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The secret to cooking large quantities of food is proper pre-cooking. Marinade for hot smoked mackerel plays a vital role in any delicacy recipe. Strict adherence to proportions will allow you to get an excellent result even with minimal culinary experience.
Methods for salting mackerel for hot smoking
Pre-cooking fish involves adding copious amounts of salt to improve flavor and shelf life. Most often, recipes are divided into 2 categories - preparing brine for hot smoked mackerel or long-term dry salting. In the first case, the fish is kept in a pre-prepared liquid.Due to the high salinity of the marinade, the process takes less time compared to the dry method.
For pickling, you can use either a dry mixture or a marinade.
In the second case, the mackerel is sprinkled with coarse salt on all sides. The duration of salting hot smoked mackerel is from 12 to 24 hours. It is best to use coarse sea salt - it will prevent excessive penetration of the spice into the carcasses.
Selection and preparation of fish
Before applying the desired marinade, you need to take care of a high-quality base for the future delicacy. Of course, it is best to take fresh mackerel. You can determine the quality of a product by clean eyes and the absence of a strong odor. You can also determine the freshness of mackerel by pressing your finger on the dorsal part - the deformation should disappear almost instantly.
Depending on the aesthetic preferences of the cook, you can leave or remove the head. Next, it is imperative to remove the insides - the belly is cut with a sharp knife and the digestive system is removed. The mackerel is thoroughly washed in cold water and dried with a towel.
How to marinate mackerel for hot smoking
The most common way to prepare fish for further processing is to soak it in a marinade. Salting mackerel before hot smoking in this way is a fairly simple task. The main ingredients of the marinade are water, salt and allspice.This balance allows you to maximize the pure fish taste.
For brighter flavors, you can add a larger variety of spices. To enhance the spicy aroma, you can use more garlic. Brighter notes are achieved with coriander, basil, thyme and rosemary. Be sure to maintain the ratio of components for the marinade - an imbalance can lead to serious damage to the taste of the finished product.
Classic marinating of mackerel for hot smoking
A minimal set of spices will not set off the bright fishy taste during the smoking process. This marinade brings out the best sides of fish, turning it into a real delicacy. For the recipe you will need:
- 2 liters of water;
- 1 glass of salt;
- 1 bay leaf;
- 1 cup of sugar;
- 20 peas of allspice.
A minimal set of spices ensures a pure taste of the finished product
To prepare the marinade, dissolve salt and pepper in water, then put it on the fire and bring to a boil. As soon as the liquid begins to boil, add pepper and bay leaf to it. Boiling the marinade lasts about 10 minutes, then remove it from the stove and cool to room temperature. It is necessary to keep mackerel in such a brine for about 3-4 hours before hot smoking.
Recipe for marinating mackerel with garlic for hot smoking
To add a spicy aroma to the finished delicacy, housewives resort to a little trick. They soak mackerel for hot smoking in a garlic marinade. To prepare it you will need:
- 2 liters of water;
- 2 large heads of garlic;
- 200 g salt;
- 150 g sugar;
- 20 peppercorns;
- 2 laurel leaves.
Garlic makes smoked fish more flavorful and piquant.
This marinade for hot smoked mackerel is one of the fastest.It’s easy to make—just boil the saline solution with spices for 5 minutes. Then chopped garlic cloves are added to it. The fish is placed in the marinade for 2-3 hours - after this time it is completely ready for further processing.
Spiced brine for hot smoked mackerel
Lovers of bright taste can prepare a rather unusual marinade. It contains a large number of herbs and spices - their combination guarantees a unique taste and piquant aroma. For 1 liter of clean water use:
- 10 peas of allspice;
- 10 black peppercorns;
- 6 buds of cloves;
- 5 bay leaves;
- 5 tbsp. l. salt;
- 2 tbsp. l. Sahara.
The ideal selection of spices for pickling is a guarantee of great taste after the smokehouse
All ingredients are mixed in a small saucepan and placed on the fire. After boiling, the marinade is boiled for 10 minutes, then cooled to room temperature. Salting mackerel before hot smoking in this way will take a little more time. Given the small amount of salt, the marinade completely penetrates the meat only after 16-18 hours of soaking.
Marinade with coriander for hot smoking mackerel fish
Coriander is one of the most popular seasonings for smoking and pickling any food. It not only significantly improves the taste of the finished dish, but also gives it a unique aroma. To properly marinate mackerel for hot smoking, you must:
- 1 liter of water;
- 50 g granulated sugar;
- 50 g table salt;
- 1 tbsp. l. dry coriander;
- 5 bay leaves;
- 5 buds of cloves.
Marinade with coriander makes the aroma of the finished product bright and unique
As soon as the liquid in the pan boils, add salt, sugar and all the spices.The marinade is prepared for about 10 minutes, after which it is cooled and the product is soaked in it. Before smoking begins, the fish should be salted for about 4-5 hours, then it is washed and wiped dry with a paper towel.
How to salt mackerel for hot smoking
The peculiarity of pickling compared to marinade is the longer preparation time. For the necessary substances to completely disperse into the tissues, it will take from 8 to 24 hours, depending on the chosen recipe.
In order to salt mackerel before hot smoking, a simple set of seasonings is most often used. Salt, garlic or bay leaf are most often added to the main ingredient. More complex recipes involve the use of other spices or citrus fruits to enhance the flavor and aromatic properties of the finished product.
How to pickle mackerel for hot smoking according to the classic recipe
The traditional method of preparing fish for further heat treatment requires a minimum set of ingredients. To prepare the mixture you will need salt and ground black pepper in a ratio of 20:1. For every 200 g of mixture, one chopped bay leaf is also added.
Salt and ground pepper are the ideal combination for salting fish before the smokehouse
Rub the mackerel with the resulting mass and leave it for 10 hours to salt. After this time, the salt is carefully peeled off, being careful not to damage the skin. The carcasses are washed, wiped dry with a paper towel and sent for further processing.
How to salt mackerel with seasonings for hot smoking
A more complex composition of the pickling mixture will allow you to turn fish into a real culinary masterpiece.The finished product will become more aromatic, and subtle spicy notes will appear in the taste. For the recipe you will need:
- 500 g salt;
- 20 peas of allspice;
- 1 tbsp. l. coriander;
- 5 buds of cloves;
- 5 bay leaves.
A bouquet of seasonings turns smoked mackerel into a real flavor bomb
All spices are ground in a mortar and then mixed in a separate container. The resulting salt mass is rubbed onto the mackerel carcasses on all sides and removed for 8 hours. The process can be shortened to 6 hours by additionally coating the abdominal cavity with the mixture.
Salting mackerel with lemon before hot smoking
Adding juice and lemon zest can turn fish into a real delicacy. The taste is given by citrus notes and a subtle aroma of oranges. To prepare a pickling mixture for 500 g of the main component you will need:
- 1 lemon;
- 2 tbsp. l. ground black pepper;
- 3 bay leaves.
Lemon not only improves the taste, but also adds citrus notes to the aroma.
It is important to remember that to prepare the mixture you only need lemon juice and zest. White partitions are not added to avoid excess bitterness of the finished product. Salt, juice and chopped bay leaf are mixed and rubbed with the resulting mass of the carcass on all sides. Marinating lasts from 4 to 6 hours, after which the fish is washed and dried.
How much to salt mackerel for hot smoking
The duration of salting often varies depending on the recipe. It is worth remembering that when using marinade, pre-treatment lasts much less. Mackerel is placed in brine for 2-4 hours before heat treatment begins.
The dry salting method takes longer.On average, recipes require aging in a salt environment for 6 to 12 hours. By adding powerful flavorings such as lemon juice, the preparation time can be reduced by up to 4 hours - otherwise the pulp may completely deteriorate under the influence of acid.
Conclusion
Marinade for hot smoked mackerel is the basis of a well-prepared delicacy. A large number of different combinations will allow everyone to choose the ideal ratio of salt and aromatic spices.
