Cutlets made from minced fish are an incredibly tasty and also very nutritious dish. But it is important to pay attention to every nuance of creating a culinary masterpiece.
Unfortunately, some housewives fail to cope with the task, so the fish cutlets are bitter. Let's consider the reasons for this problem and tips that will help eliminate it.
Reasons Affecting the Bitterness of Fish Cutlets
The first thing worth mentioning is that the base for the cutlets is of low quality.
You shouldn't buy minced fish in the store. You can't be sure that:
- the manufacturer thoroughly cleaned the fish from its entrails and washed it;
- the minced fish was prepared from fish that had its black film removed well;
- The manufacturer removed the gills.
Each detail described above directly affects the taste of minced fish.
It is worth creating the basis for cooking cutlets yourself to avoid various problems.
But why does the minced fish that you prepare yourself have a bitter taste?
The reason may be that the carcass was too compressed during transportation. In such conditions, the gall bladder, filled with a very bitter enzyme, bursts. When you gut the carcass, pay attention to the bladder.
If you see that it is deformed, be sure to soak the product before passing it through the meat grinder. Leave the fish in a deep container filled with water for an hour and a half. A small amount of salt must be added to the water.
The bitterness of fish cakes can also be affected by the abuse of onions, as well as the oxidation process of the vegetable.
Remember that for one kilogram of minced fish there are no more than two medium onions. You also need to add a loaf of bread that has been soaked in milk beforehand. When you have prepared the minced fish, immediately start frying the cutlets so that the onion does not have time to oxidize.
What to do if minced fish tastes bitter?
If you try the prepared mince and feel bitterness in it, don’t be upset.
There are several tips that will help correct this unpleasant situation:
- Add minced pork fat to the fish mince. Twenty grams of this ingredient will be enough.
- You can make the mincemeat taste softer with cream. Some housewives also use melted butter. There should be no more than thirty milliliters of such a product.
- Vegetables will also help get rid of the persistent bitterness. Take a few cloves of garlic, press them and add them to the minced fish. Thanks to this, the finished cutlets will acquire an incredibly pleasant piquant taste.
- Haven't had time to add various additives to the mince yet? Then pour water over it, adding a little citric acid. Wait 25 minutes, then drain the liquid using a sieve. Rinse the mince well under clean running water. You can also add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the fish mince while it's cooking.
- You can combat bitterness with the help of various composite seasonings intended for fish. They contain various components that will make the dish piquant and mask foreign tastes.
- You can add a small amount of minced chicken to the fish mince. Thanks to this, the taste of the finished culinary masterpiece will be balanced.
It is important to take a responsible approach to choosing the basis for cooking cutlets. Some types of fish have a natural bitterness. This will spoil the impression of the culinary masterpiece, as it will not be tasty enough. Pay attention to sardines, pike, blue whiting, pike perch.
Fish varieties such as chum salmon, pink salmon and cod have a bitter taste. You can mask this taste by adding various vegetables to the mince, for example, raw carrots grated on a fine grater. Slightly sweetened onions are also suitable. A piece of hard cheese will not be superfluous, which will make the dish soft and creamy.
Follow these tips to get delicious and soft fish cakes. They will become the highlight of any meal, as it is simply impossible to tear yourself away from them!
