They say that salted bonito and mackerel are among the most preferred winter appetizers for red wine. We tend to agree, and preparing salted bonito or mackerel is not that difficult. With a little effort on your part, you will be able to put a wonderful appetizer on your table, and your guests will simply lick their fingers.
There are different technologies for salting bonito and mackerel, and it is not important which one you choose, but the quality of the fish you want to salt.
First of all, you should select very fresh bonito or mackerel. The fish should not have swollen bellies, darkened corneas or any damage to the skin and muscles. This is followed by careful removal of the entrails, being careful not to open the belly and careful rinsing with water.
You can choose between different methods for salting bonito and mackerel, with the most preferred by chefs being brine salting, dry salting and quick salting.
When salting with brine, you need to fill the bellies of the fish with sea salt, arrange them tightly next to each other and cover them with brine made from salt and water, with the ratio being 0.25 g of salt for every liter of water. Press the fish with a plate and stone so that they do not float and store in a dry and cool place.
After 24 hours, remove the resulting blood-red brine and replace it with a new one, with the new salt-water ratio being about 200 g of salt per 1 liter of water.
The procedure is also repeated on the 4th and 6th days, with the entire salting process taking about 10 days.
The salted bonito or mackerel are arranged in 3-liter jars, poured with brine of salt and water and stored in a dry and ventilated place.
In case you do not like the above method, you can dry salt the bonito and mackerel. After filling the bellies of the fish with sea salt, place them belly-side down in a suitable container, which you have previously lined with baking paper covered with salt. More salt is added on top and the fish prepared in this way is put in the refrigerator for at least 7-8 days, so that it absorbs as much salt as necessary for its preservation.
If desired, you can put various spices for flavoring between the fish - such as black pepper, bay leaves, allspice. The salt will draw out some of the excess water.
After the fish is salted, wash it briefly with cold water and leave it in a ventilated place to dry.
The quick way to salt bonito and mackerel is for those who don't want to wait weeks before trying their favorite appetizer.
The fish are cleaned, the fins, gills and head are removed. Then they are immersed for no more than 1 minute in boiling water with a 2-4% salt content. The fish are not put in all at once, but separately, and the water must be boiled again after each fish.
Then they are soaked for 2 minutes in pure vinegar and for another 20-30 minutes in a marinade of salt and water, where 300 g of salt are added to 700 ml of water.
All that remains is to drain the fish and hang it in a dry and ventilated place. It can be stored in refrigerated rooms for 2-3 months, but outdoors it has a shorter storage period.
If you love fish, be sure to try our recipes for bonito or learn how to cook bonito and how to smoke fish at home.
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