How to cook rotan fish. Recipes, tips.

An inconspicuous inhabitant of ponds, lakes and other freshwater bodies, a fish nicknamed rotan has a very ambiguous and controversial biography. Depending on the region of the Eurasian continent, it is called differently - firebrand, grass fireweed, Amur goby, firebrand rotan and even pensioner. It is also called a trash fish, a parasite and a restless alien, although not all fishing enthusiasts agree with these definitions. In the photo, the firebrand looks scary.

Description

The unusualness of the firebrand lies not only in how many names it has and its similarities with representatives of the goby family. This fish is worth reading its description in more detail.

Amursky

There is no information in ichthyological reference books about the classification of sleeper into any subspecies. There is an assumption where the fish got the name Amur goby. It was there, in the basin of the Far Eastern Amur River, that the original habitat of the firebrand was located. In appearance - a “cheeky” head, making up almost a third of the length, a huge toothy mouth and sharp-looking lower fins - the fish really looks like the ubiquitous goby. This could serve as a reason for aquarists in Russia and abroad to call the firebrand the Amur goby.

Main characteristics of the appearance of rotan:

1. Short, dense body, covered with small scales.
2. The dull color of the scales is a variation of dirty brown and gray-green with inclusions of different shapes and sizes.
3. In males, as the mating season approaches, the scales darken and become almost black.
4. The abdomen is usually monochromatic and gray.
5. Body length with head – from 14 to 25 cm.
6. Average weight – 300-400 g.

There are rumors among amateur fishermen that under favorable conditions, rotan grows to more impressive sizes. But fish with length and weight parameters that are enormous for rotans are extremely rare.

Sewer

Some fishermen call the firebrand a sewer dweller. This is due to the fact that it is absolutely undemanding to environmental living conditions. Rotan thrives both in the cleanest lakes (it has recently appeared in Baikal) and in dirty reservoirs where sewage drains are discharged. Hence its unsympathetic nickname, which causes many fishermen to doubt whether this fish is edible. Scientists consider its appearance in Baikal to be a biological contamination, although no one can say for sure how long the firebrand lives in this lake and whether it caused damage to the Baikal ecosystem.

This fish is also one of the few that can survive winter in a reservoir frozen to the bottom. Rotan has the ability to release glucose and glycerol at low temperatures, which increases the concentration of salts in its own tissues and in the surrounding water. Thus, rotan manages to disrupt the process of crystallization of water around itself and survive at the lowest possible temperatures and even for some time without water.

We recommend that you learn more about the fish that has an external resemblance to rotan - the goby.

The amazing viability of rotan is confirmed by experiments carried out on it by home-grown experimenters. For example, they keep it in the refrigerator for 12 hours in a container without water, and then release it into the pool - the fish comes to life. Or they freeze the rotan in the freezer (from 6 hours), then defrost it, and within a few hours its vital functions are restored.

Description and habitats

Rotan is characterized by several names: it is called grass, firebrand, and Amur goby. In most cases, this is not a huge fish, reaching a length of 25 cm and no more. For the most part, anglers catch smaller specimens on the hook. Along with this, both large and small specimens are suitable for consuming various dishes. Due to the fact that the fish has a huge head, it was called “firebrand”. In the mouth of this fish there are a couple of rows of fairly small and, at the same time, sharp teeth. The scales of rotan are dull, dark brown or gray-green, but during the breeding season the scales of males acquire blacker shades, almost dark.

Rotan is considered a rather scary predatory fish that feeds on fish fry, small lizards, small fish, and newts. In a closed reservoir, if there are no other predatory fish in it, rotan is able to eat all other peaceful fish. Based on this, it is possible to influence the number of this predator through another, larger predator. The homeland of this predator is considered to be the Far East, the Amur River, Korea and China. Amur sleeper spread through aquariums, at a time when their owners were producing it, noticing that it was destroying the rest of the fish in the aquarium. Then, it began to multiply in different bodies of water and a lot. As unusual as it may seem, the crucian carp had a particularly hard time.

Predator or not

Rotan is a predator, and owners of private fish farms accuse it of exterminating the population of valuable commercial fish, since it reproduces very quickly. However, experts and lovers of this fish explain the “gluttony” of rotan by the fact that it simply has nothing to eat in an artificial pond. Only juveniles of valuable fish are usually released into private reservoirs. Therefore, if a firebrand accidentally gets there, it has no choice but to destroy the eggs and fry of valuable species.

Under natural conditions, rotan encounters enemies much faster than hunting objects. Pike, minnows, tenches, perches and other predators quickly destroy rotan while it is small, preventing the population from developing.

Rotan fish: appearance, lifestyle features, recipes

Rotan stands out for its special appearance. The large mouth with numerous small teeth arranged in several rows inspires fear. The species is considered a parasite and destroys large numbers of small fish.

In small bodies of water it can significantly reduce the number of other species. People call the predator a pensioner, a round log, a toad, a crabbill, a grassweed, a wrasse and other similar names. The most commonly used are rotan, ratan and firebrand.

Benefits and harms

Among fishing enthusiasts, there is ongoing debate around the potential harm and benefits of rotan fish. Some consider it a truly “weedy” inhabitant of fresh water bodies, displacing more valuable species or reducing their numbers. For pond farming, rotan clearly appears to be an enemy that can cause harm to fisheries and huge losses to pond owners.

Others justify rotan, saying that with proper management of fisheries, it is possible not only to preserve populations of valuable fish in its presence, but also to improve their condition. According to the observations of experienced fishermen, in natural ponds where rotan has settled, the populations of other fish are noticeably enlarged. That is, the individuals that survive as a result of natural selection grow to larger sizes than in the absence of such a “nurse” as rotan fish. Rotans get along especially well with crucian carp, since they are not competitors in nutrition: crucian carp feeds on plant foods, and rotan eats small freshwater animals.

This version is followed by connoisseurs of the taste of rotan. Its tender, white-pink meat has a dense structure; when cooked, it separates well from large bones, which are not so abundant in the body of this unusual fish. It tastes like crucian carp. The pulp contains all the macro/microelements and vitamins that river fish is rich in: phosphorus, calcium, potassium, molybdenum, vitamins PP, A, D, E.

Recipes

Many fishermen consider rotan a trash fish, unsuitable for food.
However, it is not. When prepared correctly, you can get a tasty and healthy dish. It can be fried, boiled, baked, used for rich soups, cold and hot dishes. Note!
Rotana can be dried and salted. But first you need to gut it and rinse it well under running water. The main condition for obtaining a tasty and high-quality dish is the use of fresh fish. Even after lying asleep for several hours, rotan significantly loses its taste properties. Below are some cooking recipes that are worthy of the attention of the fisherman.

Where is it found and what does it eat?

Rotan fish is found in rivers and lakes in northeast China, northern Korea, and northwest Sakhalin. At the beginning of the 20th century, the “Amur goby” appeared in reservoirs around St. Petersburg, after which it very quickly spread throughout the northern part of Eurasia, including most of Russia.

Photo. Habitat of rotan. The places where rotan originated are indicated in green, and the places of settlement in pink.

Rivers in whose basins rotan are caught:

• Ob is the largest river in Western Siberia;
• Styr is a tributary of the Pripyat, flowing through the territories of Ukraine and Belarus;
• Ural - flows in Eastern Europe through the territories of the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan;
• The Irtysh is the left tributary of the Ob, the waters of which pass through China, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation;
• The Danube is the longest river in the European Union;
• Dniester - flows through the territories of Moldova and Ukraine;
• Don is a large river in the European part of the Russian Federation;
• Dnieper - ranks 4th in length among European rivers;
• The Volga is the largest river in the European part of Russia.

Due to its dark, dull color, rotan is almost invisible in the water, which serves as good camouflage for it when hunting. Firebrands feed on:

• small fish, often of their own species - cannibalism flourishes among them;
• fry, tadpoles, invertebrates;
• crustacean larvae;
• newts, leeches;
• caviar of other fish.

Ichthyologists have established that rotan practically does not feed on aquatic plants; no traces of food of plant origin are found in the caught fish. Its diet consists of small specimens of river fauna that live in the waters and at the bottom of fresh water bodies.

Rotan dishes with photos and a short annotation

Below we briefly describe rotan dishes. You can learn cooking recipes by clicking on the link of any dish you like, reading a short description and looking at its small image.

Small fish are great for making sprat. The easiest way to prepare a snack is in a slow cooker. You will need very few ingredients, including onions, oil, spices, and tea leaves. Another dish in half an hour is cooking rotans with onion pulp, soy sauce and starch, deep-fried, in the Chinese style.

Two rotan dishes with photos. 1) Home-style fish, breaded with corn flour, fried on the stove. 2) Fried carcasses, additionally brought to softness in tomato sauce, tasting like canned food. This rotan with leeks and spices is prepared for future use, placed in glass jars.

How to cook rotans in the oven. The best seasonings and spices for cooking fish in the oven. Choosing the optimal temperature. How to simply bake fish, sprinkled with salt and pepper. A more complex recipe is fried rotans, baked in a sauce of onions, sour cream, tomato paste and spices.

How to cook dishes from rotan, ground together with bones. A classic version of preparing cutlets with onions, carrots and bread soaked in milk. Making cutlets from boiled rotan pulp, twisted in a meat grinder along with potatoes. Rules for frying cutlets in a frying pan with oil.

How to make fish soup from rotans tastier. Various cooking options: pouring fish with cold water or dipping in boiling water. Optimal fish to water ratio. What products are needed for real fish soup. Recipe for rotan fish soup with vegetables and roots. Double fish soup made from rotan heads.

Canned rotan dishes with photos, prepared at home. Three recipes for canned rotan. 1) With onions and carrots, in tomato sauce. 2) Sprats are tastier than “Riga” ones, with onion skins and spices. 3) High-speed preservation of fish, placed in sterile jars, in a closed autoclave.

Preparing fish for drying. Salting options. Hanging rotans drying. The best places to dry fish. Aging time. How to determine the condition of fish and not miss the end of drying. What should a fish look like when it breaks? Packaging of carcasses, their storage for long-term storage.

This page describes the rotan fish. Recipes for preparing dishes from rotan and a list of dishes from other types of river fish can be easily found in the main menu of the site, in the “Fisherman’s Kitchen” section.

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In this article you will learn how to cook rotan fish - it’s simple and tasty.

Rotan is a small fish, its size is from 10 to 25 cm, and its weight is about 400 grams, it is also called the Amur goby. The meat is white and pink, incredibly dense, the bones are large and are found in small quantities. The taste will surprise you with its similarity to fish such as cod.

Before cooking fish, it must be cleaned. This is not difficult to do. You need to get rid of the scales, cut off the fins and clean the belly of the entrails. Afterwards, like any fish, we rinse it with water.

• 1 Methods for preparing rotan
• 2 Recipes for rotan main courses. 2.1 To prepare the cutlets you will need:
• 2.2 How to cook rotan fish. Dumplings
• 2.3 Rotan snacks
• 2.4 Interesting articles

Lifespan

If rotan were not edible, its lifespan could be 7 years. But usually rotan lives no more than 4-5 years. At 2 years of age, individuals reach sexual maturity and go to spawn. The female rotan lays about a thousand eggs, which attach to plants, pebbles or other objects at the bottom of the reservoir. Rotans prefer to spawn in stagnant waters - quiet river backwaters, lakes, where higher aquatic vegetation is well developed.

Rotan spawns in May-June. The eggs are guarded by the male until the fry hatch. Sometimes at the cost of one’s own life, because its meat is liked not only by people, but also by numerous river predators who control the number of rotan in nature. True, a new father can eat his offspring himself if there is no other food nearby.

How to catch Rotan

Rotan is not visually attractive, but despite this, the fishing process is exciting. The fish does not react to things that happen on the shore. It pounces on the bait greedily. You can pull it out of the water using regular float gear. The bait should be used exclusively live, it should smell delicious and behave actively in the water. If there is no reaction within 15–20 minutes, this means that it is better to put on a new bait.

We also recommend that you read the article: features of catching rotan in October.

When sport fishing, be sure to keep an extractor handy. Needed to remove the predator from the hook. Like a shark, rotan completely swallows the bait, so if you remove it carelessly, you can damage the internal parts of the fish, which is contrary to the principle of sport fishing.

To learn more:

Varieties of perch: description, habitats and habits

Spinning fishing involves the use of silicone baits. It is better to choose colorful options to attract fish. Rotan reacts equally to bait on the bottom or on the surface. The predator instinct works the same way. However, closer to the bottom the reaction slows down, because the firebrand is very lazy. Therefore, it is recommended to cast the bait closer to the surface, which causes adrenaline not only in the bait, but also in the catcher.

Advice! To increase the likelihood of a catch, use a hook on a red thread. This way the predator will be more interested in the bait.

Rotan as bait

This small predator attracts not only as a trophy. Using this bait you can catch an excellent catch in the form of pike or pike perch.

Advantages of rotan as bait:

1. Easy to catch. Even in the cold season, it is not difficult to catch a predator in a pond. It is enough to throw the bait, and the thirst for profit will do everything itself.
2. Glibness . One bait can help you catch several big trophies. If a pike or pike perch bites through the scales of a rotan, the fish will still remain tenacious and will also actively move in the water.
3. Range . With this fish you can catch many different species that live in the reservoir.

The largest in the world

Fishermen love to tell stories about huge fish of different species that they “caught in the old days.” Rotan also began to appear more and more often in stories, despite the fact that, according to ichthyologists, the maximum weight of an adult is 400 g. And yet on fishermen’s forums there are stories about 800-1000 gram rotans with a huge mouth and sharp teeth ready to bite the hand of a gaping fisherman. True, all these stories are not accompanied by photographs or other documentary evidence. The largest rotan that was captured in the photo was 550 g, according to its catcher.

Keeping in an aquarium

Lovers of original pets have long learned to breed rotan in an aquarium. This does not require any special skills, the main thing is to feed it correctly so that it does not eat other inhabitants of the home “reservoir”. According to aquarists, this “monster” is capable of swallowing up to a dozen female guppies in a few days. For this reason, they try to keep rotans in a separate aquarium.

Firebrands eat everything that is protein food of animal origin:

• worms, flies, moths;
• larvae and bloodworms;
• pieces of frozen fish;
• minced meat or fish.

Even not very careful aquarists can take care of firebrands, since these fish:

• do not need frequent cleaning of the aquarium, the water can not be changed for more than 2 weeks;
• do not suffer from a lack of oxygen, aeration of the aquarium is practically not needed;
• tolerant to changes in temperature of water and ambient air.

Both at 0 and at 400, rotan feels great, grows well and reproduces in captivity. Aquarium rotans differ from those found in nature by the golden color of their scales. Only in males it darkens slightly on the eve of the mating season.

Watching these active fish is quite interesting. Although many call them lazy, they constantly fight for territory and start fights among themselves.

The only thing that can happen to a careless rotan owner in an aquarium is attacks of cannibalism if they are not fed on time. In the absence of food, large individuals will certainly eat smaller ones.

Minced meat dishes

In addition to cutlets, other delicious dishes are prepared from semi-finished fish products:

• Balloons. For them you need to mix mashed potatoes and minced meat (1/1), a raw egg and a small amount of butter, form into balls, roll in breading and fry in vegetable oil. When serving, add sour cream and herbs.
• Dumplings. In this case, you should add white bread, a raw egg, grated boiled carrots and beets to the minced fish. Form into balls and boil in fish broth or fry in vegetable oil.
• Ushki or Belarusian dumplings. Here rotan acts as a filling, which will require 300 g of minced meat, 1 tbsp. l. fried mushrooms with onions.

Fish casserole

In addition to these dishes, you can prepare fish casserole with mushrooms. For this you will need to take:

• rotan fillet – 650 g;
• wild mushrooms or champignons – 350 g;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• potatoes – 350 g;
• sour cream – 180 g;
• eggs – 1 pc.;
• butter – 1 des. l.;
• salt, pepper, seasonings - to taste;
• lean oil - for frying.

First, fry chopped mushrooms and onions in a mixture of oils. At the same time, prepare the filling for the casserole from sour cream, eggs, salt, pepper and seasonings.

When the mushrooms have cooled, they need to be put through a meat grinder along with the rotan fillet, salt and pepper, add a little soda for fluffiness and mix everything well. Then very thin (2-3 mm) potato slices should be placed on a baking sheet greased with butter, lightly salted and minced fish and mushrooms placed on top, smoothed and poured with sour cream. All that remains is to bake for 40 minutes in a well-heated oven (180 degrees) and serve hot.

Fish zrazy

Another interesting recipe is zrazy with cheese and egg. They will need:

• rotana – 1 kg;
• onions – 1-2 pcs.;
• semolina – 2 dess. l.;
• hard cheese – 200 g;
• eggs – 2 pcs.;
• green onions - a bunch;
• salt, pepper - to taste;
• vegetable oil - for frying.

Grind the fish fillet and onion in a meat grinder, add semolina, salt, pepper and knead thoroughly. To fill the zraz, you need to grate the cheese, chop the green onions and boiled eggs, and mix. Form balls from the resulting mass. Then you should make balls from the minced meat, flatten them, place a cheese ball in the middle and mold the edges.

Now the round zrazy need to be fried in a deep, thick-walled frying pan in vegetable oil. The fire should be medium. Serve hot, otherwise the melted cheese inside will become hard again. You can serve sour cream separately.

Goby and rotan - what is the difference

Despite the similarity, rotan does not belong to the goby family. This fish belongs to the genus of firebrands of the firebrand family, being its only representative. An important difference between the firebrand is that it is an inhabitant of freshwater bodies of water, in contrast to different types of gobies that prefer salty and slightly desalinated waters. These fish also have external differences:

• a spine characteristic of perciformes, located on the gill covers; in fish the firebrand is soft, while in gobies it is quite hard and prickly;
• the dorsal fins of the firebrand are also soft, while the gobies have hard rays protruding on one of the fins;
• the pelvic fins of the firebrand are paired, disproportionately small and located near the head; in gobies they are fused into one fin, more reminiscent of a sucker;
• some types of gobies (for example, whip goby, or martovyk) grow up to 50 cm in length and weigh up to 1.5 kg, and the maximum recorded weight of a firebrand is 550 g;
• the classification of gobies includes 186 genera (31 species are found in the Black Sea alone), and rotan is the only representative of the genus of firebrands.

Firebrands and gobies are actually very similar, although they belong to different families.

There is another version why rotans are sometimes called gobies or confused with them. Or, on the contrary, the bull is called ratan. This is because of the Latin name of one of the Black Sea gobies, Ponticola ratan. The Black Sea “ratan” is one of the smallest representatives of the goby family, it grows only up to 10, rarely up to 20 cm in length, and its weight does not exceed 100 g. Fishermen call it the Black Sea goby.

Unusual in all respects, but very interesting and tasty rotan fish, no matter how much they talk about it as weed, insatiable and dangerous, is becoming a popular object of fishing. Fishermen are attracted by the active bite of rotan, its taste and the absence of small bones.

Rotan cutlets

Cutlets are very easy and quick to prepare. You can serve with any side dish (rice, potatoes) or simply with a salad of fresh vegetables.

You will need:

• 700-800 gr. – rotanov
• 250-200 gr. – fatty pork (optional)
• 1 PC. - onion head
• 2 slices – white bread
• 1-2 pcs. – chicken eggs
• 150 gr. – milk
• 30-50 gr. – butter (if without pork)
• Salt, pepper, dill - to your taste
• Breadcrumbs - how much will it take?
• Vegetable oil - for frying

How to cook:

1. We remove the head and all the insides of the fish, then rinse well under cold water. Then remove the bones and cut into fillets.

2. We pass the fish fillet, pork and onion through a meat grinder.

3. Then add the egg, salt, spices, bread seen in the milk, mix everything. All that remains is to add chopped dill and melted butter if you decide to cook without pork.

4. Knead the minced meat thoroughly, form beautiful cutlets, roll them in breadcrumbs and fry in vegetable oil on both sides until cooked.

Calorie content per 100 g. – 90 kcal

Bon appetit!