Homemade Dry Salted Mackerel

Lightly salted, aromatic, tender — mind-blowingly delicious! Dry salted mackerel, prepared at home, is a natural snack without preservatives or flavor enhancers. Despite the absence of brine, the fish is perfectly salted, while remaining delicate and tender in taste.
cook time: 48h
Ava Prescott
Homemade Dry Salted Mackerel

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

171
Calories
10g
Fat
4g
Carbs
16g
Protein

Ingredients (4 portions)

Basic:

Salt (with a slide) 1 tbsp
Sugar 0.5 tbsp
Ground coriander 0.5 tsp
Mustard (seeds) 1 tsp
Bay leaf 1 pc
Mackerel (large) 1 pc

Recipe instructions

Step 1

Step 1
How to make dry salted mackerel at home? Prepare your food. Take large, fatty mackerel — this fish will turn out the most delicious. It is usually sold frozen, so defrost it first by transferring it from the freezer to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. I advise you to start cutting fish that have not completely thawed — it will be much easier to cut it this way. Read about all the intricacies of proper defrosting in a separate article, link at the end of the recipe.

Step 2

Step 2
Wash and dry the mackerel. Cut off the fishʼs head and tail. Cut the belly and carefully remove the entrails. Be sure to remove the black film from the belly — it can give the fish a bitter taste. Rinse the mackerel again and dry thoroughly inside and out.

Step 3

Step 3
Prepare the spices. Their set can be very different. If you are not a fan of seasonings, then leave only salt and sugar for pickling. Otherwise, use any set. Grind coriander and mustard seeds in a mortar. Do the same with other large spices that you will add.

Step 4

Step 4
Pour salt, sugar, crushed grains into a bowl, and break the bay leaf with your hands. Mix all ingredients.

Step 5

Step 5
Cut a large piece of cling film. Place the mackerel carcass on it. Rub it well with the salting mixture on all sides, especially inside.

Step 6

Step 6
Wrap the fish tightly in several layers of film. Place it in the refrigerator for 48 hours. From time to time, turn it from barrel to barrel to ensure even salting. Before serving, remove the film from the mackerel, rinse it under cold water and dry it well. Dry mackerel is ready.

Step 7

Step 7
Cut the fish into pieces and serve. Bon appetit!

Additional rubrics

Related recipes