Image credit: Melissa Mir via YouTube
When I found this video tutorial by Melissa Mir on YouTube, I was immediately interested in trying it out, and when I did I was really impressed. It turned out to be a delicious and effective way of preserving fish, but more than the fact that they were fresh and edible for a long time, what I really loved about this technique is that it made the fish taste so good that I just can’t have enough of it.
Step 1
Cut off the fins and tail of each fish, then remove the scales, slice the stomach open, and remove all of the guts and gills. Wash them well under running water until clean, then pat them dry with paper towels as well as the insides, and cut off the head. Set them aside and use them for soup or other recipes that you want, then cut the body into 3 parts, and place them in a large bowl.
Step 2
Roughly chop a large onion, then add them to the bowl of fish, and season them with paprika, black pepper, and salt (in the video tutorial, she used 3 tsp for 3kg or 6.6 pounds of fish). Pour the vinegar, then toss them all together with your hands until well combined, seasoned, and coated, and then set them aside. Prepare clean and dry 50ml or 1.7-ounce glass jars and place a bay leaf in each one.
[social_warfare]
Step 3
Start filling them with fish making sure to pack them tightly but not too much. Add 50ml or ¼ cup of vegetable oil to each jar and close the lid of each jar tightly, then line the bottom of a large pot with cloth or towel, and place the jars on top. Fill the pot with cold water until the jars are completely covered up to the lid, then place the pot on a stove, and cover it with the lid.
Step 4
Bring it to a boil over medium heat, then turn the heat to low, and allow it to simmer for about 3 hours. Remove it from the heat, then remove the lid of the pot, and leave it to cool down completely. Take the jars out of the water, then wipe them dry, and keep them sealed until ready to eat. Make sure to store them at a temperature not exceeding 10°C for about 1 year to keep them fresh.
*All image credit belongs to Melissa Mir via YouTube. Follow and subscribe to her channel for more!