Crucian Carp Balyk
Description
This simple crucian carp balyk recipe is perfect for anyone who doesn’t like long cooking sessions but loves hearty, tasty appetizers. You won’t need to do much: just clean and salt the fish. After that, air and salt will do the rest! By the way, if you’re drying it outdoors, be sure to wrap the carp in cheesecloth so flies and other pests don’t land on it. Serve the appetizer at the table.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
1. Wash the fish thoroughly, split it in half as shown in the picture. Remove the innards and trim off the tail and head.
- 2
Step 2
2. Remove all large bones, but you can also dry-cure the fish with the bones in. Rub and sprinkle generously with salt, and leave for three hours. Then rinse the fish and hang it to dry for a day in the open air (or for two days—in the bathroom).
- 3
Step 3
3. I end up with balyk at a medium cure, so if you prefer a drier snack, keep it a day or two longer than I mentioned earlier. Good luck!