Among the many species of fish, Kutum occupies a special place. This delicious fish has long won a central place in the menu of Dagestan, Azerbaijan, Iran. Increasingly, she appears on tables in other regions. Kutum is a fish worth trying at least once.

Kutum - what is this fish

Visitors to expensive restaurants are well acquainted with such a delicacy as kutum fish. It is found in the slightly salted waters of the Caspian Sea near river tributaries. Kutum (its second name is carp) spawns into large rivers to spawn. As a rule, fishermen from nearby settlements prepare cutum freshly caught right on the shore. This fish belongs to the category of perishable products.

To determine the freshness of kutum, it is necessary to raise the gills. The color below them should be dark red. If the color under the gills is pink, then the fish was frozen, it is not fresh.

We will talk about how to cook Kutum fish in this article and give the best recipes.

Oven baking recipe

This simple way to cook carp can be mastered even by novice cooks. Kutum in the oven will be the decoration of the festive table.

You will need:

  • Kutum fish - 1 pc.;
  • lemon - 1 pc.;
  • cherry tomatoes - 5-6 pcs.;
  • mayonnaise - 2-3 tbsp. spoons;
  • red sweet onion - 1 head;
  • garlic - 2-3 heads;
  • olive oil - 50 g;
  • dry Provence herbs - 2 tsp;
  • salt and ground black pepper - to taste.

Step-by-step instruction:

  1. Clean the cutum from the scales, remove the insides, wash with cold water. Make transverse cuts across the entire width of the carcass. Carp has a large number of small bones. The cuts sprinkled with lemon give a guarantee that by the end of the baking, these bones will completely dissolve.
  2. The fish should be salted, pepper, sprinkle with lemon juice, coat with mayonnaise.
  3. At the bottom of the pan lay a foil on which to put the cutum.
  4. Cut the onion into rings and gently crush it with a spoon.Put the rings on the carcass of the fish.
  5. On cherry tomatoes, make punctures with a toothpick, put them around the fish.
  6. Peel the garlic, gently crush it with a pestle, pusher or spoon. Put the garlic inside the carcass.
  7. Cut the lemon into slices, put them on the cutum.
  8. Sprinkle fish on top with Provencal herbs, and sprinkle with oil.
  9. Wrap everything in foil, and put in the oven, preheated to 180 degrees for 1 hour.

Usually, everyone cooks kutum in the oven according to a complex recipe for lavender, with a lot of ingredients that it is not always possible to buy. However, the carp prepared according to our recipe is no less tasty, it will certainly become the king on the festive table.

How to cook dried fish

There is quite a lot of fat in the carcass of kutum. It is better to dry it head up. Then, when dried, the fat will gradually drain down, and the dried fish will turn out tender.

You will need:

  • Kutum fish - 2 kg;
  • salt - 0.5 kg.

Step-by-step instruction:

  1. Gut gut, rinse. Coat each carcass inside and out with salt.
  2. Put the fish in a cup, or in a bucket. Cover with a flat plate or lid. Put oppression on top. You can use a three-liter jar of water or a suitable naked. Leave to pour out in a cool place (you can in the refrigerator) for two days.
  3. After two days, rinse the fish thoroughly with running water. After washing, fill the fish with water and let it soak for two hours.
  4. Drain the water, hold the fish in the cup under oppression for another 2 hours. Remove accumulated fluid.
  5. String the fish on a wire and hang it in a well-ventilated room or outdoors. Cover with gauze on top to prevent insects from entering.

In two or three days you can taste the delicious dried fish - kutum.

Stockfish kutum

Cutum stockfish is especially popular with fishermen in the Caspian. For cooking, local residents use garages, sheds, utility rooms, making them additional ventilation.

You will need:

  • kutum - 2 kg;
  • coarse non-iodized salt - 1.5 kg.

Step-by-step instruction:

  1. Clean the fish from the insides, especially gently removing the gall bladder. A carcass weighing up to one kilogram can not be gutted.
  2. Pour a “pillow” of salt at the bottom of the container. Pour salt into the gutted fish inside. It is especially necessary to make sure that it gets under the gills and in the mouth.
  3. We put the fish in layers in a bowl with a salt cushion. Cover with a lid or a plate. Put oppression on top.
  4. We put the dishes with fish in the refrigerator for five days. If the fish is large, then for a week for salting. Willingness is determined simply. If you pull the carcass of a cutum by the tail and head at the same time, you can hear a crunch. Also, readiness is indicated by the hollow eyes and spine of the fish.
  5. We take the fish out of the refrigerator, thoroughly rinse it with running water. Fill the water so that it hides the carcass. Leave in water for 4-5 hours.
  6. We drain the water from the tank. String the fish on the wire. The abdomen of the gutted fish is bursting with a toothpick for better drying. Hanging on the street or in a well-ventilated area. Cover with gauze or a mosquito net from insects.

In 4-7 days you will have a magnificent dried cutum on your table.

How to fry breaded in a pan

According to this recipe, kutum fish is cooked in Baku. It turns out a delicious boneless fried dish.

You will need:

  • Kutum fish - 5-6 carcasses;
  • breadcrumbs for breading - 100 g;
  • salt to taste;
  • vegetable oil for frying.

Step by step recipe:

  1. Gently gut Kutuma, rinse with water. Have a fish cut off the head and tail. Spread the abdomen, and pull out the ridge with bones. You should get a fish fillet, similar to a langet.
  2. Salt each sirloin piece slightly, bread on both sides.
  3. Fry kutum in a pan in vegetable oil for about three minutes on each side. The fillet should become golden with a crust.

Be sure to cook kutum according to one of these recipes. Its taste is unforgettable. Bon Appetit!

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