Sprats, traditional for the Russian table, are associated by many with only one dish - classic sandwiches. However, with this hearty and tasty fish, you can prepare many interesting salads that will add variety to your usual menu.
The key to a delicious salad with sprats is the good quality of the fish itself. To do this, you must be able to choose the right canned food with sprats.
How to choose and prepare sprats for salads
- The color of the fish can vary from golden brown to light yellow. It all depends on the country of origin of the manufacturer of the canned food and the method of smoking the product. However, if the sprats are black or tarry, it is best not to use them.
- Inside the jar, the fish should be whole, even, snug against each other. Even if you plan on cutting them up for salad, the initial integrity of the carcass is an indicator of quality.
- Pay attention to the composition of the canned food. Ideally, sprats should contain only fish, vegetable oil and salt, and fish should be at least 75%. It is easy to determine even visually: the fish should not "swim" in the oil, but only be covered with an even layer of it.
Why can the taste of sprats differ significantly if the composition of canned food is always the same? It's all about the sawdust on which the fish was smoked: it is they who are responsible for the unique taste of the final product.
Salad with sprats "Tenderness"
This salad is suitable not only for the everyday menu, but will also be an excellent decoration for the festive table. The salad turns out to be very juicy and tender, and it is tasty even a few hours after cooking, when the ingredients are infused and soaked well.
You will need:
- Sprats - 2 cans (about 250 g);
- Onions - 1/2 head;
- Chicken egg - 4 pcs.;
- Large sour apple - 1 pc;
- Lemon - 1/4
- Semi-hard cheese - 150 g;
- Mayonnaise - 150 g.
Step-by-step cooking recipe.
- Boil eggs hard-boiled.
- Drain half of the oil from the fish jar. Mash the sprats with a fork together with the remaining oil.
- Finely chop the onion and scald with boiling water (to remove excessive spiciness). Squeeze and cool, then mix with sprats.
- Peel the apple, grate on a fine grater, sprinkle with lemon juice.
- Separate the egg whites from the yolks and grate separately on the finest grater.
- Grate the cheese on a fine grater.
- Put the ingredients on a flat dish in the following sequence: apples, grated protein, a layer of mayonnaise, sprats, cheese, a layer of mayonnaise, grated yolk. Garnish with fresh herbs before serving.
Salad with sprats and croutons
Why is bread considered the perfect companion for sprat? It's all about the fat content of the fish and the traditional oil dressing of the canned food itself. That is why rye or white bread croutons will fit perfectly into a salad with sprats.
You will need:
- Bread "Borodinsky" - 3-4 slices;
- Fresh tomatoes - 2 pcs. Of medium size;
- Sprats - 1 can;
- Granular mustard - 2 tablespoons;
- Sour cream 10% - 2 tablespoons;
- Parsley, salt to taste.
Step-by-step cooking recipe.
- Cut the bread into cubes and dry in the oven (10-15 minutes at 180 C) until golden brown. The croutons may remain a little soft on the inside.
- Cut the tomatoes into cubes.
- Remove the sprats from the jar, cut into several pieces.
- Mix mustard with sour cream, salt.
- Toss the tomatoes with the croutons in a bowl, add the dressing and stir gently so that the croutons are completely covered with it.
- Add the sprats to the salad, stirring very gently to avoid crushing the fish pieces.
- Garnish with herbs and serve immediately to prevent the croutons from swelling.
Warm salad with sprats and pasta
This salad turns out to be extremely tasty due to the interesting combination of ingredients, and at the same time it is very satisfying. In terms of the combination of macronutrients (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) and calorie content, such a simple salad may well replace a full meal.
You will need:
- Durum wheat pasta - 200 g (dry);
- Zucchini - 150 g;
- Bulgarian pepper - 100 g;
- Onion - 1 head;
- Sprats - 1 can;
- Egg - 2 pcs;
- Olive oil - 2 tablespoons;
- Lemon - 1/2.
- Seasoning "Italian herbs", or a mixture of dried oregano, basil, granulated garlic, dried tomatoes.
- Salt, dried herbs - to taste.
Step-by-step cooking recipe.
- Boil the pasta in salted water. To prevent them from sticking to each other, add a little olive oil (1 teaspoon) to the water. Throw in a colander and cool slightly.
- Cut the bell pepper, zucchini and onion into rings. If you have a grill, bake vegetables on it. If not, fry them in a frying pan until half cooked, having previously greased it with olive oil using a silicone brush. Vegetables should not fry and become soft, it is better that they remain a little crispy, but with a golden brown crust.
- In a separate bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice and dried herbs. Let it brew for 10-15 minutes.
- Mix pasta, vegetables and sprats (you can put them whole, cut large carcasses in half).
- Cut the boiled eggs into quarters and place on top.
- Pour the dressing over the salad.
Nice salad with sprats
The main thing in this salad is the taste sensation of each ingredient separately, without mixing the components. This effect is achieved due to sufficiently coarse cutting of the components and a minimum amount of dressing.
You will need (for 3 servings):
- Sprats - 1 can;
- Green beans - 200 g;
- Quail eggs - 12 pcs.;
- Cherry tomatoes - 12 pcs;
- Potatoes - 2 pcs.;
- Olives - 1 can;
- Olive oil - 2 tablespoons;
- Wine vinegar - 1 tablespoon;
- Dried basil - 1 tsp;
- Lettuce leaves;
- Salt, pepper to taste
Step-by-step cooking recipe.
- Boil the green beans in salted water.
- Hard-boiled eggs and cut into halves.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
- Boil potatoes, peel and cut into cubes
- Mix olive oil with dried basil and wine vinegar, mix thoroughly with a whisk or fork, let it brew for 10 minutes.
- Put salad leaves on a dish. On top, in no particular order, lay out the prepared ingredients, add whole olives. Drizzle with oil dressing, pepper and salt.
The salad does not need to be stirred until serving.
Diving fish salad with sprats
For this salad, whole, dense carcasses are needed, since the effectiveness of serving the dish depends on them.
You will need:
- Onions - 1/2 head;
- Champignons - 300 g;
- Green peas - 1 can;
- Chicken egg - 4 pcs;
- Canned sea cabbage - 100 g;
- Refined sunflower oil - 1 tbsp;
- Mayonnaise - 150 g;
- Sprats - 1 can;
- Green onions - 1 bunch;
- Semi-hard cheese - 150 g.
Step-by-step cooking recipe.
- Finely chop the champignons and onions and fry in sunflower oil until golden brown.
- Strain the green peas.
- Hard-boiled eggs and grate on a fine grater.
- Strain the seaweed and chop finely.
- Grate the cheese on a fine grater.
- In a round plate of medium depth, lay out the ingredients in layers in the following sequence: mushrooms with onions, green pot, mayonnaise, seaweed, egg, mayonnaise, cheese.
- Place chopped green onions along the circumference of the plate (imitation of grass around a pond).
- Stick the sprats and green onion feathers vertically into the salad.
Put salad in a portioned plate so that there are 1-2 fish in each portion. This dish looks very good in section, so it is recommended to cook it in a transparent plate.
Salad with sprats and rice
This dish, despite the seeming simplicity of the recipe and a small amount of ingredients, turns out to be quite unusual in taste. The whole secret lies in the special preparation of rice. You can make this salad both warm and cold.
You will need:
- Rice - 100 g (dry);
- Sprats - 1 can;
- Fresh cucumber - 1 pc;
- Green peas - 1 can;
- Hard cheese - 100 g;
- Garlic - 3 cloves;
- Sour cream - 3 tbsp. l.;
- Hot mustard - 1 tsp;
- Salt, herbs to taste.
Step-by-step cooking recipe.
- Boil the rice so that the grains remain intact.
- Cut the cucumber into small slices.
- Strain the peas.
- You can leave the sprats whole, or cut in half.
- Grate the cheese on a fine grater.
- Crush the garlic with a press or chop as small as possible.
- For a cold salad, prepare a dressing. Combine sour cream, mustard and garlic. Toss this sauce with the rice and cheese first, then add the rest of the ingredients.
- For a warm version of the salad, place rice, cheese, garlic and sour cream in a saucepan (you can no longer use mustard). Blanch over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted. Put in a salad bowl and add the rest of the ingredients, mix gently.
