Mullet: how to cook fish

The content of the article

• What is mullet?
• The nutritional value
• How to choose
• How to cook a mullet
• Cooking recipes
• Mullet Booglam Recipe
• With lemon grass and fennel
• The secrets of making delicious mullet

Fried, stewed, baked, salted or smoked mullet will bring you a lot of pleasure and benefit your body. Many recipes for preparing this simple fish variety will allow you to make both the first and second dishes, to build an appetizer for beer. Juicy white meat with a moderate fish aroma does not require special manipulations during cooking, complex soaking. A few spices, vegetables, salt – all that is needed to give an amazing taste and aroma to the mullet fish.

What is mullet?

In warm waters, commercial mullet fish lives. The habitat is the sea. The population of the mullet family lives in the seas of subtropical and tropical regions. Some of the species can live in freshwater rivers. They can grow up to a length of 50 cm. Shiny scales, a small mouth are characteristic of individuals. Gray mullets are highly mobile, they can jump out of the water, jump over fences.

These representatives of the ichthyofauna have a body resembling a torpedo in shape. Scales are large, round. The nose of the fish is flush with the dorsal fin. The lifespan of marine and river inhabitants is up to 15 years. Sexual maturity of males occurs at 6-7 years, and spawning of females is possible at 8-9 years. There are more than 100 subspecies of this fish that live in different reservoirs:

• mullet-loban (black) – a popular large variety, the habitat of which is the Japanese, Azov, Black Sea, can weigh up to 2.5 kg;
• ostronos (chularka) – the smallest representative of mullet, weight about 500 g, length – 25 cm,
• syngil (serendaka) – a common Black Sea mullet, carcass weight – up to 1 kg;
• Pelengas – the habitat of the Far Eastern waters;
• hoturo, cestretes – rare species that prefer fresh water.

Representatives of the family are found not only in natural conditions, in the seas, oceans, and estuaries. High nutritional value and excellent taste of the product have led to the fact that in many countries tend to grow fish in artificial reservoirs. The decrease in the number of fish in the sea, the lack of a permanent successful bite and the high demand for this species among consumers are reasons for their breeding in special complexes.

The nutritional value

High nutritional value makes fish a popular fishing destination. Mullet is rich in vitamins, macro- and microelements, beneficial acids. One of the valuable components in the composition of such a product is omega-3 fatty acids. The body needs an element to maintain healthy arteries and to resist blood clots, which significantly reduces the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other diseases of the cardiovascular system. The product contains protein, calcium phosphorus, necessary for muscles, bones of the human body.

Regular consumption of this type of fish in food will have a beneficial effect on the skin condition due to the large amount of vitamin A, which contributes to the production of collagen. This element is also necessary for the normal functioning of the organs of vision. Another useful element from the composition is vitamin B4. With it, you can improve the state of the nervous system, normalize sleep, and eliminate depressive states. B vitamins contribute to the good functioning of the liver, lower blood cholesterol. You can name other useful elements of chemical composition:

• a nicotinic acid;
• phosphorus;
• fluorine;
• molybdenum;
• nickel;
• zinc;
• chromium.

Supporters of a healthy lifestyle and those who want to lose weight will be pleased to learn about the low calorie content of the product. 100 grams of fresh fish meat contains only 80 to 120 kcal. Due to the lack of carbohydrates, fish is easily digested. This fact is very important for low-calorie diet. Nutritionists recommend combining this product with red and green vegetables, sometimes with cereals..

How to choose

To prepare a tasty and healthy dish of mullet, it is important to know the secrets of choosing fresh and high-quality fish. Experts recommend paying attention to the following symptoms before buying:

1. The main characteristic of the fresh product is convex, clear eyes with a black pupil. Cloudy eyes indicate spoilage of fish.
2. The scales on this water inhabitant should remain until the sale is shiny, shimmering in the sun. Scales fit snugly on the carcass. If damage, spots are observed on the surface, then it is better not to buy such a product.
3. You can check the fish for freshness by pressing with your finger. Press finger firmly against the carcass. The resulting fossa should recover quickly. If this does not happen, look for another fish for your lunch..
4. Give preference to freshly caught fish. Within 48 hours (subject to proper storage) all the useful properties of the product are preserved. If you can’t buy fresh carcasses, pay attention to deep-frozen products. Inspect the fish. It should not be damaged, and the exact date should be indicated on the box.

How to cook a mullet

High nutritional value and excellent taste contribute to the emergence of many dishes of mullet. This type of fish lends itself to different methods of heat treatment, but more often there are recipes from mullet, in which it is proposed to bake raw materials in the oven or fry. Smoked, salted and dried mullet are popular, and various fish soups are also prepared from it. To reveal new facets of taste, raw materials are pre-marinated, spicy herbs and spices are used, served with sauces. Fish is perfect for potatoes or other vegetables.

The method of preparation depends on the type of fish purchased. Large bearing are often stuffed and baked. Note that the head of a representative of this family of mullet contains poison, therefore, before the heat treatment it must be cut off. Caspian varieties are more fat than the Black Sea or Azov varieties. If you monitor the calorie content of your diet, consider this point..

Cooking recipes

Due to its moderate aroma and solid structure of white meat, excellent taste characteristics and benefits for the body, this fish is in demand in the cuisines of many countries of the world. The carcass has few bones, the scales are easily separated from the body. Real fish lovers should go to the Black Sea coast, where you can take a freshly caught carcass and cook it yourself. If you live far from the place where the Black Sea mullet lives, use a frozen product to create your small culinary masterpiece.

Mullet Booglam Recipe

• Time: 1 hour 45 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 4 Persons.
• Calorie content: 49 kcal / 100 g.
• Purpose: lunch, dinner.
• Cuisine: Caucasian.
• Difficulty: Easy.

Hearty and tasty mullet booglam fish belongs to the dishes of the national Caucasian cuisine. The abundance of herbs, spices, colorful vegetables in combination with white fish meat will surprise and delight you and your loved ones. The amount and composition of vegetable components can be varied to your taste. If you are preparing this Caucasian dish for the first time, adhere to the proportions indicated in the recipe. Treating is simple; the process does not take much of your time.

Ingredients:

• mullet – 300 g;
• garlic – 3 teeth .;
• tomatoes – 4 pcs.;
• chili pepper – 1 pc.;

• onion – 2 pcs.;
• salad pepper – 2 pcs.;
• cilantro, dill – 1 bunch each;
• potatoes – 4-5 pcs.;
• water – 0.5 l;
• paprika, hops-suneli, salt, pepper – to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Prepare the products. Wash the fish carcass, clean from scales, remove fins and entrails.
2. Cut the fish into small cubes (3-4 cm), removing the bones.
3. Wash the chili peppers, peel the seeds, cut into cubes.
4. Peel the tomatoes. To do this, make a cross incision on the surface of the vegetable, dip it in boiling water, and then in cold water. After this procedure, the skin is easily separated from the pulp. Dice the tomatoes.
5. Peel the onion and cut into half rings.
6. In a thick-walled pan or deep pan, lay the prepared foods in layers in the following order: fish, potatoes, onions, peppers, tomatoes.
7. Top layer – chopped greens.
8. Add spices and salt, fill the dish with water.
9. Cover the pot or pan and place on the stove. Cook over low heat for about 45 minutes until cooked..
10. Garnish with greens when serving. Warm pita bread can be served with the dish..

With lemon grass and fennel

• Time: 1 hour 10 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 6 Persons.
• Calorie content: 121 kcal / 100 g.
• Purpose: lunch, dinner.
• Cuisine: International.
• Difficulty: Easy.

Mullet fish do not belong to expensive or rare varieties. From an inexpensive carcass, you can make a small work of culinary art, if you choose the right spices and herbs. Experts say that fennel and lemon grass are better suited to this fish species. In combination with each other, they add a delicate aniseed acidity to the white tender meat. The appetizer is worthy of not only everyday, but also a festive table. Treats will bring special benefits if the catch was fresh, but frozen fish will not spoil the taste of the finished dish.

Ingredients:

• mullet – 3 kg;
• fennel – 1 pc.;
• lemon grass – 4 tbsp. l .;
• lemon – 1 pc.;
• cilantro (parsley) – 100 g;
• ginger – 30 g;
• garlic – 4 teeth .;
• olive oil – 50 ml;
• salt, black pepper – to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Wash carcasses, clean from scales, remove entrails.
2. Wash the lemon, cut into slices with the peel.
3. Grind ginger and garlic.
4. Stuff the carcasses with a mixture of herbs with roots, lemon slices, chopped garlic and ginger. Salt, pepper, pour olive oil.
5. Preheat the oven to 140 degrees. Bake fish at this temperature for an hour.
6. When serving, garnish with fennel sprigs. Serve with white or pink wine.

The secrets of making delicious mullet

Delicate, nutritious, juicy and tasty fish is suitable for everyday and festive table. It is boiled, stewed, baked, smoked, canned. Treats from this aquatic inhabitant can be found in the national cuisines of many peoples of the world, including Russia. To make mullet dishes perfect, use the following recommendations of specialists:

1. Before working with fish, immerse it in very hot water for half an hour. This technique will simplify the process of cleaning the scales. Start from the side of the tail.
2. When baking a dish in the oven, be sure to preheat it beforehand. The optimal temperature for this type of heat treatment is 180 degrees. To bring the dish to readiness, it will take about 20 minutes, unless otherwise specified in the recipe. If the carcasses are kept in the oven for a long time, the meat will become dry.
3. More valuable than others are the nutritional qualities of this fish, which was caught in the fall or spring.
4. To preserve the taste of the product after freezing, do not put it to thaw in a container of water. Leave the carcass to thaw in air at room temperature.
5. This fish variety is successfully combined with citrus fruits, paprika, pepper, thyme, parsley, fennel, black radish, tomatoes, garlic.
6. Use a mixture of vegetable and butter when frying.
7. Salted and pepper the boiled fish at the end of the heat treatment.