A ram fish, its appearance. We s alt the fish

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

What is a ram fish? This is a kind of roach, the most common. It's just that, compared to roach, her body height is large, the scales are smaller in size, there are also fewer rays in the anal fin, more blackish edges of the fins and thick teeth. 25-35 centimeters - the length of the ram, its weight is up to 1.8 kg. This fish is found in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, enters the rivers in the spring for spawning, and very often comes for wintering in the fall. So most of the fish spend the winter at the mouths of the rivers in the sea.

Battering ram - trademark, its disappearance

This fish does not rise high into the rivers. Its spawning takes place somewhere at the end of March or at the very beginning of April in the grass and reeds, then the ram fish again goes to sea. For the reason that it used to be sold only dried in the Kuban, on the Don, throughout the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, any fish that looks like roach or roach is called a ram.

BIn the past, all the rivers flowing into the Sea of Azov, especially the Don, were very important for fishing, they gave a huge amount of ram. Now, unfortunately, there has been a complete impoverishment of the entire pool, and ram, unfortunately, is not caught anywhere else. The reason for this is not fully understood, but it is assumed that the unlimited fishing of the ram has brought it to the brink of extinction. So you need to be very careful, otherwise the most useful fish will completely disappear.

Dried fish, ram: cooking process, part one

The peculiarity of this process is that first the fish is s alted, after a certain period of time has passed, it is dried in a well-ventilated and dry place. After all this, it can be eaten without being pre-treated, for example, with heat. During storage, the content of fat and moisture in the carcass will gradually decrease, it will become noticeably drier, which is why it is also called dried.

Not all fish are felled, but only those whose meat matures during the drying process (natural), acquiring a specific aroma and taste. It is best to dry fish that have an average fat content. In the case when it is not large, then take it whole or divide it in layers along the spine, you can cut it into pieces of 100 grams across the layer. Dried ram has the best taste, some other fish also differ in this: vobla, perch, capelin, sabrefish, bream, roach, etc.

Cooking dried fish, second part

If our fish is not large, then it is s altednot gutted, dried in the same way. It turns out just what you need. The fat of the viscera and subcutaneous during drying gradually soak the meat, and the fish itself becomes much tastier. It is recommended to do this in the spring, it can be done in the fall from medium fat or fatty live bait.

But in the summer it is not advisable to do this, since herbivorous fish mainly feed on greens, and it decomposes during drying, and as a result we get a bitter taste and an unpleasant smell. The whole harvesting process consists of three main stages: s alting, soaking and, of course, drying. Now we will look at how to s alt ram fish.

S alting live bait

When it is s alted for drying, two methods are most often used: dry and wet (brine). A medium-sized live bait is s alted wet, its weight is somewhere around 250-500 grams. No need to wash, wipe only with a towel, be sure to dry. Use only coarse s alt for s alting, as its main purpose is to remove moisture from the ram. It does not need to be given a special taste, since it itself has a good aroma. In this case, coarse s alt dissolves more slowly and sucks out more, absorbs moisture. It is poured into the bottom of a basin, pot or enameled bucket.

We lay the ram (a kind of fish) in the most dense rows: towards the tail - with the head, towards the stomach - with the back, and it will be even better as follows: put the back on the abdomen. In this way, oppression will work better. You need to s alt each row well. Add some sugar for a special taste. Frompots of a slightly smaller size, put an enameled lid or a wooden circle on top, and oppression - on it. After 4-5 hours, the fish will release the brine itself. Remember we talked about brine? This is what he is. For the entire time the live bait is s alted, it must be placed in the coldest possible place.

Continue the s alting process

Why do we put our fish in the coldest place? Because s alt slowly penetrates into the meat, and where the live bait did not have time to s alt, the cold protects it from spoilage. If you s alt fish at home, you can do it in the cellar, refrigerator or on ice. In other conditions, such as on a hike, it is placed in a hole dug in a shady, cool place and covered with a tarpaulin or branches to protect it from the sun's rays.

Usually after three days, the back of the live bait becomes hard, the caviar is red-yellow, the meat is gray-dark. With the brine method, so much s alt must be dissolved in a bucket of water so that a raw egg placed in brine floats on the surface. See how fresh ram fish looks like, take a photo of it, string 6-10 pieces or twine on twine and lower it into brine, cooked so that it is completely covered with brine. Live bait of small size is s alted out in two or three days. We take it out of the bucket, rinse it in water for 20-30 minutes and hang it out to dry.

Completion of brining rams

In the event that the ram fish is large, but you want to wither entirely, then you need to pump a s alt solution into its belly before sending it to the brine. Do it with a syringe orrubber syringe through the mouth. Larger live bait is s alted dry. It weighs over a kilogram. We cut each fish along the back and then unhoop it. We remove the insides, then wipe with a cloth, dry. Sprinkle s alt from the inside, but in moderation, without diligence.

We put the carcasses in a wooden box in rows, while we direct the bellies up and on the scales - on top - add s alt. In a cool place, we dig a hole and put a box in it, after which we cover it with a film of polyethylene. The ambassador lasts from four to seven days, depending on the size of the fish. In the process of s alting, it releases its own juice, but it flows out through the cracks of the box. This is dry s alting.