Chum salmon is a large marine fish of the Pacific salmon family with red meat and a pleasant taste. Chum meat is suitable for salting, frying, but it is very tasty and tender as a result of smoking. However, before smoking, the fish must be properly salted so that it does not turn out to be tough and dry.
It is necessary
- For salting chum salmon in brine:
- - 1 kg of disassembled chum salmon fillet;
- - 4-5 st. l. salt;
- - bay leaves - 5-6 pcs.;
- - ground black pepper, black peppercorns - to taste;
- - 500 ml of water.
- For quick salting of chum salmon:
- - 1 kg of disassembled chum salmon fillet;
- - 3-4 tbsp. l. salt;
- - bay leaf - 2 pcs.;
- - 1 tsp black peppercorns;
- - onions - 1 pc.;
- - 2 tbsp. l. vinegar (9%);
- - 50 ml of olive oil;
- - 700 ml of water.
Instructions
Step 1
Preparing chum salmon for smoking and salting at home is quite simple, you just need to choose the right fish and observe the proportions of the ingredients. Choose the whole carcass, with the head. Even if you spend more time cutting the fish, you will be sure that it is not spoiled. Buy chum salmon frozen only once. Multiple frozen fish can be distinguished by their appearance; a good chum salmon should be intact, with even fins. Be aware that frozen fish does not lose its flavor, but it is best to purchase fresh chum salmon.
Step 2
Now start cutting fish yourself. First separate the head from the carcass, remove the fins and tail, and then use a slit from head to tail to gut the fish, removing the entrails. Make incisions to the left and right of the spine and remove the bones from the chum. If you have a large carcass of fish, you can cut it into two pieces. If desired, peel the chum salmon from the scales and separate the skin from the sirloin, however, this will not affect the taste of the dish.
Step 3
The most common way to salt chum at home is to make a brine, which allows you to control the degree of salting and the softness of the fish. Boil water in a saucepan, then add ground pepper and peppercorns, as well as chopped bay leaf, mix well and keep on low heat for about 5 minutes. Cool the brine at room temperature.
Step 4
Put the fillet in a glass, enamel or plastic container and fill the fish with brine, then cover the container with a lid and refrigerate for 10-15 hours. Try not to use metal salting dishes, as metal can give fish an unpleasant aftertaste.
Step 5
If you have little time and need to quickly salt the chum salmon, then use the quick salting recipe. Cut the disassembled fillet into large slices and place in a plastic, enamel or glass container. In another container, prepare a brine from 500 ml of water and salt, then pour this brine over the fish, cover the dishes with a lid and place a heavy object on top as oppression. Chum salmon should be salted for 1, 5-2 hours at room temperature.
Step 6
Mix vinegar and 200 ml of water, pour over the fish for 10 minutes, and then drain the liquid. Peel and chop the onions into rings, then mix with other spices (pepper and bay leaf), top with olive oil. The oil is used to keep the fish from getting too dry. Put the chum fillet in this mixture, mix and leave for 15-20 minutes. After the indicated time, the salted chum salmon is completely ready and can be used for smoking.
