How to salt sockeye salmon tasty and quickly: recipes for lightly salted red fish

How to salt sockeye salmon tasty and quickly: recipes for lightly salted red fish

3.9 (78%) 10 votes

Among all salmon, sockeye salmon is considered the most delicious - after salting or smoking it remains very juicy. It's all about the thinnest layers of fat, which, when processed, give the meat of this type of red fish a special, delicate taste.

I love lightly salted fish, but manufacturers often use so many chemical additives as preservatives that I no longer want to buy it. Moreover, there is no desire to feed such a “delicacy” to your loved ones. Therefore, I have been preparing sockeye salmon preparations myself at home for a long time and will post several recipes here.

Selection and preparation process

Naturally, the best product remains freshly caught fish. Only residents of the Pacific Coast can afford such luxury; the rest of the population has to be content with freshly frozen semi-finished products. In the huge refrigerators of specialized stores, you should pay attention to whole sockeye salmon carcasses without heads, frozen by shock. Be sure to carefully examine the preparations for the future delicacy before purchasing - there should be no traces of primary processing or suspicious stains on them.

At home, leave the fish to defrost in the refrigerator. Do not rush into thawing - any acceleration of this process can ruin an expensive product.

After the carcass has completely thawed, drain the water that appears in the bowl with the sockeye salmon - it is strictly forbidden to use it for cooking broth, as some sites recommend.

Next, rinse the sockeye salmon thoroughly in running water and cut off the fins and tail with culinary scissors. Using a sharp knife, carefully open the belly and remove all the insides with your hands. Carefully examine the entire mass that ends up in the plate - the slightest signs of worms indicate that the product needs to be thrown away. In order to save money, I do not recommend using an infected product - the larvae of all marine parasites have too high a degree of survivability. But the consequences of infection are impossible to predict.

If upon inspection everything turns out to be perfect, carefully separate the caviar or milt. They can also be salted. Scrape the black film from the walls of the belly with the back of a knife so that the finished delicacy does not become bitter.

Rinse the prepared carcass and entrails in plenty of water and place in a colander or thick sieve - we don’t need excess water. As soon as the water stops dripping, wipe the workpiece with a linen napkin. Our further actions directly depend on how you want to salt sockeye salmon.

How to properly salt sockeye salmon

In terms of its taste, sockeye salmon is considered one of the most delicious when comparing the entire salmon family. The meat is quite fatty, which allows it not only to be salted, but also to be smoked. Chum salmon and pink salmon are not entirely suitable for this, as they turn out dry.

General cooking tips

1. Considering the fact that this type of salmon is quite fatty, it will take some time to salt it. The sample can be taken after a few hours, but it will not yet be a finished product. To get lightly salted, you need to wait about a day, then transfer the fish from the salting container into a bag and leave it for a day.
2. Pickling such a product fresh is dangerous - it may contain parasites. It is recommended to freeze it for 21 days at a very low temperature (-18 degrees Celsius).
3. When purchasing frozen fish, re-freezing is not required.

How to choose the right fish

• You need to buy exclusively fresh fish (live, chilled, and ideally first frozen).
• It doesn't have to be cleaned. You should buy a whole one. You need to cut it up yourself before salting.
• Caviar and even milk can also be used for salting; their taste is simply amazing.

Sockeye salmon fillet in brine

My favorite way to prepare this delicious fish. You need to cut the pre-cleaned carcass along the ridge very carefully and pull out the spine along with the large bones. Next, we spread both halves on the table and carefully examine each piece, pulling out the remaining bones with tweezers.

What we need:

• 1 kg sockeye salmon fillet;
• 5-9 tbsp. l. table salt;
• 1 liter of purified drinking water;
• 200 ml refined oil.

How to prepare:

1. Dry the fillet with skin lightly with a kitchen napkin.
2. Place a saucepan of water on the fire and add salt to the boiling water. As soon as the crystals dissolve, remove the brine from the stove and wait until it cools. Strain through several layers of gauze - rock salt contains a lot of insoluble particles, which will then crunch unpleasantly on your teeth.
3. Place whole pieces of fillet in lukewarm salted water for 30 minutes. Don’t be afraid to overdo it with salt – this fatty fish will never take too much.
4. Now we take the salted sockeye salmon out of the liquid and lightly blot it with a paper towel.
5. Cut the delicacy into portions and place in a glass or plastic container with a lid.
6. Fill the treat with oil. If you wish, you can add spices to the red fish at this stage. I use ground allspice and crushed bay leaf.
7. Close the jar of fish tightly with a lid and place it in the refrigerator for 10 hours.

You can use this preparation in any way you like – from breakfast sandwiches to complex salads.

Sockeye salmon - recipes

You can only buy it in large fish stores, the cost exceeds 700 rubles per kilogram, and canned fish is also on sale. In fish stores you can see not only whole fish, but also portioned pieces called steaks.

The most popular recipes for preparing sockeye salmon will be described below.

Sockeye salmon in the oven in foil

This recipe is suitable for both a holiday table and a weekday. Lovers of red fish meat will rate it highly, as the unusual combination with other ingredients and simplicity will not leave any gourmet indifferent.

Ingredients:

• Individual number of steaks (1 steak for each guest and 2-3 pieces in reserve);
• 100 grams of hard cheese;
• 100 grams of vegetable oil;
• Spices intended for fish;
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Cooking steps:

1. Pre-process the fish if it has been frozen;
2. Wash the pieces thoroughly and drain in a colander;
3. Next, put the fish, seasoning and oil in a deep bowl, and mix. It is advisable to leave it to soak for several hours;
4. Place the fish on individually prepared foil layers and cover with the remaining material;
5. Place all the pieces on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steak;
6. Then take it out of the oven and open the steaks a little;
7. Sprinkle with cheese and place in the oven until golden brown.

It is not recommended to keep in the oven for more than 45 minutes, as the fish may lose its properties. You can also add various herbs and seasonings during cooking.

Let's celebrate! You can prepare it not in an individual foil bag, but simply by lining the bottom with foil. To prepare the recipe, you don’t have to take steaks; you can bake the whole fish.

Stuffed sockeye salmon

The second dish, which will be described below, is not difficult to prepare, but will look advantageous anywhere. It is also important that it can be consumed by those who fast, on days when they can eat fish.

Components:

• 2 kilograms of sockeye salmon;
• 0.5 carrots and onions;
• 1 kilogram of potatoes;
• 1 large and juicy lemon;
• Greenery;
• Seasoning to taste.

How to cook:

1. Peel onions, carrots, potatoes and fry in vegetable oil on both sides;
2. Remove the fins and tail from the fish, and cut the belly;
3. Wash the sockeye salmon, dry it and only then use spices;
4. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and place the fish on it;
5. Stuff the inside of the fish with onions (rings) and carrots (rings);
6. Make vertical cuts and insert the lemon;

Bake for 25-30 minutes at maximum oven temperature.

How to salt sockeye salmon?

There are several ways to salt sockeye salmon:

1. Dry salting does not require additional marinade;
2. Wet salting requires the presence of a marinade.

Accordingly, it is not possible to answer which method will be tastier, since everyone has their own taste, but the dry method will be the most popular and fastest.

This method is easy to make and will help out when you forget to buy salted fish for sandwiches or salad.

For implementation, the following ingredients are required:

1. Small sockeye salmon;
2. Coarse salt;
3. Pepper;
4. Seasonings as desired.

How to cook:

• Gut the fish well, rinse and dry (it is best to take fillet, it is already processed and does not contain bones);
• If the fish is large, it is recommended to cut it into smaller pieces;
• Rub dry sockeye salmon with salt, and add seasoning and pepper to the belly;
• If you don’t mind the aroma of garlic and herbs, you can also add it;
• Place in a deep bowl and cover with a lid of a smaller diameter, adding a weighting agent. The fish will be ready to eat the very next day.

Let's celebrate! After such procedures, the fish can already be eaten; if it is not possible to eat the whole fish right away, it can be stored for 30 days in a cold room. In order not to confuse the production date, you should attach a sticker with the date of pickling, and after one month, dispose of it.

Baked sockeye salmon with cheese sauce

Sockeye salmon with cheese sauce sounds beautiful, but the taste is absolutely extraordinary. Cheese fans will definitely not remain indifferent to this dish.

Ingredients:

• 2 kilograms of sockeye salmon;
• 100 grams of fat sour cream;
• 200 grams of hard cheese;
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Cooking steps:

1. Prepare the fish for baking; you can use either steaks or whole fish;
2. Place on a baking sheet, sprinkle with spices, place in the oven for 15 minutes;
3. Mix the grated cheese and full-fat sour cream and, after the time has passed, pour it onto the fish and leave for another 15 minutes;
4. Sprinkle with green onions and parsley before serving.

Cheese together with sour cream will give the dish the necessary tenderness and juiciness.

Sockeye salmon in a sleeve with vegetables

The dish is designed for 6 servings. Components:

• Sockeye salmon is small in size;
• 300 grams of potatoes;
• 1 large carrot;
• 2 onions;
• Odorless oil;
• Spices to taste.

Preparation:

1. Place the potatoes, cut into rings and properly peeled, into the sleeve;
2. Separately, fry onions, carrots and chopped garlic and pepper in a frying pan;
3. Then place the fried potatoes on top and place the fish, cut into small pieces, on top;
4. Tie the sleeve and make holes in it with a knife;
5. After that, pull out the sleeve and open it on top, put it in the oven until golden brown.

Sockeye fish soup

Fish soup is usually called a romantic dish, since it must be prepared using freshly caught fish from nature. But despite the standard of preparation, fish soup can also be cooked at home with red fish.

Components:

• Sockeye salmon with bones (bones will make the broth much fattier);
• 3 medium potatoes;
• 1 carrot;
• 200 grams of millet;
• Salt;
• Greenery;
• Water.

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Pour water into the pan and add the fish, cook after boiling for 10-15 minutes;
2. If bellies and tails were taken, then remove them from the broth and separate the bones from the fillets;
3. Add diced potatoes and carrot rings;
4. Rinse the millet and add to the soup;
5. Cook for 25 minutes and add greens 2-3 minutes before readiness.

It will take about an hour to fully cook the fish soup. Soup prepared with sockeye salmon fillet is recommended for children who have a lack of omega 3 and calcium in the body. Sockeye salmon soup is tasty and fatty, which is an advantage, but not a disadvantage.

Fried fish

Sockeye salmon is mostly valued in its salted form, but frying the fish is much faster and no less tasty. The fish must be frozen to prevent the presence of parasites in the body.

Products:

• 1 sockeye salmon;
• 100 grams of odorless oil;
• 100 grams of flour;
• Salt to taste.

How to cook:

1. Wash the fish and cut into steaks;
2. Rub each piece with salt, roll in flour and place in a hot frying pan;
3. You need to fry on both sides for 5-7 minutes depending on the thickness.

It is recommended to sprinkle the dish with lemon juice before serving.

Fish should definitely be included in the diet of a healthy person at least once a week. Cooking fish dishes has a wide range and can never get boring. Sockeye salmon can be fried, salted, smoked, baked, or boiled. You can also prepare salad and fish soup.

Preparing the above dishes will not take much time and will bring to the body not only vitamins and minerals, but also the beneficial properties that we require.

When buying fish, you should choose it carefully:

• The fish should be odorless and without external damage;
• The meat should be of natural color;
• Steaks should not be slippery.

Note! The cost will naturally seem unaffordable for some citizens, for example, 700 rubles per kilogram multiplied by the weight of approximately 3-4 kilograms, then this is 2800 rubles. But you don’t have to buy whole fish; you can buy steaks.

Dry pickling

A quick and low-budget option for preparing a healthy delicacy. You should not be afraid that as a result of such processing the sockeye salmon will become dry - the special structure of the tissues in the muscles of the red fish will not allow seasonings and spices to spoil the juicy preparation.

What we need:

• 1 kg of fish without bones;
• 4 tbsp. l. table salt;
• 2 tbsp. l. granulated sugar;
• 1 tsp. spices to taste.

How to prepare:

1. Carefully remove the skin from the prepared fillet.
2. Sprinkle the mixture of dry seasonings and spices evenly over the surface of the fillet on both sides.
3. Wrap the sockeye salmon in parchment and place it in the refrigerator for a day. Be sure to place a deep plate under the package - during the salting process, the fish will give juice.

Before using, I lightly wipe lightly salted fish with a paper towel so that undissolved grains do not get into the sandwich or salad.

How to salt sockeye salmon at home

For central Russia, the sale of ready-made lightly salted red fish is considered traditional. True, not everyone can afford this pleasure - the price is too high.

The price of fresh fish, and especially frozen fish, is much cheaper. If the fish is frozen once, it does not lose its taste at all and you can safely salt it yourself. This process is not at all labor-intensive and will not take much time.

How to cook deliciously?

There are many ways to prepare this delicious meat. So, fish is often prepared in the same way as salmon. Sockeye salmon is also good in the oven. It also turns out great in a slow cooker. However, there are dishes that require the use of this particular meat.

True connoisseurs assure that once you have tasted sockeye salmon meat, it is simply impossible to forget its taste. Moreover, even chum salmon is in many ways inferior to oven-cooked sockeye salmon. It makes excellent balyks. How good is salted sockeye salmon! It can be eaten just like that, or can be used as the main ingredient for salads and a wide variety of cold appetizers.

From words to practice, it's time to familiarize yourself with some traditional recipes for cooking fish.

How to salt sockeye salmon?

There are many ways to salt fish, but they all have one feature - the meat will take exactly as much salt as it needs. This means that the product cannot be over-salted. The following ingredients will be needed:

• The sockeye salmon fillet itself is about 1 kilogram.
• A tablespoon of sugar and salt.
• Any other spices for fish.

Pour all the dry ingredients into a mortar and grind them thoroughly. Place sockeye salmon fillet in a salting container, sprinkle it with a mixture of spices, then put another piece and also salt it. After two days, the red fish delicacy is ready to eat.