Someone prefers to eat meat products, someone likes only sweets, and there are people who can not imagine dinner without fish dishes. For the last group, you can only rejoice, because the fish is known for its beneficial properties and a rich set of nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
Useful properties of mackerel
Especially loved by many gourmets, mackerel. This type of fish is recommended for medical or dietary nutrition. Mackerel eaten contributes to the rapid synthesis of protein, normalization of metabolic processes, increase the activity of the immune system, and the production of hemoglobin.
Scientists have proved that any salted fish, which includes mackerel in the marinade, is able to protect people (at the internal level) from various aggressive environmental influences. The substances that make up its composition help in the fight against cancer, remove harmful cholesterol, and contribute to the healing and strengthening of blood vessels. In addition, mackerel is an excellent assistant in the prevention of heart attacks, strokes, thrombosis, and blood pressure drops.
Fish preparation
Homemade mackerel under the marinade is not only healthy, but also economically affordable. In stores, it is sold both fresh and frozen. And if you didn’t like ready-made salted mackerel on the trading floor, you can always cook it quickly in your own kitchen.
Before you start cooking, you should properly chop the purchased fish. Trim the tail, remove the fins and head. We clean the insides. Be sure to clean the inner films. If they are not removed qualitatively, then the mackerel in the marinade can turn out to be bitter. You can salt the whole fish or cut it first into portions.
The easiest pickle
There are many recipes that tell you how to cook a delicious mackerel marinade at home. Let's start with the easiest and easiest option. It is suitable for novice housewives and those who want to get a tasty and fragrant fish for dinner in four to five hours.
Required:
- Mineral water.
- Fish - three carcasses.
- Four tablespoons of sugar.
- A spoonful of salt.
- Bay leaf.
- Clove (to taste).
Prepared fish must be cut into portions. Pour mineral water into the pan, add all the ingredients listed above and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pan from the stove. Let the marinade cool a bit. It turns out a fragrant marinade for mackerel spicy salting. Fill the fish with a slightly warm brine. Once the marinade has completely cooled down, you can put the saucepan in the refrigerator for five hours.
Onion marinade
Most often, such mackerel in marinade is found in restaurants and cafes. But you can cook a delicious and tender fish with a great aroma at home. To do this, you must:
- One liter of mineral water.
- 3-4 carcasses of mackerel.
- Two large onions.
- Two tablespoons of granulated sugar.
- Salt.
- Bay leaf.
- Fresh greens.
This recipe will require a whole carcass. It is only necessary to get rid of the fins, head and entrails. Finely chopping the onions and herbs, put these ingredients inside the carcass. Put a little onion on top of the fish.
Now we are preparing the marinade for the mackerel ambassador. Pour a liter of water into the saucepan, add sugar and salt there. We add fire. We are waiting for the bulk ingredients to dissolve. Now add a couple of bay leaves. Bring the marinade to a boil. Turn off the fire.
As in the first version, still warm brine is required to fill the fish, laid in the "bed" of onions and herbs. Mackerel is preparing in a marinade of onions for about ten to twelve hours. Experienced housewives advise to salt the fish in the evening, "at night", so that in the morning to get a ready-to-eat product.
Spicy pickle
Any pickle in which fragrant spices are added can safely be called "spicy." The housewives recommend a recipe for mackerel marinade for the festive table, in which a large number of spices will certainly be present.
Ingredients:
- Water.
- Mackerel - two pieces.
- Four tablespoons of sugar.
- Salt.
- Half a teaspoon of ground coriander.
- Two to three cloves.
- A teaspoon of caraway seeds.
- Half a teaspoon of sunflower hops.
The fish must be gutted, get rid of the insides, fins and head. Cut it into portions. We put it in a container.
Pour water into a deep pan. Bring it to a boil without first adding any ingredients. Only after the bubbling bubbles appear, it will be possible to put in the marinade for mackerel spicy salted spices: cloves, caraway seeds, coriander, hops-suneli. Five minutes to seven, the brine should be boiled already with spices. Turn off the fire. Let the marinade cool.
Pour a warm marinade with an incredible spicy aroma into a container where pieces of mackerel already lie. Remove the containers with fish in the refrigerator for six to seven hours.
Tomato paste marinade
Many people like fish in tomato sauce. Unfortunately, in stores today it is not always possible to find high-quality and really tasty mackerel in tomato marinade. We cook it at home according to the classic recipe of Greek chefs.
Ingredients:
- Four carcasses of mackerel.
- One and a half liters of mineral or purified water.
- Five tablespoons of tomato paste (better than homemade).
- One fresh carrot.
- Two tablespoons of sugar.
- Salt.
- Three large cloves of garlic.
- Bay leaf.
- Parsley (fresh or dried).
As usual, before cooking, gut the fish and wash the carcass under running water. Cut into pieces of the desired length. In a separate container, mix carrots, chopped garlic and tomato paste, grated on a coarse grater. The best option is tomato paste cooked with your own hands. But if there is none, then give preference in this recipe to products from a trusted manufacturer that do not contain preservatives, starch, flavorings, etc.
Now about the marinade. We put the water in the pan on fire and wait for it to boil. Add sugar after, a little salt, a bay leaf. Boils for a couple of minutes. Remove the marinade from the heat and cool. Fill the fish with brine and add finely chopped parsley. You can mix a little bit. Send fish marinated for twelve hours in the refrigerator.
Marinade with lemon and soy sauce
If you want to surprise guests with an unusual recipe for mackerel, we advise you to pay attention to the marinade version, which uses lemon juice and soy sauce. Believe me, the fish will sparkle with completely new taste qualities that will not leave anyone indifferent. Attention! In this recipe, the fish is pretty salty.
Ingredients:
- Five carcasses of mackerel.
- Five tablespoons of classic soy sauce.
- Three tablespoons of sugar.
- One and a half liters of pure water.
- Half a large lemon.
- Bay leaf.
- Salt - do not add!
Cooking portions of mackerel. In a saucepan, bring to a boil a mineral or simple purified water. We put there bay leaf and sugar. Mix. Let the brine boil for two to four minutes and remove from heat.
When the marinade has cooled, it will be possible to fill them with pieces of fish. The final touch - add soy sauce and juice from one half of the lemon. The second half can be cut into thin slices and also put in the marinade. Cooking time is about six hours.
Mackerel Ambassador Tips
- Buy fish only at trusted stores or from reputable sellers in the market.
- Do not be afraid to experiment. In the marinade, you can safely add apples, orange juice, your favorite spices, not specified in recipes.
- Be sure to use granulated sugar during the preparation of the brine. So salting fish is much more difficult.
- Want to get salty mackerel with bright acidity? Add a couple teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to the marinade.