A step-by-step recipe with a photo of salted red fish belly at home. Cooking secrets, calorie content and video recipe.
Everyone knows that red fish is very tasty. Many people buy it in the store already salted, but it can be salted at home on its own. In addition, if you plan to prepare a salad from red fish, it is not necessary to use a whole fillet for this. It is better to put it in the form of slicing on a platter, and the bellies are perfect for salads. Therefore, I propose to find out how to salt the belly of a red fish at home. They turn out juicy, lightly salted, very tasty, without chemicals and preservatives! To cook salted red fish belly, you should consider useful tips for salting.
- Buy fresh bellies, because when salted, they are not cooked.
- When choosing the abdomen, smell them. Good fish have no unpleasant musty odor. The skin should be white, without yellowness and plaque.
- Vary the amount of salt and sugar to your liking. You can add more or less. But it is better not to remove sugar at all, it corrects the taste well, making it richer. In addition, sugar is a preservative that prevents fish from spoiling.
- When salting, in addition to salt, you can add any spices. It can be paprika, dry ground ginger, mustard seeds …
- If you do not want to prepare the salting mixture yourself, buy a special spice "For salting red fish" in the store.
- When salting, you can add 1 tbsp. cognac for 1 kg of fish.
- If you like sourness, add vinegar to the marinade. Better to use apple cider vinegar, it has a softer taste.
- Add salted bellies to salads or serve as a cold snack with a glass of beer.
The bellies can be used for both salmon and trout, salmon or other types of fish. The salmon family includes many species. However, they are very similar to each other. Therefore, the recipe can be applied to any red fish.
- Caloric content per 100 g - 326 kcal.
- Servings - 0.5 kg
- Cooking time - 8 hours
Ingredients:
- Red fish bellies - 0.5 kg
- Sugar - 1 tsp
- Salt - 1 tablespoon
- Ground black pepper - a pinch
Step by step cooking the bellies of salted red fish, recipe with photo:
1. Rinse the bellies of red fish well under running cold water.
2. Place the fish on a paper towel and pat dry well. Place a clean towel on top to speed up the drying process.
Note: if desired, before salting, you can clean the abdomens of scales. Although it can be done after cooking. Moreover, it should be noted that fish in the skin and under the skin contains a storehouse of "good" fats and vitamins! Therefore, it is better to eat the skin as well.
3. Combine salt, sugar and black pepper in a small container.
Note: Do not use containers for salting fish made of unstable materials such as aluminum and plastic, because salt and sugar create an aggressive environment. This can ruin the dishes and produce a harmful product. Therefore, take a container that does not oxidize: steel (stainless steel), glass, enamel. Also, do not take wide dishes, otherwise the brine will spread over it and the fish will not be salted.
4. Stir the salt mixture well.
5. At the bottom of the container in which you will salt the fish, pour the salt mixture.
6. Lay out the belly of the red fish on top.
7. Top the fish with the still-cooked mixture.
8. Then lay out the next layer of bellies and also sprinkle them with sugar, salt and black pepper. No need to stir. If you wish, you can put peppercorns on top. Place the lid on the container and refrigerate the fish for 8 hours. After this time, brine forms in the bowl, and it should be so. Wash the fish belly from salt, dry with a paper towel and use as directed.
If you need to quickly salt the fish, press it down with a load on top. The weight should be 2-3 times larger than the fish. Then the bellies of the salted red fish will be salted for 2-3 hours.
See also a video recipe on how to pickle the bellies of a salmon.