Capelin belongs to the category of rather small fish. Most often it is fried, but boiled capelin is no worse. Moreover, you can cook it without a long investment of time and minimal effort. In order for the fish not to taste bitter after boiling, it must be properly prepared.
The process of preparing capelin for cooking:
- if the capelin is frozen, then before cooking it must be defrosted (it is better to do this in a natural way, when using water, the fish may become too soft and lose its shape during the cooking process);
- it is recommended to cut off the head and fins of the capelin before cooking (you can cook with the head and fins, but it is necessary to gut it);
- gutting the capelin is necessary to remove the black film inside the belly of the fish (the film during cooking can make the broth and the capelin itself bitter);
- after gutting, the capelin must be washed again (the belly must be washed especially thoroughly).
The nuances of cooking capelin:
- you can cook capelin in a saucepan, steam, in a pressure cooker or slow cooker;
- boil capelin in a regular saucepan over low or medium heat (you can bring the liquid to a boil in an accelerated way, but when placing fish in it, the fire must be slowed down);
- when cooking in an ordinary saucepan, put capelin in salted and boiling water (you can salt the fish not at the beginning, but at the end of cooking);
- it is necessary to cook capelin under a closed lid (this technique will help preserve the traditional aroma of this type of fish);
- it is better to use bay leaf, peppercorns or any other spices as seasonings (it is better to choose seasonings based on herbs);
- if it is necessary for the capelin to retain its shape as much as possible, it is recommended to sprinkle the fish with coarse salt 30 minutes before its preparation (it is better if by this moment it is already gutted, the salt must be washed off with water before putting the water);
- if you use too many additional ingredients in the cooking process, then the taste of the fish may become less saturated (capelin, like any other fish, is well absorbed by the smells and tastes of additional components);
- during the cooking process, it is recommended to add a small amount of vegetable oil to the water (olive oil is considered ideal);
- the readiness of capelin is determined by its structure (the meat should be white, well separated from the spine of the fish, and the capelin itself should be moderately soft);
- after the end of the cooking process, the capelin must be immediately removed from the liquid (otherwise the fish may lose its shape, because in boiling water the cooking process will continue);
- do not put capelin in cold water and only after that start cooking (capelin is cooked very quickly, and it can rub its shape even before the boiling process begins);
- you can cook capelin not only as a whole, but also in the form of small pieces (capelin is a small fish, so you can cut it into a maximum of 2-3 pieces);
- it is necessary to cook capelin in a small amount of water (the fish is well boiled, and it is cooked in a matter of minutes, a large amount of water can cause it to boil).
Boiled capelin is most often eaten as an independent dish. Ideal additions to it are tomato or creamy cheese sauce. From spices, it is recommended to supplement capelin with rosemary or fennel. Capelin goes well with herbs or vegetables.
How much to cook capelin
Capelin is cooked for a maximum of 10 minutes. If the fish is cooked in a pressure cooker, it will be ready in 7 minutes. When using kitchen appliances, the cooking time for capelin will not exceed 10 minutes. An exception is the method of steaming capelin.
You can steam capelin in two ways – in a double boiler or in a regular saucepan. In the second option, you will need a metal colander or sieve. Pour water into a saucepan, and stir the fish in a sieve or colander. In both versions, the cooking time for capelin is approximately 20 minutes.