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Saramură de pește
Grilled fish in garlic brine
Saramură de pește: Danube Delta grilled fish in a hot garlic, pepper and tomato brine
Fishermen in the Danube Delta, from Tulcea down to Sulina, make saramură right on the boat or on the bank: the catch of the morning is grilled over coals, then dropped into a bowl of hot salty broth loaded with garlic, peppers and tomato, where it soaks up the flavour before it is eaten. The fish stays smoky and juicy, the broth is sharp, salty and fiery, and everyone spoons it over a slab of mămăligă. Carp is the usual choice, but catfish, zander or even trout work well. Where it often goes wrong is making the brine too salty: it should taste like well-seasoned soup, not seawater. Chef's tip: grill the fish on a well-oiled, very hot grate and do not move it for the first 4 minutes; it releases cleanly once the skin has crisped.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 1 ¾ lb carp, catfish or zander fillets, skin oncut into 4 pieces, pin bones removed
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
For the brine
- 2 cups water or fish stock
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 6 cloves garliccrushed
- 2 ripe tomatoeschopped
- 1 red peppersliced
- 1 hot green or red peppersliced
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- ⅓ oz flat-leaf parsleychopped
To serve
- 4 portions hot mămăligă (optional)
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Pat the 1 ¾ lb carp, catfish or zander fillets, skin on dry, season with the 1 tsp salt and brush with the 2 tbsp sunflower oil. Leave in the fridge while you make the brine.
3 minStep 2: Bring the 2 cups water or fish stock to the boil with the 1 ½ tsp salt, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp black peppercorns and 3 sprigs fresh thyme.
5 minStep 3: Add the 2 ripe tomatoes, 1 red pepper and 1 hot green or red pepper and simmer for 10 minutes, until the peppers are soft and the broth is pinkish and fragrant. Stir in the 6 cloves garlic and take off the heat.
10 minStep 4: Heat a grill pan or barbecue until very hot and oil the bars. Grill the fish skin side down for 4–5 minutes without moving it, until the skin is charred and crisp.
5 minStep 5: Turn and grill for 2–4 minutes more, until the flesh is opaque all the way through and flakes easily when pushed with a fork.
4 minStep 6: Put the fish in a deep dish, pour the hot brine and vegetables over and leave for 3 minutes so it soaks in. Scatter with ⅓ oz flat-leaf parsley and serve with 4 portions hot mămăligă.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does saramură de pește take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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