Pickled mackerel classic recipe. Homemade marinated mackerel

How to marinate mackerel at home tasty and quickly is a question primarily of concern to the housewife who has bought a couple of pieces of frozen fish or fresh mackerel. Salting mackerel correctly, choosing a recipe for salting mackerel for home salting must be done carefully, a safe cooking method will preserve the health of family members and provide excellent taste cold snack.

Home-marinated mackerel is very delicious snack, it turns out to be a dish without dyes, preservatives and tastes no worse, much better than store-bought salted mackerel. Salting fish at home is simple - salt the mackerel 2 hours in advance or wait 1-2 days before final salting - entirely depends on the desire of the housewife and the chosen cooking method.

This type of fish is considered the leader in the content of fluorine, cobalt and chlorine. In addition, mackerel is an excellent source of protein; just a 100-gram piece of fish contains up to half the daily protein requirement. It is known that our body needs fats to function normally. Unlike fats of animal origin (pork, veal) unsaturated fats mackerel is healthier and easier to digest. It has been proven that omega-3 fatty acids, which are present in fish, prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases, improve brain activity, and prevent the formation of blood clots. Regular consumption of mackerel reduces the risk of developing asthmatic bronchitis, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis.

How to choose the right mackerel

In order not to run into “rotten meat” and be able to repel an unscrupulous supplier, when buying fish you should be guided by the following factors:

The eyes don't lie. This does not apply to the seller, but to the fish, if the mackerel's eyes are bulging, moisturized, they are quite bright and full, then this product is fresh and can be taken, because otherwise the eyes sink, dry out and wrinkle. Of course, this rule applies to fresh fish that has not been heat-treated.
The gills will tell you. It is this respiratory organ of waterfowl that can be confidently considered a litmus test that will help determine the date of death of a fish. Product good quality gills are clean, red or pink color, there is no mucus in them, and they do not give off a disgusting amber.
The smell will lift the veil of secrecy. When purchasing seafood, use your sense of smell. A fresh carcass does not have a pronounced smell of fish and rancid fat.
Appearance is an indicator of quality. The skin should be moisturized, elastic and shiny, with a rainbow tint, without any extraneous spots or holes. A dull, dry and weather-beaten surface of an individual clearly indicates an expired product.
Body strength is a sign of health. This rule also applies to mackerel. For high quality products, the meat should not be loose, lumpy or plastic. In addition, fresh fish have a flat belly, while aged fish have a swollen belly with greenish spots.

How to pickle mackerel at home: 9 best recipes

Marinate mackerel according to the classic recipe

There is nothing easier than preparing a classic mackerel marinade. In it, the fish will be moderately salted, soaked in unobtrusive spices. This recipe is essentially the basis of any marinade. That is, after that you can add spices to it, adjust the amount of sugar and salt, inventing new types of marinade for sea fish.

Ingredients:

2 large mackerel carcasses
sugar and salt - 2 tbsp. l. no slide
vinegar - 2 tbsp. l.
Bay leaf- 2 pcs.
cloves - 3 pcs.
purified water - 250 ml
black peppercorns - 6 pcs.

Cooking method:

The water for the marinade is purified and not boiled. Pour water into a suitable deep container (not aluminum) and add all other ingredients except fish. When the salt and sugar melt, the marinade can be considered ready.

While the brine is being prepared, you need to prepare the fish. It needs to be cleaned of the insides and the black film located inside the carcass, which can give an unpleasant bitterness. Afterwards, the fish is washed under running water and dried on paper (you can remove excess moisture with paper napkins).

Next, the fish is combined with the marinade and left to soak for 2-3 hours at room temperature. Afterwards, you need to put it in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf, leaving it for 24 hours. The taste of the finished dish is simply amazing.

Quick mackerel in marinade

Ingredients:

frozen mackerel - 2 pcs. (600−700 g)
onion - 1−2 pcs. salt (not iodized, you can use sea salt) - 2 tbsp. l.
bay leaf - 2-3 pcs.
cloves - 3 pcs.
drinking water - 300 ml
vegetable (sunflower) oil - 200 ml
vinegar 9% - 1.5−2 tbsp. l.
peppercorns (mixed or black) - 10−12 pcs.
coriander beans - 1 tsp.

Cooking method:

To make the appetizer salted faster, it must be cut into fillets. Do not defrost frozen carcasses completely to make them easier to work with. Remove all inedible parts. Carefully remove the skin. Separate the "meat" from the spine. Try to maintain the fillet's shape as much as possible. Cut it into small pieces of arbitrary shape. Boil water and cool. Add salt to it. Stir until completely dissolved.
Pour brine over mackerel. Leave in the kitchen for 2 hours.
Chop the onion into half rings. It comes out fragrant and crispy. Therefore, feel free to put it more than the specified amount.
Mix oil with vinegar.
Drain the brine. Rinse in clean cold water several times. Place in a jar, alternating with onions and spices.
Pour into a jar with fish. Close the container. Place in a cool place. In principle, you can eat mackerel marinated in this way right away. But in a couple of hours it will be even more tasty, appetizing and tender.

Recipe for marinated fresh frozen mackerel

According to this recipe, the fish turns out “just like in a supermarket”, but eating it is safer for your health.

Ingredients:

2 carcasses of fresh or frozen mackerel.
Coarse sea salt.

When marinating fresh frozen fish:

Thaw the fish slightly.
Gut it.
Cut off the head, wash.
Cut into pieces.
Place on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator until half defrosted.
Salt outside and inside.
“Send” to the refrigerator for a day.

Mackerel marinated with mustard

The finished dish is an appetizer served with alcohol along with green onions. Before serving, add oil and lemon juice.

For preparation you will need:

One fish.
A liter of boiled water.
Five tablespoons of salt, three of sugar and two of butter.
Spoon of mustard powder.
Bay bay and black pepper - according to the instructions.

Freshly frozen fish is washed and dried with towels. Then the head is cut off, cleaned of entrails, cut and chopped.
Place other ingredients in a saucepan and mix the contents.
Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 2-4 minutes, then cool.
The chopped mackerel is placed in a marinating container and poured with marinade. The container is closed, compacted with a press and placed in a cold room for 48 hours.
After the period has passed, the marinade is drained, and the mackerel, marinated with mustard, is placed in the refrigerator for storage.

Whole mackerel in brine

You can try salting a whole mackerel carcass. It will also turn out very tasty. There is no need to gut the fish for this recipe.

You will need:

2 mackerel carcasses,
6 tablespoons salt,
2 tablespoons sugar,
1 teaspoon ground black pepper,
1 tablespoon dried dill,
1−2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.

Cooking method:

Rinse the mackerel and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Take a large bag and add salt, sugar, pepper and dill into it. Shake the bag to mix all the seasonings.
Then thoroughly rub each carcass with the curing mixture. Place the fish in the bag in which you mixed the seasonings. Wrap the mackerel tightly. To do this, you can use a few more bags or thick paper.
Place the fish in the refrigerator for 3 days. The finished fish should be washed under running water, dried well and rubbed with a small amount of vegetable oil.

Marinated mackerel in oil

To prepare marinated mackerel at home, choose fattier fish, then it will turn out even more juicy and tasty. Let's get started!

Ingredients:

frozen mackerel - 1 - 2 medium fish
onion - 1 head
table salt - 2 tablespoons
granulated sugar - ½ teaspoon
Refined sunflower oil - 200 milliliters
dried bay leaf - 1 - 2 pieces
black peppercorns, coriander - 5 peas each
9% vinegar - 1 teaspoon (can be replaced with apple cider vinegar)

Recipe:

Defrost the fish, do not do it completely, let it remain a little frozen. In this state it will be easier for us to work with her.
It is advisable to buy mackerel with the head and ungutted. This will make a little more work, but not much, since any mackerel has no scales and is very easy to clean. Whole mackerel preserves the freshness and natural taste of the fish much better. Therefore, we begin marinating by cleaning the fish: we cut off the head and take out the insides. You can leave the fins and tail, they will not affect the taste in any way.
We take a knife (be sure to be well sharpened) and cut it into portions.
We clean the onions under running cold water, so our eyes will not water. We cut it quite large - into half rings.
Pour into a bowl vegetable oil. Add granulated sugar and salt. Add vinegar. We divide the bay leaf into several pieces and throw it here. Add coriander seeds and black peppercorns.
Stir and get a marinade. There is no need to cook anything. Isn't that great?
Now take the chopped mackerel and soak each piece on all sides in the spicy marinade.
Place the fish in a convenient glass bowl or plastic tray. Sprinkle chopped onions on top and pour over the rest of the marinade.
Cover the dish with a lid and place it in the refrigerator for two days. It is advisable to shake the tray with fish from time to time so that it marinates more evenly.
After two days, the mackerel can be served.

Marinated mackerel in tomato sauce

Ingredients:

Fresh mackerel 500 gr.
Onions 2 pcs.
Salt 1.5 tsp.
Sugar 0.5 tsp.
Refined sunflower oil 50 ml.
Apple vinegar 35 ml.
Tomato juice 125 ml.
Ground black pepper - to taste
Ground coriander 1 pc.
Bay leaf 2 pcs.

Cooking step by step:

I defrosted the mackerel, cleaned it of all excess, washed it thoroughly and dried it. I divided it into fillets and then cut them into portions.
The onion needs to be peeled and cut into rings.
Place onions and fish in layers in a jar.
Now you need to prepare the marinade. To do this, mix all the above ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil and boil for literally one minute.
Pour the hot marinade over the fish in the jar, close the lid and turn it over several times so that the marinade thoroughly saturates the entire fish.
As soon as the entire contents of the jar have cooled, we put it in the refrigerator without opening it for a day.

After the specified time, the wonderful marinated mackerel is ready. Try it - it's very tasty!

Recipe for delicious marinated mackerel with carrots

Ingredients:

fresh frozen mackerel - 1 pc.
carrots - 1 pc.
fine salt - 2 tbsp. spoons
white sugar - 2 tbsp. spoons
onion - 1 pc.
black peppercorns - 5 pcs.
table vinegar - 10 ml
dry bay leaf - 2 pcs.
fresh dill - to taste
filtered water - 1 l.

Preparation:

Pre-defrost the mackerel, rinse and dry it with a towel. Then we clean it of scales and entrails, cut off the head, fins and tail. Chop the fish into small pieces. We process the vegetables and chop them finely.

Now prepare the marinade: mix all the spices in a small saucepan, add sugar and bay leaf. Pour in filtered water and place the dishes over medium heat. Bring the marinade to a boil, and then remove from the stove, add vinegar and cool. Place the fish in a clean place glass jar, laying layers of prepared vegetables. Pour in the cooled marinade and sprinkle with chopped fresh dill. Close the top with a lid and put it in the refrigerator. In 2 days, delicious pickled mackerel pieces will be ready!

How to marinate mackerel in a hot marinade

Marinated mackerel in a hot marinade is very easy to prepare at home, even for an inexperienced cook. The fish turns out tender, tasty and aromatic.

Ingredients:

Water - 1.5 l
Salt - 1 tbsp. l.
Onions - 1 pc.
Allspice peas - 5 pcs.
Black peppercorns - 5 pcs.
Bay leaf - 2 pcs.
Cloves - 3 buds
Vinegar - 1 tbsp. l.
Cilantro seeds - 0.5 tsp.
Fennel seeds - 0.5 tsp.

Step-by-step preparation:

Pour the water into a saucepan, then boil.
Add salt, allspice and black peppercorns, bay leaves, cilantro and fennel seeds to boiling water.
Boil the marinade for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the marinade, add the cloves, then pour in the vinegar.
Clean the mackerel, then cut into pieces.
Chop the onion into strips and place in a marinating container. Place fish slices on top.
Pour the hot marinade over the mackerel.
Leave the fish to marinate for 2-3 hours.

When salting, salt draws excess moisture from the fish and thoroughly saturates the carcass. The process is carried out at a low temperature, since in hot conditions the product will go rotten. Upon completion of salting, the mackerel is put into the cellar or refrigerator.
Salt the fish should be in a container that is not subject to oxidation, such as an enamel pan, glass and plastic bowls. It wouldn’t hurt to sharpen your favorite knife before cooking, then the process will be easier and more enjoyable.
I recommend salting mackerel at home with regular salt; iodized salt is not suitable. Iodine will not affect the taste of the finished dish, but it will spoil appearance.
Fridge - the best place for storage. Pour vegetable oil over the mackerel and store for no more than 5 days. Do not keep salted fish in the freezer; after defrosting, the meat will become watery and soft.
To ensure that the mackerel fully develops its taste and acquires a breathtaking aroma, add laurel and peppercorns during the salting process. Coriander, cloves, and allspice add a piquant taste. The tips listed above will help you prepare delicious, beautiful and aromatic salted mackerel.

That's all. You can make excellent sandwiches from pickled mackerel by adding some green onions. Fish prepared according to this recipe is a beautiful, tasty and healthy treat. Perhaps you have your own recipe for salting fish, we will be grateful if you share it in the comments to this text. Good culinary success to you!

Pickled mackerel is a fairly popular topic on the Russian Internet. Delicious fish, and also affordable. Our man especially loves pickled mackerel prepared with his own hands, because it’s easier to control its quality.

But it turned out that mackerel is popular not only in Russia, but also in Thailand, where my family and I moved. And they know about it. And they marinate there. Very similar to the usual Russian way. The highlight of the recipe is the light saltiness and slight “undercooking” of the fish.

Recipe Ingredients

mackerel – 1 pc.
salt – 1 tbsp. l.
sugar – 1 tbsp. l.
vegetable oil – 100 g
vinegar – 1 pack.
onion – 1 pc. (optional)
peppercorns
Bay leaf

How to cook marinated mackerel at home

First you need to prepare the mackerel. It is best to buy fresh fish immediately, because frozen fish has already lost some of its taste. But this is problematic. In my case, not because there is no fresh fish, but because mackerel in Thailand is small, up to 20 cm, the so-called Indian variety. And I buy fresh frozen large ones at the supermarket.

So, wash it thoroughly, cut it up and gut it. Then cut the prepared fish into small pieces.

Place the mackerel in a deep bowl. In a separate bowl, mix salt and sugar and pour the resulting mixture onto the fish. Stir the pieces thoroughly, being careful not to damage them. Another way to ensure that the salt and sugar begins to be absorbed is to gently mix everything with your hands.

Prepare the marinade: pour out the vegetable oil room temperature In a separate deep bowl, add a little black pepper and bay leaf. This is the base, the basis for the future marinade. You can diversify it with additional ingredients - cloves, coriander, a pinch of dry mustard.

Now the bow. We will need one large onion or a couple of small ones. Carefully peel it and cut into medium rings.

Return to marinade. Add a small amount of vinegar to it and stir. I add vinegar at this stage, after the bay leaf and pepper have already given their aroma to the vegetable oil. It seems to me that it tastes better this way, although this is quite a scrupulous scrupulousness).

Cover the mackerel with onions and pour the resulting vinegar marinade on top.

Stir the mackerel with the dressing a little so that the fish begins to soak evenly, and leave the preparation for about a day or two (depending on the size of the fish and the desired level of marination).

Ready marinated mackerel can be stored for several days, but it is best to eat it freshly prepared, with boiled potatoes and a slice of black bread. Ice-cold vodka from the refrigerator won't hurt either.

Note. There is a point of view that you should not put onions, supposedly they spoil the taste of the food because they ferment. If you're really confused by this point, don't put in the onions. But I’ll add it anyway, because I’m used to it and I really like it.

Mackerel is a valuable commercial marine product. In some cities you can hear its other names - “mackerel”, “balamut”. It has practically no small bones, and its meat is soft and juicy. That is why it is actively salted, smoked, pickled and prepared in other favorite ways.

The store-bought delicacy has a piquant taste and is good as an addition to alcoholic drinks, and also simply in combination with boiled potatoes. However, at home you can prepare an equally (and often even more) tasty product.

Eating fish pulp has a beneficial effect on people with problems with the cardiovascular system. Mackerel is rich in phosphorus, fluorine and fatty acids omega-3. There can be a considerable amount of fat per 100 g - one third. Their abundance depends on the time of year and the place where the catch was taken. Marine fish caught in winter are much higher in fat than in summer.

100 g of product contains about 20% protein, which is absorbed by the body in just an hour. This dish in moderate doses is useful for pregnant and lactating women, because unsaturated acids have a good effect on the functioning of the brain and spinal cord.

The pulp of this fish is recommended for older people because it contains substances that prevent the development of atherosclerosis and improve metabolic processes.

Before you start the marinating process, you need to purchase high-quality fresh fish:

Mackerel should have a characteristic odor. If the product emits the “aroma” of medicine, or there is no smell at all, this may indicate two things: the product is spoiled or stale.
Appearance will also say a lot about the quality. Dents, skin tears, scratches - all these are signs of staleness.
When buying a frozen product, you should pay attention to the eyes. They should not be sunken, cloudy or decomposed.

As soon as the treasured seafood gift is on the kitchen table, it should be carefully processed:

cut off the head, fins and tail, make a longitudinal cut on the belly;
clean out the insides with a knife, remove the black film so as not to end up with a bitterish dish;
rinse cold water, place on a cloth to dry the mackerel.

Various spices and herbs are used for the marinade. Cloves, black peppercorns, bay leaves, dry mustard and coriander seeds work well.

However, you shouldn’t be afraid of experiments; you can add natural citrus juice and apples. It is customary to marinate the appetizer in a jar, pan or plastic bag.

How to cook marinated mackerel quickly

Spicy aromatic fish is an excellent appetizer for any holiday table. But what to do if a celebration is expected literally tomorrow, and there is absolutely no time to do homemade dish according to all the rules?

There is a solution: you need to use a quick method that allows you to cook fish in just 24 hours. For this you will need:

2-3 pcs. frozen product;
1 liter of water;
30 grams of sugar;
spices: 1-2 bay leaves, allspice, cloves, coriander;
2 tbsp. l. coarse salt.

First, prepare the marinade:

pour water into the pan, wait for it to boil;
add all the spices, salt and sugar, cook for 3-5 minutes;
turn off the heat and leave the marinade to cool on the stove;
clean the mackerel, rinse with cold water and cut into 6-8 portions;
take a glass or enamel container with a lid, put fish in it;
pour in brine that has cooled to room temperature;
Place the container in the refrigerator for 20-24 hours.

This dish is best served with chopped onions and sprinkled with sunflower oil. Before serving, the appetizer is decorated with fresh herbs - dill or green onions.

One of the recipes for marinating mackerel in two hours is presented in the video.

Various recipes for marinated mackerel

Every family has its own little marinade secrets. There are several most good recipes spicy snack.

Marinated fish with vinegar and oil

Prepare the marinade.

Place a saucepan with 0.5 liters of water on the fire, add 30 g of salt, a spoonful of sugar, 2 bay leaves and a few peas of allspice. After boiling, cook for no more than 7 minutes.

Let the brine cool at room temperature. Meanwhile, we clean and rinse the seafood product.
Cut it into pieces 2 cm wide and put it in a jar.
Add a large spoonful of vinegar to the cooled sauce.
Fill the fish with liquid. Close the jar with a lid and put it in the refrigerator.
After 48 hours, take out the finished delicacy and place it on a plate. Pour 40 g of sunflower oil on top, so that it gets on each piece.

Ready! Can be served.

Marinated fresh frozen mackerel

With mustard

Prepare the seafood for salting, cut into portions.
Place in an enamel bowl. Sprinkle fresh chopped dill on top.
Pour 0.5 liters of water into a saucepan and put on fire. Without waiting for it to boil, add 1.5 tbsp. l. sugar, 50 grams of salt, a couple of bay leaves, a few peppercorns.
As soon as the water boils, turn off the heat and add 2 tbsp. l. mustard powder.
We are waiting for the sauce to cool down. Add 50 ml of sunflower oil and 3 large spoons of 9% vinegar.
Pour the marinade over the fish. Leave the container at room temperature. This appetizer will take no more than 10 hours to prepare.

Marinated appetizer with carrots and onions

Clean and rinse 2 fish (500 g each).
Place a pan on the stove and pour 0.5 liters of water.
We start 1 medium carrot, 2 tbsp. l. salt and 30 g of sugar, cloves and peppercorns. After boiling, cook the brine for 5 minutes.
Divide the mackerel into pieces. Place them in a glass jar.
Cut the onion into half rings. We take the carrots out of the marinade and also cut them into slices.
Place pieces of vegetables on the fish.
Add 50 g of vegetable oil and half the amount of apple cider vinegar to the cooled brine.
Fill the mackerel with liquid. Cover with a lid and place in the refrigerator. This appetizer will be ready within a day.

Korean mackerel

We clean the product and rinse it. Dry with napkins.
Cut 3 large onions into half rings.
Take a saucepan or other deep frying pan, pour in 100 g of vegetable oil, and heat it well.
Add 30 g of sugar, a little less salt, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and half a teaspoon each of ground red and black pepper.
Mix well and simmer the sauce a little. When it cools to a lukewarm state, add 50 g of 9% vinegar.
Add onion and sauce to the fish and mix everything carefully. We put it in the refrigerator.
After 4 hours, the appetizer will be ready. It is better to serve it on the table, decorated with herbs.

Marinating in tea

Bring 1 liter of water to a boil. Pour 3 tbsp. l. loose leaf tea without additives, 4 tbsp. l. salt and 80 g sugar.
Boil the brine for 5 minutes, leave to cool.
We clean the fish, wash it, dry it and cut it.
Place the carcasses in a deep container. Pour in cooled brine until it completely covers the fish. In this case, you need to position the mackerel so that it lies without bending.
This appetizer will be ready in 4 days. And before using it, you should hang it over the container and wait until the excess liquid drains.

In tomato sauce

Place 0.5 liters of water on fire. Add a little more tbsp. l. salt, 1 tsp. sugar, 1 tbsp. l. tomato paste, 1.5 tablespoons of sunflower oil, bay leaf and peppercorns. As soon as the brine has cooled, add 3 tbsp. l. vinegar.
We clean and wash the carcasses. Cut into fillets or simply into portioned pieces. Put it in a jar.
Pour in the cooled marinade. Place in the refrigerator for two days. Ready!

Mackerel in orange juice

We clean the mackerel, wash it and separate the fillets from the backbone.
Dry the fillet well and rub with coarse salt.
Pour 25 ml of olive oil into a saucepan, add 2 chopped onions, fry.
As soon as the onion has acquired a golden hue, add 0.5 cups of natural orange juice. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes.
The fish is poured with hot marinade and left for just an hour. The longer this dish sits, the tastier it becomes. After a day, such a marinade even softens the mackerel peel and does not need to be peeled.

Marinade without brine

The sea catch is cleaned, washed and separated from the ridge.
Rub the fillet with a mixture of 60 g of salt, a spoon of sugar and 0.5 tsp. ground black pepper.
Wrap in cling film. Place it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator and forget about it for 24 hours. Ready.

Snack with lemon

Marinade for baking

Cut the prepared product into 2 parts lengthwise.
Grind 2 cloves of garlic, add it to a spoon of soy sauce, add 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, a large spoon of sweet paprika, 1 tsp. mustard powder, lemon juice and 4 tbsp. l. olive oil.
Cover the fillet with the mixture. Leave to marinate for half an hour.
Then we take out the fish and place it on a napkin to drain off excess liquid. The product is ready for baking.

Mackerel kebab

The fish is marinated with carcasses cleaned of the head, tail, entrails and films.

For the marinade, mix the juice of half a lemon, 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil, a pinch of cumin, a couple of cloves of garlic, cilantro, salt and black pepper to taste. For barbecue, it is enough to marinate the mackerel for just a couple of hours.

Cooking with mayonnaise

Clean the sea catch, rinse and cut into 3 cm pieces.
Mix 2 tbsp. l. salt, 1 tbsp. l. mayonnaise, ground black pepper and broken bay leaf.
Mix the pieces with the mixture and put under a press.
After one hour, remove the press. Transfer to a jar and marinate for 4 hours. Serve with fresh dill.

How long does pickled mackerel last?

Sea fish is stored together with the marinade. If it is refrigerated, it should be consumed within 3-5 days. The marinated snack, lying at room temperature, must be consumed within 10 hours.

If you follow all the tips for choosing, preparing and storing pickled mackerel, you can get a beautiful and appetizing dish that will look great on any table.

Menu healthy eating it is impossible to prepare without fish dishes, which replenish our body with the necessary useful substances. Marinated mackerel, the homemade recipe for which we will present, will delight you not only magically in a simple way preparation, but also with your taste. This commercial fish has fatty meat - tender and soft, without small bones, rich in vitamin B12 and unsaturated fatty acids.

The taste of pickled mackerel depends, of course, on the marinade. We will share with you several marinade recipes and tell you how to deliciously marinate mackerel at home so that it is tender, juicy and piquant.

Marinating mackerel

Marinating fish is a very exciting process, since experience will allow you to create your own marinade, which cannot be confused with another composition. Each cook can add components to the marinade according to his own calculations. Moreover, it is impossible to spoil the fish - it will still be tender and tasty.

Any recipe for marinating mackerel consists of 3 stages: cleaning and slicing the fish, preparing the marinade and, in fact, marinating. Let's look at a few recipes on how you can expand their usual framework.

Preparing the fish

Of course, it is difficult to buy fresh or chilled mackerel. But if you're lucky enough to be able to buy fresh ocean mackerel, all that's left to do is gut it, wash it, and cut it into pieces.

If you bought frozen fish, then it is very important to defrost it correctly. A frozen product cannot be defrosted in cold or hot water, and especially not in a microwave!

Carefully wrap the mackerel in parchment paper, place it in a suitable container and place it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. It takes approximately 8 hours to defrost it.
Having defrosted all the fish prepared for marinating, we proceed to cutting it. We cut off the heads of the fish, cut the bellies and clean out all the insides, not forgetting the film on the inner surfaces of the belly.
Then we wash all the carcasses and only then decide whether to marinate the whole carcasses or cut them.

How to marinate mackerel - a classic recipe

Ingredients

- 1 PC. + -
— 1 l + -
Allspice - 6-8 peas + -
- 3 pcs. + -
- 2 tbsp. l. with a slide + -
- 2 tbsp. l. + -
- 2 tbsp. l. + -

Preparation

The size of the cut pieces of fish is chosen at your discretion. Many masters advise cutting the fish into portions 5-7 cm thick. And some of them prefer to cut the fish so as to marinate the finished cut into pieces 1 cm thick.

There are also quite a few recipes given for mackerel fillets, which, after being separated from the skeleton, are cut into pieces 4-5 cm wide. It’s up to you!

Prepare one fish, cut it into pieces.
Cook the marinade solution.
Stir, bring to a boil, cover with a lid and wait to cool. Pour vinegar into the cold marinade.
Place the pieces of fish in a jar and pour in the marinade so that the entire cut is completely covered. Close the lid tightly and marinate in the kitchen for about a day.

Remove the finished product from the marinade, place it on a plate, decorate with lemon half rings and enjoy the taste!

If you do not plan to eat it right away, drain the marinade from the jar and place the fish in the refrigerator, tightly covering it with a lid. Pickled mackerel can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days.

Recipe with lemon juice

This recipe allows you to marinate 3 whole mackerel. If the whole fish does not fit into the prepared container, you can cut off the heads. By the way, this procedure speeds up the marinating time.

Preparing the marinade

Bring 2 liters of water to a gentle boil.
Add 3-4 tbsp to the water. salt; 5-6 black peppercorns; 3-4 laurel leaves; 1 tbsp. sugar and 0.5 tsp. coriander seeds.
Stir all the components of the marinade composition and wait until it boils again.
Cover with a lid and wait for it to cool completely. Pour 2 tbsp into the marinade at room temperature. fresh lemon juice and 1 tbsp. olive oil.

Place the fish in a suitable container and fill with marinade infusion. If the fish is large, then make a cut along the ridge with a depth of 1-2 cm.

Close the container with a lid and place it in the refrigerator. We marinate for 2-3 days, turning the fish on the other side once a day. Whole fish take longer to marinate than pieces or headless fish.

Apple Cider Vinegar Recipe

To marinate 2 mackerels, first prepare the marinade.

Pour 250 ml of water into the pan, add 6 cloves, 5-6 black peppercorns, 2 tsp. salt and 0.5 tsp. sugar, third tsp. ground allspice and 0.5 tsp. coriander seeds.
Stir and bring the mixture to a boil.
Pour 2 tbsp into the boiling solution. sunflower oil and boil for about 1 minute over low heat.
Turning off the heat, pour in Apple vinegar(1 tbsp), cover with a lid and cool naturally.

Place the fish cut into pieces into an enamel saucepan, pour in the marinade solution, close and shake well several times. Marinate for 24 hours in the kitchen.

To improve the taste, cut into rings onion(1-2 onions) and place fish pieces with them. Marinate the onion with the fish.

Homemade black tea recipe

This recipe is perfect for whole fish carcasses, with cuts along the ridges. The recipe is for 3 fish. Ready marinated mackerel has a tender golden color and a very delicate, spicy taste.

As always, we start cooking with the marinade.

To prepare it, take 1 liter of water, which we pour into a saucepan.
We send it there:
- 4 tbsp. with a pile of rock salt,
- 1 tbsp. vinegar,
- 2 tbsp. with a pile of sugar,
- 3-4 laurel leaves,
- 0.5 tsp coriander seeds,
- 0.5 tsp black peppercorns,
- 2 tbsp. large leaf black tea.
While the marinade is boiling, take 1 onion along with the husk, cut it into 4-6 parts and put it in the marinade.
We also add a couple of handfuls of onion peels, which we rinse thoroughly with water.
Bring the marinade to a boil and let it simmer slowly for 5-10 minutes.
Cover the finished broth with a lid and let it cool to ambient temperature. Before pouring the fish, strain it.

Place the prepared carcasses into a container of suitable volume, fill them with our “golden” marinade solution so that the mackerel is covered with a layer of liquid, and close with a lid. Place the container with the fish in the refrigerator to marinate for 2 days.

Deliciously marinated mackerel, the recipe for which with onion skins allows the product to look very beautiful, is removed from the marinade solution, dried with paper towels, coated with a light layer of vegetable oil, cut and served.

The remaining fish can be stored in the marinade for 2-4 days, without marinade - a maximum of 2 days.

You see how easy it is to marinate mackerel at home, and the marinated fish turns out incredibly tasty, delicate in taste and guaranteed safe for health! To all its advantages, you can also add a very affordable cost of the final product.
Dare to try in your own kitchen, and you will certainly become a master at marinating fish!

Some people like sweets, some like meat, and some like fish. The latter group of people were especially lucky in their addiction. The fact is that fish has all the necessary properties to be called the healthiest of many food groups.

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

Mackerel is a fatty white 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.

Marinated mackerel - preparing food and utensils

Mackerel can be used both fresh and frozen. How to prepare fish? Cut off the head, tail, fins. Be sure to clean the middle and especially the dark film - if this is not done, the pickled mackerel will end up bitter. Cut the fish into portions. The mackerel is ready for marinating.

What do you need for the marinade?

First of all, mineral water. In addition, prepare onions, garlic, spices, vinegar, salt and sugar.

How long does it take to cook fish? If you get down to business in the evening, you will get ready-made pickled mackerel for breakfast. To prepare mackerel in a spicy marinade you will need 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 the mackerel. To do this, you need to clean it - cut off the head, remove the fins and tail, and remove the giblets. Cut it into pieces.
Mineral water pour into a saucepan and put on fire. Add salt, cloves, sugar and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and cool.
Pour the still warm marinade over the fish, and when it is completely cool, put the mackerel in the refrigerator for 10-12 hours.

Recipe 2: Marinated mackerel with onions

This is the recipe most often used to prepare mackerel in restaurants. The fish turns out 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 tbsp.
Bay leaf

Cooking method:

We clean the onion and cut it into rings.
The greens need to be finely chopped.
Wash the fish, gut it, take out the film, cut it into portions. Sprinkle mackerel with onion and parsley.
Let's make the marinade. Pour water into a saucepan, put it on fire, add salt and sugar, bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and cool slightly.
Pour the still warm marinade over the fish and put it in the refrigerator overnight.

Recipe 3: Spicy pickled mackerel

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

Required ingredients:

Mackerel
Sugar – 4 tablespoons
Mineral water – 1.3 liters
Cumin – 1 teaspoon
Coriander – 1/2 teaspoon
Khmeli-suneli – ½ teaspoon

Cooking method:

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

Recipe 4: Marinated 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 portions, after cleaning and gutting it.
Carrots need to be washed and finely grated. Mix carrots with tomato paste. Pass garlic through a press into the mixture and mix everything.
Let's prepare the liquid for the marinade. Place a saucepan with 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 in the marinade and add chopped herbs. 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 warn about right away 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 piece

Cooking method:

Prepare the mackerel: cut off the head, tail, cut the fish into pieces.
Let's 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 lemon cut into thin slices.
Marinate for 5-6 hours.

Chefs have debated for decades whether mackerel should be thawed before marinating or not. In fact, you can cook fish in several ways, including without defrosting. How to defrost fish quickly? Place it in a plastic bag and place it in water.

Buy fish from retail outlets where they sell only fresh food. What should good frozen mackerel look like? The carcass should be firm, without looseness. If there are gills, they should be firm and dark in color. The smell of fish should be neutral. Do not purchase 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 above marinade recipes are good, but you can safely add any ingredients you like. Try adding pieces of orange and apple, beet, and various spices to the marinade. Parsley root will give the fish a very original aroma.

You need to use sugar in the marinade. Try using unrefined brown sugar instead of regular white sugar. If you don't want the marinated mackerel to be too 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 too salty.

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

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