Pickled Mackerel, Herrings, or Sprats
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the fish
Split the fish, remove the heads, and trim the belly.
Soak the fish in saltwater for 1 hour, then drain and wipe them dry.
Cure
In a bowl, mix the coarse sea salt, regular salt, saltpetre, and lump sugar.
Layer the bottom of jars or casks with the salt mixture.
Place the fish skin-side down in layers, alternating with the salt mixture until full.
Press down the fish and cover tightly.
Let it sit for about 3 months before using.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Fresh mackerel, herring, or sprats
- Provide the fish flesh that is cured and preserved by the salt mixture.
- Coarse sea salt
- Draws moisture out of the fish and firms the flesh during curing.
- Regular salt
- Draws moisture out of the fish and helps preserve it during curing.
- Saltpetre
- Helps preserve the fish's color and inhibits spoilage during long curing.
- Lump sugar
- Balances the sharpness of the salt and adds mild sweetness to the cured fish.
The step that matters
Packing the layers and covering tightly. Fish must be fully covered by the salt mixture and pressed down so no air pockets or exposed flesh spoil during the long cure. Salt draws out moisture and creates a brine that protects the fish while it matures.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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