White fish: what kind of fish, where is it found, description, photo, benefits

What kind of fish, where is it found, description

The whitefish is a large predatory fish. It belongs to the whitefish subfamily (salmon family). The white fish has a relatively small head and a rather large mouth.

It contains small sharp teeth. The body of the fish is covered with silver scales. The back is characterized by a darker color - from bluish-green to brown. Adult specimens of the whitefish reach a length of up to one and a half meters and weigh about 50 kilograms.

There are several types of white fish:

Real whitefish

It is found exclusively in the Caspian basin, and spawning occurs in the Volga.

Nelma

It lives in the rivers of Siberia and the Arctic Ocean basin. Also found in North America.

The whitefish eats small fish, including herring, pike, gobies, and perches. Young animals of their own species can also serve as food. Puberty occurs around the age of 6-7 years.

Fish spawn once every 2-3 years. Life expectancy is approximately 12 years. The fish is very careful. Usually lives at depth. It is very rare that you can catch it with a spinning rod.

Nelma

Very often, nelma and white fish are considered the same fish, but in fact this is not the case. They are part of the same subfamily of whitefish and live in the same rivers. Their differences are that:

nelma comes from the Arctic Ocean;
nelma reaches 1.5 meters in length and can weigh 28 kg (in rare cases 40 kg);
Spawning of nelma takes place in September.

It also happens: What crucian carp bites on in the spring: Baits and groundbait for catching crucian carp in the spring
Otherwise, these two fish are similar.

Ingredients:

1 Nelma carcass (about 800 grams);
1 lemon;
1-2 cloves of garlic;
2 medium onions;
3 tablespoons olive oil;
1 tomato;
1 bell pepper;
2 small carrots;
seasonings for fish to your taste;
a pinch of sea salt;
a bunch of parsley.

The total time to prepare the dish is 60-70 minutes. Calorie content: 86 kcal per one hundred gram serving.

Recipe step by step:

Rinse the fish carcass, clean the abdominal cavity of any remaining entrails, and remove the scales. Dry with paper towels;
Pass the garlic cloves through a crusher, add fish seasonings and salt. Generously rub the mixture onto the fish carcass inside and out. Sprinkle with juice squeezed from half a lemon and leave to marinate for 25-30 minutes;
Peel and wash vegetables: carrots, onions, bell peppers. Cut the onions into quarter rings, carrots into slices, and bell peppers into short strips and sauté in a frying pan in olive oil. Add salt and let cool;
Cut the remaining half of the lemon and the tomato into half rings;
Line a baking dish with 2 layers of foil (cut with excess so that you can fold the edges and cover the fish), grease with olive oil;
Make cuts in the side of Nelma (at an angle), place the carcass on foil and stuff the belly, alternating slices of tomato and lemon, on which, in turn, place sautéed vegetables. Insert the remaining half rings of lemon and tomato into the side cuts;
Finely chop the washed greens and sprinkle them on the stuffed fish carcass;
Fold the edges of the foil and place in a preheated oven to bake for half an hour.

Compound

White fish has a pronounced nutritional value for the human body. This applies to caloric content, nutritional content, and the content of nutrients.

The meat of this fish contains:

1. Vitamin PP (it is involved in carbohydrate and fat metabolism. It is necessary to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood and increase the content of lipoproteins. It, in turn, prevents atherosclerosis and thrombus formation),

2. Vitamin D (required for bone formation and immunity),

3. Vitamin B12 (needed for the process of hematopoiesis and nerve impulse transmission),

4. Omega-3 and -6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (they are involved in metabolism. Necessary for the prevention of thrombosis, heart attack, stroke, varicose veins, tumors),

5. Macro- and microelements (potassium, phosphorus, sulfur, zinc, iodine, fluorine, molybdenum, nickel, chromium, chlorine).

Value for the market, types of factory preparation

Its commercial catch is small, so developments are underway to breed whitefish in artificial conditions. Due to its nutritional value, the content of a significant amount of vitamin PP, essential fatty acids, and high calorie content, this fish ranks second after sturgeon species. Its meat is white, dense, and pleasant to the taste.

In stores it can be found frozen or salted, or purchased in the form of balyk. Due to its high fat content, the meat cannot withstand long-term transportation, so fresh whitefish is not found on the shelves. What kind of fish, if not it, should be loved by doctors, in particular nutritionists? Below we will discuss the benefits of this product for the human body.

Benefit

1. White fish meat is very useful for people with thyroid diseases.

2. The product improves the functioning of the digestive and cardiovascular systems.

3. It is needed to strengthen bones and joints.

4. Children are given white fish meat to prevent rickets.

5. Pregnant women should eat it as a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamins. They will contribute to the proper formation of the fetal nervous system.

6. Those who want to lose weight can also eat white fish meat.

7. Whitefish helps remove excess fluid from the body and facilitates the functioning of the kidneys.

8. It is worth eating the product in late autumn, winter and spring. At this time, the lack of vitamins is especially severe. Dishes made from this fish will protect against vitamin deficiency. Fatigue and drowsiness will disappear. The product may help with insomnia and depression.

9. Scientists have found that white fish meat improves memory. Dishes made from this fish prevent Alzheimer's disease and eliminate the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

10. Whitefish should be on the children's menu. It not only reduces the symptoms of autism and ADHD, but also contributes to the child’s better performance in school.

11. It has an anti-inflammatory effect, the product prevents inflammation and destruction of bone tissue.

12. It is worth eating fish if you have dry eye syndrome. The product relieves the symptoms of macular degeneration.

13. It is important for women to include white fish in their menu, as this product preserves youth longer. It will help maintain skin firmness and elasticity for a long time, get rid of wrinkles and age spots.

Suitable for frying, boiling, stewing, baking

Whitefish baked in sour cream and garlic sauce with cabbage leaf

In this recipe, by the way, white fish can be replaced with any fish with white fatty meat, but it is better, of course, to follow the original set of ingredients.

For two standard servings you need to take:

small white fish fillet, about 400 grams;
large leaves of white cabbage - 4 pieces;
200 grams of fat (21%) sour cream;
2 medium cloves of garlic;
a little dill, 50 grams;
half a beet the size of a fist;
2 teaspoons of red caviar;
salt and pepper to taste and optional.

What can you cook

White fish meat is quite tender. It has a delicate taste. The white layers of meat are easily separated. Fish has a lot of fat, so it spoils quite quickly.

For this reason, some fishermen try to cut up their catch immediately on the shore after a successful fishing - salt or smoke it.

In stores, whitefish is almost always presented frozen. It is considered a northern delicacy.

The fish is suitable for frying, boiling, stewing, and baking. Nelma is fried in a frying pan and served sliced with fresh vegetables.

If you have a multicooker at home, you can cook fish in it straight away. The product will retain all its beneficial properties. By the way, the broth also turns out to be useful.

Previously, whitefish was considered exclusively the food of the nobility. It was served at the festive table along with sturgeon. The fish was baked in kvass and cucumber brine. Even now you can find complex recipes for these delicious dishes.

When frying whitefish, it is important not to overcook it in the frying pan. Otherwise, a hard crust will appear on the fillet.

Not every housewife prefers boiled white fish. There is an opinion that in terms of taste it is much inferior to fried. But the boiled product is much better absorbed by the stomach. Pickled cucumbers, horseradish, and champignon sauce are combined with boiled white fish.

Anyone who loves fish soup can make white fish soup. The roots of parsley and celery will add a special aroma to the dish.

In order to diversify your menu, you should make cutlets from the meat of this fish. Cooks often add lard or chicken to the minced meat. The dish can be offered to children.

An unusual dish is white fish shish kebab. Surprisingly, guests are guaranteed not to be able to recognize the taste of the fish. Only experienced fishermen and tasters of exotic dishes will do this. The meal is served with wine and vegetables. To make the fish soft, housewives also serve the dish with bread greased with horseradish.

White fish pies turn out tasty and juicy. The smell of baking will definitely bring everyone to the table. It is advisable to eat it hot. In addition to fish, potatoes and other vegetables are sometimes added to the pie.

In order for the fish to be the most juicy, soft and appetizing, it is baked in foil. Many baked fish recipes contain lemon. Spinach and sorrel go well with baked fish.

Note to housewives:

Belorybitsa - 12 simplest and most delicious recipes

Fishing for white fish

At one time, the white fish was an object of commercial fishing, but now its population has decreased so much that catching a white fish is a great success.

At the same time, catching white fish is an interesting, unique activity. The meat of this fish has an excellent taste and can only be compared with red fish.

Where to fish?

You need to catch whitefish either in the Caspian Sea or in the rivers of the Caspian basin, for example:

Volga,
Ural,
Kame,
Ufa,
Chusovoy,
White.

The white fish, which is a migratory fish, will stay in these reservoirs all summer, until spawning in the fall, after which it will return back to the Caspian Sea and stay there until spring.

Fishermen recommend catching white fish exclusively from the bottom - it is much more likely to be found there than in other layers of water.

What to catch?

To catch this fish in the rivers where it rises to spawn, a spinning rod using small light-colored spinners, wobblers and rigs made from pieces of fish is suitable.

The whitefish settles in the pools, below the riffles. She hunts in places with fast currents - here you can offer her bait.

White fish are caught by fly fishing. Therefore, to catch it, you should use, among other things, flies of various models and colors.

If fishing is done with a float rod, then the following baits are suitable:

large bloodworm,
maggot,
muckworm,
small fish or live bait (in this case there is a chance to catch a trophy specimen).

She is very capricious and careful. If it gets hooked, expect a stubborn fight, this fish is strong and very active.

Please note that in many regions of Russia and other countries, fishing for white fish is prohibited due to the small number of the species.

Harm and contraindications

1. You should avoid eating fish if you are allergic to it or have an individual intolerance. Thanks to this, a person will not harm himself. It's also best to stick to the usual rules. Fish is bought exclusively in a store where product storage standards are observed. Pay attention to the freezing time.

2. It is better not to eat white fish for those who have been diagnosed with inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Since this fish is fatty, it should be eaten with caution by those who have an inflamed pancreas or liver disease.

3. When breastfeeding, it is important to eat fish starting in small portions. At the same time, the child’s reaction is monitored. If he has skin reactions or colic, it is better for the young mother to hold off on this meal.

4. If you eat too much white fish meat, you may experience abdominal pain, flatulence, and problems with stool. The optimal rate of use is 2-3 times a week.

5. It is required to cook, taking into account the cooking rules.

6. If you follow these recommendations, there will be no health problems. The product will be extremely beneficial.

Types of culinary processing

So, whitefish. What kind of fish is this: healthy, tasty, and easy to prepare! Its meat is tender, fatty and tasty. It makes excellent balyk, both smoked and dried. You can salt the white fish and eat it as is, or then add it to the hodgepodge to give the dish a spicy flavor.

“Whitefish? What kind of fish? How to cook?” the average person will ask. We hope that after reading our article, all his doubts regarding the origin and processing of this wonderful representative of the marine fauna of Russia will disappear.

A huge advantage is that whitefish is very unpretentious in preparation. The recipes are varied, but most of them are simple and do not require lengthy or extensive preliminary preparation, special knowledge or equipment. And this, you see, is important. Among others, noteworthy are those that describe baked whitefish in the oven: with a side dish, sauce or in its own juice. So, let's look at the most interesting options.

So, white fish... What kind of fish is this: healthy, tasty, and unpretentious in preparation! Its meat is tender, fatty and tasty. It makes excellent balyk, both smoked and dried. You can salt the white fish and eat it as is, or then add it to the hodgepodge to give the dish a spicy flavor.

It also happens: Catching catfish with a donk from the shore and from a boat, fishing techniques, do-it-yourself donk

Sequencing

Peel the fish, remove the bones and entrails. Then cut it in half to the end and unfold it like a book, back side up. Grease a baking tray with softened butter and place the fish on it. Preheat the oven to 180-200 degrees Celsius and place the white fish there. The dish is cooked until a golden crust appears. You can check the degree of cooking with a toothpick - the meat should be juicy, but already cooked. Then pour the brine and kvass onto a baking sheet, place the pickled mushrooms on top of the fish and simmer under the lid until fully cooked. That is, another 10-15 minutes.

Before serving, the dish can be decorated with herbs and mushrooms, and topped with kvass and brine sauce. You can experiment with the serving form, for example, in a deep plate. Bon appetit!

Cooking process

First, to decorate a ready-made dish, we peel raw beets, grate them on a coarse grater, squeeze out the juice and place them on a baking sheet in a thin layer, having previously laid them with baking paper or greased them with vegetable oil. We send the beets to dry in the oven at a temperature of 100 degrees Celsius for about an hour. Don't forget to check it so it doesn't burn.

The next step is preparing the sour cream sauce in which the fish will be cooked. To do this, finely chop the dill and garlic or pass it through a press. Then pour sour cream into a separate bowl and mix it with herbs and garlic.

Cabbage leaves must be blanched, that is, dipped in boiling water for two to three minutes. The leaves will become soft and pliable. Let them cool a little so as not to burn yourself, and give them a round shape, slightly bending them at the edges, like a cup. One serving will require two of these sheets.

Line a baking dish (baking tray with high edges, glass container) with parchment (if necessary), add cabbage. Place half of the sour cream mixture in the center. Spread it evenly on the baking sheet. Place the fish fillet on top and brush it with the rest of the sauce.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and place our fish there for 20 minutes. You can bake portions separately by covering the fillet on top with another sheet of parchment. Then the fish will be juicier, softer, although not as rosy as when opened.

It should be served sprinkled with pre-prepared beets. For a side dish, it is recommended to take red caviar.