Bream balyk
Description
A delicious appetizer for any gathering. Bream balyk made with this recipe can be kept for quite a long time; you only need to wrap it tightly in bags and place it in the freezer. Serve the appetizer at the table.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
To prepare bream for balyk curing, wash it and trim off the head and tail. Scaling is not necessary.
- 2
Step 2
Making a careful incision from the back side, on both sides separate the meat from the spine, then trim the ribs and, being careful not to puncture the gall bladder, remove the innards. Special attention should be paid to the belly walls: no liquid or black membranes should remain there, as this may spoil the flavor later.
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Step 3
Rinse the fish again, then cut it crosswise into pieces. The size of the pieces depends on the size of the fish; make sure they are not too thin or too thick (this can affect not only how dry the fish becomes, but also its keeping quality and food safety). Instead of cutting it into pieces, you can make incisions while leaving the skin intact—this will give you one large balyk that will salt and cure well.
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Step 4
For salting, it is best to use enamelware, food-grade plastic containers, or stainless steel. The fish should fit in 2–3 layers by volume. The curing mixture will be a blend of spices, salt, and sugar (10 tablespoons of salt and 3 tablespoons of sugar per kilogram of fish). Spread the resulting mixture evenly on the bottom of the container to form a layer 2–3 mm thick. Tightly arrange bream pieces in layers on top, sprinkling them with the mixture. Now you can rest a bit and leave the fish undisturbed for a full 5–6 days, placing it in a cool spot under a weight. It is most convenient to cover the fish with a plate, board, or lid before placing the weight on top — this way the pressure will be distributed more evenly.
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Step 5
After 5–6 days, remove the container with the fish and drain the brine that has formed during this time. Rinse each piece under cold running water.
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Step 6
Now you need to remove the excess salt from the fish itself. To do this, soak it in a large amount of cold water for 6–10 hours (depending on the size of the fish and your taste preferences) and remember to change the water periodically.
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Step 7
After soaking, pat each piece dry with a paper towel and hang in a well-ventilated place, avoiding direct sunlight. In this state, the fish should dry for 2–4 days. Readiness can be judged by the characteristic firmness, darkening, and slight translucency of the bream balyk.