Fish shashlik is the fastest and easiest to prepare variant of the Caucasian dish. Despite the fact that cooking fish kebab does not require long marinating and special skills, you need to know a few small secrets of its preparation in order to enjoy its bright aroma and delicate delicious taste.
Choosing a fish
The ideal option for a kebab is a live fish, since you will not have to doubt its freshness. If this is not possible, then take frozen fish. Then you need to approach the defrosting process very responsibly, completely rejecting the emergency option, you need to take care of this in advance. It is strongly not recommended to defrost fish in warmth. This must be done on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, at a temperature of + 5 degrees. The kebab will turn out dry and tough, and will also lose its flavor if you use the microwave to defrost it.
What kind of fish is suitable for barbecue
But before you start choosing fish for its freshness, you should decide on its type, since not every fish is suitable for cooking in this way. Only fish with dense meat and fat enough can be skewered and fried over an open fire. For these purposes, sturgeon, tuna, swordfish, salmon are suitable. If the fish is small, but its flesh is dense, like mullet or mackerel, then it is also suitable for barbecue.
Marinade
The fish meat itself is tender, and on the fire it acquires a subtle interesting aroma, so most often additional aromas are not needed for the fish. But before the fish gets on the grill, it can be placed in a soy sauce or acid marinade for a very short time. You should not abuse vegetable oil in the marinade, otherwise it will constantly flare up on fire. Part of the marinade can be set aside to grease the finished fish with it. Pieces of fish, when strung on skewers, can be interspersed with pieces of fruit, tender vegetables or seafood.
Kebab readiness
It is very important to determine the degree of readiness of the kebab. An uncooked dish will taste rubbery, and such a shish kebab can very well undermine health. Overcooked fish will be tough and dry, or there is a risk that it will fall apart right on the skewer. The readiness of the kebab is determined with a fork. She needs to gently push the fibers apart on one of the pieces. Uncooked meat will be slightly transparent and glossy, while ready-made kebab, even in its thickest part, is matte and opaque.
Sturgeon kebab recipe
For a kilogram of sturgeon cut into portions, take a couple of onions cut into half rings, juice of half a lemon and chopped herbs, as well as white pepper and salt. Everything is thoroughly mixed and left in the refrigerator for an hour or two. Fry over coals on a wire rack or skewers. Serve on fresh lettuce, garnished with lemon wedges.
Catfish and salmon kebab recipe
Cut 500 grams of catfish and salmon fillets into portions. Add 100 grams of dry white wine, 100 ml of olive oil, a teaspoon of mustard seeds and ground paprika each, add salt and pepper to taste. Everything is mixed and marinated for half an hour. String the pickled fish on skewers, alternating between salmon and catfish, grease with the remaining marinade and bake on the grill. Serve with sour fruits or fresh vegetables.
