Mackerel fillet weight after cutting. How to clean mackerel: methods and recommendations

How to cut mackerel from bones

Tender, hearty and tasty mackerel is a very popular fish. Mackerel contains a huge amount of vitamins, macro- and microelements. Therefore, the meat of this fish could be suitable as the basis of the elixir of youth and health, if such existed.

Mackerel protein is digested three times faster than beef. Mackerel contains omega-3 fatty acids, which normalizes cholesterol in the body. Fish oil contained in mackerel dilates blood vessels, vitamin A helps the growth and regeneration of the skin and mucous membranes, phosphorus strengthens bones and teeth, sulfur helps fight harmful bacteria and selenium helps the immune system function normally.

Mackerel meat is quite fatty, without small bones, which is liked by both housewives and tasters. It is best to carve a mackerel carcass in a frozen form - then the process is much easier and faster.

Also remember that mackerel meat is very tender, and from contact with water it becomes limp and loses its taste. Therefore, the cut fillet is never washed after cutting, so as not to spoil the taste of the dish.

Mackerel is a tasty and healthy fish whose meat is rich in vitamin B12 and has few bones. For cooking, fish fillets are usually used. Knowing how to clean and fillet mackerel, you can cook a lot of fragrant and mouth-watering dishes.

How to choose?

The choice of products is approached very carefully, because it will be used not only by adults, but also by children. Sellers go to tricks and often pump the fish with plain water. After freezing, it has a lot of weight, and in fact a tiny fish is found at home.

Also, manufacturers often add preservatives or salt to better preserve mackerel. In order not to run into trouble when choosing, pay attention to the signs:

• the eyes of the fish should be bright in color, bulging and moist;
• skin-film - without cuts and tears;
• the tail should hang freely from the hand, if the fish is placed in the palm of your hand;
• to check the freshness of the fish, it is placed in a container of water: fresh fish it will sink, and the spoiled one will float up due to the formation of gases (that is, decomposition) inside the carcass;
• there should be no plaque and unnatural spots on the body;
• an uncharacteristic color indicates spoilage of the fish.

When choosing frozen mackerel, you should pay attention to other signs.

1. The ice must be free of sags and stratifications. The presence of cracks in the ice indicates spoilage of the fish.
2. Ice must be transparent. If it has yellowish spots, it is better not to buy such a mackerel.
3. It is important to remember that the shelf life of frozen mackerel at 0 degrees is no more than 2 days, and at -5 degrees - only 2 weeks.

What is needed for cleaning?

For cleaning and butchering a mackerel carcass on a fillet, you will need:

• cutting board (wooden or plastic 30 * 50 cm);
• paper towels or napkins;
• sharp knife (with a narrow end).

How to clean?

Mackerel is a fish that has a thin skin, not scales - unlike other types of fish, besides, it has few bones. During heat treatment, her skin becomes even thinner and softer. Many recipes call for frying or smoking whole fish.

In order to clean the fish from the skin, you need to follow certain rules.

1. The fish should not be completely defrosted. If it is chilled, it is placed in the freezer for 20 minutes, if it is frozen, it is left at room temperature for no more than 1 hour.
2. Using kitchen scissors, cut off the head, fins and tail of the mackerel.
3. Open the belly and remove all the insides. All black film must be removed. If you can’t do this with a knife, rinse the fish under running water, and then blot it with a paper towel. The black film will add bitterness to the dish if it is not completely removed.
4. Turn the fish over and make an incision along the ridge. Using a sharp knife with a narrow end, pry the skin through an incision near the head and carefully begin to separate from the meat. They try not to break the skin, because then cleaning will become more complicated.

You will get a fish without a skin, head, fins and tail, with the insides removed. Such mackerel can be safely marinated and baked in foil, fried in a pan or smoked.

How to separate a fillet?

If you only need mackerel fillet for cooking, you need to continue the cleaning process.

1. The fish is thawed to room temperature. Otherwise, the fillet will not move away from the bones normally.
2. Wash the fish thoroughly again.
3. Another incision is made - now along the abdomen.
4. Carefully, starting from the head, separate the meat from the bones, leaving it on the ridge.
5. Separate the fillet from the dorsal bones.
6. If all actions are performed correctly, the ridge will easily detach from the fish fillet.

Salted fish cleaning

If you want something salty, you can buy delicious salted mackerel. It also needs to be peeled, and unlike fried or smoked fish, you will have to peel the skin. The process is not much different from cleaning fresh fish

For this you need:

• separate the fins, head and tail;
• clean the abdomen, if it has not already been cleaned;
• make an incision at the ridge, and gently tighten the skin from head to tail, trying not to damage the integrity of the carcass;
• divide the fish into 2 halves, cutting the carcass along the ridge;
• separate the ridge;
• cut the salted fillet into pieces and serve. When serving salted fish, the plate is decorated with olives and onions. Sliced ​​lemon can be served with mackerel.

Cleaning smoked mackerel

Smoked mackerel is a favorite dish of adults. Smoked fish is associated with summer cottages, nature and relaxation. And how delicious it smells!

Smoked mackerel is also consumed with the skin, but fastidious gourmets can still clean the fish.

• cut off the head of a fish;
• trim the fins and tail;
• cuts are made along the ridge and belly, after which the fish is divided into 2 parts;
• remove the bones of the ridge;
• carefully, so as not to deform the integrity of the fillet, pry with a knife and slowly tighten the skin.

If you plan to stuff the fish: gut the mackerel, rinse, put the carcass on the belly, while spreading the edges of the abdomen, press the ridge. The bones will pop out by themselves, leaving an undeformed fillet on top. The fish is washed after removing each element - this is necessary so that a bitter film does not accidentally remain inside.

Quick marinade

If the fish is already filleted, you can use a simple tip: pour the fillet soy sauce, grate orange or lemon zest and rub quite a bit of wasabi into the fillet. Mackerel in such a marinade is ready for use in 20 minutes.

Mackerel goes well with various side dishes, herbs and vegetables. It is served at the table, garnished with sprigs of parsley and dill, or spread out on lettuce leaves. A good combination is obtained with fried mackerel with boiled rice. Fatty sauces and gravies will be superfluous in the dish, since mackerel fillet has a high percentage of fat content in itself.

Meat is well absorbed by the body, so it is suitable for feeding children and adults. The main thing is to observe the measure in everything. This is especially true of smoked and salted products, which contain a lot of salt. Its excess can provoke swelling and creates an unnecessary burden on the kidneys.

Properly cut and cooked mackerel is an exquisite delicacy that is affordable and at the same time rich in substances valuable to the body.

For information on how to clean and cut mackerel, see the video below.

Smoked mackerel often participates in the festive feast menu. The fish is very appetizing, tasty, and therefore loved by many. However, in order for the fish dish to look dignified and festive on the table, it is necessary to provide a beautiful and original presentation. To do this, you need to show imagination or use the tips on how to serve cuts beautifully, presented below.

How to cut and simply separate fillet from mackerel

It's always nice to eat boneless fish. In addition, smoked mackerel fillet can be used as an ingredient for savory salads, sandwiches, canapes. To quickly and accurately get a fish fillet, you need:

• Line a cutting surface with parchment paper and place a bag on top.
• Separate the tail and head from the fish with a knife.
• Open the abdomen, remove the insides, clean the cavity with a knife.
• Remove the newspaper with waste, lay a new bag.
• Make a deep incision along the entire back, then from the abdomen to the tail.
• Expand the carcass like a book, you get two parts.
• From the first part, get the ridge, helping a little with a knife, along with the ribs.
• From the second part, remove the remaining costal bones.
• Carefully cut out the fins.
• Remove the dirty bag of bones, put a paper napkin instead.
• Lay the fish half skin side up.
• Slightly cut the skin on top with a knife, then gradually remove the skin with your fingers, pressing down the meat.
• Do the same with the second part.

That's how it turned out a fish without skin and bones.

Canape of smoked mackerel fillet

This dish looks very appetizing and elegant. In addition, it is very convenient to eat. To make this appetizer you will need:

• Fillet of smoked mackerel.
• Fresh cucumber.
• Olives.
• Parsley.
• Skewers.

Cut the fillet into thin slices. Cucumbers - thin circles. Put an olive on a skewer, then a fillet twisted into a roll, and at the end a circle of cucumber. Place the canapes, skewers up, on a round platter. Garnish optionally with parsley sprigs.

Mackerel on a bread pillow

The dish looks original, looks like a cake.

Ingredients:

• 1 mackerel carcass.
• 200 g cream cheese.
• 50 ml mayonnaise.
• 1 lemon.
• 100 g of corn.
• Greens.
• 1 round loaf of bread.

Cut off the bottom evenly from the bread. Mix cheese with mayonnaise and chopped herbs, put on a bread pillow. Smoked mackerel thinly cut into circles, put a fan in a circle on top of the cheese. Place corn in the center. Garnish with lemon wedges and herbs.

Royal fish cut

Fish products can be perfectly combined on one dish. Such a cut will look elegant and will decorate any celebration.

You will need:

• 2 carcasses of smoked mackerel.
• 200 g fillet of any red fish.
• 50 g of red caviar.
• 1 lemon.
• 10 eggs.
• Greens.

Boil eggs, cut lengthwise into two halves. Slice the mackerel into thin slices. Cut the fillet into slices and twist roses out of them. Lemon cut into thin slices.

Place red fish roses in the center of the dish. Mackerel shift lemon slices and place on the sides of the roses. Lay the egg halves around the edges of the dish, decorating them with caviar. Arbitrarily add green sprigs for color.

Mackerel on a serving plate

Another winning option for serving mackerel. It turns out very beautiful and tasty. Fish fillet should be cut into small neat pieces, put in a cell. Place beautifully chopped cucumber, tomato, salad mix in adjacent cells. Tartar sauce in the center of the plate.

Mackerel with king prawns, eggs and caviar

The dish is made very quickly, but has a chic and expensive look.

You will need:

• 1 carcass of smoked mackerel.
• 10 eggs.
• 200 g large shrimp.
• 50 g of caviar (can be 25 g of red and black).
• 2 red onions.
• 1 lemon.

The ingredients are laid out on a plate in circular rows. The first row is mackerel, cut into thin slices. Place a slice of lemon under each slice, and a whole boiled shrimp between slices. The second row is the eggs. They need to be boiled, cut into halves and decorated with caviar. Third row - fan out the remaining shrimp. Place a rose made from a red onion in the center.

From the correct and beautiful serving, the taste of the dish becomes even better. Smoked mackerel appetizers, combined with other fish delicacies and vegetables, look like real masterpieces and have a well-deserved right to be in the center holiday table. Enjoy your meal!

Mackerel meat is distinguished by its tenderness, fat content and appetizing taste; there are few small bones in this inhabitant of the seas and oceans. This fish is available for any wallet.

So that the tender fish does not become sour, and the meat does not lose its taste, it should not be washed, but you need to understand how to clean mackerel in order to maintain the integrity and neat appearance of the product. Well, the carcass is cut freshly frozen, if the fish is thawed, it will be difficult to cut it due to the crumbling of the meat.

Kitchen utensils for cleaning mackerel

To clean the mackerel, you will need kitchen items at hand: a knife for cutting with a sharp blade or kitchen scissors, a wooden or plastic cutting board. All cooks know how to properly clean oily fish. To cut it in the home kitchen, you must follow professional recommendations.

cleaning process

They begin to clean the mackerel by removing the fish head, fins and tail. The frozen carcass is cut from the ridge. It needs to be cut along the spine. Manipulations are performed so that the fat does not spread, which gives the meat juiciness. Be sure to clean the offal. The black film from the abdomen is carefully removed, it is advisable to try not to damage the abdominal parts. If the film is not removed, bitterness will be felt when using the product. The spine is cut out and the bones are removed. The fish is rinsed in water. Fish fillets can be used.

Mackerel is easy to clean because it does not have hard scales, it has a thin skin that can be thermally processed. If the fish is smoked or baked, its skin becomes soft and edible. Large bones can be easily and quickly removed. Oven-baked or grilled mackerel is served to the table in an almost invisible skin with a potato side dish. At the picnic, you can arrange a smoked fish lunch or dinner.

How to quickly remove the skin

To marinate or salt a mackerel carcass, you can do without removing the skin before cooking. Smoked fish also does not need to get rid of the skin. Remove it in the process of eating. If it is important that the fillet is skinless, marine life should be cleaned. A cold fish and a knife are taken, with which the carcass is cut along the body from the side of the head. Finish the manipulation in the tail section. The peel rises near the head and is slowly separated from the pulp with a knife. You have to be careful not to tear the skin.

The fish is cut in half along its length. The spinal bone is pulled out in one movement. There are few small bones, but they are scrupulously chosen. It won't take much time.

From the sirloin, appetizing rolls are obtained, stuffed with various products. Salted mackerel is delicious to eat with mashed potatoes. Thawed fish is suitable for baking. For defrosting, never use a microwave oven and do not place the carcass in a container of warm water, otherwise the mackerel will be spoiled. The temperature around should change smoothly. Taking the fish out of the freezer, put it on the shelf in the refrigerator. After the refrigerator, the mackerel is placed in a dish in which it will stand for a while in the room. It is better to butcher the carcass until it has completely moved away from freezing. This juicy fish must be baked in foil so as not to lose juiciness.

How to cook fresh-frozen mackerel in the microwave? Fast and simple. Unless you are a resident of a seaside city, then you will have fresh-frozen mackerel. How to clean fresh-frozen mackerel?

Let the fish thaw. It is not necessary to clean it from scales, remove the skin - even more so. Cut off or leave the head - decide for yourself, but remember that the fish cooked with the head is juicier. Remove the insides, rinse thoroughly and dry with a towel.

In portions, salt, rub with pepper, squeeze a few slices of lemon on it. Now put the pieces in a microwave dish, cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes at 800 watts, after which we let stand for a few minutes without removing the lid. Your dinner is ready!

How delicious to cook fresh-frozen mackerel in a saucepan. Put a layer of lemon circles on the bottom, put pieces of fish on top, add a bay leaf and a dozen peppercorns. Pour boiling water so that it covers the fish, but no more, cook over low heat. Place in bowls and sprinkle with fine salt.

Delicate and exquisite

Since mackerel is a fatty fish, it is best when baked in the oven. Just bake at a low temperature. The easiest option is to sprinkle the fish with spices for fish, you can sprinkle with lemon juice, wrap in foil and bake.

If you manage to put the fish belly up, then the broth will remain inside, adding parsley to it and squeezing the lemon, you can make a wonderful sauce.

How to cook fresh-frozen mackerel with onions. For a pound of fish, you will need five onions, a tablespoon of chopped tarragon, a little olive oil, crushed nutmeg, ground pepper, salt, lemon juice.

Chop the onion, mix with spices and lay the resulting mixture in the abdomen of the prepared fish. Wrap the fish in foil or place in baking bags and bake. Squeeze a lemon over the finished fish. It turns out a very tender and tasty dish.

Festive

Freshly frozen for special occasions - stuff it! In addition to fish, we need a glass of olive oil, three tomatoes, two onions, three cloves of garlic, as well as oregano, salt and pepper.

Clean and salt the fish. Remove the skin from the tomato, chop them, mix with chopped onion and crushed garlic. Stuff the fish with the resulting mixture, put them in an oiled form and bake for a little more than half an hour.

with crispy crust

Is it possible to fry fresh-frozen mackerel? Of course! If you want to fry the whole fish, then you will have to fry it for 15 minutes each side, and the steaks are fried for 5-7 minutes.

How to cook fresh-frozen mackerel in a pan in champignon sauce. For two fish we need a little flour, butter, 50 g dry white wine, yolk, two tablespoons of cream, lemon, 150 g fresh champignons and, as always, salt and pepper.

Salt the cleaned fish, sprinkle with lemon juice, brown, and bring to readiness. Transfer the fried fish to a dish, cover and wrap so as not to cool.

Saute the mushrooms in another pan. Pour flour into the oil remaining in the pan after frying the fish, pour in a little water and boil.

Add wine, cream and whipped yolk to the sauce base prepared in this way. Mix everything and combine with mushrooms. Pour hot sauce over fish and serve.