For some reason I wanted to try fried sea fish.
With a brisk gait I went to the fish store to see what was on sale there. I bought a few things and again pollock fillet.
Suddenly I see: there is surimi minced meat in the same box.
Of course, how could I not buy a new unknown product from a trusted company? Fishcakes are looming! I took two.
At home I defrosted and marinated the fillet: pepper, rosemary, lemon juice, soy sauce.
After two hours, I dried it slightly and fried it in the usual manner, breaded with wheat flour. But remembering our last conversation, I added a teaspoon to the flour turmeric.
Fried in a frying pan
and it turned out to be a delicious juicy cheerful yellow fish
The portions turned out rich!
You can even see a certain element of J’s fucked-upness in the fish.
To be fair, it must be said that in real life she does not look as defiantly bright as in the photo. But with a clear yellow tint.
But surimi also awaits us. Well, I can imagine what surimi is. Chopped fish fillets, washed and centrifuged. With high protein content and low moisture content. But I have never held or touched such a semi-finished product in my hands, that is, I am practically unfamiliar with it.
I haven’t bought ready-made minced fish for a long time, because I haven’t come across any good ones. Usually, after defrosting, it is some kind of semi-liquid, vomit-like mess, from which it is unpleasant to cook anything.
You can make it yourself from suitable fish, but it is troublesome and expensive.
The purchased surimi, which also turned out to be from pollock, cooked at sea, was cut into cubes to speed up defrosting. I threw thin fillet trimmings on top.
The cubes turned out to be elastic and very dense to the touch, the smell was fishy and pleasant. That is, it turned out to be completely impossible to mix and make minced meat from them - there were a lot of gelling substances. So we’ll twist it in a screw grinder.
For minced meat, you also need to soak it in milk and squeeze it out. white bread.
How much should I add? Chef Lazerson for general use says 30% of the amount of fish pressed. I don’t drink milk, so I went with kefir.
In general, we used minced meat:
-0.5 kg of minced surimi;
- white bread soaked in kefir and squeezed out (30% by volume);
-1 onion;
– 3 cloves of garlic;
-2 eggs;
-vegetable oil (3 spoons);
-pepper, salt, dry spice mixture for fish.
Don't lose your appetite!
Yours © Tiberius!
Surimi - what is it? You will learn the answer to this question from the materials in the article. In addition, we will tell you how the product we are reviewing is made and what it is used for.
General information
Surimi - what is this product? This word came to us from Japan. It means “finely chopped and pounded meat.” This product is actively used for preparing various Japanese dishes. As a rule, it is made from white fish (for example, pollock, herring, iwasi, mackerel, etc.). Surimi is sometimes made from shrimp by freezing them and grinding them into a smooth paste.
Due to the fact that the product we are considering does not have a pronounced aroma and taste, it is quite often used as an imitation. Various seafood products are made from surimi by adding the necessary spices and dyes to the minced meat. The most common product is crab sticks.
History of the origin of surimi
We found out what kind of product this is. But what kind of history does it have? The first mention of fish surimi dates back to 1100. It was at that time that the Japanese noticed that from ground and strongly squeezed fish with white meat, you can quite easily obtain a homogeneous mass that will have an almost imperceptible, but incredibly pleasant aroma and taste. In addition, completely different figures could be sculpted from such a mixture. Surimi sticks, balls and sausages - these forms were the most popular. But as culinary art developed, Japanese chefs, using minced fish, invented more and more new dishes.
The historical homeland of surimi includes the states of Southeast Asia. It was their residents who began to add various spices, herbs, food coloring, flavorings, fillings, etc. to minced fish.
culinary arts
Many modern housewives do not have the slightest idea of how surimi minced meat is made. What is it? This is the question they ask when they hear a term they are not familiar with. For a very long time, the process of making surimi remained a secret. This kind of culinary art could only be performed by experienced chefs in Japan. However, already in the 70s of the last century, the industrial production of minced fish began to flow.
As a result of the long development of this culinary tradition, today there are about 1000 types of surimi products in Asian countries. And despite the fact that the residents of our country have been familiar with crab sticks for more than 25 years, the meaning of the term “surimi” remains unclear to them. At the same time, it is minced fish that is the fundamental component of the famous crab sticks in Russia. Without surimi, the production of this product would be impossible.
Is minced fish “surimi” harmful to the human body?
What kind of product this is and what it is made from, we described above. Despite this, there is still an opinion that surimi is an imitation seafood product that is obtained by processing fish waste. It is for this reason that crab sticks are called very tasty, but not useful product. In reality this is not the case.
Surimi - what is this base? It is a concentrated fish protein, which is obtained after cleansing the fillet from blood, fats and various enzymes. As a pure protein, this product has fairly high elasticity and gelling ability.
Appearance
Fish surimi does not have a distinct aroma or taste. Externally, this product looks like a white, homogeneous and rather thick mass. Surimi is made only from fillets of freshly caught ocean fish of certain breeds. Moreover, it must be processed no later than 7-10 hours after catching.
The main condition for the production of surimi is that the fish fillet must have high density, low fat content and be only white in color. In other words, dark meat is not allowed in the raw materials. It is for this reason that not all types of fish are suitable for making surimi.
What kind of fish is used for production?
What kind of fish is used to prepare this product? Surimi is most often made from cod species (for example, pollock, hake or whiting). Also, some tropical fish species (for example, itoyori or croaker) are often used as a basis for imitation seafood. In addition, Pacific sardine, horse mackerel, eso, giant squid, etc. are suitable for making surimi. However, it should be noted that the product made from these rocks has less gelling power and is also darker in color.
It should also be said that during the production of minced meat, cooks never expose fish fillets to heat treatment. Thanks to this, surimi retains absolutely all the microelements and vitamins that ocean inhabitants are so rich in.
Production process
Surely many culinary specialists are interested in the question of how fish is processed to prepare minced meat. Surimi should be done in stages. To do this, we recommend following the following sequence.
First stage. Fish for making surimi are caught only in the open sea and only in fishing zones. Within 7-10 hours from the moment it is caught, the product is either processed on board a specialized vessel or sent to a coastal plant.
Second stage. Freshly caught white-fleshed fish are filleted. The skins, bones, heads and all the entrails are used to make flour. As for surimi, it is made only from the most delicate white fillet.
Third stage. The prepared white meat is minced and then washed several times in clean cold water. At this stage of production, only insoluble proteins remain, which in essence are surimi.
Fourth stage. The resulting mass, washed in cold water, immediately enters the centrifuge. It removes all excess moisture from the fillet.
Fifth stage. Large blocks are formed from the finished fish mass, all of which usually do not exceed 10 kg. They are then frozen using blast freezing (that is, in the shortest possible period of time). The temperature in the chamber must be at least minus 20 degrees.
Due to the fact that surimi manufacturing plants are usually located far from fishing areas (quite often on other continents), the fish mass is transported to them in special refrigerated containers. As a rule, the same temperature (-20ºС) is created and maintained in them all the time.
History of crab sticks
In our country there are a small number of products made from surimi. Moreover, some chefs know only one such seafood product, called crab meat or crab sticks. That is why in this section of the article we decided to talk a little about the history of their production.
In the 1970s, the Japanese market began to experience a growing shortage of natural crab meat, which was and still is an integral attribute national cuisine. The cost of this product was growing rapidly. In this regard, based on traditional recipes for preparing Kamaboko, chefs in Asian countries began to produce minced meat, which imitated natural crab meat in its texture and taste. This product was called “Kani-Kamaboko”, that is, “fish fillet with crab”.
Over several decades, it not only gained popularity in the Japanese market, but also became one of the rare examples of the import of traditional food products into Western countries. Thus, in a fairly short period of time, an entire industry arose in Japan, which included equipment factories, onshore processing factories, as well as several Kamaboko factories.
As a result of long and hard work in Asia, an industrial technology for simulating not only crab meat, but also other seafood (for example, shrimp tails, scallops, lobsters, squid rings, etc.) was formed.
To provide the new industry with raw materials, specialists separately developed surimi production technology. As a result, the first crab sticks appeared on the Japanese market in the 1980s. It should be noted that other products have failed to gain the interest of Western consumers.
Popularity of crab sticks
After crab sticks spread throughout Europe, they became popular in the USSR and even in the USA. This product gained universal love in many countries. In view of this fact, the need for raw materials has increased sharply. Due to the reduction of quotas for cod, the production of surimi from other types of fish began. As a result, the quality of crab sticks has decreased significantly. However, in the 2000s they were still a mass consumer product.
Today it is quite difficult to find a store that does not have crab sticks. They are used not only for preparing various salads and snacks, but also for consumption in their pure form.
Most seafood lovers probably know what is included in crab sticks. To many it may seem that they have appeared recently. In fact, crab sticks have been around in Asian countries for a long time. They contain one ingredient with an unusual name - surimi. What is this product and what is its feature?
What is surimi?
This product is part of crab sticks. The origin of the word is connected with distant Japan, there the product has long been used in national Japanese cuisine. Surimi on Japanese means "washed ground fish". The product is finely chopped white fish meat. Commonly used to prepare surimi meat:
- pollock;
- whiting;
- hake;
- cod.
Surimi is also often prepared from shrimp meat. They are peeled, frozen and in this form ground into a homogeneous mass. The resulting product does not have a pronounced aroma or odor. This quality makes it possible to add spices and dyes to the minced meat as needed and prepare various seafood from it.
Back in the 11th century, people in Southeast Asian countries began to notice that Ground white fish meat can be shaped into any shape. Since then, they most often made balls or sticks from minced fish. Sausages made from such minced meat were called “Komaboko”. In the 70s of the last century in Japan they were put into industrial production.
Thanks to the centuries-old culinary art of Asian countries, Japan has learned to make thousands of types of products from surimi. The most common product was crab sticks.
Minced fish production process
To manufacture a product in industrial production fish are caught in fishing zones on the high seas. There are special fishing factories where fish are immediately processed. Also, part of the catch is sent to factories that are located on land.
Fresh fish is thoroughly washed, then the fillet is separated, and the remaining parts are used for the production of bone meal. Only the sirloin part is used for the production of surimi.. Selected fillets are washed several times with cold and clean water, until there are no insoluble proteins left in it.
The thoroughly washed loin goes into a centrifuge to remove excess moisture from it. In fact, after pressing, the mass is ready-made surimi. From the resulting mass, blocks of 10 kg are formed using the method of shock freezing at a temperature of -20 o C. This freezing method is due to the fact that many manufacturing plants are often located very far away, including on other continents. They are transported in special containers with a temperature of -20 o C at all times.
Minced surimi
You can hear opposing opinions about crab sticks. Some say that this is high-quality cod fish meat. Others believe that crab sticks can be harmful to the body. In fact, surimi is a high-quality fish protein. Minced meat only benefits the body, because it is completely free of blood, fats and enzymes, as well as other components that can quickly dissolve. Nutrients are completely preserved in surimi, since the product is not subjected to heat treatment.
European countries have learned to produce products that resemble crab meat. In Japan, minced surimi has long been used in the preparation of many national dishes.. In other countries in Southeast Asia, it is also often used in many recipes.
Crab sticks are also popular in our country, since they can quickly be used to prepare various delicious dishes. Most often, salads are made based on crab sticks. Surimi is prepared from minced meat:
- burgers;
- fish cutlets;
- snacks;
- added to first courses.
Minced meat is used as a filling for fish rolls and homemade baked goods. Its low calorie content, only 99 cal per 100 grams of product, also attracts many seafood lovers.
The benefits and harms of crab sticks
What is included in crab meat, besides minced surimi? At the very beginning, only cod fish were used to make minced meat.. It was caught in environmentally friendly reservoirs. After processing, a light and clean homogeneous mass was obtained, from which various dishes were prepared. Fillet for surimi production must be lean, white in color, and have high density and elasticity.
Not all varieties of fish are suitable for minced surimi. Sometimes other types of fish are caught for this purpose., in which the meat has a darker color and low density, it is less elastic. How are crab sticks produced and what is included in their composition? Conscientious manufacturers use the following ingredients for crab sticks:
- minced surimi;
- potato starch;
- water;
- vegetable oil;
- salt;
- sugar;
- natural flavors and food colors;
- food additives.
All these components are mixed together until a homogeneous mass is obtained. The result is fish dough, which is rolled out into a sheet. Z Then it is processed under the influence of steam, after which the product is cooled to 40 o C. The already cooled sheet is shaped into a rope and wrapped in film. After this, cut the pieces to the required length. To make the product more attractive appearance, the tourniquet is tinted with food coloring.
Subject to all the rules of technology, using only the above components, crab sticks are unlikely to cause harm to health. Cod fish are found only in clean, cold and deep waters.
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