Fish Achar Achaar (Fish Pickle) Recipe

Fresh Fish is pickled in mustard oil vinegar and spices

Fish is low acid needs proper acidification. It is high in protein and must be cooked before pickling

Acidification aspects

1. For initial acidification, use fresh lime juice but avoid any oil in the marinate. This prevents oil coat that could inhibit lime juice to be effective

2. Brown the fish in small amount of oil. Remove the brown fish and soak off as much oil as possible from the fish.

3. Prepare preserve mix of spices and vinegar. Boil and cook browned fish in this high acid mixture till tender.

4. Finally, we add the treated mustard oil to top off the pickle

Ingredients

Marinate

1. Fresh Fish: 2 Pounds

Cubed 1" to 1½" cubs

2. Turmeric: 1 teaspoon

3. Sea-salt: 2 Tablespoon

4. Ground Hot Cayenne Pepper (Lal Mirch):: 2 Tablespoons

5. Fresh lime juice: ¼ cup (4 Limes)

Par-cook Fish

Mustard oil: ¼ cup

Masala Preserve

1. Mustard oil: ¾ cup

2. Fenugreek seeds: 1½ teaspoon

2. Fresh Ginger root: 2"x1" Peeled and sliced thin

3. Garlic Cloves: 10 Peeled and sliced thin

4. Crushed Red pepper flakes: 2 teaspoon

5. Asafoetida powder: ½ teaspoon

6. Black Mustard seeds cracked: 2 teaspoon

7. Cloves: 10

8. Bay leaf: 2

9. Brown sugar: 1 Tablespoon

10. White vinegar (5%): ¾ cup

Method

Marinate and dry

1. In a glass baking pan, mix salt, cayenne pepper, Turmeric and fish cubes. Let it stand for one hour

2. Use paper towel to soak up most of the liquid

3. Pre heat oven to 200º F for 25 minutes.

4. Put baking pan in the oven. Keep the door ajar for 2 to 3". Bake for 45 minutes

If the fish is not dry bake another 30 minutes

5. Turn off heat. Wait one hour and then remove tray

Par-cook Fish

1. Heat mustard oil to smoking point. Turn down heat. Stir fry marinated cubes as few pieces at a time to golden brown.

2. Remove and drain on paper towel. Soak up as much oil as possible with paper towel and discard it. Cool fish to room temperature

Masala Preserve

1. Mix al ingredients except oil garlic and ginger. Bring it to a boil

2. Add Fish garlic and ginger. Turn down temperature. Simmer at 180º F for five minutes.

Vegetative bacteria, yeast and molds must be destroyed by heating to 180º F

3. Turn off heat. Let it cool to room temperature

4. In a separate pan heat mustard oil to smoking point, Turn off heat Let it cool to room temperature. Add to pickle mixture

Acid prevents the growth of spores of deadly botulism bacteria.

Acidify pickle mixture before adding oil. Oil will coat the exemplar creating a barrier to acid and oxygen making it vulnerable to botulism bacteria.

Assemble and age

1.Transfer fish to a sterilized jar

2. Close jar lid tight.

4. Age in refrigerator for 3 days