Dry salting of mackerel at home

General recommendations

It should be noted that small fish are characterized by increased bonyness. Plus she's not that fat. Therefore, for salting, it is advisable to purchase medium or large carcasses weighing at least 300 grams. When choosing a product, you need to pay special attention to how it looks. Fresh mackerel has a light fishy aroma. To the touch, such fish will be slightly damp and very elastic. Normally it is colored light gray. The presence of yellowish streaks often indicates that the fish has been frozen repeatedly.

Today in cooking there are several methods for preparing snacks from this product. But the most popular, relatively quick and simple is dry salting of mackerel. In this case, you don’t have to stand at the stove for a long time waiting for the marinade to boil. This method involves the use of various aromatic herbs and spices. Most often, mustard, garlic, a mixture of peppers and coriander are used for such purposes.

Classic version

This technology is extremely simple. Therefore, it is incredibly popular among busy housewives who cannot spend a lot of time cooking. The process itself takes no more than thirty minutes, and within two days you will have tasty and healthy fish on your table. To ensure that you get real salted dry-salted mackerel, go to the nearest market in advance and purchase all the necessary products and seasonings. In this case, you should have the following components on hand:

A mackerel carcass weighing about 700 grams.
A tablespoon of coarse salt.
3 bay leaves.
½ teaspoon pepper mixture.

Additionally, you will need dry aromatic herbs. Most often, dry salting of mackerel at home involves the use of sage, basil and fennel, combined in equal proportions. Therefore, make sure that at the right time you have a teaspoon of a mixture of these herbs in your kitchen cabinets.

How to dry-salt whole mackerel at home step by step

Dry salting of whole mackerel:

For salting, it is best to take larger mackerel (carcasses weighing 0.5-0.6 kg), it is the fattest, and therefore will taste excellent. Cut very well frozen fish, i.e. We recommend taking it out of the freezer and leaving it in a room at normal temperature (19-21 C), and after 2-3 hours try to make an incision near the head. If the knife fits freely into the fish fillet, you can start cutting. Blood or defrosted liquid will not leak from such a fish carcass, and kitchen surfaces and tools (knives, cutting boards) will be cleaner. We cut off the head with fins and tail from the mackerel.

We remove the capsule with the internal organs, clean out the blood clots under the spinal bone with the edge of a knife, now we wash the entire belly from the dark film lining its surface.

We leave the carcasses at room temperature so that they defrost a little more inside. Since the abdominal cavity has already been cleared of entrails, this will only take 15-20 minutes. During this time, we will prepare the mixture for dry salting of mackerel. Mix salt per carcass 1.5 tbsp. non-iodized coarse rock salt and 0.5 tbsp. Sahara. Keeping this simple proportion in mind, you can salt the whole mackerel in any quantity. Add mustard powder (you can take mustard seeds), chopped coriander and black pepper to the mixture.

The carcasses are defrosted and ready for salting. We unroll the cling film on a plate (or board) and place the carcass in the center so that it can then be carefully wrapped with the edges of the film.

Divide the mixture into two portions (according to the number of mackerel carcasses), sprinkle the first mackerel with one portion of the mixture. Place the mixture in the belly and on the surface on both sides.

Now the mackerel needs to be wrapped in film so that the mixture fits tightly to the fish skin and does not slide to the sides or down. Salt the second carcass in the same way.

When exposed to fish, the crystals will begin to dissolve; this is a normal process. It is also quite normal for this type of salting to release a certain amount of salty liquid. Therefore, if it starts to leak out of the film “shell” we created, there is no need to repackage anything - just place the mackerel in a high tray so that the brine does not stain your refrigerator. This fish should be kept in the refrigerator for at least 2 days.

After two days, we free the mackerel from the cling film and crystals (if any remain), and also rinse it from the brine. For better storage, grease the surface of the carcasses with vegetable oil, and cut into pieces for serving. Our dry salted mackerel is completely ready!

Enjoy your meal!

Process description

The previously defrosted fish is gutted, the tail, fins and head are cut off. The carcass prepared in this way is thoroughly washed with cool water. Since dry salting of mackerel completely eliminates the use of liquid, it is wiped dry with paper towels and laid out on cling film spread over the work surface.

In a separate plate, combine herbs, pepper and salt. Mix everything well and rub the resulting mixture onto the fish. And they do this not only from the outside, but also from the inside. The mackerel is sprinkled with chopped bay leaves on top and wrapped tightly in film so that the juice does not leak out during the cooking process. After this, the carcass is put into the refrigerator. After about two days, the fish can be served. Before this, the film is removed from it, and then the remaining salt and spices are removed. The best side dish for such an appetizer would be boiled potatoes or a fresh vegetable salad.

Option with coriander

Using this recipe, you can prepare a savory appetizer relatively quickly. Fish made using the technology described below will be a worthy decoration for any holiday table. And your guests will certainly start asking for the recipe. Dry salting of mackerel is also in demand because during the process there is no need to stand at the stove, waiting for the marinade to boil. To make sure your family appreciates your efforts, double-check in advance that you have everything you need on hand. To get tasty and aromatic fish you will need:

A teaspoon each of mustard and coriander seeds.
Mackerel carcass.
A teaspoon of pepper mixture.
A couple of pinches of ground bay leaf.
1.5 tablespoons of salt.
½ tbsp. l. Sahara.

To give the finished snack a pleasant aroma, dill seeds are usually used. Therefore, try to make sure that you have half a teaspoon of this seasoning.

Recipe for dry salting mackerel pieces

For this salting of mackerel you need to take:

fish carcasses – 2 pcs;
salt – 2 tbsp;
sugar – 1 tsp;
seasoning for fish.

The ambassador himself performs this way:

The washed fish carcass is gutted and cut into small pieces.
Salt is mixed with sugar and seasoning.
The pieces are dipped into the mixture one by one and placed in a glass jar.
Cover with film or lid. Leave in the refrigerator. Mackerel prepared in this way can be eaten the next day.

Advice. In order for the mackerel to evenly absorb the salt, you need to stir the contents of the jar from time to time.

Undoubtedly, home-cooked mackerel is a very healthy product. By salting it yourself, you can be completely sure that there are no unnecessary additives.

Algorithm of actions

Since dry salting of mackerel implies the complete absence of any liquid, you can immediately start preparing the spices. Combine dill, coriander and mustard seeds in a mortar. Add a mixture of peppers there and chop them. It is important not to overdo it, so as not to end up with powder. The resulting mixture is poured into a clean bowl. Sugar and salt are also sent there.

Now it's time to get to the fish. The pre-defrosted carcass is washed in cold water and freed from the entrails. Then her head, tail and fins are removed. The mackerel prepared in this way is washed again and wiped dry with paper napkins, not only from the outside, but also from the inside.

After this, a food linen is spread on the table and the fish is placed on it. The carcass is thoroughly rubbed on all sides with a mixture of ground spices, wrapped in several layers of polyethylene, trying to completely exclude air from entering, and put in the refrigerator. After about a day, homemade dry-salted mackerel, the recipe for which is described in detail just above, is completely ready for use.

Immediately before serving, it is washed with cool water, dried and cut into portions. This fish goes well with fresh or baked vegetables and herbs.

How to tasty and quickly salt fish in the freezer without brine at home?

Salting in the freezer is increasingly gaining popularity. To enjoy ready-made fish, you need to wait a day. There is no need to make brine; everything is done dry. But the mackerel is not completely coated with salt, but is cut in a certain way.

Ingredients:

mackerel - 2 pcs.
ground sweet paprika - 1 tsp.
garlic - 3 cloves
salt - 2 tbsp.
ground black pepper - 1 tsp.
bay leaf - 6 pcs.

How to cook:

1. Gut the fish, cut off the head and fins. Make a cut along the ridge from the inside to the tail. Do not cut all the way deep; let the skin on the back remain intact.

2. You will get something like a book, from which you need to take out (cut out) the ridge. If you wish, you can use tweezers to pick out the rib bones and fillet them, but this is not necessary.

3.Cut the garlic into medium pieces with a knife. No need to grind.

4. Place the prepared carcasses on a cutting board and sprinkle each with salt on all sides (including the skin side). For one mackerel, take a level tablespoon of salt.

5.Place pieces of garlic inside each fish. Also sprinkle with paprika and ground black pepper (half a teaspoon per carcass).

6. Arrange whole bay leaves. There is no need to break them, because then it will be difficult to get them out of there.

7.When all the spices have been added, close the carcass and put it in a bag, wrap it tightly. Or wrap in cling film. Tighten the bag with rubber bands so that the fish lies there tightly.

8.Place the mackerel in a bag in the freezer for a day.

9.Well, that's the whole recipe. When the fish is ready, remove the garlic and bay leaves. Cut into pieces and place on a plate. It’s delicious to eat this pickle with pickled onions, fresh herbs and, of course, potatoes.

Option with Dijon mustard

Mackerel prepared according to this recipe has a dense structure and a light aroma of spices. It goes well with various side dishes, and therefore will often appear on your menu. The technology itself is extremely simple, so even an inexperienced housewife can handle it without any problems. It is also important that dry salting of mackerel involves the complete exclusion of liquid marinade. Therefore, you don’t have to cram bulky dishes into your refrigerator. To prepare such a snack, you will need a not too extensive set of ingredients. You should have in your kitchen:

2.5 tablespoons of salt.
A couple of mackerel carcasses.
A tablespoon of sugar.
Bay leaf.
Half a teaspoon each of dried coriander, Dijon mustard and white pepper.

How to deliciously salt mackerel whole dry without brine

The recipe contains spices; if desired, you can omit them, use only salt and sugar.

Ingredients:

500 grams mackerel
1.5 tbsp. spoons of salt
1 teaspoon sugar
0.5 tsp suneli hops
0.5 teaspoon coriander
1/3 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 pcs. bay leaves

This recipe produces spicy, aromatic and very tasty mackerel.

Dry salting mackerel - recipe

I use frozen mackerel. I let it thaw, the fish should be slightly frozen. Cut off the tail and head. You also need to rip open the belly, remove the entrails, and wash the fish inside.

The fish must not be frozen, otherwise it will fall apart. It is not always possible to buy high-quality fish, since it can be defrosted and frozen more than once.

I prepared a bag and added salt and sugar to it. Half a teaspoon of hops-suneli.

I add bay leaf after breaking the dry leaves. 1/3 teaspoon ground white pepper.

Coriander beans. You can use ground coriander. Mix the mixture of spices, salt and sugar.

I place the mackerel in a bag and rub the fish inside. If you are confused by so many spices, you can do without them.

But the highlight is that the fish turns out spicy and aromatic. The taste is excellent. I like it with these spices, if you don't like something from the list of spices, don't add it.

And always outside, on both sides. We do this in a bag so as not to dirty any dishes. So very convenient.

Tie the package. I also put it in several bags. This is what it looks like. I put the fish in the refrigerator. During the day it needs to be turned from one side to the other several times.

Exactly a day has passed. I take out the mackerel. A little brine will form in the bag. The fish can be washed to remove spices under running water.

I cut it into pieces. It can be large, I cut it about 1 cm -1.5 cm.

This is what mackerel looks like after a day. I would say that it is lightly salted, not salty. Personally, I like to eat fish on the second day, then it is better salted.

I specially cut it and took a photo of what the fish looks like after 24 hours. Salted mackerel without brine, dry method.

On the second day, for me, mackerel is what I need. Spicy, very tasty. I really like dry salting; I used to prefer mackerel in brine with vinegar, but now I cook it this way only.

Recipe for spicy salted mackerel. Delicious lightly salted mackerel

Agree, the fish looks beautiful and very appetizing. Will decorate any holiday table. Our guests like this fish.

When I shared the recipe for pickling mackerel, they wrote to me that you need to add onions or garlic, it’s tastier. I can sprinkle onions on already cooked mackerel. With garlic, not for everyone.

We are all different, each person has their own taste preferences. Add what you like, what you love.

Step-by-step technology

The previously defrosted fish is freed from its entrails, its fins, tail and head are cut off, and then thoroughly washed in cold water. After this, the fish is wiped dry with paper towels and placed on plastic wrap.

Carcasses prepared using this method are rubbed with a mixture of salt, sugar, mustard and white pepper. They are sprinkled with chopped bay leaves on top and wrapped tightly in several layers of cling film. Then the future snack is placed in the refrigerator. In about two days it will be ready for use. Before serving, the fish is freed from polyethylene, excess spices are removed from it and cut into portions. It can be eaten with vegetables, mashed potatoes or ordinary black bread.

The recipe for salting whole mackerel in brine is “finger licking good” (per liter of water)

I have heard more than once that you only need to salt whole fish, without removing the intestines and head. It should turn out tastier this way because valuable fat is not lost. Personally, I often make it in pieces, because it’s faster. But if you have time to wait 3-4 days, then try pickling it as written in this recipe.

It will turn out really delicious.

Ingredients:

mackerel - 2 pcs. large
sugar - 2 tbsp.
salt - 4 tbsp.
bay leaf - 5-7 pcs.
black peppercorns - 10 pcs.
spicy spices (coriander, cloves, allspice, mustard beans) - optional
water - 1 l

Preparation:

1. Defrost the fish in a gentle way. That is, you don’t need to put it under hot water. Ideally, place it in the refrigerator overnight or keep it at room temperature.

2.Remove the gills so that the finished mackerel does not have excess bitterness. Wash it and there is no need to do anything else with the carcass, let it remain whole.

3. Dissolve sugar and salt in a liter of hot water, add the desired spices and boil for 5 minutes. Cool the brine completely.

4. Place the fish in a plastic or glass bowl and fill it with brine. Cover with a lid and refrigerate for 3-4 days. After 3 days you will get lightly salted mackerel, after 5 days it will be of medium salinity.

During salting, turn the carcasses over so that they are evenly salted on all sides. Or press them down with a saucer so that the water completely covers them.

5.Remove the finished fish, clean it from the insides and remove the skin (if you want). Cut into pieces and sprinkle with green onions. Pour in aromatic oil. Place it on the table and eat to your health!

Option with garlic

This recipe produces incredibly tasty and moderately spicy mackerel, salted at home. Dry salting implies the presence of a certain set of spices, without which it would be a completely different appetizer. Therefore, try to visit the nearest market or supermarket in advance and purchase all the missing seasonings. Your kitchen cabinets should contain:

A couple of mackerel carcasses.
A pinch each of nutmeg, coriander and ground black pepper.
4 cloves of garlic.
A couple of tablespoons of coarse salt.

Sequencing

Since domestic supermarkets practically do not sell fresh mackerel, purchased carcasses must first be thawed. After this, their entrails, fins, tail and head are removed. In addition, this time the vertebral bone is carefully removed from the fish. As a result, you should have two fillets connected to each other.

Carcasses cut up using this method are sprinkled with salt and spices. Place garlic cut into thin slices inside, connect the fillet parts and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. The future snack is placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for several hours, and then sent to the freezer. It is advisable to do this in the evening. Then in the morning the fish will be ready to serve. Before this, it is removed from the freezer and left for a short time at room temperature.

Recipe for one of the options for salting mackerel without using water

Salted mackerel is a very tasty dish. It is enough to supplement it with boiled potatoes and you can get a complete dinner. In addition, preparing such fish yourself is easier than ever.

For dry salting you will need:

fish carcass – 1 piece;
salt – 1 tbsp;
laurel leaf – 1-2 pcs;
peppercorns – 5-6 pcs;
ground red pepper (optional) - a pinch.

Mackerel cooks very quickly
. Next you need to follow these steps:

Rinse the mackerel well.
Separate inedible parts: head, fins.
Clean the carcass from the entrails.
Turn belly up and cut lengthwise on both sides of the ridge.
Cut the fillet with a sharp knife.
Mix the salt and spices prepared for salting the mackerel.
The resulting halves should be well greased with the spicy mixture and placed in a plastic or metal container with a lid.
Place in the refrigerator. Thus prepared mackerel should be soaked for 24 hours.

Advice. Before serving, the fillet can be cut into pieces of the desired size and sprinkled with onions or green onions.