Scows full of mullet,

Kostya brought to Odessa... (from the song by M. Bernes)

The mullet is a marine, predominantly herbivorous fish belonging to the mullet-like order. It is found off the coast of the USA, New Zealand, Australia, Madagascar, Russia (the Black, Caspian and Azov Seas), Ukraine and South-East Asia.

in black and Seas of Azov 4 species of mullet live: golden mullet (serendaka, sarianak), ostronos (chularka, larisch), striped mullet (black mullet) (in the first third of the twentieth century, this fish was also artificially populated in the Caspian Sea, where it successfully took root), pelengas (also spelled "pilengas", otherwise called belingas or maenad - a Pacific species of mullet that comes to the Black Sea from the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bJapan and settled in the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov in the 60s of the last century). In addition to the listed species, the Golovach mullet (Ramada, magnet mullet) and the wrasse mullet, or thick-lipped mullet, have also been preserved in the Black Sea.

Despite the fact that outwardly mullets do not fundamentally differ from each other - they all have a torpedo-shaped body, large scales and a flattened head - nevertheless, it can be said with certainty that the average body weight and fat content of each type of mullet is different, and therefore to They use different cooking methods.

The largest fish among the mullets is the pelengas. The length of his body can be more than 1 m, and the weight ranges from 2 to 10 kg! (True, most often bearings weigh 5-6 kg.) Next comes the striped mullet, which grows up to 55-75 cm in length and weighs about 2.5-3.5 kg, then golovach mullet with a body size of 60 cm and a weight of 2.9 kg, then - mullet-wrasse - 75 cm in length with a weight of 4-5 kg, golden mullet - 35 cm in length with 1 kg of live weight and finally sharp-nosed - 25 cm in length with a weight of 0.5 kg.

The largest mullet - pelengas - is usually stuffed and baked. Loban can also be baked, for example, in sour cream, but no longer stuffed. In addition, it is important to take into account that the striped mullet sometimes contains poison in its head, so it must be cut off before heat treatment!

The rest of the mullets are suitable for stewing, baking, cooking (ordinary, steam, on the fire), poaching, drying, smoking, frying and salting. AT Food Industry from all mullets produce canned food.


It should be noted that in general mullets have an amazing taste. This characteristic is especially applicable to the Black Sea and Azov mullets caught in autumn and spring. Separately, it is worth considering the loban, which gives very delicious caviar and having in abdominal cavity a kind of tasty "lard".

Caspian mullet has less fatty meat than its "brothers" from other seas. However, it is also in high demand among fish lovers.

Mullet meat is white and tender. It does not contain small bones, and therefore it is easy to eat. Whether baked, fried or boiled, it goes well with pasta, boiled rice, potatoes, onions and leek. As spices, fennel, celery greens, black pepper, mustard and garlic are suitable for it. Some also serve mullet in a sweet and sour sauce derived from citrus fruits.

The mullet can be confidently called one of the symbols summer holiday at the Black Sea. Delicious, healthy and nutritious, it is a traditional representative of fish stalls in southern markets and shops. Fishermen recklessly compete in the amount of their catch and the size of the fish caught, housewives willingly include fish in the kitchen menu, and vacationers enjoy white and tender meat with pleasure.

Description

Translated from Greek, mullet (kephale) means "head", and this general characteristics 81 species of fish living in the World Ocean, mainly in tropical and subtropical latitudes. The most common is the mullet, often referred to as the mullet-loban. He is a "native" Black Sea, in which, in addition to it, there are 3 more types of mullet fish: mullet singil, mullet-ostronos and mullet-pelengas. Them interesting feature- the ability to jump high out of the water, especially in cases of danger or fright.

  1. Loban. The largest representative of the detachment, growing up to 80-90 centimeters in length and 6.5-7 kilograms in weight. By 6-8 years, the period of maturity, it can already reach 50-55 cm and 2-2.5 kg. The fish has an elongated torpedo-shaped body with a dozen longitudinal brownish stripes, covered with large scales: gray-light on the belly, blue-gray on the back. On a massive head with a wide forehead and swollen nostrils, there are two eyes, with fatty eyelids hanging over them, and a small narrow mouth, with a thin lower lip. There are two dorsal and ventral fins, they are separated, and the first upper one has 4 hard and sharp rays. The caudal fin is wide and powerful, V-shaped.

    Mullet Loban

  2. Singil. Less big fish, at a maximum growing up to 35-50 centimeters and 1 kilogram (copies over "kilo" are very rare in the Black Sea). It has a rounded head with a broad muzzle, narrow mouth, and eyes with a thin fatty eyelid. Scales are large, gray with blue colors on the back, and silver on the sides, on which several longitudinal stripes are visible golden color. Feature- “golden” spot on the gill cover.

    Mullet Singil

  3. Ostronos. Outwardly, it resembles a mullet-singil, standing out with a pointed snout. The maximum dimensions are also approximately the same - 40-50 cm and up to 1 kg in weight. The scales are large, its tone can vary from dark gray to dark brown on the back, and light silver on the belly. The edges of the second upper and caudal fins are painted black (the latter is of the V-shaped type).

    Ostronos mullet (chularka)

  4. Pelengas. The second largest type of mullet in the Black Sea waters grows up to 70-80 centimeters and 5 kilograms. He is a "guest", deliberately brought from Sea of ​​Japan and perfectly accustomed to the Black. By the way, in the "homeland" some of its specimens reach 1.5 meters in length and 12 kg of weight. It is distinguished by dark spots on the edges of large scales of a silvery-light color and an orange color of the iris.

    Mullet-pelengas

Habitats and spawning of mullet

Mullet is active in warm time of the year, leaving to winter in large shoals to the depths and sensitively reacting to the slightest warming of the sea. Moreover, sometimes striped mullet and pelengas stray into single herds. She begins to "fat fat" in the spring, migrating to the coast and often appearing in shallow water. Perfectly enduring both slightly and strongly salty water, the mullet often enters the mouths of rivers and estuaries, loves bays and bays. The fish is driven to constant movement by feeding on detritus (organic residues in the water column or at the bottom), in addition to which it can also feed on small crustaceans, invertebrates and even small mollusks.

spawning different types mullet passes differently. For example, sharp-nosed and golden mullet lay their eggs in August-September, setting off for this in the open sea. Pelengas also spawns at the end of summer - early autumn, preferring shallow bays, and female striped mullet spawns from late May to September, both in the open sea and off the coast. The eggs of the mullet of the pelagic type develop in the water column and are found far from the coast, but the fry very quickly acquire the habits of adults, rushing to shallow water.

Catching a mullet

The high nutritional value of mullet is difficult to overestimate. Its meat contains a large amount of fatty acids that favorably affect the functioning of the cardiovascular systems and the brain, amino acids and vitamins, phosphorus, fluorine, zinc, and many micro and macro elements. This, as well as "comfortable", relatively big sizes together with life "shoals", make fish commercial species. Its mass catch is carried out by various nets, including “fixed” and “casting” nets.

In addition to industrial fishing, the mullet is a popular prey for amateur fishermen and sportsmen. The constant search for food, the “entry” of fish into coastal shallow bays, estuaries and lakes, give them the opportunity to use quite standard bottom gear and float fishing rods. At the same time, fishing can continue from spring until autumn, in most cases, subject to the right approach and a bit of luck, ending with good catches.

Experienced fishermen recommend catching mullet in the morning and evening when it comes to the coast to feed. Preferably - on the bottom gear, using a transparent fishing line, as the fish is shy by its "character". The composition of top dressing should include at least 30% of what is caught. (U local residents especially popular bait from nereis, polychaete sea ​​worm). But you can also use a float rod with a long rod that allows you to fish from the shore.

Mullet is a small (about 60 centimeters) commercial fish of the genus Mugilidae, living mainly in marine and brackish waters all tropical and warm seas; several species of mullet are found in fresh waters tropical America, Madagascar, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. In the USA, where the mullet is caught mainly off the coast of Florida, its two most common varieties are the striped mullet, which in Russia is called the striped mullet, and the white mullet.

Both of these types are commonly fried or baked, and are often served for breakfast in the southern United States.

Mullet, a beautiful silvery fish with a small mouth, up to 40 cm long with large scales. It swims in flocks, is very mobile, has the ability to jump out of the water when frightened, and easily jumps over the exposed nets. It becomes sexually mature at the age of 6-8 years with a length of 30-40 cm. It spawns in May-September both in open and coastal waters.

In the cuisines of most countries of the world, you can find the most different dishes from mullet: it is stewed in a white wine sauce with onions and fish broth, breaded and fried in oil until a crispy golden crust is formed, baked with porcini mushrooms or simply baked.

Calorie mullet

100 g of fresh mullet contains 124 kcal. It is quite nutritious due to the high content of proteins. In 100 g of boiled mullet - 115 kcal. Calorie content of fried mullet - 187 kcal per 100 g of product. And 100 g of stewed mullet contains 79 kcal. The calorie content of cold-smoked mullet is relatively low and amounts to only 88 kcal. Moderate consumption of this type of fish will not harm the figure.

Nutritional value per 100 grams:

Useful properties of mullet

Mullet has very valuable, tender and tasty meat. Mullet contains fats, proteins, phosphorus, calcium, chlorine, zinc, chromium, fluorine, molybdenum, nickel, vitamins PP, B1, provitamin A.

Consumption of fish helps prevent heart disease and stroke. This is because fish, as well as shellfish and crustaceans, have a special type of oil called omega-3 that keeps arteries healthy.

A heart attack or stroke is a consequence of blood clots blocking an artery. What are the benefits of omega-3 oil? - It prevents the formation of these clots. Among other things, it helps lower blood pressure, and this is exactly why people who consume a lot of fish are much less likely to have heart attacks and strokes.

Irina Kamshilina

Cooking for someone is much more pleasant than for yourself))

Content

Fried, stewed, baked, salted or smoked mullet will bring you a lot of pleasure and benefit to your body. Many recipes for preparing this simple fish variety will allow you to make both the first and second courses, to build an appetizer for beer. Juicy white meat with a moderate fishy aroma does not require special manipulations during cooking, complex soaking. A few spices, vegetables, salt - everything you need to give amazing taste and aroma to fish of the mullet family.

What is a mullet

Lives in warm waters commercial fish mullet. The habitat is the sea. The population of the mullet family lives in the seas of subtropical and tropical regions. Some of the species can live in freshwater rivers. They can grow up to a length of 50 cm. Shiny scales and a small mouth are characteristic of individuals. Gray mullets are highly mobile, they can jump out of the water, jump over fences.

These representatives of the ichthyofauna have a body shaped like a torpedo. The scales are large, rounded. The nose of the fish is located on the same level with the dorsal fin. The life span of marine and river dwellers is up to 15 years. Puberty males occurs at 6-7 years, and spawning of females is possible at 8-9 years. There are more than 100 subspecies of this fish that live in different reservoirs:

  • mullet-loban (black) - a popular large variety whose habitat is the Japanese, Azov, Black Sea, can weigh up to 2.5 kg;
  • ostronos (chularka) - the smallest representative of the mullet, weight about 500 g, length - 25 cm,
  • golden mullet (serendaka) - a common Black Sea mullet, carcass weight - up to 1 kg;
  • pelengas - habitat Far Eastern waters;
  • hoturo, tsestrets - rare species who prefer fresh water.

Not only in natural conditions, representatives of the family are found in the seas, oceans, estuaries. high the nutritional value and excellent taste qualities of the product have led to the fact that in many countries they seek to grow fish in artificial reservoirs. Decrease in the number of fish in the sea, the lack of a constant successful bite and high demand for this species among consumers - the reasons for breeding them in special complexes.

The nutritional value

The high nutritional value makes the fish a popular target for catching. Mullet is rich in vitamins, macro- and microelements, useful acids. One of the valuable components in the composition of such a product is omega-3 fatty acids. The element is necessary for the body to maintain the health of the arteries, resist the formation of blood clots, which significantly reduces the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other diseases. of cardio-vascular system. The product contains protein, calcium, phosphorus, necessary for the muscles, bones of the human body.

Regular consumption of this type of fish in food will have a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin due to a large number vitamin A, which promotes the production of collagen. This element is also necessary for the normal functioning of the organs of vision. Another useful element from the composition is vitamin B4. It can improve the condition nervous system, normalize sleep, eliminate depressive states. Vitamins of group B contribute to the good functioning of the liver, reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood. Others can be named useful elements chemical composition:

  • a nicotinic acid;
  • phosphorus;
  • fluorine;
  • molybdenum;
  • nickel;
  • zinc;
  • chromium.

Supporters healthy lifestyle life and those who seek to get rid of excess weight, it will be nice to know about the low calorie content of the product. 100 grams of fresh fish meat contains only 80 to 120 kcal. Due to the lack of carbohydrates, fish is easily digested. This fact is very important in a low-calorie diet. Nutritionists recommend combining this product with red and green vegetables, sometimes with cereals.

How to choose

To prepare delicious healthy dish from mullet, it is important to know the secrets of choosing fresh and high-quality fish. Experts recommend paying attention to the following signs before the purchase:

  1. The main characteristic of a fresh product is bulging, clear eyes with a black pupil. Cloudy eyes indicate damage to the fish.
  2. The scales on this aquatic inhabitant should remain shiny, iridescent under the sun's rays until sold. The scales fit snugly to the carcass. If damage, stains are observed on the surface, then it is better not to buy such a product.
  3. You can check the freshness of the fish by pressing with your finger. Press your finger firmly against the carcass. The resulting hole should quickly recover. If this does not happen, look for other fish for your dinner.
  4. Give preference to freshly caught fish. Within 48 hours (subject to proper storage) are kept all beneficial features product. If there is no possibility of buying a fresh carcass, pay attention to deep-frozen products. Examine the fish. It should not be damaged, and the exact date should be indicated on the box.

How to cook mullet

High nutritional value and excellent taste contribute to the appearance of many mullet dishes. This type of fish lends itself different ways heat treatment, but more often there are recipes from mullet, in which raw materials are offered to be baked in the oven or fried. Smoked, salted and dried mullet is popular, and various fish soups are also prepared from it. To reveal new facets of taste, raw materials are pre-marinated, spicy herbs and spices are used, and served with sauces. Fish is ideal with potatoes or other vegetables.

The method of preparation largely depends on the type of fish purchased. Large bearings are often stuffed and baked. Please note that the head of a representative of this mullet family contains poison, so it must be cut off before the start of heat treatment. Caspian varieties have a higher fat content than Black Sea or Azov. If you're watching your calorie intake, keep this in mind.

cooking recipes

Due to its moderate aroma and firm structure white meat, excellent taste characteristics and benefits for the body, this fish is in demand in the cuisines of many countries of the world. The carcass has few bones, the scales are easily separated from the body. True connoisseurs of fish should go to Black Sea coast where you can take a freshly caught carcass and cook it yourself. If you live far from the place where the Black Sea mullet lives, use a frozen product to create your own small culinary masterpiece.

Mullet buglama recipe

  • Time: 1 hour 45 minutes.
  • Servings: 4 persons.
  • Calorie content of the dish: 49 kcal / 100 g.
  • Purpose: lunch, dinner.
  • Cuisine: Caucasian.
  • Difficulty: easy.

Hearty and tasty buglama from mullet fish belongs to the dishes of the national Caucasian cuisine. The abundance of herbs, spices, colorful vegetables in combination with white fish meat will surprise and delight you and your loved ones. The amount and composition of vegetable components can be varied according to your taste. If you are preparing this Caucasian dish for the first time, follow the proportions indicated in the recipe. The treat is easy to prepare, the process will not take much of your time.

Ingredients:

  • mullet - 300 g;
  • garlic - 3 teeth;
  • tomatoes - 4 pcs.;
  • chili pepper - 1 pc.;
  • onions - 2 pcs.;
  • salad pepper - 2 pcs.;
  • cilantro, dill - 1 bunch each;
  • potatoes - 4-5 pcs.;
  • water - 0.5 l;
  • paprika, suneli hops, salt, pepper - to taste.

Cooking method:

  1. Prepare food. Wash the fish carcass, remove scales, remove fins and entrails.
  2. Cut the fish into small cubes (3-4 cm each), removing the bones.
  3. bell pepper Wash chile, remove seeds, cut into cubes.
  4. Remove the skin from the tomatoes. To do this, make a cross cut on the surface of the vegetable, lower it into boiling water, and then into cold water. After this procedure, the skin is easily separated from the pulp. Cut the tomatoes into cubes.
  5. Peel the onion and cut into half rings.
  6. In a saucepan with thick walls or a deep frying pan, fold the prepared foods in layers in the following sequence: fish, potatoes, onions, peppers, tomatoes.
  7. The top layer is chopped greens.
  8. Add spices and salt, fill the dish with water.
  9. Cover the pot or pan with a lid and place on the stove. Simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes until tender.
  10. Garnish with herbs when serving. Warm pita bread can be served with the dish.

With lemongrass and fennel

  • Time: 1 hour 10 minutes.
  • Number of servings: 6 persons.
  • Calorie content of the dish: 121 kcal / 100 g.
  • Purpose: lunch, dinner.
  • Cuisine: international.
  • Difficulty: easy.

Fish of the mullet family do not belong to expensive or rare varieties. From an inexpensive carcass, you can make a small work of culinary art, if you choose the right spices and herbs. Experts say that fennel and lemongrass are better suited to such a fish species. In combination with each other, they give the white tender meat a fine aniseed sourness. An appetizer worthy of not only everyday, but also holiday table. The treat will be of particular benefit if the catch was fresh, but the frozen fish will not spoil the taste of the finished dish.

Ingredients:

  • mullet - 3 kg;
  • fennel - 1 pc.;
  • lemongrass - 4 tbsp. l.;
  • lemon - 1 pc.;
  • cilantro (parsley) - 100 g;
  • ginger - 30 g;
  • garlic - 4 teeth;
  • olive oil - 50 ml;
  • salt, black pepper - to taste.

Cooking method:

  1. Wash the carcasses, remove the scales, remove the insides.
  2. Wash the lemon, cut into slices along with the peel.
  3. Mince ginger and garlic.
  4. Stuff the carcasses with a mixture of greens with roots, lemon wedges, chopped garlic and ginger. Salt, pepper, drizzle with olive oil.
  5. Preheat the oven to 140 degrees. Bake the fish at this temperature for an hour.
  6. Garnish with fennel sprigs when serving. Serve with white or rosé wine.

1. What is this fish

Mullet (common name, uniting 95 species of fish), lives in the coastal strip, covers tropical, subtropical and temperate warm waters all oceans. Length: up to 50 cm; weight: up to 3 kg. Especially many genera and species are found off the coast of Indonesia, New Guinea, and Sri Lanka. It is considered a tasty food fish with fairly dense meat.

2. Culinary properties

This fish is very different. good taste its tender, sufficiently fatty meat, the absence of small bones. The fish caught in the Black Sea and the Caspian is especially tasty. in early spring or in the late months of autumn. By palatability dried and smoked mullet is difficult to find equal.


3. Short story

The name of the fish, is rooted in Greece, the mullet is translated as the head. The fish lives in the coastal waters of almost all warm and tropical seas. Some of its species are found in fresh waters near America, Southeast Asia, New Zealand, Australia and Madagascar. The shores of Florida are the main habitat of the mullet in the United States. In addition, this is the most famous fish of the Black Sea, where it is presented in 4 types: sharp-nosed, golden mullet, striped mullet and pelengas. The latter species is an alien from Japan, and it appeared in the Black Sea only at the end of the last century.

In the 30s of the XX century, the Black Sea mullet managed to settle in the Caspian Sea. The Black Sea mullet is found along its entire coast.


4. Positive and negative qualities

Mullet, healthy fish and only individual intolerance can become a contraindication.


5. How it is prepared

It is recommended to fry the mullet in the usual way: The fish is salted, rolled in flour and fried together with vegetables: Pieces of fish are salted, peppered, rolled in flour and fried. They are laid out, sprinkled with herbs, fried tomatoes are laid out on top, in a grilled marinade: The fish is gutted, marinated, salted and grilled.

It is best to bake mullet in foil. A simple way to bake fish: the fish is cleaned, rubbed with pepper and salt and baked in foil. You can also bake mullet with vegetables: The fish is laid out on vegetables, poured with mayonnaise and baked in foil.

Dried mullet is very tasty: Washed fish is salted for 5-12 hours. After that, the fish is laid out on a wire rack for 12 hours. The fish is dried in a well-ventilated area.

It is recommended to smoke mullet in smokehouses - fresh fish is cut into fillets, salted in brine. It is dried and smoked on alder sawdust. You can also smoke mullet at home: marinade is boiled, cooled. After marinating, the fish is baked in the oven.

Mullet can be boiled, cooked fish soup, grilled, stewed, salted, marinated, steamed. Boiled mullet is very well suited for a jellied dish: a layer of broth is poured onto the dish (with dissolved gelatin), boiled fish, add the broth and put in the refrigerator to solidify. You can also boil mullet with the addition of wine: pre-washed, cut into portions of fish is boiled in boiling water with white wine or boiled in sauce: the fish is boiled, a sauce is prepared from corn starch, vinegar, sugar and a small amount of water. Fish is poured with sauce. When the sauce thickens, remove the saucepan from the heat. The dish is served hot.

Mullet meat ear is popular: a spicy broth with roots and onions, seasoned with vegetable oil, is cooked. Flour is added to the broth, diluted cold water, portioned pieces of fish and ear are cooked until cooked. Soup can also be prepared: fish offal, vegetables and spices are boiled, the broth is filtered, pieces of fish, mussels and shrimp are boiled in it. lemon juice. Served with croutons.

On the grill, the mullet is prepared as follows: the fish is gutted, marinated, salted and grilled. Steamed mullet cooked in spices with different sauces. A simple recipe for steamed mullet: the fish is salted and peppered. Then rubbed with chopped ginger and garlic. Drizzled with vegetable oil and soy sauce. Steamed for 30 min.

You can stew mullet with vegetables and sour cream. To do this, pieces of mullet are breaded and fried on vegetable oil. Fried fish is laid out on fried onions with tomatoes, poured sour cream sauce and simmer until done.

There are two ways to salt mullet - dry salting and in brine. Dry salted mullet is prepared as follows: the mullet carcass is rubbed with salt inside and out, wrapped in cloth. Kept overnight in a cool place. Washed to remove salt before serving. In brine, the mullet is prepared as follows: The gills are removed from the fish, it is gutted through them, placed belly up in a bowl, sprinkled with salt inside and out. Covered with oppression in a cool place. The brine is changed on the 2nd, 4th, 6th day. Aged 7-10 days. Before use, it is soaked for 2-3 hours in cold water and dried for a day in limbo.

Mullet is marinated, as a rule, for grilling, grilling and aspic.