How to salt chebak for drying - a simple salting method

Residents of Siberia do not need to be told what a chebak is. This is a type of roach, and it is particularly fertile. There is not a single body of water in Siberia that does not contain chebak. Despite its relatively small size, chebak can be used to prepare many dishes. However, dried chebak is beyond competition. So that the dried chebak does not disappoint you, it needs to be properly salted, and we will now look at how to do this.

Ingredients: salt, chebak
Time to bookmark: Whole year

You can catch chebak all year round. In the spring it goes to spawn and specimens with eggs are often found. In autumn, fish fatten up before the cold winter, and at this time the fish meat is especially tender.

Regardless of the time of year, you need to remember that chebak is a river fish, and it is important to prepare it properly to avoid unpleasant diseases.

You need to salt fish for drying immediately, on the day of catching. Don't leave it in the refrigerator or it will spoil.

If the fish is small, there is no need to gut it. If you have specimens larger than 500 grams, it is better to get rid of the insides. Rip open the belly of each fish and remove the giblets. You can leave the caviar if you have it. Wash the chebak from the outside and inside, without missing a single fish.

The wet method is used for salting chebak; it is quick and less troublesome. You can salt the chebak in a plastic bucket or in a stainless steel pan. Pour a handful of salt into the bottom of the container and distribute it evenly across the entire bottom of the container. Each fish needs to be rubbed with salt outside and inside.If the fish has caviar, add a little more salt to the belly.

For 1 kg of chebak you need about 150 grams. coarse salt.

Place the fish tightly in the container and fill the empty spaces with salt. Cover the chebak with an inverted plate and place pressure on top.

Chebak should be salted in a cool place for at least three days. During this time, excess liquid will come out of the fish, and it will be salted “in its own juice,” which makes salting more uniform.

On the fourth day, the chebak can be washed and sent to dry. Dried chebak is a favorite snack of Siberian fishermen. There is no point in preparing chebak for the winter, because no matter how much you prepare it, it will still not be enough.