It's no secret that in the waters of the Black Sea there is an amazing fish garfish. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it has green bones. Therefore, many are simply afraid to eat such exotic things. After reading today's article, you will learn about the main features of this fish.
Appearance
It should be noted that the Black Sea garfish is a schooling fish that is a subspecies of the European or Atlantic family. It has a long arrow-shaped body slightly slightly compressed laterally. One of the main features of this inhabitant of the seas is the presence of thin elongated jaws that look like a bird's beak. On the top there is a frequent comb of sharp teeth having a conical shape.
This fish has a contrasting color. It has silver-green, light silver or grayish sides and an abdomen. The back, upper body and head are painted in a light brown or brownish green tint. The entire body of the garment from forty to sixty centimeters long is covered with small, easily falling scales that extend beyond the upper part of the head.
Propagation Features
Individuals who have reached the age of five are considered sexually mature. From this moment they are capable of annual reproduction. The Black Sea garfish spawns, a photo of which will be presented in this article, in the spring. To do this, he swims away from the coast and descends to a depth of twelve to eighteen meters. The lengthy spawning time is due to the fact that the eggs are swept in small portions. This period begins in late April and ends in mid-August.
Small eggs, the diameter of which is about three and a half millimeters, are deposited on algae and other floating objects. All larvae and fry have sixty to eighty long strands, thanks to which they are attached to underwater vegetation. The development of eggs lasts from ten days to five weeks. It all depends on the temperature of the water. The first larvae holding in the coastal zone can be seen already in early June. The adult Black Sea garfish fish differs from them in appearance, as young animals do not have such long jaws. By the end of the first year of life, the offspring that have grown acquire a typical appearance and sail away from the coast.
Black Sea garfish: how to catch?
The hunting season for this predator begins in October or November and lasts until February. For obvious reasons, schools of small fish try to take refuge in quiet warm bays, so you need to look for them there. In addition, you can try to catch them in the open sea.
However, experienced fishermen are advised to organize fishing from piers or capes. Moreover, throw gear and use an object such as a spinner on the Black Sea garfish should be away from the coast. Interestingly, this careful and timid fish is looking for food almost on the surface. Therefore, for its capture, it is desirable to use the finest fishing line with an almost floating bait. As for the hooks, it is advisable to completely hide them in the bait.
What is this fish good for?
We note right away that the Black Sea garfish is rich in many valuable substances, including iron, phosphorus, iodine and omega-3 fatty acids. Despite the relatively low cost, its meat is quite nutritious and quickly saturates the human body.
In addition, the regular use of this variety of fish helps to moisturize the epidermis of the skin and smooth small wrinkles. The B vitamins contained in it positively affect the state of the cardiovascular system and improve blood circulation. This prevents the blockage of blood vessels and the development of cancer.
Black Sea garfish: how to cook a cabinet?
This is one of the most favorite dishes of Crimeans. It consists of two layers of stewed onions, between which sea fish are hidden . As one of the components and used garfish, the best suited for this dish.
To prepare a restaurant version of the cabinet, you will need a fillet fish. Rolled up rolls and fastened with a toothpick strips of garment are lightly fried in heated olive oil. This should be done no more than twenty seconds. After this, it is necessary to remove the wooden sticks, and put olive stuffed with lemon inside each roll.
In a simpler, fishing version, this dish is prepared a little differently. Pre-peeled and gutted garfish are cut into pieces. Onion rings are placed in a pan moistened with vegetable oil. On top of them lay fish (or rolls with olive). Top all sprinkled with salt, pepper, marjoram and rosemary, and then sprinkled with a little chilled, grated butter and cover with onion rings. A little water is added to the pan, covered with a lid and left to simmer for twenty minutes.
Garment with Lemon Jam
To prepare this dish, you will need twelve peeled fish, two hundred and fifty grams of potatoes, two tablespoons of oil, ¾ cup of breadcrumbs, as well as a tablespoon of cinnamon and lemon jam.
Pre-boiled potatoes need to be mashed with butter. In the resulting mass, add cinnamon and lemon. With this mixture, it is necessary to stuff the fish (black sea garfish) and fasten it on the sides with toothpicks or skewers. Fish fried in flour is fried on both sides for one or two minutes and served with spinach.
Cooking snacks
Black Sea garfish has small scales that are well behind the body. Therefore, before serving to beer, it is not necessary to clean and gut it. Simply roll the fish in salt and leave for twenty minutes. After this time, the carcasses need to hang their heads down and wait until they are a little tan. It will take about twelve hours.
Also from this inexpensive and tasty fish you can cook "sprats", the taste of which is not inferior to the Baltic canned food. To do this, you need to take a pre-gutted headless carcass and cut it into strips, the length of which does not exceed five centimeters. Then the prepared fish is placed in a deep narrow pan so that the pieces are arranged vertically. A pinch of salt, a few bay leaves and peas of pepper are sent there. Then the contents of the dishes are poured with vegetable oil so that it covers the fish by about a centimeter. The pan is placed on minimal heat, covered with a lid and left for three hours. The finished meal is served chilled.
Hot meals
Despite the fact that in the southern markets they sell dried and smoked garfish, all its taste remains not fully disclosed. It is best to try cooking it under the marinade. A kilogram of fish must be cleaned, gutted, salted and fried in vegetable oil. Then put three tablespoons of flour in a deep pan and fry it. After it becomes creamy, add two hundred milliliters of water, half a glass of dry white wine, salt, pepper, rosemary and a small amount of lemon juice or vinegar. The resulting sauce is boiled until thickened, and then the fish is stewed in it. This dish can be served with any side dishes.