One of the main advantages of homemade red fish salting is that you can control the amount of salt. And the spices used will give the product a delicious herbal scent that fish will never have in store packaging. To bring salmon technology from ancient Russian Pomors to your menu, pay attention to the recipes below.
Selection and preparation of ingredients
The basis of any recipes for the ambassador is 2 key rules:
- take coarse salt;
- set the ratio of sugar to salt - 1: 3 or 1: 1.
Coarse salt should be because its task is to draw out moisture, and not just salt the fish. If you take the salt of a fine fraction, then a salty crust forms on the fish, and increased humidity remains inside. The stores sell fresh or fresh-frozen chum salmon in the form of carcasses or individual steaks. It is advisable to buy carcasses and carve them immediately before cooking.
Important! If growths are observed on the belly, then, most likely these are fungal diseases or parasites. Do not buy this chum.
Good fish is characterized by the following symptoms:
- clear, not dull eyes;
- shiny, smooth, not falling off scales;
- elongated body with tiger stripes;
- red or pink gills;
- light belly;
- orange meat.
The overall shade of meat depends on what the chum salmon fed on, so in farmer ponds it receives less shrimp and other crustaceans, resulting in its meat becoming lighter in color. At home, fish need to be cut. Start by brushing it, separating the head, tail and fins. Then, incisions are made along the ridge and the fillet is carefully separated along with the skin. If there are small bones, then they also need to be removed.
Did you know? To stay healthy, the human body needs 200 mg of salt per day.
Salmon salmon recipes
Salted fish in a dry way or with the help of brines. In all such recipes, the fish acquires a silky texture, in contrast to the harder dried or smoked. Pay attention to the ratio of fish to salt to sugar. You can find the following options (per 1 kg of fillet): from 175 g of salt and the same amount of sugar to 750 g of salt and 1 kg of sugar.
The difference lies in the degree of salinity of the product obtained and the time of salting. In 24 hours you will receive lightly salted fish, after 36 hours - medium salted, and as salted as possible - after 48 hours.
Dry way
1 kg 3 days
black peppercorns
15 pcs.
dry greens of dill
70 g (or 1 bunch)
Nutritional value per 100 g:
- Crush peppers with peas with a simple knife or grind using a mortar and pestle.
- Mix pepper with salt, sugar and dill.
- Put on the working surface of the table 2 pieces of film, placing them so that one slightly overlaps the second.
- Pour on it part of the curing mixture according to the size of the fillet.
- Put the fish skin down.
- Sprinkle with salt mixture.
- Put on top the second piece of fillet, meat on the first.
- Pour the rest of the mixture on top.
- Wrap with foil and place in a large dish.
- Place a cutting board or other flat and heavy object on top.
- Refrigerate for 12 hours.
- After 12 hours, flip the pieces of fish and refrigerate again.
- In the same way, change the position of the fillet over the next 2 days.
- Then get the fish, remove the rest of the salt. Wipe with paper towels.
- Sprinkle with dry herbs and store in the refrigerator.
- Serve with croutons, mustard sauce, dill and lemon slices.
Did you know? The oldest remains of salmon fish discovered are 50 million years old.
With vodka
1 kg2 days
fresh dill
30 g
Nutritional value per 100 g:
- Mix all dry ingredients.
- Rinse prepared and peeled fish with cold water, cut into steaks or fillets, dry with a paper towel.
- Put chum salmon in a bowl and pour vodka, while dipping each piece well and leave for 10 minutes.
- Remove the fish and wipe with a paper towel.
- Grate the skin with salt.
- Sprinkle fish on all sides with a curing mixture, paying maximum attention to the skin.
- Lay out the plastic container with a paper towel so that it absorbs the released moisture.
- Place the fillet in it in 1 layer. Cover with another towel.
- Place the second fillet on top and cover.
- Close the container with a lid and refrigerate for 2 days.
- Dip gently with a towel to get rid of excess moisture. Wrap with polyethylene, fold into a plastic bag and store in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Important! Do not buy fish with muddy eyes. It began the process of decomposition, and the released toxins are not destroyed during cooking, especially when salted.
In brine
1 kg3 days
mustard powder
1 tbsp. l
Nutritional value per 100 g:
- Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir until crystals of salt and sugar are completely dissolved. If desired, you can boil the composition, and then cool to room temperature before further use.
- Gut the fish, clean it, cut off the head, tail and fins. Remove the ridge and small bones to get the fillet.
- Dip chum salmon into prepared brine and leave for 2-3 days. You can eat it in 5 hours, and in 2-3 days it will reach the peak of salinity.
Important! To avoid cross-contamination, use only clean fish cutting tools. And after you finish the work, wash the knife, chopping board and countertop with soapy hot water.
In oil
1 kg 12-24 hours
Nutritional value per 100 g:
- The oil is heated to make it slightly warmer than the air temperature in the room (+30 ... + 35 ° C), and salt and sugar are dissolved in it. Mix thoroughly until the crystals are completely dissolved, and then odorous herbs and other spices are added.
- The prepared fillet is placed in a bowl with oil marinade and put in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
- After marinating, the fish is ready to eat and can be served with a side dish or as a filling for sandwiches, as well as a separate cold appetizer.
Features of storage of salted chum salmon
Home-salted fish is not stored for long. The maximum shelf life in a refrigerator in a plastic container is up to 1 month, depending on the method of salting. For lightly salted chum salmon, this is 1 week, for medium-salted salmon - 2 weeks, for highly salted salmon - 1 month. You must regularly check the status of the product. Signs of damage will be stickiness and loss of elasticity.
Did you know? In ancient times, Pomors processed red fish with salt during transportation over long distances: they transported it in chests covered with ice. And only much later, sugar and various herbs began to be added to the composition.
Knowing how to salt chum salmon at home, you can choose the recipe, the result of which will seem the most delicious for your family. The method of salting does not affect the basic properties of the fish: it will be useful in any form for children because of the high content of phosphorus and calcium, and for athletes because of the large amount of proteins. Cook chum salmon on holidays and weekdays and enjoy its great taste.