Frozen or freshly caught mackerel produces a very tasty and aromatic salted fish, which can be tasted just a day after salting. Thanks to the addition of sunflower oil to the brine in which the fish is salted (you can use both refined and aromatic homemade vegetable oil), the mackerel turns out tender, but at the same time the cut pieces do not fall apart and retain their integrity. Therefore, if you want to get delicious salted mackerel, then this recipe is for you!
Ingredients:
- onions – 1 pc.;
- mackerel – 1 piece;
- salt – 1 tbsp. l. (with a slide);
- sugar – 0.5 tbsp. l.;
- sunflower oil – 3 tbsp. l.;
- water – 0.5 l;
- black peppercorns – 4 pcs.
Preparation of salted mackerel:
1. First, prepare the brine in which the mackerel will be salted. To do this, pour water into the pan, add salt, sugar and black peppercorns, then boil for one or two minutes (from the very moment of boiling). Set the boiling brine aside and cool it.
Tip: To make the brine cool faster, place the pan in a basin or bowl with cold water (this manipulation will significantly speed up the cooling process).
2. Peel a medium-sized onion, rinse under water and cut into thin half rings/feathers. Next, lay it in an even layer on the bottom of the container in which the mackerel will be salted (this can be a plastic container, glass jar or small vessel).
3. Then start cutting up the mackerel (don’t forget to defrost the frozen fish in advance): cut off the head, tail and fins, remove all the insides along with the black film and dried blood and wash the inside of the fish carcass very well (it should be light). Cut it into small pieces.
4. Place the chopped mackerel in thick layers on top of a layer of chopped onion.
5. Next, fill the fish with cooled (cold!) brine (it should completely cover the mackerel pieces).
6. Pour sunflower oil into the brine (the fish will be more flavorful with homemade oil) and tightly cover the container in which the mackerel will be salted.
7. Place the container (jar/boat) with fish in the refrigerator. After a day (this time is enough for the mackerel to be well salted), you can already try the fish. An excellent addition to such a fish appetizer would be potatoes and green onions. Bon appetit!
