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, bay salt, saltpetre, and lump sugar.
Layer the mixture at the bottom of jars or casks, then add a layer of fish skin-side down.
Continue layering until the jar or cask is full, pressing down as you go.
Cover the jars or casks tightly and let them sit for about 3 months.
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
- Fish (in the method)
- Provides the flesh that the cure firms and preserves through salt absorption and drawn-out moisture.
- Coarse sea salt
- Draws moisture out of the fish and inhibits bacterial growth, preserving the flesh.
- Saltpetre
- Supports curing colour and helps keep the fish's pink tone during long salting.
- Lump sugar
- Balances the sharpness of the salt and softens the harshness of the cure.
The step that matters
Layering the cure evenly and packing the jar full. Salt must reach every part of the fish to preserve it; gaps or loose packing leave pockets where spoilage can start during the long rest.
“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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