh again. In order to cut off the skin, the fillet must be held near the tail. The sharp part of the knife should be towards the head.
Herring cutlets in Flemish style
iamcook.ru
Ingredients
- 100 g white bread without crust;
- 600 g fresh herring;
- 1 egg;
- 1 small onion;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- salt, ground black pepper - to taste;
- 1 tablespoon capers;
- 2 tablespoons oil from canned anchovies;
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil;
- 100 g breadcrumbs.
Preparation
Soak the bread in cold water. Clean the herring from skin, entrails and bones. Cut the fillet and pass through a meat grinder.
Next, chop the soaked bread and break the egg into a bowl with minced meat. Add finely chopped onion, pressed garlic, salt, pepper, chopped capers and anchovy oil. Mix the mixture thoroughly.
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Form cutlets, roll them in breadcrumbs and fry on both sides until golden brown.
Save to bookmarks
