Despite its inconspicuousness and relative cheapness, capelin has excellent taste: its meat is tender, with a faint fishy taste. Another nice thing is that it cooks very quickly, but not everyone knows how to fry capelin in a frying pan.
The main rule here is not to overdo it while saving time in preparation for frying. The fact is that almost everywhere in Russia this fish is sold frozen, in layers. And this is where the first and, perhaps, most important culinary rule comes to the fore: capelin should be defrosted very carefully. This needs to be done correctly: the best thing is to put the fish layer on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator overnight.
However, you can defrost it at room temperature, but in no case in a microwave oven or under running hot water: the fish will lose its shape, and once in a hot frying pan it will begin to fall apart into ugly pieces.
In both cases of defrosting a layer of fish - both on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator and at room temperature - it is best to place it on some kind of wire rack over a deep bowl so that the melted ice flows down and the fish remains “in the air.” This will allow you to get neat, beautiful carcasses when frying, and not shapeless pieces with bones sticking out in all directions.
Capelin is most suitable for stewing, baking and frying. Stew it in a frying pan or in a cauldron. Bake on a baking sheet and fill with omelette mixture.
But the tastiest thing is fried capelin in a frying pan! The size of the fish is such that they fit entirely in the frying pan, so there is no need to cut the carcasses, which means there is no need to dirty your knife, cutting board, or hands. And if you consider that this fish, in principle, does not need to be cleaned at all, then, probably, many housewives will adopt recipes for its preparation. In addition, “Capelin fried in a frying pan” is not a complicated recipe at all, and the fish is cooked in just five minutes!
There is only one answer to the question of how to fry capelin in a frying pan: very simple!
For this you need capelin and a frying pan. Well, of course, you will need salt and vegetable oil. And this can be enough!
Dry the pre-frozen fish with a paper towel and place in a frying pan with very hot oil. By the way, the fish itself is quite fatty, so the oil is consumed “in economy mode”. You can salt capelin both before frying and after it - already on a plate.
Despite the fact that you can’t use very much oil, fried capelin in a frying pan still turns out to be quite oily, so it would be a good idea to transfer it from the frying pan to a large flat plate covered with several layers of paper napkins or towels, and only then serve it on a platter.
Capelin is really fried in a frying pan very quickly: literally two to three minutes on each side - and the fish is ready. But you can hold it longer - four to five minutes, then the carcasses will acquire a beautiful golden-bronze color, and also an appetizing crispy crust. So, everyone decides for themselves how long to fry capelin in a frying pan.
Stewed capelin in a frying pan
One of the classic recipes is capelin stewed with onions in a frying pan. The nuance of cooking is that the fish does not need to be turned over!
- You just need to place the carcasses on a preheated frying pan so that they cover the entire bottom, and let them fry slightly (literally two to three minutes).
- Then place a layer of onion cut into half rings on top.
- Sprinkle with spices to taste and cover tightly.
- Reduce heat to medium. The onion will give juice, which will prevent the fish from burning, and the steam from the onion juice will stew the onion half rings.
- If desired, you can then top the dish with sour cream, a mixture of sour cream and eggs, or an omelet mixture (eggs with milk).
People who are prohibited from fatty or fried foods will certainly enjoy capelin stewed in a small amount of water. You can flavor it with onions, which are stewed together with the fish: cover the fish carcasses with chopped onions, add half a glass of water, and cover the frying pan with a lid.
How to fry capelin in a frying pan in flour
Fish fried in flour is a classic way to prepare almost any fish. And capelin is no exception. In the same way as in similar recipes with other fish, capelin is rolled in a mixture of flour, salt and spices (optional), then placed in a frying pan with hot vegetable oil. Fry until golden brown, that is, literally three minutes on each side. With this method of cooking, it is necessary to select a frying pan of such a size that all the fish can fit on it at once, since frying a second batch of fish in the same oil is fraught with the risk of it acquiring bitterness due to the overcooked flour remaining from the first batch.
Capelin looks attractive when fried not in flour, but in semolina or breadcrumbs. And not only looks! It acquires a softer, more delicate taste. But here you need to strictly monitor the cooking process: it’s not difficult to overcook the fish, but eating it afterwards is not very pleasant - it can begin to taste bitter.
How to deliciously cook capelin in a frying pan
How to cook capelin in a frying pan is not a question. But how to make it tasty is a more difficult task, although, to be honest, it is almost impossible to spoil its taste. You must strictly follow the recipes and recommendations. But “getting into a galosh” with her look is as easy as shelling pears.
A dish with fried capelin on the table will look appetizing if you follow a few rules:
- defrost the fish gradually, not allowing it to “swim in its own juice”;
- Before placing in the pan, dry the carcasses with a paper towel;
- fry the capelin in a small amount of oil, since the fish is already fatty;
- monitor the frying process without being distracted by extraneous matters, because the capelin is fried almost instantly, and the uniformity of the color of the finished carcasses gives the finished dish additional beauty.
How to fry capelin in a frying pan without smell
Despite the fact that the process of frying fish itself is quite simple, and in the case of capelin it is also quick, one cannot discount the unpleasant smell that always accompanies any “fish” recipe. Someone will say that it is impossible to cook this seafood without smell - and they will be right. But reduce it - and significantly! - it’s still possible.
And the solution here is surprisingly primitive: you need to use lemon juice!
- Before frying, place the thawed carcasses in a deep bowl and squeeze fresh lemon juice on top.
- Mix very carefully (so as not to break the ridges).
- Let marinate for 15-30 minutes.
- After which, if desired, you can blot the fish with a paper towel to remove excess juice, or you can fry it directly, especially if you roll it in flour or semolina. It will be very tasty!
Another way to reduce the smell when frying is to cook capelin in batter. It is mixed from milk (cream), flour (wheat or corn), eggs and salt. If desired, you can add your favorite spices or a ready-made mixture of spices for fish dishes directly into the batter (there are a lot of them sold in stores now). Each carcass is dipped in batter and fried in a frying pan in a large amount of oil or in a cauldron in deep fat.
Classic batter recipe for 1 kg of fish:
- milk or cream - 0.5 cups (the fattier the better);
- flour (wheat or corn) - 1 cup;
- chicken egg - 3-4 pcs.;
- salt, spices to taste.
The batter is prepared as follows:
- beat the eggs into a soft foam;
- gradually, without stopping whisking, pour in cream or milk (you can do without it, but then you should increase the number of eggs or reduce the amount of flour, and the batter may turn out to be much less than required!);
- carefully introduce the flour, adding it gradually, breaking up the lumps;
- strain the finished batter through a large sieve (you don’t have to do this if you are sure that there are no lumps of flour left).
Next, you just need to dip the carcasses into this dough and place them in a hot frying pan with plenty of oil or in a deep-fried cauldron. Fry until golden or golden bronze crust forms.
Big tricks of a little fish
The same onion with herbs can be used to stew capelin, or you can simply fry it in the oil remaining after frying and serve as a side dish.
We will devote this article to various recipes on how to cook capelin. The methods for preparing this fish are quite varied, and the simplest of them will not take much of your time. In addition, the process of preparing fish for cooking is elementary; there is no need to gut it, but simply rinse it thoroughly under running (cool) water and let the water drain.
Capelin: recipes
Fried
Since capelin is a small fish, it fries very quickly, so every housewife should know how to fry capelin.
Ingredients:
- capelin
- Pepper
- Vegetable oil
We will fry the fish in batter to obtain a nice golden brown crust. To prepare the batter, take a couple of eggs and beat them with salt and pepper. Fry the capelin: dip each fish in batter, then in flour and place in a frying pan. Fry the fish on each side for 1-3 minutes, over medium heat, until golden brown. Serve on a platter decorated with herbs.
To speed up the cooking process, you can immediately immerse the entire fish in batter and avoid using flour. Or vice versa, do not use batter, but fry, dipping only in flour.
Stewed
Another option for cooking capelin in a frying pan is to simmer it.
Ingredients:
- capelin
- Black pepper (peas)
- Bay leaf
- Lemon
- Vegetable oil
To prepare stewed capelin you will need a deep frying pan. Grease the frying pan with oil and lay out one layer of prepared capelin, sprinkle salt and pepper on top and place onion cut into rings and several bay leaves on top of the fish. Then again lay out a layer of fish, and again add salt and pepper, lay out the onion and bay leaf. If the pan and the amount of fish allow, add another layer of fish and spices.
Then we take water, mix it with lemon juice, and pour this mixture over the fish so that it covers all layers of the fish. Cook over low heat, the simmering process will take 15-20 minutes after the water boils.
Baked
Now let's talk about how to cook capelin in the oven. To prepare baked capelin we will need:
- capelin
- Mayonnaise
- Black pepper
- Greenery
- Butter
- Crackers
Preparation: option 1 (simple)
Before placing the washed fish in a baking dish, it must be placed in a bowl, pepper and salt, and seasoned with mayonnaise. Leave it to stand for 10-15 minutes.
While the fish is marinating, the baking dish (or baking sheet) must be greased with oil and sprinkled with breadcrumbs. Then we put the fish in the mold so that it lies closely together (belly down). Grease the resulting workpiece with mayonnaise on top and place in a preheated oven (190-200°), bake for 20-25 minutes.
Before serving the dish, sprinkle it with chopped herbs.
Preparation: option 2
Now for a more labor-intensive option, we need additional ingredients:
This option is labor-intensive because we will only use capelin fillets. To do this, we separate the head, gut the fish, and separate the fillet from the bones. If capelin is caught with caviar, then use it in cooking as well.
Grease the baking dish with oil, in this version we do not add crackers, but immediately lay out the capelin in one layer, add salt and pepper, lay out the onion, cut into rings, then another layer of fish. We spread the grated cheese in the next layer, and pour mayonnaise on top, after which we send it to the oven (preheated) to bake at a temperature of 190-200° for 20-25 minutes.
You can also use mushrooms in this recipe, the layer of mushrooms should be between the fish layers, the mushrooms must first be fried until half cooked.
Capelin in tomato sauce
Ingredients:
- capelin
- Onion and garlic
- Tomato paste (you can use tomato juice)
- Vegetable oil
- Spices (to taste)
We will cook in a frying pan, to do this, pour a little oil into it and lay out the prepared capelin, sprinkle with onions, cut into rings, chopped garlic and finally pour in tomato paste diluted with water (not too liquid). Place the frying pan on low heat and simmer. After the mixture boils, add spices and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Capelin prepared in this way goes well with boiled potatoes.
Capelin in milk
One of the options for preparing delicious capelin is to cook it in milk. The fish will be tender and tasty.
Ingredients:
- capelin
- Milk or cream
- Black peppercorns
- Butter
Preparation: grease a deep frying pan with butter and place capelin in it, alternating a layer of fish and a layer of spices and onions. Then pour milk over the fish and put on low heat. Keep an eye on the dish so that the milk does not run away; after boiling, simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Serve as a separate dish with the resulting broth.
If you are willing to spend more time on cooking, then before stewing the fish in milk, you can lightly fry it in flour until a crust forms, but the dish turns out great even without this.
Capelin with vegetables
To prepare capelin with vegetables, it must first be cut, that is, we only need fish fillets.
Ingredients:
- Capelin fillet
- Tomatoes
- Carrot
- Pepper and other spices (to taste)
- Vegetable oil
Preparation:
- We peel the tomatoes, to do this we lower them into boiling water for 10-15 seconds, then cool and easily remove the skin. Now the tomatoes should be chopped.
- Three carrots on a medium grater, finely chop the onion.
- Simmer the tomatoes, after greasing the pan with vegetable oil, for 10 minutes.
- Add chopped onions and carrots to the tomatoes, simmer for another 8-10 minutes, then add capelin fillet, salt, add spices, and continue to simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes.
If you prefer fried onions, then first fry them with carrots and add them to the tomatoes along with the fillet. In addition, you can expand the list of vegetables used.
Now you know what can be prepared from capelin, try different recipes, add something of your own to them, and you will always have a delicious fish dish on your table.
Calories: 1163.6
Proteins/100g: 9.5
Carbohydrates/100g: 2.36
Fish is always present in the diet. The only condition is that it should not be greasy, and if it is prepared, then the processing method should be gentle. For example, it can be baked in foil, boiled or stewed. Stewed capelin is tasty and healthy, the recipe for which we decided to offer. It goes great with rice or boiled/baked new potatoes as a side dish.
Of course, fried capelin, smoked or cooked in a marinade, turns out even tastier, but then you should forget about the benefits of the product - it will be minimal. In addition, you should know that the calorie content of this fish varies depending on the cooking method.
Since we are for proper and healthy nutrition, we will prepare capelin as it should be. Let's stew it with vegetables - carrots and onions.
What you will need:
- fresh or frozen capelin – half a kilo;
- white onion – 1 large head;
- one large carrot;
- vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. spoons;
- standard set of spices (salt and pepper) - to taste.
How to cook at home
To prepare capelin stewed with onions and carrots, first process and prepare the vegetables. This is done as usual when preparing any dish.
Chop the onion into small cubes.
Prepare the fish immediately - by the time of cooking it should be defrosted, cleaned of entrails (the head is also removed) and lightly salted.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan and fry the vegetables until soft.
Place capelin on top, do not add water, but immediately cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes. That’s it, the fish is ready. 
Also try to cook
An excellent recipe for “capelin stewed with onions in a frying pan in sour cream” for modern housewives to use.
Capelin with onions in a frying pan is a very tasty and easy to prepare dish. To ensure that the fish is truly tasty, and you are not in for any surprises with its preparation, find out all the necessary information about it.
The recipe for how to cook capelin in a frying pan with onions will definitely become your favorite.
What kind of fish is this?
Refers to a number of marine fish that live in the waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Oceans. She prefers to settle in habitats up to 300 meters deep.
Capelin is not large in size, its maximum length is 25 centimeters. The weight of capelin is up to 60 grams.
Be sure to pay attention to the scales of the fish.
In capelin it is very small and silvery in color. The back of the fish is green.
On local shelves, capelin can most often be seen smoked, salted, or frozen. Only frozen capelin is suitable for this recipe.
How to prepare fish carcasses
But you need to know not only how to prepare a dish such as capelin stewed with onions in a frying pan in sour cream, but also how to properly prepare it before thermal treatment.
The rules for preparing capelin for consumption are very simple. If you don’t want to bother with fish before cooking it, then this is just your option.
You just need to rinse the capelin thoroughly and let the water drain. You can clean it after cooking.
Choose only fresh fish.
The first thing you should pay attention to is the characteristic smell. In no case should it be unpleasant or very harsh. Inspect the fish and make sure there are no flaws on it.
Ingredients we need
So, in the preparation process we must put together the following ingredients:
- frozen capelin 500 grams;
- onion or red – 1 piece;
- salt, ground black pepper (to taste);
- sour cream 3 tbsp;
- seasoning for fish - half a teaspoon;
- dill or any other greens;
- sunflower oil.
Easy preparation
A cooking method that is quite simple and at the same time allows you to get a great-tasting dish:
- Finely chop the onion and place it in a preheated frying pan, generously greased with sunflower oil. You don't know how to stew capelin in a frying pan with onions so that it doesn't burn? If you have a frying pan with a heavy bottom in your kitchen arsenal, be sure to use it, because then the fish will turn out much softer and more tender, and the risk of burning will be reduced to zero.
- Cut the capelin, thawed and washed under running water, in half. If you plan to serve it on a holiday table, it is better to leave the fish whole. Send it to the transparent onion and let it simmer for a while without dressing.
- Prepare the sauce: mix sour cream, salt, pepper, fish seasoning. Regarding the thickness of sour cream, dilute the sauce with water. If this is regular store-bought sour cream of medium thickness, you will need 2 tbsp of water per 3 tbsp of sour cream. Pour sour cream sauce over the fish with onions, cover the frying pan with a lid and reduce the gas. The fish should simmer for about 30 minutes.
Gorgeous capelin in sour cream with onions in a frying pan will surprise all your family and friends with its incredible, mind-blowing and delicate taste. Bon appetit!
The relatively low price and small size of capelin do not detract from its benefits. This product is rich in chromium, phosphorus, iodine, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and protein. Including it in the diet of those who care about their health is a rational decision. Fried fish is not as healthy as baked and stewed fish. Among the dishes demanded by supporters of a healthy diet, capelin stewed with onions occupies not the least place. It’s easy to prepare, it doesn’t take much time, and the result is pleasing with its pleasant taste and appetizing appearance of the finished dish.
Cooking features
Capelin stewed with onions is one of the dishes that can be prepared by a person who has never even looked into the kitchen before. A culinary experiment will be successful if the hostess knows only a few important points.
- You need to be careful when choosing a product in the store. The capelin in the package should be of medium size, all fish should be whole. The bag should not contain snow or water. Their presence indicates a violation of the rules for storing goods, which is why the fish was repeatedly thawed and frozen again. It also doesn’t hurt to look at the packaging and expiration dates of capelin indicated on the package when making a purchase.
- Defrost fish without sudden temperature changes. If you let it thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, it will retain its integrity and remain juicy.
- To give the dish a pleasant aroma, the fish can be marinated before cooking by sprinkling with lemon juice and sprinkling with herbs.
- Do not skimp on onions - with them the stewed capelin turns out tastier and more aromatic.
- Capelin and onions are most often stewed whole, but no one forbids you to cut it up first, removing the entrails, heads and dark films from the inside of the abdomen. A dish made from peeled capelin turns out even more delicious and is much more pleasant to eat.
Capelin stewed with onions does not have to be consumed hot. Gourmets claim that it is delicious in its own way when warm or even chilled.
A simple recipe for capelin stewed with onions
- capelin – 0.5 kg;
- onions – 150 g;
- water (optional) – 20-40 ml;
- bay leaf – 1 pc.;
- vegetable oil – 20 ml;
- salt, ground black pepper - to taste.
Cooking method:
- Wash the fish and dry with a towel.
- Season with salt and pepper and leave for 10-20 minutes.
- Peel the onion and cut it into large rings or halves of rings.
- Pour oil into a heated frying pan and spread it with a brush over the surface of the frying pan.
- Place the capelin in the frying pan with their bellies facing up so that the fish fit snugly against each other.
- Cover the fish with onions.
- If you are afraid that it will burn, pour in a little water - no more than two tablespoons.
- Place a bay leaf on top.
- Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the capelin and onions for 15 minutes over low heat. If the water has not evaporated during this time, cook for a few more minutes without a lid.
- Cover with a lid and turn off the heat. Leave to infuse for half an hour.
The recipe for capelin stewed with onions is so simple that the dish can be made in a hurry even without any culinary skills.
Capelin stewed with onions in sour cream
- capelin – 0.75 kg;
- sour cream – 150 ml;
- cream or milk – 50 ml;
- onions – 0.25 kg;
- garlic – 1 clove;
- bay leaf – 3 pcs.;
- vegetable oil - how much will be needed;
- salt, pepper - to taste.
Cooking method:
- Cut the capelin, salt and pepper.
- Cut the onion into medium thickness rings or half rings.
- Finely chop the garlic with a knife.
- Dilute sour cream with cream or milk. Season to taste.
- Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan. You need to take as little of it as possible, since the ingredients included in the dish are already fatty.
- Place the onion in the oil and fry it until golden brown.
- Add garlic. As soon as you begin to catch the garlic smell coming from the frying pan, pour sour cream on the onions and garlic, reduce the heat.
- When the sauce starts to boil, place the capelin on it. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the dish for 15 minutes.
Capelin stewed with onions in sour cream turns out tender and looks appetizing. It is so good that you can offer it to guests.
Capelin stewed with onions in tomato
- capelin – 1 kg;
- onions – 0.3 kg;
- tomato paste – 60 ml;
- water – 0.25 l;
- sugar – 5 g;
- vegetable oil – 20 ml;
- apple cider vinegar (6 percent) – 5 ml;
- salt, fish spices, bay leaves - to taste.
Cooking method:
- Wash the capelin, remove the heads, clean the insides. Rinse again and let the water drain.
- Cut the onion into thin half rings.
- Heat oil in a frying pan.
- Put tomato paste in it, after mixing it with vinegar, sugar, salt and spices.
- After a few minutes, start adding water in small portions, each time waiting until the sauce in the pan begins to boil.
- Place half the fish in the pan and cover it with half the onion. Place the remaining capelin and cover it with onion rings. Pour tomato sauce over everything.
- Simmer the fish over low heat for 20-30 minutes after the sauce starts to boil.
It is recommended to serve capelin prepared according to the given recipe with a side dish of potatoes or rice.
Capelin stewed with onions is an inexpensive and easy-to-prepare dish. Its low calorie content and significant nutritional value make it popular among supporters of a healthy diet.
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