Vomer is a fish that belongs to the horse mackerel family. It has high taste and is good in any form: fried, boiled, stewed, dried. Vomer can also be smoked hot or cold.

Useful properties and taste

Vomer contains very little fat, about 3% and 18% protein. The meat of this fish also contains vitamins A, B, E, iodine, iron, phosphorus, sodium, zinc and potassium. 100 g of vomer pulp contains only 112 kcal.

The most prized meat is the vomer, which is found in the Pacific Ocean: its flesh is dense (the fish does not lose its shape) and at the same time soft. Those people who have tried the meat of this ocean fish note that it has an interesting taste: the flesh is not dry, moderately fatty, and tender.

In Russia, this fish is most often used as a snack for beer, dried or smoked. It is prepared at home most often by hot smoking, but sometimes also cold. In order not to do cold smoking yourself, you can buy this product from local wholesalers and small companies involved in preparing fish. It is worth noting that vomer is often on sale, along with the more famous sea and lake representatives of the fishing world.

After cooking fish by smoking, most of its beneficial properties are lost, but the result is a delicious product.

Hot smoked recipe

To prepare vomer using the hot smoking method, you need to prepare the following ingredients:

• fish – 1 kg;
• salt – 100 g;
• spice mixture for fish - 2 teaspoons;
• black ground pepper– a small pinch;
• freshly squeezed lemon juice – 2 tablespoons;
• bay leaf - 3 pieces.

Fish carcasses must be completely thawed before cooking. If possible, it is advisable to find fresh fish. The fish is cleaned, all entrails are removed.

To begin with, the vomer needs to be salted. To do this, prepare a curing mixture by mixing salt, spices, ground pepper and a bay leaf broken into pieces. Sprinkle the resulting mixture over the pieces of fish, pour some of the mixture inside the bellies.

Then you need to put the fish in plastic containers, sprinkle with lemon juice, cover the containers with lids and leave in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours to marinate.

When the fish is salted, rinse the curing mixture from the fish with clean water and dry it with paper towels. Leave the pieces to air and dry for 2-3 hours.

Prepare the smokehouse: place a thin layer of alder chips into the chamber, and place a tray on top that will collect the draining fat. A grate for food is fixed in the chamber, lubricated vegetable oil. Please note that before use, the wood chips should be slightly moistened to prevent them from catching fire when exposed to high temperatures.

Place marinated and dried pieces of vomer on the grill. They must be placed in one row so that there is a distance of no more than 1 cm between them.

The smoking chamber container is closed with a sealed lid and the heating is turned on. The fish is smoked for 1 hour - for the first 10 minutes the temperature should be in the range of 100-110°C degrees, then it is lowered to 80°C degrees. When the smoking process stops, open the smokehouse lid and let the fish cool to room temperature.

The finished smoked vomer should be left outside to air for 2-4 hours. This will allow carcinogens to erode and cool the product to an acceptable temperature for consumption.

Cold smoked recipe

Unlike hot-smoked fish, which does not last very long, cold-smoked vomer can be stored for several weeks under proper conditions. In this case, the cooking time increases significantly.

To prepare cold smoked vomer, you need to take the following products:

• fish – 1.5 kg;
• bay leaf – 2-3 pieces;
• salt – 3 heaped tablespoons;
• ground black pepper - 1 heaped teaspoon.

Wash the fish and gut each carcass. Since cold smoking requires a vertical position of the product, each fish must subsequently be strung on a special culinary twine.

Rub each carcass with salt, sprinkle with pepper and broken bay leaves. Place in a deep container and cover with a lid. Place pressure on top and leave for 3-5 days so that the fish is thoroughly marinated.

When marinating is complete, remove any remaining salt. To do this, you need to place the vomer in cold water and soak for 10 hours. In this case, you need to change the water every 2 hours.

After this, hang the fish carcasses in a well-ventilated room. The fish must be wrapped in a net to prevent insects from spoiling it. Leave for 1-2 days until the product is thoroughly wilted and dry.

The dried vomer should be hung in a vertical smokehouse. Use alder shavings as a raw material for smoke. Vomer should be smoked for at least 5-6 days at a low temperature (25°C degrees).

The smoking process cannot be stopped for the first 8-10 hours. Otherwise, the carcasses may go rotten.

After the vomer is completely smoked, you need to grease each fish with vegetable oil, and then serve it to the table, or.

Vomer is a moderately fatty fish that has an interesting taste. It tastes best when smoked. It is prepared using hot and cold methods; you can find a dried version in stores. Vomer is not very high in calories, so it is suitable for dietary nutrition (in moderation).

Vomer fish is valued for its beneficial properties. It is tasty, low-calorie, ideal as a beer snack. We will consider popular recipes for preparing this inhabitant of salt water bodies in our article.

Vomer, what kind of fish? Many people, seeing it on store shelves, get scared and hesitate to buy it. But in vain. The vomer is also called the sunfish because of its unusual color and shape.

• The body of the fish is flattened and wide. Its peculiarity is that it has only 2 fins (abdominal and pectoral).
• Lives only in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Prefers to stay in packs.
• It goes out hunting only after sunset.
• Vomer belongs to the family of predatory fish. It feeds on mollusks and other small marine organisms.

What are the benefits of vomer fish for the body?

Vomer is a lean fish and a good source of protein. Even those who are on a diet or adhere to proper nutrition are allowed to eat it.

Its meat contains omega fats, calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamins. Of course, the concentration of substances in ready dish largely depends on the method of its preparation.

Many gourmets prefer to smoke vomer at home. In this case, some of the beneficial properties are lost, but the fish turns out tasty and aromatic. How to cook vomer fish in this and some other ways, we will consider further.

How to deliciously fry in a frying pan

When fried, vomer meat turns out to be extremely tender and unusually juicy, and the fish is very easy to prepare.

We will need the following products:

• fish – 3 pcs.;
• chicken egg – 1 pc. (for those who prefer dietary food, you can take 2 quail);
• breadcrumbs or flour – 50 g;
• a mixture of herbs;
• salt;
• garlic – 2 heads;
• vegetable oil.

On average, three carcasses will weigh 1.5 kg. Remember that the fish has a large head and there will be a lot of waste.

Cooking process:

1. Clean the fish from the skin and entrails, cut the fillet into small pieces 7–10 cm wide.
2. Using a whisk, beat the egg until light foam forms.
3. Heat oil in a frying pan. Many chefs suggest adding minced garlic cloves and dried herbs at this stage. They will let the juice into the oil, and the fish will be aromatic, with an interesting flavor.
4. Dip each piece of vomer in the egg and breadcrumbs, don't forget to salt it. Fish meat itself has a sweetish taste, so
5. Fry portions in a frying pan without a closed lid to get a tasty, crispy crust. Roasting time is 5 – 7 minutes.

Fried vomer fish prepared according to this recipe turns out juicy and retains its beneficial features. The calorie content of the dish is 140 Kcal.

Oven baking recipe

For those who prefer to eat dietary dishes, you can offer a recipe for vomer, which is baked in the oven. The cooking process will take you up to 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

• fish – 4 carcasses;
• any vegetable oil – 30 ml;
• herbs;
• greenery;
• lemon;
• salt, spices.

Preparation:

1. You need to start by gutting the fish. Remove the entrails and skin, cut off the fins.
2. Fry the carcasses for 1 minute on each side. This will give them a beautiful shade and an appetizing crust.
3. Cover a baking sheet with parchment and place the fish.
4. Sprinkle lemon juice.
5. Bake for 15 minutes at 180 degrees.

Serve the fish, crushing it with herbs. You can also make a pillow out of vegetables. Ideal combination: carrots, onions, celery.

For this dish it is better to choose a side dish in the form of mashed potatoes or rice.

Vomer fish soup

Among the sea fish, ukha is low-fat, but very tasty. It is cooked according to classic recipe, with the addition of spices and herbs.

But today we want to offer an unusual Dalmatian vomer soup. He is popular in fish restaurants, and is prepared in a rather unusual way.

Ingredients:

• fish – 1 kg (you shouldn’t take less, since the fish is low-fat, the broth won’t be too rich);
• carrots – 150 g;
• potatoes – 4 pcs.;
• onions (onions and green feathers) – 200 g;
• vegetable oil – 50 ml
• dry herbs;
• lemon;
• flour – 100 g;
• salt pepper.

The cooking process takes on average 45 – 50 minutes:

1. Cut the onions into small cubes and start frying over low heat.
2. Once the onion becomes translucent, add flour. This will give your dish a unique flavor without the need for sauce. Frying will take 2 - 3 minutes. Make sure that the flour does not burn, otherwise bitterness will appear.
3. Pour 1.5 liters of filtered water into a saucepan and wait until it boils.
4. Add potatoes and carrots, cut into small cubes or half rings. Many chefs recommend using the julienne style. In this case, the vegetables retain their taste as much as possible and do not become overcooked.
5. After 10 minutes, add the pre-prepared fish. The vomer must have its fins, skin, gills, and tail removed. But it’s better to leave the head.
6. The carcasses should be cooked for an average of 15–20 minutes, constantly collecting foam.
7. Remove the vomer and add only the fish fillet to the broth.
8. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon, add to the soup and cook for 2 - 3 minutes.
9. Afterwards, add finely chopped green onions, herbs, spices.
10. Turn off the stove and cover the soup with a lid to let it steep.

This unusual soup is replete with a variety of flavors, it turns out rich and very unusual.

It is better to prepare such a dish in a slow cooker or in a special stewing container.

The cooking process is quite simple:

1. Cut the onion into half rings.
2. On coarse grater grate the carrots.
3. Cut the fish into small pieces.
4. Add sour cream.
5. Salt and pepper the dish.
6. Start the stewing process.

The cooking process takes 20 – 25 minutes. This dish is so simple that even a novice cook can prepare it.

Smoked vomer at home

Many gourmets prefer to eat smoked vomer. It goes perfectly with a glass of cold beer.

Ingredients:

• fish – 4 pcs.;
• barberry – 100 g;
• salt – 50 g;
• sugar – 10 g;
• spices, herbs;
• olive oil – 20 ml;
• water – 0.5 l.

Cooking process:

1. In order for the fish to be stored for a long time, it must first be slightly salted. Take a plastic container and place barberry grains and dry juniper (berries) on the bottom.
2. Add salt, sugar, spices to the water. Make sure the crystals dissolve.
3. Pour the brine over the fish and place it in the refrigerator for a day.
4. Take out the workpiece, dry it with a towel, grease it generously with oil and place it on the rack in the multicooker.
5. Select the “Cold Smoking” program.
6. In 1.5 hours the appetizer will be ready.

You can also smoke this fish on the grill or in a special smokehouse.

smoked vomer rich in vitamins and minerals such as: vitamin B2 - 63.9%, vitamin B6 - 13.5%, vitamin PP - 14.5%, cobalt - 1300%, manganese - 21.5%, copper - 53%, molybdenum - 38.6%

What are the benefits of smoked vomer?

• Vitamin B2 participates in redox reactions, helps to increase the color sensitivity of the visual analyzer and dark adaptation. Insufficient intake of vitamin B2 is accompanied by impaired condition of the skin, mucous membranes, and impaired light and twilight vision.
• Vitamin B6 participates in maintaining the immune response, processes of inhibition and excitation in the central nervous system, in the transformation of amino acids, the metabolism of tryptophan, lipids and nucleic acids, promotes the normal formation of red blood cells, maintaining normal levels of homocysteine ​​in the blood. Insufficient intake of vitamin B6 is accompanied by decreased appetite, impaired skin condition, and the development of homocysteinemia and anemia.
• Vitamin PP participates in redox reactions of energy metabolism. Insufficient vitamin intake is accompanied by disruption of the normal condition of the skin, gastrointestinal tract and nervous system.
• Cobalt is part of vitamin B12. Activates metabolic enzymes fatty acids and folate metabolism.
• Manganese participates in the formation of bone and connective tissue, is part of enzymes involved in the metabolism of amino acids, carbohydrates, catecholamines; necessary for the synthesis of cholesterol and nucleotides. Insufficient consumption is accompanied by slower growth, disturbances in the reproductive system, increased fragility of bone tissue, and disturbances in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.
• Copper is part of enzymes that have redox activity and are involved in iron metabolism, stimulates the absorption of proteins and carbohydrates. Participates in the processes of providing oxygen to the tissues of the human body. Deficiency is manifested by disturbances in the formation of the cardiovascular system and skeleton, and the development of connective tissue dysplasia.
• Molybdenum is a cofactor for many enzymes that ensure the metabolism of sulfur-containing amino acids, purines and pyrimidines.

A complete guide to the most healthy products you can look in the app

Vomer is a very strange looking fish and even scary. Recently it began to appear in markets, supermarkets and specialized beer stores. And of course everything new is interesting to try.

And if many fish that were once unusual for us, such as sea bream, are no longer so exotic for some time now, then the vomer is not yet very well known.

We only came across vomer in smoked form, but they say they also sell dried vomer, and sometimes raw vomer.

This fish is not a river fish or even a sea fish, it is an ocean fish. And ocean fish is known to be the healthiest.

Although the fish has such a menacing appearance, it belongs to the familiar horse mackerel family. At the same time, the vomer has its own characteristic distinguishing feature - a steep, high forehead and a specific jaw protruding forward. That is why Vomer cannot be confused with other fish. There are no scales, but there are spines on the fins and belly.

Vomer has a rather interesting taste. The fish is not dry, it is fatty. The meat is dense, but tender and non-fibrous with a light smoky aftertaste. Delicious!

Of course, vomer is ideal with beer as a snack. But it is no less good in combination with boiled potatoes and green salad.

In our family, everyone liked this smoked fish; now I want to try dried vomer. Yes, I would buy it raw with pleasure, I’ve even looked at the cooking recipes.

Conclusion:

Vomer is a delicious ocean fish. Worthy of praise. We will buy it and recommend you try it.

You might be interested in this:

Other fishing experiences.

Vladislav Paykov

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Vomers or seleniums are sold in stores under the trade name sunfish.

They can be found in fresh frozen, smoked, dried, and dried form. Smoked moon fish, prepared at home, is not inferior to store-bought taste qualities. You can read about how to smoke this fish in the article.

Its pulp is very tender, soft, jelly-like with a small amount of bones, ideal for smoking. The length is 30 cm for medium-sized individuals.

Important! You should not choose sunfish that are too small for smoking, so as not to dry it out when processed with smoke.

Smoked moonfish recipe:

• fish – 1 kg;
• salt – 100 g;
• spices for fish – 2 tsp;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• lemon juice – 2 tbsp. l.;
• bay leaf – 2-3 pcs.

Before smoking, carcasses are defrosted in air or in a refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Vomer has no scales, so the carcasses are not cleaned, but are immediately gutted by making a cut in the abdomen, then washed thoroughly. The head is removed or used for smoking along with the head. Dry with paper towels.

Important! Moonfish has an iodine flavor, so be sure to use spices when cooking to counteract this specific taste.

A curing mixture is prepared from salt, chopped bay leaf, ground pepper and spices for fish. Dip semi-finished fish products, pour part of the mixture into the belly, place in a container, sprinkle with lemon juice, cover with a lid and put in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours.

After salting, wash off the salting mixture, dry with a towel, and ventilate for 2-3 hours.

A thin layer of alder chips is placed in the chamber of the smokehouse for hot smoking, and a tray is placed on top of it to collect the draining fat. Fix the grate for food in the chamber and lubricate it with refined vegetable oil. Semi-finished products are placed on the grill in one row so that there are gaps of at least 1 cm between them. Close the chamber container with an airtight lid, put on heat and smoke for 60 minutes. For the first 10 minutes, maintain the temperature at 110-120 °C, then reduce it to 80 °C.

At the end of smoking, stop heating, open the lid and cool the smoked meat on a wire rack to room temperature. Luna fish is too tender, so it can easily fall apart when hot. It is better not to take it out of the smokehouse and wait until it cools down.

The finished smoked meats are aired outside for several hours. During this time, the inner layers of the pulp will be saturated with smoking products, and the excess aroma of smoke will disappear.

Smoked moonfish is good with lemon, herbs, beans, pineapple, and fresh vegetables.