Macrurus (grenadier): what kind of fish, photo, description, where it is found, how to cook, benefits and harm

What kind of fish, where is it found, description

At first glance, she may resemble an ancient monster. The appearance is very intimidating, but the meat tastes comparable to expensive delicacies. The grenadier lives in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and even in Antarctica.

Since the fish has sharp scales, it usually goes on sale already cut, which simplifies the preparation of dishes. Hoki belongs to the cod-like species. For its appearance, it received another interesting name - “rat tail”.

The fact is that she has an elongated body and a long tail. The fish looks like a giant tadpole. The body can reach one meter, and the weight can be 30 kilograms. The entire body of the fish is covered with sharp scales, and in some places there are spines on it.

Skin color varies from gray to black. The grenadier's head has large bulging eyes. The jaw consists of three rows of teeth.

It lives mainly at the bottom of the sea. However, young fish often swim on the surface. It has good eyesight and sense of smell and easily finds prey. According to official data, the fish lives for more than fifty years.

Stores usually sell grenadier fillets. But sometimes you can find the liver of this fish, which is one of the most exquisite fish delicacies. Grenadier caviar is very similar to salmon caviar in all its taste, chemical and even color.

In terms of industrial catching of grenadiers, the leading places are occupied by Denmark, Russia, Poland, and Germany.

The most beautiful - Atlantic grenadier

What is grenadier

This species is classified as a cod-like species. There is another name - “rat tail”. The fish received it for its unusual appearance. The body is elongated, and the tail gradually narrows, which is why the outline of the creature resembles a large tadpole. But it is significantly larger than it. The body reaches a length of up to 1 m. An adult weighs up to 30 kg.

The photo shows that the head looks disproportionately large. The entire body is completely covered with sharp scales. There are thorns on it, but there are few of them. The skin is gray, brown-gray, sometimes black. There are 2 fins on the back. Pectoral and anal plates are also present.

The Grenadier resembles prehistoric creatures in that it has a disproportionately large head and large bulging eyes. The jaw has three rows of sharp teeth.

The grenadier is found at depth and is well adapted for life on the bottom. The fish has a developed sense of smell and vision, which allows it to find prey even where there is very little of it. Finished products are usually sold in the form of fillets. Less commonly, manufacturers sell liver, which also has a rich composition.

Chemical composition and calorie content

Grenadier meat is very healthy. Its composition has some features. For example, due to its habitat, it accumulates Omega-3 fatty acids. There are three times more of them than in regular cod.

But this fish itself is not fatty. If you take just 100 grams of grenadier, it will contain 1.6 g of fat and 13.2 g of protein. But there are no carbohydrates in such meat.

Calorie content is 60 kcal per 100 grams. Based on this, dishes made from grenadier meat will be relevant for those who want to lose weight. Boiled fish has 58 kcal, baked fish has 78 kcal, and fried fish has 148 kcal.

Fish meat has a rich chemical composition. It contains such elements as:

• vitamins A, C, group B,
• a nicotinic acid,
• magnesium,
• calcium,
• fluorine,
• nickel,
• phosphorus,
• iodine,
• zinc,
• iron,
• manganese,
• amino acids.

Where does grenadier live?

This fish is classified as a cod-like fish and has the following features:

1. 
   The body of the grenadier is elongated, its color can be:

   black;
2. gray-brown;
3. gray.
4. The fish is completely covered with scales, sometimes there are small spines.
5. It has a large head and bulging eyes that make this fish look like a monster.
6. The teeth are arranged in three rows: one on the lower jaw and two on the upper.
7. The fish reaches more than a meter in length. An adult can weigh up to thirty kilograms.
8. The longtail has a well-developed sense of smell and vision, which allows it to survive even in places with scarce food. The main components of the diet are small fish, crustaceans and mollusks.

The habitats of grenadier are:

• waters of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans;
• Arctic;
• Antarctica.

In addition, the fish’s habitat is the cold waters washing the shores of Russia. It can be found on the coasts of Kamchatka, the Commander or Kuril Islands in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

Macrurus lives at great depths. At first, young fish are found near the surface of the water, and with age they descend to the bottom layers.

Benefit

The meat of this fish not only has excellent gastronomic properties, but also brings great benefits to the body.

1. It is recommended to eat grenadier dishes for people who have problems with the thyroid gland. This is due to the presence of iodine in meat.

2. Grenadier is included in the diet for children and pregnant women, because phosphorus and calcium will help maintain bone tissue in optimal condition.

3. Grenadier meat contains iron. Therefore, when eating it, the composition of the blood improves, in particular, hemoglobin increases.

4. Vitamins A and B are powerful antioxidants. Their main properties are prolongation of the body’s youth. Grenadier meat, which contains these vitamins, is suitable for the prevention of cancer.

5. Grenadier is also extremely useful for people who have undergone surgery. It will help restore the body faster and replenish it with the necessary elements.

Types of grenadier

There are about 300 species of grenadiers in the world. The most famous among them:

• small-eyed longtail;
• South Atlantic;
• comb-squamous;
• Antarctic;
• northern.

All represented inhabitants of the seas and oceans have a large body and a long tail. Distinctive features of the fish are the color of the scales and the shape of the head. Individuals are characterized by sexual deformity, due to the fact that females are more impressive in size than males.

At what age can it be given to children?

You can try to give this fish to a child no earlier than 11-12 months, when the baby’s digestive system is almost formed.

Cases of allergies or individual intolerance to this product in children are extremely rare, but in any case, at the slightest suspicion, it is better to consult a pediatrician.

A growing body urgently needs iron, potassium, phosphorus, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are present in sufficient quantities in this fish.

Rich catch!

Macrurus: benefits and harm

Fish have a number of beneficial properties. Among them are:

• strengthens the skeletal system;
• used during diets;
• maintains muscle tone;
• normalizes the condition of nails and hair;
• removes toxic substances from the body;
• prevents the occurrence of cancerous tumors;
• stimulates the functioning of brain cells;
• has a positive effect on the gastrointestinal tract;
• supports normal functioning of the thyroid gland;
• restores strength after prolonged illnesses and operations.

Negative aspects of the product:

• Pregnant and lactating women are prohibited from using the product;
• Causes an allergic reaction in a person prone to allergies.

How to choose when purchasing and how to store

How tasty the dish turns out depends on the correct choice. Before purchasing macros, you need to carefully inspect them. There should be no thick ice on it. This indicates possible repeated freezing of the product and loss of taste.

If possible, it is better to take chilled meat. Also, you should not buy if there are stains or bloody spots on the carcass. When there is doubt about the freshness of a product, there is no need to purchase it at all.

Stale fish turns into mush when cooked. It can disappoint not only with its taste, but also lead to poisoning. As for defrosting, it should not be defrosted in the microwave or under running water. It is optimal to prepare meat for cooking at room temperature.

A frozen product can be stored in the freezer for up to two months, after defrosting - no more than four hours.

What to cook?

Features and methods of preparing grenadier

To make the fish tasty, it is important to defrost it correctly. The carcass should not be placed in the microwave or warm water, as a sudden temperature change will ruin the structure of the tender fillet. It is better to put it on the refrigerator shelf above the freezer.

You can choose how to cook grenadier meat based on the following tips:

1. Cooking meat requires high temperatures. Otherwise it will fall apart.
2. It is better to fry small pieces of fish.
3. Fry the meat for no more than 30 seconds on each side.
4. Bake grenadier at a temperature of +200°C for no longer than 20 minutes.
5. When using a multicooker, set the “Baking” mode.

Heat treatment of grenadier requires high temperature.
It is better to bake the fish, since this method allows you to preserve the shape of the fillet and the maximum of nutrients. Meat can be fried in a hot frying pan, marinated, salted or smoked.

Stewing and boiling are not suitable for such a delicate product, since in the process the meat will disintegrate and lose some of its vitamins.

How to cook

You can prepare a huge number of different dishes from grenadier.

Experienced housewives claim that it will definitely turn out delicious if you cook it in a frying pan with a thick bottom.

First, you need to heat the dishes and pour oil. Before frying, the fillet is divided into two equal parts.

There is no need to try to fit all the pieces into the pan, because there should be space between them, otherwise it will become awkward to turn the meat and it will not cook properly.

The main difficulty when cooking is to make sure that the fish does not fall apart. The fact is that the grenadier has a special structure. It practically doesn't hold its shape. If the fish is not ready yet, it resembles jelly.

According to culinary experts, you need to cook grenadier meat over high heat. Thanks to its delicate structure, frying takes little time.

On average, each side is fried for fifteen minutes. After this, the dish is considered ready. It is only important not to allow the meat to shrink in size during frying.

This fish should not be stewed. It is either fried or baked. Anyone who follows the basic rules of cooking will receive a dish that is in no way inferior in taste to that of a restaurant.

The finished fish has white meat. There may be a pink tint. The grenadier tastes sweet. It slightly resembles shrimp. Interestingly, the finished meat has virtually no fishy smell.

This fish is combined with vegetables (cabbage, carrots, onions, potatoes, tomatoes), citrus fruits, herbs, some dairy products, chicken eggs, rice, sauces, and champignons.

Some housewives use grenadier meat as a filling for pies. But you need to prepare a little more fish than required, since in any case, during the cooking process, the volume of meat will decrease slightly.

Note to housewives:

How to cook grenadier - 13 simplest and most delicious recipes

How to cook grenadier in the oven

Macrurus baked in the oven is one of the most preferred methods of preparing such fish, in which the tender flesh remains juicy and maintains its integrity. In this case, the gutted carcass is stuffed with a mixture of vegetables and mushrooms, and at the end of baking it is topped with grated hard cheese.

Ingredients:

• grenadier – 1 piece;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• carrots – 1 pc.;
• mushrooms – 200 g;
• cheese – 50 g;
• salt, pepper, oil.

Preparation

1. The fish is rubbed with salt and pepper.
2. Onions, carrots and mushrooms are fried in oil.
3. Season the filling, fill the fish with it, and place the rest on top of the carcass.
4. Pack the fish in foil.
5. The grenadier will be baked in the oven for 30 minutes at 200 degrees.
6. 10 minutes before the signal, sprinkle the fish with cheese.

Grenadier fish: how to cook

There are a wide variety of recipes for preparing grenadier fish. Dishes can be prepared by frying, boiling, cooking in the oven or stewing. Cooking has features:

• defrost the product without sudden temperature changes;
• cook meat only at high temperatures;
• for frying, cut the fish into small pieces;
• place the dish in a preheated oven;
• In a multicooker, the product is prepared in the baking mode.