Pickled mackerel pieces. Pickled mackerel - an appetizer worthy of any feast

Someone likes sweets, someone likes meat, and someone likes fish. The last group of people are especially fortunate in their addiction. The fact is that fish has all the necessary properties in order to call it the most useful of many food groups.

Firstly, fish oil is necessary for the full functioning of the body for both adults and children. Secondly, fish meat is rich in proteins, which are the building blocks of our body, cells and muscles.

Mackerel is a fatty white variety of fish that is relatively affordable and sold in many stores. This fish is often baked or smoked. Pickled mackerel is also delicious. It costs much more than raw fish, although the recipe is very simple and accessible to everyone.

Pickled mackerel - preparing food and dishes

Mackerel can be used both fresh and frozen. How to prepare a fish? Cut off the head, tail, fins. Be sure to clean the middle and especially the dark film - if this is not done, then the pickled mackerel will turn out bitter as a result. Cut the fish into portions. Mackerel is ready for pickling.

What do you need for the marinade?

First of all, mineral water. Also prepare the onion, garlic, spices, vinegar, salt and sugar.

How long does the fish take to cook? If you get down to business in the evening, then for breakfast you will get ready-made pickled mackerel. To cook mackerel in a spicy marinade, it will take not 12, but 5 hours.

Pickled mackerel recipes:

Recipe 1: Pickled Mackerel

Let's make the simplest marinade, without onions and garlic.

Required Ingredients:

Cloves - 3-4 pieces
Sugar - 4-5 tablespoons
Mackerel - 3-4 carcasses

Cooking method:

Prepare mackerel. To do this, you need to clean it - cut off the head, remove the fins and tail, remove the offal. Cut it into pieces.
Pour mineral water into a saucepan and put on fire. Add salt, cloves, sugar and bay leaf there. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and set aside.
Pour the fish with the still warm marinade, and when it is completely cool, put the mackerel in the refrigerator for 10-12 hours.

Recipe 2: Pickled Mackerel with Onions

It is according to this recipe that mackerel is most often prepared in restaurants. The fish is tender, tasty, with the aroma of onions.

Required Ingredients:

1 liter of purified water for marinade
Mackerel - 3-4 carcasses
Onions - 2 pieces
fresh parsley
Sugar - 2-3 tablespoons
Bay leaf

Cooking method:

We clean the onion and cut into rings.
Greens should be finely chopped.
Wash the fish, gut, pull out the film, cut into portions. Sprinkle mackerel with onion and parsley.
We make a marinade. Pour water into a saucepan, put on fire, put salt and sugar, bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and cool slightly.
Pour the fish with still warm marinade and put it in the refrigerator for the night.

Recipe 3: Pickled spicy mackerel

Not everyone likes seasonings, because sometimes they give the dish an unusual taste. But we recommend that you try pickling mackerel according to this recipe, especially if you are preparing it for the holiday table.

Required Ingredients:

Mackerel
Sugar - 4 tablespoons
Mineral water - 1.3 liters
Cumin - 1 teaspoon
Coriander - 1/2 teaspoon
Suneli hops - ½ teaspoon

Cooking method:

Cooking fish: gut, clean and cut into pieces.
We make a marinade. We put the water on the fire, and when it boils, add sugar, salt and spices to it. Let the marinade boil with spices under a closed lid for 4-5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the liquid cool.
Pour the warm marinade over the mackerel and leave in a cold place for 5-6 hours.

Recipe 4: Pickled Mackerel with Tomato

A very unusual marinade recipe, which is often used by Greek chefs.

Required Ingredients:

Fish - 4 carcasses
Tomato paste - 4 tbsp. spoons
Fresh carrots - 1 piece
Garlic - 3 cloves
Purified water - 1.3 liters
Parsley
Sugar
Bay leaf

Cooking method:

Cut the mackerel into portioned pieces, having previously cleaned and gutted it.
Carrots need to be washed and finely grated. Mix carrots with tomato paste. In the mixture passed through the garlic press, mix everything.
Prepare the liquid for the marinade. Put a saucepan of water on the fire, add sugar, salt and bay leaf. Once the water boils, turn off the heat.
Mix the fish with the tomato mixture, pour over the marinade and add the chopped greens. Leave the mackerel to marinate overnight.

Recipe 5: Marinated Mackerel with Soy Sauce and Lemon

This marinade is also quite unusual, and will allow the usual mackerel to “play” in a new way. The only thing you need to immediately warn about is that the fish will turn out to be quite salty.

Required Ingredients:

Mackerel - 4-5 carcasses
Soy sauce - 5.5 spoons
Sugar - 2 tablespoons
Purified water - 1.4 liters
Bay leaf
Lemon - ½ pieces

Cooking method:

Prepare the mackerel: cut off the head, tail, cut the fish into pieces.
Prepare the liquid for the marinade. To do this, bring water to a boil in a saucepan, then add sugar and bay leaf. Let the water boil for a minute or two, then remove the pan from the heat and cool slightly.
Fill the fish with warm water, add soy sauce and thinly sliced lemon.
Marinate 5-6 hours.

Chefs have been arguing for decades about whether mackerel should be thawed before pickling or not. In fact, you can cook fish in several ways, including without defrosting. How to defrost fish quickly? Put it in a cellophane bag and dip it in water.

Buy fish in those outlets that sell only fresh products. What should a good frozen mackerel look like? The carcass should be firm, without friability. If there are gills, they should be hard and dark in color. The smell of fish should be neutral. Do not buy fish if it is covered with a thick layer of ice, this indicates that the product is not fresh. Frozen mackerel should have a thin white glaze.

Don't be afraid to experiment. The marinade recipes above are good, but feel free to add whatever ingredients you like. Try adding pieces of orange and apple, beetroot, various spices to the marinade. Parsley root will give a very original flavor to the fish.

You need to use sugar in the marinade. Try using raw brown sugar instead of regular white sugar. If you do not want the pickled mackerel to be very salty, you can replace the salt with soy sauce. A couple of spoons per liter of water will be enough to make the fish tasty and not very salty.

To make the fish sour, take a spoonful of wine or rice vinegar.

What is the best way to serve pickled mackerel? Drain the liquid and season the fish with oil. You can also add onion, garlic, sweet peas. Fish with white sauce is very tasty: it can be mayonnaise or sour cream. You can also make your own sauce: mix vegetable oil, egg yolks and mustard powder.

Housewives who pickle and salt herring themselves know that it is much more profitable from an economic point of view. This is the only way to be sure of its quality. Mackerel marinated at home is 2-3 times cheaper than ready-made mackerel found on store shelves (the average price in stores in Moscow and the region is 250 rubles per kg). It is considered one of the most useful, but also tasty, and pickling it yourself is very simple.

How to choose high-quality mackerel for salting

For the preparation of pickled mackerel, frozen fish is chosen. So it is more convenient to cut it into pieces that turn out to be even, neat. Choosing quality frozen fish is much more difficult than fresh, but there are a few tips to help you do this:

Frozen fish should be covered with ice glaze. Its amount is from 5 to 20%. From properly frozen fish, the ice crust does not lag behind when tapped.
It is unacceptable to buy a product wrapped in cellophane. The packaging must be marked with the weight, date and expiration date.
A quality product does not contain additives such as E451 and E452.
When buying, it is important to pay attention to the color. If the fish is yellowish, this indicates that the fat has begun to oxidize, and the fish itself is already stale.
Quality frozen fish is smooth. A twisted carcass indicates non-compliance with the rules of freezing, transportation, storage. It is likely that it is not the first time it has been frozen.
It is better to buy whole mackerel than fillet or minced meat.

Marinate mackerel with vinegar

This recipe goes well with both potatoes and sandwiches. For cooking you will need:

frozen mackerel - 1 pc.;
onion - 1 pc.;
garlic - 4 cloves;
vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons;
vinegar 9% - 2 tablespoons;
salt - tablespoons;
ground pepper, spices - to taste.

The fish is marinated as follows (the process is visible in the photo below):

Frozen fish put for half an hour in cold water. Cut off the head, tail, clean out the insides. After that, wash well, cut into portions.
Place the fish in a marinating bowl. A glass or iron deep container will do.
Sprinkle with pepper and spices.
Peel the onion, cut it into slices.
Free the garlic from the husk and chop into small plates.
Add onion, garlic, salt, vegetable oil, vinegar to the fish. Close tightly with a lid and mix thoroughly.
Send for 12 hours in the refrigerator. During this time, shake the container with the fish several times to mix.

Recipe for whole mackerel marinade in brine with onions

Salted fish is not only cut into pieces, but also a whole mackerel. It is marinated in three-liter jars or enameled pans, folded with a jack. To cook whole fish according to the following recipe, you will need:

mackerel - 2 pcs.;
onions - 2 large heads;
apple cider vinegar - 5 tablespoons;
sugar - tea l .;
salt - 2 tea liters;
water - 1 glass;
sweet pea pepper - 10 pcs.;
coriander (grains) - a pinch.

Salting process:

Marinade. Salt, sugar, vinegar are added to the water. Everything heats up well until the salt and sugar dissolve. Boiling must not be allowed. Take the saucepan off the fire.
While the marinade is cooling, clean the fish, free it from the insides, wash it well and put it in a jar, adding onion, pepper and coriander.
Pour cold marinade over and cover.
Leave for a day in the refrigerator. During this time, it will marinate well.

Marinated mackerel in mayonnaise

Unusual, but very tasty mackerel marinated in mayonnaise. The cooking process is simple. For this method you will need:

mackerel - 1 pc.;
mayonnaise - 100 g;
salt - 1 teaspoon;
ground black pepper, spices - to taste.

Prepare the fish: defrost, but not completely, gut, wash well and cut into pieces 1.5-2 cm wide.
In a deep bowl, mix salt, pepper, spices. Dip each piece of mackerel.
Put the fish in a container where it will marinate. Add mayonnaise. Mix and refrigerate overnight.
Take out, put on a dish and serve with dill, parsley.

Marinade for mackerel with mustard

Pickled mackerel in mustard and oil is perfect for a feast as a cold appetizer. It differs from other methods in meat, which not only tastes different, but is also more flexible. For this recipe you will need:

frozen herring - 2-3 pieces;
dill - a good bunch;
vegetable oil - glasses;
vinegar 3% - 2 tablespoons;
salt - table l .;
sugar - table l .;
mustard - 1-2 tablespoons.

Cooking begins with the preparation of products:

Defrost mackerel, clean, cut off the head, tail. Then wash well, remove the backbone, bones; cut into pieces.
Sprinkle them with finely chopped dill and put in a bowl, then sprinkle with salt mixed with sugar.
Prepare marinade. To do this, vegetable oil, vinegar, mustard are well mixed.
Leave for 3-4 hours in a cold place.
Serve with marinade.

Cooking marinade for home-smoked mackerel

In addition to the usual salted fish, many still like smoked fish. Having prepared it at home, you will realize that the fish turns out to be much tastier and more natural, since the process does not use non-natural dyes or other harmful ingredients. The marinade plays an important role in smoking, it prepares the mackerel and gives it a special taste. To prepare the marinade you need:

seasoning for fish or grill;
salt;
ground black pepper.

The dish is prepared as follows:

Mix all ingredients for the marinade.
Lubricate pre-thawed and prepared fish well.
Place tightly in a saucepan and refrigerate for 5 hours.
Marinated fish is ready for hot smoking, but remember that it cooks quickly - 40 minutes is enough.

Many people like smoked fish, but not every housewife decides to cook it, let alone buy it, because it is not healthy. It is possible to make it similar in taste and color, but at the same time not subject it to haze processing. How to do it? Marinate in onions and tea - these products will give a beautiful golden hue and a taste that will resemble real smoked fish. For 3 mackerels, prepare the following products:

water - 1 l;
salt - 3 tablespoons. topless;
sugar - 1.5 tablespoons;
loose black tea - 2 tablespoons;
onion peel - 2 tablespoons

Preparing "smoked" fish like this:

Pour water into the pan, add salt, sugar, tea and husks.
Bring all contents to a boil and remove from heat. Leave to cool.
Place the prepared herring in an enameled or glass bowl and pour over the cold marinade.
Cover and leave at room temperature for 4 days. In order for the fish to be well salted and evenly colored, it is turned over every 12 hours. After cooking, she needs to drain a little before serving. To do this, the fish is hung over the sink for 2-3 hours.

Mackerel in Lemon Barbecue Marinade

An unusually tasty and interesting dish is obtained according to the following recipe. In this way, an unusual barbecue is made. For 1.5 kg of mackerel you will need:

onions - 1-2 pieces;
lemon - piece;
white wine - 100 g;
honey - 1 teaspoon;
parsley - a bunch;
salt, seasoning for fish - to taste.

Cooking:

Defrost mackerel, wash.
Cut the fish fillet, starting from the back. Remove the rest of the bones from the meat.
Cut the fish into large pieces, sprinkle with salt and spices.
Fold the mackerel in a container, shifting each layer with chopped onion rings.
Squeeze lemon juice into fish.
Mix honey with wine. Spray it with mackerel.
Sprinkle with parsley.
Marinate for 30 minutes, then send to the grid, fry on the fire for 15 minutes on each side. Serve ruddy mackerel hot to the table.

How to make a dry marinade for mackerel without vinegar

Some housewives prefer to make marinated fish in a dry way. Judging by their reviews, in a liquid it can sometimes burst apart. To prevent this, they came up with an alternative ambassador. To cook in this way for 1 kg of fish, take:

salt - 2 tablespoons;
sugar - 1 tea liter;
seasonings: bay leaf, coriander, black pepper, cloves, herbs for salting fish - to taste and desire.

The fish is marinated as follows:

Rinse, peel the mackerel, cut into pieces 2 cm thick.
Make a mixture of salt and sugar, rub each part of the mackerel well.
Place in a jar or other marinating container. Sprinkle with spices.
Close the jar, put in the refrigerator for 9-15 hours. It is advisable to shake the container at this time so that the upper pieces do not turn out dry.

Calorie pickled mackerel

When preparing this or that dish, many women are concerned about its calorie content. Although mackerel is a nutritious and fatty fish, it is still considered a dietary product, because. is a source of natural protein and acids of the Omega 3 complex. The content of these substances plays an important role for the human body, because they are indispensable for beauty and health.

The calorie content of pickled mackerel is about 305 kcal. The usefulness of salted fish is due to the content of vitamins of groups A, B, D, E, as well as PP. Pickled mackerel contains calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, selenium, choline, zinc. Such a rich composition of fish makes it possible to easily digest the product and not harm the figure.

Video: a quick way to pickle mackerel at home

Often, women put off preparing marinated fish with their own hands, preferring to buy ready-made mackerel, due to the fact that it takes a long time for it to marinate. What they don't know is that there is a quick cooking method that will take literally an hour. What is the secret of this recipe? Watch the video below.

Mackerel is a fatty, white type of fish. It is affordable and sold in almost all stores. Most often at home it is baked or smoked. But it is worth trying another simple option. Mackerel marinated at home is a very tasty and tender fish that will amaze all guests without exception.

Easy Homemade Mackerel Recipe

The easiest and easiest cooking option that will decorate a celebration or everyday dinner.

Ingredients:

allspice - 3 g;
mackerel - 3 carcasses;
a mixture of peppers - 4 g;
garlic - 3 cloves;
salt - 22 g;
lavrushka - 2 sheets;
sugar - 12 g;
onion - 330 g;
vinegar - 45 ml.

Cooking method:

Gut the carcasses. Cut off the tails and heads. No need to defrost. Cut into pieces.
Chop the garlic cloves. There should be plates. Chop the onion.
Pour vinegar into oil. Sweeten. Sprinkle with salt. Break up the lavrushka. Add pepper. Mix. Pour over the fish pieces.
Add onion rings and garlic. Stir. Insist for a day.

Recipe for pickled mackerel in onion skins

An interesting variation that helps to cook smoked fish without the use of chemicals. The result is a healthy snack that practically does not differ from the store counterpart.

Ingredients:

mackerel - 2 carcasses;
lavrushka - 2 sheets;
water - 950 ml;
coriander - 3 g;
sea salt - 60 g;
black pepper - 7 peas;
sugar - 30 g;
strong black tea - 160 ml;
olive oil;
onion peel - 2 handfuls.

Cooking method:

To boil water. Throw the pre-washed husk. Boil 5 minutes. Set aside for a quarter of an hour. Strain.
Sweeten the decoction. Pour salt. Boil. Sprinkle pepper. Break up the lavrushka. Sprinkle with coriander. Pour in tea. Mix and chill.
Gut the carcasses. Rinse. Place in the marinade for three days.
In order for the fish to be salted and dyed evenly, it is necessary to turn over regularly.
Get carcasses. Place on paper towel. Moisture must be absorbed. To shine, grease with oil.

To make mackerel cook faster, you can boil it for 5 minutes in brine.

in brine

The main advantage of homemade fish is freshness.

Ingredients:

mackerel - 3 carcasses;
allspice;
water - 540 ml;
carnation;
sugar - 17 g;
coriander;
black pepper - 5 peas;
sea salt - 65 g;
lavrushka - 3 sheets;
cumin - 1 teaspoon.

Cooking method:

To boil water. Pour salt. Sweeten. Add spices. Mix and chill.
Gut the carcasses. Trim heads and tails. Cut into pieces. You can immediately select the bones and marinate the fillets.
Fill with brine. Insist 13 hours.

When buying, you should opt for a strong, dense fish without friability. A thick layer of ice indicates staleness.

With soy sauce and lemon

An unusual marinade will help fill the fish with a new, unusual flavor.

Ingredients:

water - 1400 ml;
mackerel - 5 carcasses;
lemon - 75 g;
soy sauce - 6 tbsp. spoons;
lavrushka - 4 sheets;
sugar - 44 g.

Cooking method:

Gut the carcasses. Cut off heads and tails. Slice the lemon thinly.
Place lavrushka in boiling water. Sweeten. Cook for 2 minutes. Cool to 40°.
Pour carcasses. Pour in soy sauce. Place lemon. Marinate 7 hours.

Cooking in a hot marinade

Thanks to the boiling marinade, the mackerel becomes juicy and incredibly tender. A pickled onion gives a special flavor to the appetizer.

Ingredients:

Lavrushka - 6 sheets;
mackerel - 2 carcasses;
vinegar - 2 tbsp. spoons (6%);
sea salt - 42 g;
pepper - 12 black peas;
onion - 230 g;
vegetable oil - 20 ml;
water - 950 ml;
carnation - 5 buds;
allspice - 12 peas.

Cooking method:

Chop the onion. You will need half rings.
Gut the carcasses. Trim heads. Cut into pieces. Put on the onion. Drizzle with oil.
Place peppercorns in boiling water. Salt and add lavrushka. Boil 3 minutes. Throw a clove. Boil for a minute. Pour in the vinegar and pour the mackerel with the marinade.
You can enjoy a fragrant snack after 5 hours.

Marinate in oil

Another interesting variation that will delight you with its taste. Thanks to the oil, the appetizer will remain juicy and the surface of the fish will remain shiny.

Ingredients:

mackerel - 2 carcasses;
salt;
onion - 230 g;
vinegar - 2 tbsp. spoons;
olive or refined oil - 240 ml.

Cooking method:

If the carcasses are frozen, you will first need to defrost them. To do this, leave them for several hours in the refrigerator compartment. If time is very short, then you can put them in a bag and place them in water. The defrosting process will go faster, and the fish will not lose their nutritional properties.
Gut the prepared product. Cut off fins and heads. Cut into pieces. The ideal size is 2 centimeters.
Bulbs will be needed in half rings. Place the part in any container that closes with a lid.
Lay out a layer of fish pieces. Sprinkle with salt. Cover with onions. Place mackerel and salt. Repeat the process until the products run out.
Mix vinegar with oil. Fill in the workpiece. If the fish is not completely covered with liquid, then you will need to add more oil.
Cover with a lid and refrigerate for 8 hours.

With vinegar

Thanks to the spices, the fish will turn out to be surprisingly fragrant and will take its rightful place on the festive table.

Ingredients:

mackerel - 2 gutted carcasses;
apple cider vinegar - 45 ml;
onions - 2 pcs.;
sunflower oil - 10 ml;
water - 260 ml;
sugar - 5 g;
carnation - 6 buds;
coriander - 2 g;
pepper - 2 peas ground;
salt - 43 g;
allspice - 2 g.

Cooking method:

Cut carcasses. Place spices in boiling water. Salt. Pour in sugar. Pour in the oil and cook for a minute. Next, pour in the vinegar and refrigerate.
Mix chopped onion with fish pieces. Pour in the marinade.
A day later, the dish is ready.

How to pickle freshly frozen mackerel

Ordinary mackerel is easy to turn into a delicacy that tastes no worse than salmon. Success depends on the right marinade, which is easy to prepare, following simple recommendations and observing the indicated proportions.

Ingredients:

freshly frozen mackerel - 2 pcs.;
water - 2100 ml;
carnation - 6 buds;
pepper - 5 black peas;
leaf tea - 2 tbsp. spoons;
pepper - 2 g;
coriander - 5 peas;
salt - 80 g;
sugar - 40 g;
onion peel.

Cooking method:

Cut off the heads and tail fins from the carcasses.
Put water on fire. When it boils, pour tea, spices, washed husks. Sweeten and sprinkle with salt. Boil 7 minutes. Remove from heat and wait until cool.
Place the carcasses in a glass container. Pour in the marinade. Put oppression on top. Leave in the kitchen for 12 hours.
Remove the sting. Move to refrigerator. Survive three days.

Home-marinated mackerel can be stored for a maximum of 3 days in the refrigerator in brine. Therefore, it is not recommended to prepare for the future. They keep for a week without brine. To do this, the marinade is first drained from the fish and poured with sunflower oil.

whole mackerel - 1 pc.
onions - 1-2 pcs.
sunflower oil - 2 tbsp. l.
vinegar - 2.5 tbsp. l.
boiling water - 250 ml
cloves - 5-6 pcs.
sugar - 0.5 tsp
salt - 2 tsp
black pepper - 5-6 peas
a mixture of red, black and white pepper - a pinch.

How to pickle mackerel

1. Combine all the spices: sugar, salt, cloves, peppercorns and a mixture of ground peppers. Pour boiling water over them and add the required amount of sunflower oil.

2. Put a saucepan with spices dissolved in water on a small fire, bring to a boil and warm the mixture for several minutes. Cool the resulting liquid slightly and add the required amount of vinegar to it.

3. Carefully cut the mackerel, separating the tail and head from the carcass, and gutting it. Rinse fish thoroughly under running water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into portioned pieces, each about 3 cm wide. Peel the onion and cut into half rings.

4. Alternating layers, fold the mackerel and onion into a glass jar.

5. Pour its contents with a completely cooled marinade, tightly close the jar with a lid and refrigerate.

6. Exactly one day later, fragrant, juicy and tender mackerel will be completely ready, it remains only to be removed from the brine.

Mackerel is best served with crumbly potatoes and fresh herbs, while onions marinated with it will be an excellent addition to fish.

Note to the owner

1. Even Mediterranean peoples who love balsamic vinegar rarely use it when marinating fish. It does not contain enough acid for this purpose. In addition, it has such a pronounced specific flavor that it makes it difficult to understand whether the fish or meat product has been marinated. Table nine percent is the best option for this recipe.

2. Mackerel is always oily. This feature affects its appearance: the carcass should be plump, as if poured, the skin should be shiny, oily. If the fish is “thin”, dull, its sides do not shine, then the product is stale or frozen.

3. A clean glass jar or ceramic bowl, the top shelf of the refrigerator - that's all that is required for the safe storage of this dish. Although, perhaps, there is one more condition: there should not be any fresh greens in the container with it.

4. In many recipes where cloves are involved, it is stipulated that this spice is too fragrant, and therefore it is advisable to use 3-4 inflorescences per liter of liquid. In this case, such restrictions do not apply: fishy smells are very strong, they are difficult to interrupt or distort with spicy seasonings. By the way, that is why it is allowed to pour cumin, dill seeds into the marinade - the aromatic range will turn out wonderful.

Greetings, dear visitors!
In one of the recent publications, I wrote about the benefits of this inexpensive, but very tasty fish. And since I like to quickly get down to business from words, here, I picked up the best (according to reviews on culinary sites) recipes with this fish. From this article you will learn how to marinate mackerel at home in different ways, how to bake it (including on a grill).

I like this fish because the most delicious mackerel at home can be pickled quickly, and no matter what products you have in the refrigerator or pantry. Vinegar, soy sauce, mustard are suitable ... In general, there are many ways to pickle. Choose according to your budget and taste!

Selection and preparation of fish

Carcasses weighing about 400 g are considered the most successful - they have enough meat and they marinate perfectly. They should not be covered with frost; damage is also considered a defect.
Many people defrost them in a bowl of water. But that only kills the benefit. It is better to put the guys on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, and the temperature difference will do everything by itself. Let's say, we put it in the evening, in the morning they have already defrosted.
You can cut the carcass by cutting off the spine, fins and selecting the side bones. In fact, only meat remains.

Basic recipe in pieces

1 mackerel carcass,
1 liter of boiling water
2 tablespoons of salt and sugar (the latter with a slide),
3 bay leaves,
5-10 peas of allspice,
2 tablespoons of vinegar (9%).

Everything is done simply! The fish is cut into pieces (if you are waiting for guests, you can generally cut the fillet and cut it thinly). Bring water, sugar, salt and spices to a boil. Allow the marinade to cool, after which you can pour in the vinegar and pour the fish over this business. The main thing is that each piece is completely covered (if they float, you can put a plate and weight on top).

NB! Such mackerel is marinated at room temperature for a day (in summer it is highly desirable to cook it in the refrigerator).

Mackerel on the grill (on the grill)

This section is dedicated to extreme people who have barbecues in winter, to happy owners of a sauna with a fireplace, or simply to everyone who misses the summer.

Here's how you can marinate mackerel (this is another name for mackerel, if you didn't know) for barbecue:

Season the fish (ordinary black pepper will do, although you can buy the “For fish” spice, or coriander, Provence herbs). You can add a little salt to it, sprinkle the fish with white wine - dry or semi-dry. We marinate for about an hour.
Wipe half-finished carcasses or fillets with a paper towel.
Lubricate them with vegetable oil (can be olive, sunflower).
Lay on the grid. We start cooking from the side of the skin (if the fillet), as soon as the blush has gone, turn over. The fish is baked very quickly, so do not leave the grill for a long time.

NB! In winter, such fish can also be fried in a pan. The serving will be especially effective if your frying pan has a ribbed bottom.

How to deliciously marinate mackerel in a hot way

The most successful way is pickling in a jar, in a hot way (cold ones will be discussed below).

0.5 l of boiling water,
1 large spoon of salt
peppercorns (about 10 peas, you can mix allspice and black),
a couple of bay leaves
0.5 teaspoon of fennel seeds, cilantro.

Mix all the ingredients of the marinade, let it boil for a couple of minutes. In a tray, and even better - in a jar, put onion circles, pieces of fish. "Strengthen" the marinade with 1 tablespoon of vinegar, a few cloves. Pour it hot into a jar. Let stand for 2.5 hours - and you're done!

NB! This delicious recipe for pickling mackerel at home is very similar to canned food. But good, high-quality canned food, these are almost not made now, but you - cook it!

Pour the whole carcass: a recipe with husks "a la smoked"

3 carcasses,
1 liter of water
30 g sugar
2 tablespoons of strong black tea (no flavorings!),
peel of 5 onions.

This recipe is simple, like all classics. Mix all of the above, except for the fish. Boil, let cool. Pour the marinade over the fish and refrigerate for 3 days. If using a tray, turn the fish from side to side every day.

NB! It is very convenient to do this by taking a 1.5-liter plastic bottle, cutting off the top, stuffing the mackerel into it and pouring the marinade inside. In this case, the mackerel does not even need to be turned over. And in order for the product to get the right smoked smell, you can pour in liquid smoke (yes, this is not useful, but a couple of times a year you can - especially since purchased mackerel is probably prepared with “chemistry”).

Preparing fish for smoking

The basic method of preparation for both cold and hot smoking is rubbing the fish carcass with salt and pepper. The latter can be replaced with specially selected spices (in other words, with the "For fish" set from the store). Cover the mackerel bowl with cling film or a bowl and refrigerate overnight (at least 10 hours). After that, shake off the unabsorbed salt, and you can transfer the carcasses to the smokehouse.

There is also a more interesting version of the marinade (for 1 kg of fish):

2 liters of water
20 ml lemon juice
couple of bay leaves
a glass of salt
the same amount of sugar
a few black peppercorns
3 minced garlic cloves,
onion peel.

How to pickle mackerel for smoking in this fragrant liquid? First you need to mix the marinade, boil for 10 minutes, cool. Pour the fish for only 2 hours. After pickling, the carcasses must be dried. By the way, this option is also suitable for both hot and cold smoking.

Are you going to bake fish in foil?

Many people simply salt their “girlfriend”, but this way it will turn out with a characteristic smell that not everyone likes. How to pickle it at home is not only tasty, but also as fragrant as possible?

Grate with a sauce of the following ingredients:

1 tablespoon mustard seeds,
3 spoons of spicy mustard,
50 ml soy sauce
3 garlic cloves (squeezed)
pinch of sauce.

Rub two carcasses with this mixture (it is better to cut off the heads). Inside, push the lemon cut into pieces, its juice will seep into the meat, giving it tenderness and aroma. Let the mackerel lie down for 1.5 hours.

NB! Be sure to oil the foil. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes at 200 degrees.

Mackerel marinated with carrots and onions

3 medium sized fish
2.5 large spoons of vinegar (9%),
1 tablespoon of sugar and salt,
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 bulbs
2 carrots
jar of green peas (optional)
3 tablespoons of ketchup.

If you want to learn how to marinate mackerel at home so that it looks like the one from a purchased iron "tomato" jar, this fish recipe is for you! It is necessary to boil the carrots (not completely), cut the mackerel into “bars”. Shift it with onion rings, sliced \u200b\u200bin circles (you can grate) carrots, peas. Pour everything with marinade (you just need to mix it). Let the tray stand on the table for a couple of hours, then hide in the refrigerator for a day. In general, the next day the snack will be ready.

soy marinade

1 carcass,
60 ml boiled water,
1 cup soy sauce (the better, the better)

Pour mackerel for a day. That's all the work!

NB! If you pour a whole carcass, make cuts on the back - this way the marinade will penetrate the meat better.

mustard marinade

Fish, 2 things,
0.5 l of water (raw),
salt and sugar - 2 tablespoons each,
3 tablespoons of vinegar (9%),
1.5 tablespoons of refined vegetable oil,
2 tablespoons mustard (powder)
fresh dill (bunch)
2 bay leaves,
allspice - about 10 peas.

Fill the pieces of fish in a tray with greens. Prepare the marinade (bring water, sugar, salt, peas and parsley to a boil, cool). Add mustard powder, vegetable oil. Pour mackerel, leave overnight.

NB! Are you short? Experiment! Add pieces or juice of apples, citrus fruits, grated parsley root, boiled beets to the marinade (the latter will give the mackerel an interesting color).

Of course, not every recipe can be tried out just tomorrow. But you can cook salted or baked fish in the oven. You can cut potatoes to it, put a soft slice of the freshest white bread (or black, with sourness, as you like), put a plate of vegetable salad or pickled onions from my previous article ...
Oh, everything, I can’t, drool like a river. I went to the store, I’ll buy a carcass or two mackerels ...
And how do you prepare it? Write, and maybe I'll learn a couple more new, wonderful recipes!