Good day everyone! Do you like mackerel? The question is probably stupid. There are few people who will answer negatively.

And if this is very tasty marinated mackerel prepared at home, then not a single person will refuse such a treat.

Today I will share with you interesting and simple recipes that I use myself.
By the way, mackerel is one of the types of commercial fish. And it contains a huge amount of minerals and vitamins.

Do you know that such fish contains several times more easily digestible protein than beef?

And, in addition, there are sulfur, phosphorus, potassium, selenium and fatty acids that can normalize blood cholesterol levels.
So, let's figure out the secrets of preparing tasty and aromatic fish.

Let's start by learning how to choose the right quality fish. This product arrives on the shelves in frozen or fresh-frozen versions. Interestingly, mackerel is cooled and frozen right on the ship.

This kind of fish is often used for pickling or salting, so choose a whole fish with the head on, as you can judge its freshness by the eyes. They should not be cloudy or sunken.

Any finger dents should disappear quickly. The color of the fish should be grayish without yellow tints. Check the fish in the water.

A fresh specimen will sink, but this method is not suitable for frozen mackerel.

Don't wait for the fish to defrost until it's soft, but let it sit at room temperature for half an hour and start cleaning it.

Then cut the abdominal area with a knife and remove the entrails. Large fish weighing at least 350 grams are suitable for salting.
To get the fish, you need to find a cool place in advance. This could be a cellar or a refrigerator.

Cooking secrets

Little secrets will help you prepare delicious and beautiful fish.

So here they are:

1. Only by cutting a frozen carcass can you get an even cut.
2. To remove excess fat, try adding a little vinegar. But it’s important not to overuse it, otherwise you’ll ruin the taste of the fish.
3. You can experiment with spices, but bay leaves, cloves, extragon, coriander and Italian herbs are most suitable.
4. In order for pickled fish to acquire a sweetish taste, you need to take as much sugar as salt.
5. Juice with lemon will help get rid of the fishy smell.
6. To make the fish a beautiful yellowish color, you need to marinade it in tea.
7. To keep the fish for a long time, drain the marinade and then pour vegetable oil over the mackerel. Place it in the refrigerator in this form.
8. In addition to onions, fish can be marinated with carrots, and also finely chopped garlic can be added to it.

This delicious fish is served with any side dish: vegetable salad, rice or boiled potatoes.

Before serving, sprinkle with lemon juice, vegetable oil and garnish with herbs.

How to marinate mackerel

Before you start marinating, thoroughly clean the fish and be sure to remove the dark film. It is this that will give the dish a bitter taste.

The product can then be used whole or cut into pieces. The cooking procedure does not take much time, but the mackerel will be ready in 6-12 hours.
If you have never made a marinade before, then for the first preparation you will need garlic, water, onion, vinegar, sugar and salt.
You're probably wondering how quickly you can marinate this product. When cooking a whole fish, it will be ready within a day.

And small pieces will marinate faster. Somewhere around 2 hours. But at the same time it should be left in the room, and not placed in the refrigerator.

Delicious fish recipes

You won't regret spending time cooking. After all, homemade mackerel is much healthier and tastier than a store-bought product.

So, let's go through interesting recipes for preparing such fish.

Simple recipe

This recipe consists of the usual ingredients, and the fish will be ready in just a day. This dish is a great choice for a holiday table or as an everyday option.

For cooking you will need two fresh frozen fish, each 250 ml water and oil, two onions, two tablespoons of salt, 9% vinegar, sugar, as well as a bunch of dill and a spoon of mustard.
Fish can be prepared like this:

1. Thaw the carcasses on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, then clean and rinse them.
2. Cut the fish into pieces and place in a separate container. Next, add the onion, cut into half rings and rings.
3. To prepare the mustard marinade, mix butter, sugar, salt, water, vinegar and mustard in a bowl.
4. Then pour this mixture over the fish and onions and cover with a lid.
5. Place in the refrigerator for a day.

After this time, you can remove the fish and serve it with pickled onions and dill.

Fish in a jar

Mackerel made according to this recipe turns out simply amazing. Marinade with spices gives an original spicy taste, as well as tenderness and pungency.

To prepare this dish you will need: about 400 g of fish, two onions, half a liter of water, three cloves, five peppercorns, two bay leaves, three teaspoons of salt, two tablespoons of vegetable oil, coriander, two and a half tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and half a spoon of sugar.
The dish is made like this:

1. In a saucepan you need to boil water and add all the spices, salt and sugar. Boil for about five minutes and then cool to room temperature.
2. After this, oil is added.
3. Clean and dried fish is cut into small pieces and the onion into rings.
4. Then you need to lay out the pieces of fish and onion in layers in a glass jar.
5. The marinade is poured on top.
6. The container is covered with a lid and placed in the refrigerator for a day.

All the fish in the jar is ready to eat.

Mackerel with tomato juice

This unusual method with tomatoes and onions involves the use of fish fillets, which allows you to prepare the dish in the shortest possible time.

So, to create it you will need two fish, two tablespoons of sugar and salt, as well as a glass of tomato juice, half a glass of butter and two onions.
The cooking process is as follows:

• Cut the defrosted fish into fillets and cut the onion into rings;
• Heat the oil in a frying pan, add onion and juice, and when the mixture boils, add vinegar;
• Place the fish pieces in a bowl and pour the marinade over them. Leave to marinate for 6-9 hours.

Holiday option

The most delicious fish is obtained using this recipe. It is made with vinegar and more detailed instructions can be seen in the video.

This original snack has an extraordinary taste. To prepare it you will need three fish, one boiled carrot, half a glass of sunflower oil, a can of tasty peas, three onions, a little less than half a glass of vinegar, three tablespoons of ketchup, as well as black pepper and salt.
The preparation procedure consists of the following steps:

• fillet the mackerel and cut into pieces;
• boiled carrots need to be chopped;
• then you need to put the fish in layers in the container, with onions, peas and carrots;
• the marinade is prepared from vinegar, sugar, salt, oil, ketchup and black pepper;
• Pour the marinade over the prepared ingredients and refrigerate for a day. After 12 hours the dish is good.

This dish will become a decoration for a festive feast.

Option with brine

Many people like fish in brine. It turns out juicier and not as salty as pickled one. To make it you need to prepare two fish, two tablespoons of butter, three tablespoons of salt, and dill, cloves, pepper and coriander grains are great for spices.
Gut, wash and chop the mackerel in advance.

Then start cooking:

• Pour a liter of water into the pan;
• then make a marinade from several bay leaves, oil, salt and spices. Place the pot on the fire to allow the liquid to boil for a few minutes;
• The hot brine needs to be cooled, and then poured into the fish placed in the bowl.

The product can be kept in brine for about two days.

I hope you enjoy my recipes. If you have your own method of preparing delicious fish, I will be glad if you share it in the comments.

Share useful information with your friends, and don’t forget to subscribe to my blog updates!

That's all for today! Bye bye!

Mackerel is considered a nutritious food containing essential microelements and vitamins important for the human body. You can buy it already marinated in a store, but such fish is unlikely to taste like the one you cooked yourself. In addition, store-bought mackerel is more expensive than home-marinated mackerel. In the process, you can give free rein to your imagination, using different ingredients for the marinade, each time surprising your guests with a new taste of the dish.

How to marinate mackerel deliciously

Everything depends on the quality of the fish chosen for marinating - both taste and appearance.

And this applies not only to salting - for barbecue or grilling, smoking (how to smoke fish) and other methods of cooking, the rules are the same.

Fresh and fatty fish guarantees a juicy, tender and incredibly appetizing treat, while slightly spoiled raw materials will negate all the efforts of the hostess.

So how do you choose the best mackerel for pickling?
By adhering to simple rules, there is no doubt that the mackerel in the marinade will be finger-licking good:

1. In grocery stores and markets, fish is sold in three types: fresh chilled, fresh frozen and deep frozen. It is best to choose the first option for marinating, but if there is no such fish, frozen raw materials will also do.
2. Before marinating freshly frozen mackerel, you need to let it sit for 5-6 hours in the refrigerator or a couple of hours on the table. You should not defrost it completely until it is soft, otherwise it will be difficult to cut and will slip out of your hands.
3. You need to purchase large mackerel carcasses; when marinated, they turn out fattier and juicier.
4. When buying fish, you should pay attention to its appearance: mackerel should be smooth, without dents or creases, the skin should be smooth and shiny. If the fish is sold ungutted and with the head on, you need to carefully examine its eyes. Fresh mackerel's eyes are clean and shiny. Turbidity indicates that the fish is not fresh and may have already begun to spoil.
5. Frozen fish should not have too much ice on it, otherwise this is a direct indicator that the carcass has been defrosted several times. This fish is not suitable for marinating; the fillet will be tasteless and soft.
6. It is not recommended to buy mackerel with yellowed skin. Yellow spots indicate a fat oxidation reaction. In this case, the pickled delicacy will have an unpleasant bitter aftertaste.
7. The fish should be left to thaw at room temperature or placed on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator.
8. It is not difficult to marinate mackerel at home in brine, but first it is gutted, the head and tail fin are cut off, everything inside the carcass is thoroughly cleaned with a knife, rinsed under cool water and the preparation process begins.

Attention!

Do not confuse regular mackerel with tuna, which is not suitable for salting at all - it is dry and does not have the desired original taste and smell. It’s easy to distinguish - on tuna dots, and on regular stripes (as in the photo above).

Spicy salted mackerel

Marinated aromatic mackerel is a very tasty appetizer that will please any guest. Before a feast, hospitable housewives always think that in addition to hot dishes, there should be a variety of snacks on the table. And pickled mackerel with onions and vinegar is perfect. Moreover, it can be quickly marinated, since the recipe is very easy, quick, and the fish is marinated in a few hours.

Mackerel itself is not only a tasty fish, but also very healthy. It contains a lot of omega-3 fatty acids, which have a very positive effect on the human body. So mackerel has very tasty white meat and very few seeds, so it will be a pleasure to eat it.

Ingredients:

Recipe Information

• Cuisine:Russian
• Type of dish: appetizers
• Cooking method: pickling
• Servings:8
• 6-8 hours

• fresh frozen mackerel – 300 g
• salt – 1 tbsp. l.
• water – 300 ml
• bay leaf – 3 pcs.
• sugar – 1 tsp.
• black peppercorns – 5-7 pcs.
• onions – 1 pc.
• vinegar - 1.5 tbsp. l.
• vegetable oil – 1.5 tbsp. l.

Cooking method:

Thaw the fish, cut off the head, clean the inside of the belly, remove the intestines. The main thing is to remove the black film on the belly, as it can taste bitter in the fish.

Cut the mackerel into finger-thick pieces. This is approximately 0.7-1 cm. With this thickness, marinated mackerel in pieces will be ready in 6-8 hours. If you marinate the whole mackerel, it will take about a day, maybe two.

Now let's make a marinade for spicy salted mackerel. Put the water on the fire, then add sugar, salt and continue to cook everything.

When the water starts to boil, add spices: bay leaves, black peppercorns. Let the spices simmer for 2-3 minutes to make the marinade more spicy.

Finally, pour in the vinegar and stir the marinade.

Pour in the vegetable oil, stir again, let the marinade boil and immediately remove from the heat. Cool completely.

Place the fish in a container. A plastic, glass, or enamel container will do. Pour the cooled marinade over the fish until the liquid covers the pieces. Place the container in the cold.

After 6-8 hours, the marinated mackerel with onions will be ready. It’s convenient to cook in the evening - in the morning it will marinate and you can eat it. To serve the appetizer on the table, I used onion rings, which go perfectly with this salted fish.

Mackerel in a jar: recipe with onions and carrots

Mackerel with a marinade of carrots and onions, marinated in a jar, is a simple recipe that is perfect for country gatherings.

It’s convenient to prepare everything at home and take it with you on vacation.

What do we need:

• 2 large fish
• 500 ml water
• 1 tbsp. l. coarse salt
• 2 tbsp. l. any vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. granulated sugar
• a couple of cloves, 5-6 peas of black or allspice, a little coriander
• 2 onions
• 1 large carrot
• 3 tbsp. l. apple vinegar or 2 tbsp. l. vinegar 9%.

Step-by-step preparation:

1. Pre-defrosted and gutted mackerel (2 large fish), cut into pieces no more than 2 cm thick.
2. Next you need to prepare the marinade for mackerel. Pour water into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Place sugar, salt, spices and carrots cut into slices into the boiling liquid. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Remove the cooked brine from the stove, cool and pour oil and vinegar into it.
4. Cut the onion into half rings. Place in a glass jar in layers: mackerel, carrots from brine, fresh onions. When all the fish is placed in a jar, pour brine on top so that the mackerel pieces are barely covered with liquid.
5. We marinate the mackerel in a jar in a cool place for a day.

Marinate in citruses

Mackerel in orange marinade has a completely new and delicate taste. This marinade for pickling mackerel is also interesting because it is used hot, that is, the appetizer is prepared quite quickly.

Ingredients:

• 2 large fish carcasses
• 2 onions
• celery stalk
• salt and a little black pepper
• coriander seeds
• zest of 1 lemon
• refined vegetable oil
• freshly squeezed orange juice - 1.5 tbsp.

How to marinate:

1. Separate the fish fillet from the bones and backbone and place in a separate bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with coriander. Wrap the container with fish in cling film and put it in the refrigerator for half an hour.
2. Using a grater, carefully remove the zest from the lemon, without the white bitter layer.
3. Finely chop the onion and celery. Heat a frying pan with refined oil, fry the chopped vegetables a little, add lemon zest and fry a little more.
4. Pour orange juice into the pan and let it boil for no more than 5 minutes.
5. Add the hot filling to the container with the fish (it turns out to be a slightly boiled fish), cool slightly, cover with a bag or cling film and put in the refrigerator. After an hour, you can enjoy delicious marinated fish.

Marinated mackerel in 2 hours

Another way to quickly marinate mackerel at home is to prepare a special brine.

This recipe is simply irreplaceable if guests are expected to arrive in the next couple of hours or if you just want to serve an original appetizer for dinner.

What you will need:

• 2 large fish
• 2 onions
• 3 tbsp. l. coarse salt
• 1.5 tbsp. Sahara
• black peppercorns - 10 pcs.
• 800 ml water
• 4 dried bay leaves
• 1 tbsp. vodka or cognac.

How to cook:

1. Cut the gutted carcass into pieces up to 1.5 cm thick.
2. Place the water on the stove and let it boil.
3. Add black pepper, bay leaves and salt to the boiling liquid.
4. Cook the marinade for no more than 10 minutes. Cool the finished brine slightly, add chopped onions and vodka (it will act as an additional disinfectant, the taste will not be felt).
5. Place the mackerel in a plastic container, pour in the marinade, close tightly with a lid and refrigerate.
6. After 2-3 hours, the fish is ready to eat - take it out, pour vegetable oil and serve.

Delicious marinated whole fish

Such fish takes much longer to cook than cut fish, but the taste of the whole marinated carcass is much richer.

And externally, thanks to the addition of onion skins and tea leaves, the fish looks very appetizing.

Whole pickled mackerel is a recipe as simple as any other.

Products:

• large mackerel - 2-3 pcs.
• 4 tbsp. l. coarse salts;
• 2 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• water 2 l;
• 2 tbsp. l. black leaf tea;
• onion peel 100 g.

Cooking steps:

1. Gut the mackerel, remove the head and tail fin, and set aside.
2. Boil water, add sugar, salt, dry tea and onion peels, washed in water.
3. Boil the brine for about 5 minutes, cool.
4. Place the prepared carcass in a glass container, pour in the marinade, place pressure on top and leave overnight. In the morning, remove the pressure and put the fish in a cold place for 72 hours.

Mackerel in mustard marinade

Mackerel marinated with mustard is very tender and spicy, amazingly tasty!

In this case, the brine is prepared without vinegar at all - it is the mustard that softens the meat.

What you need:

• fish - 2 pcs.
• water - 700 ml
• 1 tbsp. l. mustard
• 3-4 tbsp. l. salt
• 1 tbsp. l. Sahara
• bay leaf - 3 pcs.
• black peppercorns - 5-6 pcs.

How to cook:

1. Place spices, sugar and salt in a saucepan, add hot water, and boil for 3 minutes.
2. When the cooked brine has barely cooled, add mustard and mix well.
3. Pour the cooled brine into the prepared and divided mackerel. Hide in a cool place for a day.

How to marinate in mayonnaise

Mackerel marinated in mayonnaise is a cooking method that can be called brineless. This mackerel marinade recipe does not require adding water or other liquid.

Ingredients:

• fish 2 pcs.
• onions 3 heads
• 5 tbsp. l. mayonnaise
• bay leaf 3 pcs.
• black peppercorns 5 pcs.
• refined vegetable oil 1/4 tbsp.
• 1 tbsp. l. salt.

Preparation:

1. In a separate bowl, mix spices, mayonnaise, oil and onion cut into half rings.
2. Cut the fish carcass into small pieces and place in the mayonnaise mixture.
3. Place pressure on top. Let sit for about 60 minutes and then transfer to the refrigerator for 3 hours.

What are the benefits and harms of pickled mackerel?

This fish is considered a dietary, but also very nutritious product. It contains amino acids, fats and trace elements. 100 g of pickled mackerel contains 12.8 g of protein, 8.3 g of fat, 3.7 g of carbohydrates. The calorie content of the product is 142 kcal.

Regular consumption of mackerel helps reduce blood cholesterol, regulates the hormonal system, increases hemoglobin, strengthens blood vessels and improves vision. Mackerel is simply necessary for a child's body: it helps strengthen teeth and bones, and prevents the development of rickets.

How to serve marinated mackerel

There are a lot of ways to serve spicy fish and they all depend on the ingenuity of the housewife.

The mackerel is beautifully laid out on a dish, sprinkled with finely chopped herbs or poured with vegetable oil.

You can put lemon slices, cranberry or juniper berries on top of the fish pieces.

You can beautifully place onion rings, cherry tomatoes or olives on pieces of fish. A dish decorated with lettuce, carrot flowers and a boiled egg looks beautiful.

An excellent solution is ready-made canapes, snack sandwiches with a piece of marinated fillet.

How to properly store marinated fish

Homemade pickled mackerel cannot be stored for a long time. Therefore, you should not stock up on fish delicacies for future use. Mackerel in brine can stand in the refrigerator no more than 3 days, while it will become more salty every day.

It is better to remove the fish from the brine, transfer it to a clean glass container and pour in vegetable oil. In this case, it can be stored in the refrigerator for about 7 days.

Self-marinated mackerel will decorate any table, and almost everyone has all the ingredients necessary for the marinade in their kitchen. Remember - no store-bought product can compare with the delicate, melt-in-your-mouth taste of spicy fish marinated at home.

Video: mackerel in soy marinade in 15 minutes

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

In Hong Kong, people don't like mackerel. “Oh, too fat!” Therefore, whenever fresh mackerel appears, they linger for a long time in the fish market, despite their cheapness. Shining rows of fresh fish, sparkling with silver gray stripes under hanging bulbs, remain unclaimed in the East. But Europeans appreciated this fish and know how to quickly marinate mackerel.

It can be cooked in the oven with lemon and butter. But we rightfully associate mackerel as an ideal fish for pickling. And it's not difficult to cook. The most difficult part of the process is carefully cleaning the fish fillet. But, fortunately, you can easily find pre-cleaned fish fillets on the market.

The main advantage of marinating mackerel is that although this fish is immersed in vinegar and herbs, it still retains the fresh taste of the sea. Therefore, prepare marinated mackerel and you will have something to show off to your guests!

Marinated mackerel- usual Scandinavian technique. Originally conceived to preserve fish, it is now used to add flavor and tang. Mackerel is particularly good for marinating as the flavor of the fish is strong enough to counteract the taste of vinegar and any other additional flavors that may be added.

Pickles can be further flavored with herbs and spices such as bay leaf, pepper, chili, fennel seeds and star anise.

Pickled mackerel goes well with salad, fennel and cucumber. Try pickled mackerel with cucumber and dill.

How to quickly marinate mackerel?

To easily and quickly prepare marinated mackerel, you will need the following ingredients:

• 70 ml white vinegar;
• 30 ml water;
• 30 g sugar;
• 5 g salt;
• 4 mackerel fillets.

Cooking method:

1 Combine white wine vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium heat.

2 Bring to the boil, then remove the pan from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

3 Place the mackerel fillets, side down, in a single layer in a dish and cover with the marinade liquid.

4 Cool for 1 hour, then remove the mackerel and pat dry. Once removed from the marinating liquid, the mackerel can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Marinated mackerel with coriander

• 2 large bunches of coriander seeds;
• 120 ml white balsamic vinegar;
• 120 ml white wine vinegar;
• 4 tablespoons light soft brown sugar;
• 4 whole mackerel (about 250 g each) filleted;
• 1 tbsp. sea ​​salt, plus extra for seasoning;
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced;
• 2 fresh coriander, plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• 300g small new potatoes, varieties such as Charlotte or Pink Spruce
• 1 apple, peeled;
• 1 tablespoon of natural yogurt;
• Finely grated lemon zest and juice;
• 8 large radishes, thinly sliced;
• 1 spring onion, thinly sliced ​​diagonally;
• Freshly ground black pepper.

Cooking method

Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add coriander seeds for 1 minute, shaking occasionally, until fragrant. Place them on a plate and lightly crush them using a knife blade.

Pour both vinegars into a small saucepan, add sugar and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until sugar has dissolved, stirring occasionally. Transfer the contents and mix with the coriander seeds, then leave in the refrigerator.

Place the mackerel fillets in a shallow, non-metallic plate, skin side down, and sprinkle with salt. Pour the vinegar mixture and top with three-quarters of the red onion. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours or until completely marinated, turning the fish after the first three hours.

Just before the mackerel is ready, fill a saucepan one-third full with water, cover the top with a lid with a small steam vent and bring to the boil. Place the remaining red onion, sprigs and garlic in the water. Place the potatoes in the pan, cover and cook for 12-18 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the pan on the stove for another 5 minutes, then set to cool.

French recipe

French marinated mackerel is prepared in two stages. But this does not at all indicate the complexity of the cooking process. Everything is prepared quite easily and quickly. First you need to make the marinade, and then the mayonnaise.

French marinade

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard;
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar;
• 4 tablespoons olive oil or sunflower oil;

Marinade with mayonnaise

• Ingredients for mayonnaise:
• 2 egg yolks;
• 1 tablespoon French mustard;
• A few drops of lemon juice;
• 150 ml sunflower oil or grape seed oil.

Pickling method:

For the French Marinated Mackerel, whisk the Dijon mustard, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons water together in a small bowl. Whisk both olive oils. Season with salt and pepper.

For the mayonnaise, grind the egg yolks and French mustard together in a large bowl. Add a few drops of lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle in the butter a little at a time, whisking continuously with a hand-held electric whisk until it thickens.

Whisk 3 tablespoons French mustard, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise and yogurt in a bowl. Stir in juice and season with salt and pepper.

Cut the potatoes into 5mm pieces and place them in a large salad bowl. Add the radishes and chopped coriander leaves, then moisten and toss gently. Remove the mackerel from the marinade and place on serving plates. Top with some pickled red onion and serve with potato salad.

Quick recipe for marinated mackerel with cinnamon

Prepare a glass jar with a lid in which to marinate the fish. The recipe is designed for small mackerel. If the mackerel is large, divide the ratio of ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 10-15 small mackerel;
• 2 carrots;
• 1 onion

Marinade:

• 4 cups white vinegar;
• 2 cups of water;
• 1/2 cup sugar;
• 10 carnations;
• 2 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces;

• 12 black peppercorns;
• 2 bay leaves;
• 5 cardamom pods, lightly crushed;
• 1 cup salt dissolved in 8 cups water.

To fillet, remove the main bones from the mackerel. Smaller bones can be left in because the vinegar will dissolve them. Remove the clear thin membrane over the skin of the mackerel. Use your fingertips or a small knife to lift the membrane along the cut edges of the fillet. Once you find that you have already cleaned the membrane completely, place the fish fillets in the brine solution for 3 hours or to the desired level of salting (depending on your taste). Meanwhile, place all marinade mixture ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes. Let it cool then.

Drain the marinade, rinse with cold water and discard again. Carefully place the fish fillets, carrots and onions in a glass jar for better visual effect. Once this is done, pour the cooled marinating solution into the jar until all the fish are covered. Blow the fish lightly to release any trapped air. Cover with a lid and place in the refrigerator. The dish will be ready to eat in two days, but will increase in flavor over time. Therefore, wait if you want to fully enjoy the aroma of the marinade. Mackerel can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks.

When you eat the mackerel, place the fish on a plate, add a generous drizzle of olive oil, fresh ground pepper and 3-4 capers. This is the right combination for marinated fish and nothing else is needed. It wouldn't hurt to combine mackerel with fresh bread.

Recipe for marinated mackerel with beet salad

Ingredients:

• 4 mackerel fillets;
• 140 g (½ cup) salt;
• 1 liter (4 glasses) of water.

Marinade:

• 500 ml (2 cups) white vinegar (distilled malt vinegar, 5%);
• 250 ml (1 glass) water;
• 50 g (¼ cup) casting (superfine) sugar;
• 5 carnations;

• 1 cinnamon stick;
• 6 black peppercorns;
• 1 bay leaf;
• 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds;
• 3 tsp cardamom, lightly crushed.

Vegetables:

• 2 carrots, thinly sliced;
• 1 onion, chopped;
• Lettuce leaves as a side dish;
• 2 small boiled beets, thinly sliced;
• 100 g mixed lettuce leaves.

Fill:

• 2 tablespoons lemon and dill (mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 3 tablespoons lettuce, 1 tablespoon chopped dill and 1/2 teaspoon sugar);
• Balsamic glaze (supplied ready-made in bottles);
• Olive oil;
• 2-3 small sprigs of dill.

Method

1. Select fillets to check for large bones (small bones will dissolve in the vinegar).

2. Mix salt and water for the marinade solution. Place the fillets in the solution for 3 hours, or until the fish is firm.

3. Place all marinating ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes. Let it then cool.

4. Place fish fillets and vegetables in a sterilized glass jar or container. Pour the marinade solution into the jar until all the fish are covered. Cover and refrigerate for at least two days, preferably longer.

5. Place 3 or 4 beets on each plate. Toss the salad with the dressing, add the pickled carrots and place on top of the beet slices.

6. Roll up the mackerel with a small pickled onion in the center and place on top of the lettuce. Top with filling and small sprigs of dill.

Mackerel marinated with coriander and thyme

This recipe takes very little time to prepare. But the richness of taste and aromas is simply amazing!

Compound:

• Fresh mackerel;
• Salt;
• Freshly ground white pepper;
• 1 bottle of dry white wine;
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar;
• 4 shallots;
• Thinly sliced ​​2 carrots;
• 2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced;
• Thinly sliced ​​1/2 lemon;
• 2 bay leaves, cut into 12 wedges;
• 2 thyme sprigs;
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper;
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds;
• 3 whole cloves.

How to do it?

Dip the mackerel in salt and white pepper. Cut the mackerel into 6 pieces and place the pieces in a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish, skin side down.

In a large saucepan, combine all remaining marinade ingredients with 1/2 tablespoon salt. When the marinade comes to a boil, turn the heat to medium-low and simmer until the vegetables are cooked through. The entire process should take about 20 minutes. Immediately pour the marinade over the mackerel, spreading the vegetables into an even layer. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.

Place mackerel fillets on plates, skin side up. Top with a few vegetables and drizzle with marinade. Mackerel should be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Marinated mackerel "Chermoula" in Portuguese

• 2 whole mackerel;
• Refined olive oil;
• Lemon;
• 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped;
• 2 tsp fennel seeds;
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger;
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon;
• ¼ saffron;
• 1 red chilli, roughly chopped, seeds removed;
• 1 tablespoon olive oil.

For Chermoula:

• 2 cloves of garlic;
• A pinch of cumin;
• ½ teaspoon paprika;
• pinch chili powder;
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice;
• 50 g coriander, roughly chopped;
• 3 tbsp. light olive oil.

Make 3 diagonal cuts along both sides of each mackerel, then place the filling inside. Refrigerate for up to 2 hours before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 180C. For the Chermoula, place the garlic, spices, lemon juice, coriander and a pinch of sea salt in a blender. Soak slowly in olive oil, stirring.

Clean the mackerel and drizzle a little olive oil on both sides, then place in a hot frying pan and sieve for 2 minutes on each side. Carefully transfer the mackerel to the oven tray and bake for 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. Serve with carrots, olive and lemon couscous, lemon wedges and remaining Chermoula.

The wine's floral overtones offset the acidity of the marinated mackerel and added depth to the dish. GewÜrztraminer from France or Viognier from California are the perfect combination to add sophistication to the dish.

One of the best appetizers for the table has always been fish. Mackerel marinated with your own hands at home is very tasty. I have a lot of such homemade recipes, in brine, with vinegar or mustard, even in tea and with vegetables.

Pickling mackerel is quite simple; of course, it’s easier to buy it in a store, but you’re unlikely to get the same quality there. But at home you can do everything based on your own preferences.

When you at least once try to marinate fish yourself, understand the whole process and try the final product, then you may want to invent some of your own recipes.

Mackerel marinated at home - very tasty recipes

Before sharing my homemade recipes, I want to tell you a few of my secrets about how to choose the right fish and how to prepare it. Since I lived most of my life by the sea (on Sakhalin), I know a lot about fish, so I’ll be happy to share it with my readers.

How to select and prepare mackerel for pickling

As in the case of herring, fresh or frozen fish, but in good condition, is suitable for us. What does it mean? Its carcass, a fish, must be without damage, intact, the back is dark in color, the sides are shiny, not cloudy and not yellow.

When purchasing, if possible, find out when the fish was caught and how many times it was defrosted. Multiple defrosts are not allowed. Moreover, this is visible in the carcass. Never buy fish that are difficult to inspect and touch, tightly wrapped in layers of packaging.

I would also like to say about the size of the fish we need. Don't skimp, choose the largest one. Small mackerel, weighing less than three hundred grams, is only suitable for frying. Large fish is fattier and tastier; after marinating it will become juicy and tender.

To defrost fish (if you were unable to buy fresh or chilled), never use a microwave oven, even in defrosting mode it will spoil you a lot. The fish should be wrapped in regular parchment and placed on a plate at the bottom of the refrigerator until completely thawed.

Pickled mackerel - classic recipe

A simple, classic pickling recipe can be used as a basis. It makes you “dance” with adding or changing spices, etc. The recipe has been tested more than once, the fish turns out very tasty, use it.

Need to take:

• Two large mackerel carcasses
• Two large spoons (without top) of salt and sugar
• Two tablespoons of 9% vinegar
• A glass of clean filtered water
• Six peppercorns
• Two laurel leaves
• Three clove buds

How to marinate mackerel in the classic way:

Please note that the water for the marinade must be well purified; we will not boil it. It will be enough to put all the spices in it, stir and let stand for a while so that the salt disperses. That's the whole marinade.

We will prepare the fish, clean it, if desired, you can cut off the head, be sure to remove the black film from inside, it is bitter. We rinse the carcass in running water and dry it with a paper towel.

For marinating, we choose dishes that do not oxidize; we do not consider aluminum at all. Place the carcasses and pour marinade over them. For a couple of hours the fish just sits on the table at normal temperature. Then we put it in the cold for a day, at +5-6 degrees.

Mackerel marinated in a jar for 2 hours

You can marinate two hours in advance if you're in a hurry. But then we will not cook it whole, but cut into pieces.

We take:

• Two mackerel carcasses
• Half a liter of water
• Two large spoons of coarse salt
• Two spoons of 9% vinegar
• Large onion

Cooking process:

Defrost the fish and cut it up in this way: cut off the head and take out the insides without cutting the belly. We cut the carcass into pieces two centimeters wide, clear each piece of black film and rinse in running water.

We make brine from water and salt. We do not boil water, so it must be clean, settled or filtered. Dissolve the salt completely and pour in the fish for two hours. Let it stand at room temperature.

Then drain the brine completely. Cut the onion into half rings, if too large, then into quarters. Place a layer of fish in a convenient container with a lid, sprinkle with vinegar and oil, then lay out a layer of onion, again sprinkle with vinegar and oil, and so on until the end. Close the container and put it in the cold for an hour. After an hour, the fish is completely ready.

Recipe for marinated mackerel in onion skins

A good housewife usually doesn’t throw anything away, especially onion skins. How many recipes with it do you know? Have you tried marinating mackerel like this? It turns out very tasty, and the color of the fish is appetizing.

Take the following ingredients for the recipe:

• One mackerel carcass
• Two handfuls of clean onion peels
• Liter of water
• Three large spoons of salt
• A large spoonful of sugar, without top
• Two bay leaves
• Half a teaspoon of coriander

Cooking process:

First of all, we need to prepare the marinade, put all the spices into the water along with the onion skins, wait for it to boil and set it aside for seven minutes. After this, the brine needs to be cooled.

At this time, we take care of the fish, cut up the carcasses, remove the heads, entrails and fins, cut them into three parts and place them in a bowl.

Pour the prepared marinade over the mackerel pieces and leave on the table for a couple of hours. Then we put it in the refrigerator for the same time. The fish is ready for the table.

Delicious recipe for marinated mackerel in tea

The peculiarity of this recipe is that the fish in tea is very similar to smoked fish, and, thanks to the tannins, it does not fall apart and holds its shape well.

Take for the recipe:

• Two mackerel carcasses
• Liter of boiling water
• Four tablespoons of black tea brewing
• Four large spoons of salt
• One spoon of sugar
• Allspice peas to taste

Cooking process:

If the fish is frozen, then you need to defrost it, as I wrote above. We gut it completely, do not forget to remove the black film so that it does not taste bitter.

Brew tea, add all the spices at once, except pepper, cool and strain. Place the fish in a container with a lid, pour in the marinade and add pepper. We hide the container in the refrigerator for four days and turn the fish over twice a day.

Then we take out the mackerel, wash it and hang it up to dry a little for a few hours. Then wrap it in parchment paper and store it in the refrigerator.

How to marinate mackerel with onions, another delicious recipe of mine

Fish and onions are marinated for 24 hours. The recipe itself couldn’t be simpler. But it always turns out delicious. Try to select fatter carcasses for him.

Take:

• Three mackerel carcasses
• Three onions
• A large spoon of table salt
• A teaspoon of sugar
• Three large spoons of table vinegar 9%
• Two large spoons of unscented sunflower oil
• Three cloves of garlic
• Two laurel leaves
• Three allspice peas
• Ground black pepper to taste

Cooking process:

If the fish is frozen, defrost it halfway so that the pieces are beautiful. We clean the insides, cut off the head, tail and fins, remove the spine and cut into pieces two centimeters thick.

We need to chop the onion and garlic very thinly. Mix all the spices in a bowl, take a clean jar and lay out the fish in layers, sprinkling with spices. Close and refrigerate. A day later we try a delicious snack.

Homemade marinated mackerel in a jar

Marinated mackerel in a jar is always a particular hit with my guests because it is flavorful and tender. I myself like this recipe for its convenience, try it, I’m sure you will like it.

Need to take:

• Two mackerel carcasses
• Half a liter of water
• Two onions
• One and a half large spoons of salt
• A teaspoon of sugar
• Two and a half tablespoons of table vinegar
• Two laurel leaves
• Two large spoons of unscented sunflower oil
• Black and allspice peppercorns, five each
• Coriander to taste

Cooking process:

We will first need to prepare the marinade; to do this, boil water with all the spices for about seven minutes, let it cool and add vinegar.

Cut the fish into pieces five centimeters wide. Cut the onion into thin half rings. Place the fish and onions in layers in a clean jar alternately, pour in the marinade and leave for a day at a temperature of +5-6 degrees. That's it, the fish is ready.

Mackerel marinated without vinegar

A recipe for those who oppose vinegar, although it is added in very small quantities, such that it cannot do any harm. Well, without, so without.

Need to take:

• Two frozen mackerel carcasses
• Half a liter of raw purified water
• Two large spoons of table salt
• A big spoon of sugar
• Two bay leaves
• Allspice peas to taste

Cooking process:

Thaw the fish by half, gut it and cut it into pieces two to three centimeters wide.

Place the fish pieces along with bay leaves and pepper in a clean jar.

We dilute sugar and salt in water, completely dissolve and pour over the fish, cover with a lid and leave for two days in the cold. Afterwards the fish is ready.

Mackerel marinated with mustard

Want to make this appetizer extra savory? Add mustard, it's finger-licking delicious.

Take:

• Two mackerel carcasses
• Half a liter of raw water
• Two large spoons of salt and sugar
• Three large spoons of 9% vinegar
• Two large spoons of mustard powder
• Bunch of fresh dill
• One and a half large spoons of refined sunflower oil
• Two bay leaves
• Ten allspice peas

Cooking process:

Gut the fish and cut it into pieces of the size you like, maybe two centimeters wide. Place it in a container and sprinkle chopped dill on top.

Next, we make the marinade in the water, add all the spices except mustard, add it when the water starts to boil, cook for seven minutes and cool to +30 degrees. Pour this marinade over the fish and add vegetable oil and vinegar. This fish will be ready in ten hours.

Marinate mackerel with vegetables

When you try mackerel marinated with vegetables, you will definitely not perceive store-bought fish at all.

Take for the recipe:

• Three mackerel carcasses
• Two and a half large spoons of table vinegar
• Two medium sized carrots
• Three onions
• A can of canned green peas
• A large spoonful of salt and sugar
• A teaspoon of ground black pepper
• Three large spoons of tomato ketchup

Cooking process:

We do not defrost the fish completely so that it does not spread under the knife. Gut and cut into pieces.

Boil the carrots until they are firm and not overcooked. Cut the onion into thin half rings. Place the peas in a sieve to drain all the juice. Mix vegetables with pieces of fish and place in a convenient container.

We make a marinade, dilute spices in water, add ketchup, vinegar and oil, pour it over the vegetables. First, we leave it on the table for half an hour, then remove it for a day at a temperature of +5-6 degrees. The fish is ready.

How to marinate mackerel at home - video

There are many ways to marinate mackerel. I'll share one of the simplest ones. Let's call this recipe basic. Then, when you get the hang of it, you can easily vary the spices and seasonings to complicate the taste of the finished fish.

So, we will need, first of all, the mackerel itself. I buy frozen at the supermarket. We are not a sea region, so finding fresh mackerel is problematic.

The only accompanying products are garlic, onion, pepper, salt, vinegar and vegetable oil.

Frozen mackerel must be thoroughly washed with cold water, gutted, and the head and tip of the tail cut off. Now you can cut into portions. If you defrost the fish first, the pieces will turn out uneven, and after marinating they will become “shaggy” and unappetizing. Therefore, we carry out all manipulations with frozen fish. True, you can hold it at room temperature for a little while so that the knife can cope with slicing.

Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Onions can be cut into rings or half rings. But it is better that it is chopped coarsely. If you like the taste of pickled onions, then feel free to add more onions than indicated in the list of ingredients. If, on the contrary, you don’t like it, then onions can only be used as a marinator, which means you can grind them almost into onion paste.

Cut the garlic into slices.

Now let's prepare the marinade sauce. To do this, mix vinegar, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, bay leaf and pepper. Everything is simple, but there are several subtleties.

This recipe is the rare case where I use table vinegar. As a last resort, apple. All other noble types of vinegar (balsamic, wine, etc.) significantly affect the taste of mackerel. They can and should be used in variations of this recipe. But first, a classic recipe.

Separately, I would like to say a few words about vegetable oil. Take the one you love most. I often use olive - yellow, amber, viscous. Sometimes I add a little squeezed lemon juice to the oil.

Bay leaf is such a classic spice that it’s even strange to hear that you might not like it. But I don't like it. Or rather, I welcome the fragrant, very subtle flair of bay leaf in a dish, but if you put even a little more bay leaf than I would like, I will not eat the dish. Therefore, according to my taste, I use a minimum of bay leaves, and you are guided by your taste preferences. And yes, it is better to break the bay leaf into small pieces, it will release its aroma better and more actively when used cold (without heat treatment).

And finally, about pepper. In this recipe for pickled mackerel, I use allspice peas (not black, but allspice!), as well as a ground mixture of peppers. It seems to me that with such a set of peppers, the fish comes out very aromatic, but not at all spicy.

At the final stage, you need to mix the sauce with chopped mackerel. I usually put the fish in a large bowl, add the onions and garlic there and pour in the prepared sauce. Why do you need a large bowl? So that you can mix everything very easily without breaking the fish pieces and vegetables.

All that remains is to put the pickled mackerel into jars. I use glass jars. Firstly, no unauthorized chemical processes occur in them - only planned pickling. Secondly, they take up little space in the refrigerator. And finally, thirdly, they are accessible and easy to use.

So, we send the jars filled with mackerel into the cold for a day (a little less is possible).

And you can enjoy it! Marinated mackerel turns out to be very tender, tasty, lightly salted, and aromatic.

A few pieces to go with hot boiled potatoes... or a sandwich with fish and green onions... or maybe a piece of mackerel with a thin slice of lemon, a cranberry and a glass...

Enjoy your meal!