How to salt a sprat at home

Sprat spicy salting is considered to be a universal dish. If you go on a sunny day to the fish market, you can hear from the sellers “Fresh, tasty, and it melts in your mouth!”. This statement will be true only if you salt the sprat correctly. There are not many recipes that we will talk about today. We highlight the main features, give step-by-step instructions. So let's get started.

Practical tips

1. In the process of salting, only rock salt is used. You should not choose iodized, otherwise the fish will turn out dry. Experienced housewives often use large sea salt, the main thing is that it is not extra-class (too crushed).
2. If you have acquired a small sprat, you do not need to gut it before pickling. In the case of larger fish, preliminary thinning is required.
3. Whenever possible, process fresh fish, ask sellers how long it has been on the counter. When it comes to frozen products, there is no guarantee that they have not been defrosted before.
4. If you plan to send the sprat for long-term storage after cooking, do not wash the fish before salting. Otherwise, it will quickly lose its taste and aroma, as a result of which the product will have to be thrown away.
5. To prevent sprats from spilling out during cooking and further storage, add granulated sugar (preferably beetroot) to the salting mixture. The recommendation is relevant even in cases where there is no prescription sugar.
6. If frozen sprat is used for salting, leave it to melt at natural temperature. In no case do not send the fish under hot water or in the microwave, otherwise it will become tasteless ("cotton").
7. Choose a suitable container for salting. The best option is a plastic container for heating food in a microwave or food storage. A glass or ceramic bowl, basin, wooden barrel is also suitable.

Sprat in brine

• sprat - 1.2 kg.
• drinking water - 1 l.
• sugar - 25 gr.
• peas - 6 pcs.
• bay leaf - 6 pcs.
• salt - 100 gr.
• ground black pepper - on the tip of a knife
• ground coriander - 3 gr.
• table vinegar (concentration of 5-6%) - 40 ml.
• vegetable oil - 55 gr.

1. Thaw the fish at room temperature if the sprat was bought frozen. The composition should be thawed by 70%, no more. To properly carry out the procedure, in the evening, leave the sprat in the sink, wrapping it in a plastic bag. By morning, the fish will reach the desired concentration.
2. After defrosting, and also if fresh sprats are used, rinse them under ice-cold running water. Dry with paper towels, leave for a quarter of an hour.
3. If desired, tear off the heads and gut the fish, but this is not necessary. Some housewives prefer to remove the gills of large fish to prevent possible unpleasant odors.
4. Place the washed and dried fish in a container for salting, proceed with the preparation of brine. Pour the drinking water into the pan, pour sugar, salt, spices, vinegar. Put on medium heat, heat for 10-15 minutes.
5. Next, remove the marinade from the heat, cover, let cool at room temperature. Now pour the vegetable oil, season with the prepared solution pre-rammed fish.
6. Place a plate on top of the sprat so that the fish does not float. Optionally, you can put a liter bottle of water for better salting. Put the fish in the refrigerator for 2 days, then proceed with tasting.
7. Remove the sprat from the container, do not rinse it. Serve with boiled potatoes, sprinkle with fresh chopped dill.Cut onions in half rings, pour vinegar, leave for 10 minutes. Drain the vinegar, send to the potato by placing a piece of butter on the potato.

Sprat spicy salting

• sprat - 1.1 kg.
• ground pepper - 1 pinch
• salt - 200 gr.
• cloves - 2 buds
• peas - 3 pcs.
• ground coriander - on the tip of a knife
• laurel leaf - 3 pcs.
• ground ginger - 1 pinch

1. It is important to use only freshly frozen sprat, other options are not suitable. Before buying, pay attention to the eyes of the fish. If they are whitish, refuse to purchase. This fact indicates a defrost, which was carried out earlier.
2. Inspect the scales; it should not be spotty or tattered. Otherwise, the facts indicate a violation of the storage conditions of the sprat.
3. Thaw sprats at room temperature. Do not send it into the microwave or under cold water. If you need to speed up the process, wrap the fish in polyethylene, place in a dish and send to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.
4. After defrosting, rinse the fish, if desired, cut off the heads, fins, gills, and remove the insides. Wash again, dry with paper towels. Next, grind the peas with peas and clove buds using a mortar.
5. Add other spices, salt to the crushed seasonings. Rub the fish with the prepared mixture, mix. Send the sprat to a plastic container, put the yoke on top. Refrigerate for 12 hours.
6. After the allotted time, get the product, peel off the spices with a knife, start tasting. Store the sprat in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.
7. If the sprat was slightly salted after cooking, add 2 tablespoons of salt to the previous composition of spices, mix and let it brew for another 5 hours. Serve with mashed potatoes or boiled potatoes, sprinkling the dish with chopped dill.

Sprat Mustard Ambassador

• sprat (preferably large) - 1.3 kg.
• peppercorns - 5 gr.
• cloves - 6 buds
• coarse salt (rock) - 120 gr.
• ground black pepper - 12 gr.
• nutmeg - 1 pinch
• ground coriander - 1 pinch
• cinnamon - on the tip of a knife
• dry mustard - 15 gr.
• dried ginger - 2 pinches
• granulated sugar - 150 gr.

1. Mash peas with ginger and cloves in a mortar, add the remaining spices, granulated sugar, and salt. Prepare a glass jar or wooden barrel. Put some spices on the bottom.
2. Wash and gut the fish, dry it with towels. Cut into slices if desired. Put a few rows in a barrel, cover with spices.
3. Fill the container in a similar way almost to the top, alternating the sprat with seasonings. Place a glass plate on top of the last row, and place a two-liter bottle (oppression) on it.
4. Move the salted fish to the refrigerator for 12-15 hours, then take it out and taste it. If the ambassador turned out to be weak, increase the exposure time.
5. Store the uneaten product in the seasoning barrel for no longer than 20 days. Serve preferably with brown bread, dill and boiled potatoes (possible in their skins or with mashed potatoes).

Sprat dry salted

• large rock salt - 80 gr.
• sprat (frozen or fresh) - 1.3 kg.
• sugar - 20 gr.

1. The option of salting sprats in this way is suitable for those who do not want to bother with the preparation of brine or using a large number of spices. The dry technique does not require time and financial costs, it is suitable even for housewives with little experience.
2. If frozen fish is used, it must first be thawed. To do this, place the sprat in three plastic bags, direct a stream of ice water at it and wait until it thaws. Or you can leave the product at room temperature or on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.
3. When the fish unfreezes, wash it with cold water, gut it (if desired). Dry the sprat with a paper towel, proceed to salting.Pound sugar with salt, rub each fish with the resulting mixture. Prepare a container made of thick plastic or glass.
4. Send a sprat to the container, put the yoke on top (a bottle with a bottom of the desired diameter will do). Put in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, then evaluate the result. If desired, add ground allspice or coriander to the bulk mixture.

Salted sprats can be added to salads, eat as a snack or an independent dish. Consider the technology of dry salting, try to cook fish in brine with the addition of spicy spices. Experiment!

Video: how to salt a sprat