Lightly salted mackerel

Step-by-step preparation

Cooking time: 8 hr

1. STEP 1

   

   Prepare your food. For lightly salted fish, I take a minimum of spices - only pepper and bay leaf, but you can also add coriander, cloves, allspice. Thaw the fish first. This must also be done correctly. You cannot put the fish in warm water, as many people do. And you shouldn't defrost it in the microwave. The most gentle type of defrosting is in the refrigerator compartment. The mackerel will defrost slowly and delicately.

2. STEP 2

   

   Gut the fish by cutting the belly from the head to the last fin. Carefully remove the insides. Cut off the head and tail.

3. STEP 3

   

   Cut the fish into small pieces - about 2 cm thick. I advise you to cut the fish while it is still a little frozen - this will make it easier to cut it. Place the mackerel pieces in a jar or container. Please note that plastic absorbs odors, let it be a special “fish” container.

4. STEP 4

   

   Boil the water for the brine. Add salt, sugar, peppercorns and bay leaf. Stir the brine with a spoon. Salt and sugar will dissolve very quickly in hot water. Cool the brine completely.

5. STEP 5

   

   Pour the cooled brine over the fish and cover with a lid. Place the container in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Since all my fish was not immersed in brine, I turned the pieces over after 4 hours so that they were salted evenly. After the allotted time, the fish can be eaten. Store the remaining fish in brine.

Comments on the recipe

Lenochka

11.12.2023

4.5

I recommend another successful recipe for pickling mackerel.

Julia

11.12.2023

4.8

I use this mackerel ambassador very often. I cook mackerel only according to this recipe. His family really liked him. The level of saltiness is just perfect (this is, of course, personal taste). Appetizing, well-defined taste and aroma of spices. Sometimes, for variety, I add additional spices for salting fish. The fish is prepared very simply and, importantly, very quickly. True, to be sure, I still keep it for at least 12 hours. Katyusha, thank you for the wonderful recipe! It is now always at hand and is very often in demand.

Natalia M

11.12.2023

4.9

I needed to quickly pickle mackerel for my daughter, she loves it very much. The recipe for lightly salted mackerel at home just came in handy. I had one frozen carcass. I defrosted it in advance by transferring it from the freezer to the refrigerator. While I was gutting and cutting the fish, the brine began to boil in a saucepan. She quickly cooled it down in the cold corridor. I decided to salt it in a glass dish with a diameter of 15 cm. The brine completely covered the fish. Plastic really absorbs odors, so I try not to use it. I kept the mackerel in brine overnight just in case; I needed it the next day anyway. Taking a sample showed that the fish was well salted, but in moderation. I served mackerel with salted mushrooms and pickled onions. Delicious!

mother of a sweet tooth

11.12.2023

4.6

Thanks for the successful recipe. My guests loved it. At home this fish was also highly appreciated. They asked us to do more. The fish tasted like high-quality press preserves from the Soviet era... Nostalgia...

Silver

11.12.2023

4.8

I often cook such delicious mackerel!

Elena

11.12.2023

4.7

It turned out very tasty. I also added coriander. Thanks for the recipe👍