Salted sabrefish is a very tasty, aromatic dish. Once this fish was so demanded by the consumer that it had to be included in the Red Book. Thanks to this, it is possible to exercise control over the sabrefish population.
Do not worry about the fact that sabrefish is listed in the Red Book. In some areas, its commercial breeding is practiced. Thanks to this, you can easily buy sabrefish in the store and calmly indulge your taste buds with various dishes from this wonderful fish. Chekhon, like kutum fish or common carp, belongs to the numerous carp family. Gourmets claim that the fish of this particular family are especially good when salted.
Before you start making sacheon, you need to choose a method. If we talk about salting, then there are two ways: dry and wet. They differ from each other in that the dry method uses ordinary salt, and the wet method uses a specially prepared saline solution.
How to dry salt sabrefish
Most often, sabrefish is a small fish, and quite bony. That is why it is most often used in salted or dried form.
First, you need to prepare a container of a suitable size. It is better if it is not too high, but with a wide bottom. Now fill the bottom of the container with salt, the layer should be about one centimeter thick. Now you need to deal with the carcasses of sabrefish. They need to be thoroughly rinsed under running water. Do not rush to immediately put the fish in a container, because the carcasses should not be soggy, so first remove excess moisture with paper towels. Now you can put the saber into the container. Fish should be stacked fairly tightly to each other, and their abdomens should always be directed upwards. Do not forget that the fish also needs to be well salted on top. Experienced housewives recommend using about 150 grams of salt per kilogram of sabrefish.
Not too large carcasses of sabrefish when salted can not be gutted. This will allow the fish to soak better, which means it will make it more juicy and aromatic.
If there is a need to lay the sabrefish in several layers, then do not forget to sprinkle each of them with salt, and in this case, the carcasses must be stacked as tightly as possible, otherwise all the salt will end up at the bottom of the container. When salting sabrefish, it is very important to follow one simple rule: large carcasses should be placed on the bottom of the container, and small ones - on top. So the fish will be more convenient to eat, because small carcasses will be ready much faster than large ones. On average, salting a small carcass takes about four days, and a large one - ten.
It is very important to be able to correctly determine the readiness of the fish. This can be done based on eye color and carcass density. It is believed that the sabrefish is ready if its eyes have acquired a reddish tint, and the back has become quite flexible and dense. Another sign of readiness may be the lack of juice release from the fish, but this is more true for small sabrefish carcasses.
When you are convinced that the sabrefish is well salted, you can proceed to the next stage - soaking. This is necessary in order to rid the fish carcasses of excess salt. Nothing fancy here, just put the fish in cold water for a few hours. Gourmets claim that the optimal soaking time directly depends on the duration of the salting. For example, if the carcasses have been salted for four days, then they need to be placed in water for four hours. After the soaking process is complete, place the saber on paper towels and pat dry. That's all, the fish is ready to eat. Now you can go directly to the meal, indulging yourself and your loved ones with the amazing taste of salted sabrefish.
How to salt sabrefish in a saline solution
For salting 1 kg of sabrefish you will need:
- 1 kg of salt;
- 1 tablespoon of sugar;
- 3 liters of water.
Prepare a brine from water, sugar and salt, place the washed sabre into it, close the container or put oppression. Usually the fish is ready to eat in a week.
