Mackerel is among the most accessible and at the same time useful species of fish. It is oily, and its fat contains substances necessary for our body, which it is not able to produce itself. They need to add a lot of micro-and macro-elements, including phosphorus and iodine, a well-digestible protein. Many people enjoy eating this fish, but preference is salted or even smoked. Using it in this form threatens with edema and other troubles. A much better idea would be to cook the mackerel without pre-salting it. Delicious and juicy is mackerel, fried in a pan, but this way it is rarely done. The reason is the peculiar smell, which emits mackerel fat when heated. However, this problem is solved.
Cooking Features
Mackerel is a fatty fish, and even an inexperienced hostess can fry it deliciously so that it does not come out dry. To do this, do not need any tricks. However, when frying mackerel in a pan, the cook has to face another problem. It is the unpleasant smell that this fish exudes when heated. Knowing some tricks will solve this problem and cook mackerel in a frying pan so that it will turn out tasty and without a strong specific smell. To get a dish with excellent organoleptic qualities, you need to know not only how to save the fish from an unpleasant smell, but also a few other things, starting with choosing a product in the store.
- Mackerel is usually sold frozen. It is better to purchase a product that has been subjected to shock freezing, as it retains all its properties, including those that are beneficial to the body. Frozen fish is covered with ice glaze, this is normal, it is only important that the ice layer does not exceed 4-5% by weight of the fish. Experienced housewives prefer to buy mackerel with a whole carcass, that is, with the head, as it is easy to see from the eyes how quality a fish is. Muddy eyes and yellow spots on the carcass indicate that the product is stale. Crumpled carcasses that have lost their shape, the presence of water or snow in a package with fish indicates that it was improperly stored, thawed and frozen again. From the acquisition of such goods it is advisable to refuse.
- Mackerel is a fatty fish, so it almost always turns juicy, but experienced cooks still advise you to defrost it properly. Defrosting without a sharp temperature difference is considered correct when the product thaws in natural conditions, in a refrigerator or indoors. To accelerate the process, immersing the fish in warm water or heating in the microwave, it is undesirable.
- To prevent the appearance of an unpleasant odor while roasting mackerel, it must first be marinated for 30-60 minutes. Marinate mackerel in sour solution. Usually it is prepared from one part of lemon juice and three parts of water. Some gourmets instead of water diluted lemon juice with white dry wine. You can also make a marinade from grape or cider vinegar (6 percent), sugar and water. In this case, take a tablespoon of vinegar and one or two teaspoons of salt for half a glass of water.
- If the specific smell of mackerel doesn't bother you, you can do without marinade or pickle fish in mustard and spices for fish, they will give mackerel unique spicy and savory notes.
- Experienced chefs do not recommend roasting mackerel in olive oil. When heated, it emits a certain aroma, which, mixing with the smell of mackerel, becomes unpleasant. The choice is better to stop on refined sunflower oil or butter.
- So that the fish that are fried without breading, does not stick, it can be sprinkled with coarse salt.
- Mackerel can be cooked whole, in pieces or in the form of a fillet. Whole fish in a conventional frying pan cooks 30 minutes (15 minutes on each side), on a grill pan - 1, 5 times faster. Mackerel sliced and roasted for 15 minutes (approximately 7 minutes on each side). It takes 8-15 minutes to cook the fillet of this fish (depending on its size and the intensity of the flame on which the dish is prepared).
- Fried mackerel will taste better if cooked and served with vegetables, sour cream or mushroom sauce. If you want the fish to cover an appetizing crust, it is advisable to fry it in the breading. No less tasty is mackerel in batter.
The technology of cooking fish according to different recipes may have some differences. In order not to be mistaken and get the expected result, it is necessary to follow the recommendations accompanying the selected recipe.
A simple recipe for fried mackerel (no flour)
Composition:
- mackerel - 0.5 liters;
- apple cider vinegar (6%) - 20 ml;
- water - 120 ml;
- sugar - 5-10 g;
- butter - 40-60 g;
- Spicy herbs, salt to taste.
Method of preparation:
- Wash the mackerel, cut off the head and tail. Remove the insides. When cleaning the fish, be sure to rid it of the covering of the belly of the inside of the black film, it gives the fish bitterness.
- Cut the mackerel into pieces about 1, 5 cm thick. Fold in a bowl.
- Boiled but cooled water mixed with sugar and vinegar.
- Pour the marinade into the bowl of fish, mix it with your hands so that the marinade covers all the pieces.
- Wait half an hour, remove the pieces of mackerel from the marinade, dry them with a napkin.
- Sprinkle the fish with salt and herbs.
- Melt butter in a pan. Put the fish in the pan. Roast it on low heat for 7 minutes on each side.
Fried hot mackerel is served with a side dish of rice, potatoes or other vegetables.
Mackerel fried breaded
Composition:
- mackerel - 0.5 kg;
- salt - 5 g;
- flour - 50 g;
- ground black pepper - a large pinch;
- lemon - 1 pc .;
- water - 125 ml;
- refined vegetable oil - how much will go.
Method of preparation:
- Peel the mackerel, cut into fillets, cut into pieces about 2-3 cm thick.
- Mix squeezed lemon juice with boiled water, cooled to room temperature. Immerse in marinade pieces of mackerel. After half an hour, remove them from the marinade, pat dry with a napkin.
- Sift flour, mix it with salt and pepper, grind the pieces of fish fillets in this mixture.
- Heat oil in a pan. Put the pieces of fillet in it. Fry them for 4 minutes on each side.
Mackerel prepared according to this recipe can be used as a hot snack, served together with a side dish, or turned into a cold snack, served under a fur coat of roasted and pickled vegetables.
Mackerel in an egg and breaded, fried in a pan
Composition:
- mackerel - 0.5 kg;
- lemon juice - 20 ml;
- water - 60 ml;
- wheat flour - 150 g;
- chicken egg - 2 pcs .;
- salt - 5 g;
- refined vegetable oil - how much will go.
Method of preparation:
- Fish, after cleaning, cut into small pieces. Sprinkle with a mixture of water and lemon juice.
- Sift flour, divide into 2 parts so that one part is twice as large as the other. Most of the mix with salt.
- In a separate bowl, break the eggs and shake them with a fork or a whisk.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan. It is not necessary to pity him, otherwise the fish can burn.
- Take a piece of fish, dip it in flour, then roll in an egg, then breaded in flour mixed with salt. Put in boiling oil. Do the same with the other pieces of mackerel.
- Fry the fish from both sides until golden brown. It takes about 15 minutes.
This fried mackerel recipe is considered a classic. It is a bit more complicated than the previous ones, but the result is worth the effort.
Fillet of mackerel, fried in batter
Composition:
- mackerel - 0.5 kg;
- chicken egg - 1 pc .;
- milk - 50 ml;
- wheat flour - 150 g;
- salt, seasoning for fish - to taste;
- refined vegetable oil - how much will go.
Method of preparation:
- Gut mackerel, wash, divide into fillets. Cut the fillets into small pieces. Sprinkle them with spices for fish, leave for 10-15 minutes.
- While the fish is marinating, make a batter. To do this, break an egg into a bowl, add salt, whisk the egg.
- Pour the milk into the egg, beat them together.
- Sift flour. Gradually pouring it into a liquid base and stirring until smooth, prepare the dough, the consistency of a thick sour cream. Flour may take a little less or a little more than indicated in the recipe.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan.
- Place fish pieces on a fork, dip them in the dough and put them in the pan. Fry to a ruddy color for about 5 minutes on each side.
At first it is better to put the finished fish on a napkin so that it absorbs the excess fat, then put it on a dish and serve it to the table. Mackerel in batter is often served as a separate dish.
Mackerel in soy sauce, fried in a pan
Composition:
- mackerel - 0.5 kg;
- soy sauce - 40 ml;
- table mustard - 5 ml;
- mayonnaise - 20 ml;
- refined vegetable oil - how much will go.
Method of preparation:
- Put mayonnaise and mustard in a cup, pour soy sauce into it. Mix them thoroughly to get a uniform marinade.
- Cut mackerel into fillets. Cut the fillets into small, medium-sized pieces.
- Mix the fish fillet pieces with the sauce. Leave it for 40-50 minutes.
- Heat the pan, pour a little oil on it.
- Put the mackerel in a soy sauce marinated in a pan. Fry it, periodically turning, 8-10 minutes.
According to this recipe, mackerel is cooked simply, but it turns out delicious. She is good in both hot and cold.
Fried mackerel is an easy dish to prepare. If you know how to cook this fish properly in a frying pan, you will hardly smell any unpleasant smell. You can fry mackerel using several recipes, and each dish has its own admirers.
