Did you know that aromatic, slightly smoked mackerel can be prepared at home? Such fish, which tastes very much like smoked fish, is salted in a bottle with the addition of a special brine, which, in addition to the usual ingredients for salting, includes onion peels and black loose tea. Thanks to long-term (for three days) salting, mackerel acquires a beautiful golden hue and turns out very tasty.
Ingredients:
- 2 pcs. mackerel;
- 2 handfuls of onion peels;
- 3 tbsp. l. salt;
- 2 tbsp. l. black loose tea;
- 1.5 tbsp. l. Sahara;
- 1 bay leaf;
- 1 liter of water;
- 4 peas of allspice.
Recipe for salting mackerel:
1. First of all, prepare the mackerel brine. Pour salt, sugar and loose black tea (preferably fine) into a small saucepan.
2. Add well-washed (several times) onion peels to the bulk ingredients.
3. Next, pour in cold water and thoroughly stir the bulk ingredients until they dissolve.
4.Add bay leaves and allspice peas to the future “smoked” brine, then bring to a boil. When the brine comes to a boil, boil it for 1 minute and then set aside to cool completely.
5. While the brine is preparing, prepare the mackerel for pickling. Gut the fish, removing all the entrails and black films inside the carcasses, cut off the tails and heads. Then rinse the mackerel thoroughly under running water.
6. Cut off the neck of a 1.5 - 2 liter plastic bottle (guide the height based on the length of your fish). Place the prepared mackerel carcasses into it (the fish should fit freely into the plastic bottle).
7. Strain the cooled (completely cold!) brine several times through a fine sieve (or gauze), then pour it over the mackerel in the bottle (the brine should completely cover the fish).
8. Cover the bottle with future smoked mackerel with foil and put it in the refrigerator to pickle for three days. Shake the fish periodically so that the mackerel is evenly colored). After the allotted time, you can try the mackerel. This fish turns out to be very tasty, moderately salty and aromatic. It is advisable to store smoked mackerel in brine for no more than a week. Bon appetit!
