Salting Fish

[Pav]

Does anyone know / or tried "salting" fish? Not familiar with the technique but have heard of it as an alternative to smoking?

[Spaniard]

I reckon you should ask Foxfish, he seems to know all about that kinda stuff.

[Seal]

My father salts hering

Here is what he does:

First only hering cought at autumn is used, due to the high fat level of the fish.
The head and guts are removed, and then a layer of salt is put in a bucket, then a layer of fish, then salt etc. No water is added. 3 months later (around christmas) the fish is ready, it will be watered out for 6-12 hours before eating.

Another easy salting method is what we call "gravad" take for example a piece of fresh salmon. sprinkle with salt and a little sugar. Then add a fresh herb called "dill" pack it in aluminum foil. and let is sit in the frige for 3-6 hours. Delicious : )

[Pav]

Originally Posted by Seal

Another easy salting method is what we call "gravad" take for example a piece of fresh salmon. sprinkle with salt and a little sugar. Then add a fresh herb called "dill" pack it in aluminum foil. and let is sit in the frige for 3-6 hours. Delicious : )

Can i check, salted fish is eaten raw?
Also would Mackeral suit salting? thanks.

[khel]

Well, here's the way I do it.

Gut and wash fish. Put salt on bottom of the bucket, put fish, salt on top, repeat... When done, put some weight and let it sit for 24 hours or so. After that hang it on a string somewhere with good ventilation.

2 days later - enjoy it with some beer

[stuckinsurrey]

Not quite salting fish but Jamie Oliver has a receipe for baking fish in a salt crust. Not tried it myself but some friends have and they said it was lovely and not salty at all, but very moist. They tried it with bass, if i could only shoot one i'd give it a try!

[Pav]

my mums also tried that recipe with a Bass left for them, and liked it. I think the salt makes a crust and is then cracked off afterwards.

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by stuckinsurrey

Not quite salting fish but Jamie Oliver has a receipe for baking fish in a salt crust. Not tried it myself but some friends have and they said it was lovely and not salty at all, but very moist. They tried it with bass, if i could only shoot one i'd give it a try!

They did something similar on Floyd on Fish...he used heck of a lot of salt, the fish was buried in it. The salt probably cost more than the fish!

There is a similar recipe on P51 of Rick Stein's "Seafood" book (which I got from the library -- Rick already owns more than enough of Padstow!) "baking fish in a salt casing, sea bass baked in a salt crust". He mixes 2 egg whites with 4lb/1.75 kg of salt, covers the fish & bakes for 20 mins at 200C/400F/Gas Mark6. "Serve with lemon sauce & potato confit".

Checking the book Floyd on Fish, he has a different recipe "Ric Stein's Baked Bass"!

Are you looking at salting for taste or for long term storage?

[Pav]

just an interest. I make my own burgers, pickle eggs and would like to make my own sausages.

I've messed around smoking fish, and wanted a go at salting as I've heard about it.

I'm still missing something here . ... is a salted fish eaten raw or do you still cook it afterwards?

[spearheads]

The anglers salt strips of mackerel for bait in Torbay.
What i do is put the salt in a tub then lay the fish flesh side down for a few hours then skin side down for a few days, its now ready for bait but its actually quite tasty to eat when you get hungry out fishing ( or bored).

If you add some herbs to the salt in should mack it better tasting.

[marginatus]

We salt fish here too.
here's the deal:
clean the fish;
make two cuts (the long way)
fill it with salt
after a few day put it in the sun to dry

to eat:
leave it in water for half or a complete day (with some water changes)- personal taste

boil it with some potatoes (all togheter so tha potatoes grab the taste. Potatoes need to go first as they take more time)
some olive oil and vinegar or wahatever you like and your done

[spaghetti]

Originally Posted by stuckinsurrey

Not quite salting fish but Jamie Oliver has a receipe for baking fish in a salt crust. Not tried it myself but some friends have and they said it was lovely and not salty at all, but very moist. They tried it with bass, if i could only shoot one i'd give it a try!

Good! Bass is the classic for this recipe ("Spigola al sale", transl. "Bass in Salt", italian recipe AFAIK, or however very popular here). In the oven the salt melts and makes a kind of crusty shell all around the bass, keeping all the moist inside, so the meat doesn't dry up too much and the natural flavour doesn't steam off. While baking in the oven, the fish must be really and completely buried under salt as Mr.X said, but when ready all the salt will be thrown away (you must not eat the salt crust, and indeed this recipe has nothing in common with "salting fish").
...
Briefly: gut the bass but do not scale it, fill its belly with a bit of pepper and a little rosemary and sage. Make a "bed" of salt in a pyrofile glass casserole, put the bass inside, then cover the fish with more salt until it's totally covered (take care not to let the salt go inside the bass's belly). Cook in oven for about 30 minutes at 200/220°C, then get it out. Break the salt crust and the skin of the bass will tear off: throw away all the salt and the skin, just leave the meat. Dress with lemon or lime juice and raw olive oil and serve with your favourite salad. Very simple, very good.