If unexpectedly after work gatherings with bosom friends are planned, and the refrigerator turned out to be completely empty, how can one not recall the favorite snack of many - herring. Pickled cucumbers and jacket potatoes are perfect for vodka. Harmoniously complement the upcoming feast of salted herring dishes. All these products are so familiar to Russian cuisine that you can find them in any store or on the market.
We go to the nearest supermarket, buy a jar of crispy cucumbers, a kilogram of potatoes, a salted, unfinished herring and a loaf of Borodino bread. Under vodka, it is better to choose a fatter herring, since fats envelop the gastric mucosa and create a protective barrier that will slow down the process of intoxication. However, you can not worry about excess calories, which strive to be on your sides, alcoholic beverages not only increase appetite, but also dissolve fats.
Great appetizer in 30 minutes
In order to have time to prepare an appetizer for the guests within half an hour, upon returning home, the first thing to do is to wash the potatoes under running water, pour cold water on it and put it on medium heat. While the potatoes are cooked in their skins, there is time to start cooking the main snack.
Many people wonder: how to cut herring from bones? At first glance, it seems that it is simply unrealistic to get perfectly cleaned fish fillets. But in fact, it’s not so difficult to clean fish qualitatively, the main thing is to follow certain tips that will tell you how to cut herring from bones as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Herring preparation
Before you start working with herring, you need to cover the cutting board with white paper. This is necessary so that you can quickly get rid of the entrails and continue cooking snacks on the same board (while the risk of smearing the fillet of cleaned fish will be minimal).
At the first stage, the herring should be cleaned of skin. To do this, gently with a sharp knife make an incision along the back of the carcass. Then gently pry with a knife and remove the skin. The main guarantee of success at this stage is that the carcass of the herring is not previously cleared of the entrails. The whole fish retains its shape and density, so it is much easier to clean it from the skin.
After all the skin has been cleaned, cut off the head, make an incision along the abdomen and carefully clean all the insides with a knife from the herring. Milk or caviar may appear inside, many people like these parts of the herring, so carefully separate them from the rest of the insides and put them on a plate.
A black film may appear inside the belly of the herring, which is best simply wiped with paper towels. Some chefs recommend rinsing the inside of the herring under running water, but part of the brine will also be washed off with the water, which gives the fish a pleasant, spicy aroma.
How to get herring fillet?
To get a whole fillet, you need to cut off the tail, fins and carefully so as not to damage the tender fillet, moving the bones carefully along the ridge towards the tail with your fingers. If everything is done correctly, then all the bones will be pulled out of the fish along with the ridge. After that, you need to cut a thin strip (about 1 centimeter wide) from the bottom of the fillet, which has an ugly appearance and a large number of small bones.
Making a delicious dressing
In order for herring to melt in the mouth under vodka, you should prepare for it a simple traditional dressing. To do this, you need the following ingredients:
- onions - 1 head;
- table vinegar 9% - 0.5 teaspoon;
- sugar - 1 teaspoon;
- sunflower oil - 2 tablespoons;
- mustard seeds (French) - 1 tablespoon;
- greens for decoration (optional).
Preparing a dressing consists of the following steps:
- Thin onions thinly cut into half rings, pour over it with boiling water. After 2 minutes add vinegar and sugar to it, after another 5 minutes drain the water (you can just throw the onions in a colander and let it drain).
- Add mustard seeds to the prepared onion, which will add a touch of piquancy to the herring under vodka, and pour the resulting mixture with sunflower oil (it is better if the oil is bought on the market and fragrant).
- Leave the gas station for a few minutes to reveal all its components.
Now that the dressing is finally ready, you need to beautifully chop the herring. Pieces will look more impressive if the fillet is cut not smoothly, but a little at an angle (so the pieces are longer). Beautifully spread the herring on the dish and put the dressing on it.
Herring for vodka is ready for serving! It remains to remove the boiled potatoes from the pan, put pickles on a plate, cut Borodino bread, take chilled vodka from the refrigerator and spend an unforgettable evening in the company of best friends.
Bon appetit and sincere conversations at the table!