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This article has been viewed 33,944 times. Pickled fish is a popular food the world over, largely because pickling allows the meat to last longer than simple refrigeration or open-air storage. Pickling also gives fish a slightly salty and acidic bite, which can help cut through some stronger fish flavors. While there are almost endless pickled fish recipes out there, the general process is the same. First, brine the fish using a diluted salt water brine.
While you can pickle full fish or large fillets, you won’t get the same control over the process that you do when you cut up the fish. If your fish is freshly caught, clean and gut it first. Then, use a sharp, clean knife to cut your fish into large chunks before you start the brining process. The chunks should be about the size of a large bite of food.
You want to be able to eat them, but you don’t want them to be so small that they dissolve during the pickling process. For smaller fish like anchovies or herring, you may be able to pickle the whole filet without cutting it up. Use salt and water to make a weak brine. Your fish will go through a weak brine before it goes in the heavy, more flavorful brine. Let the salt dissolve before removing it from the heat.
Then, allow the brine to cool. You will need enough brine to completely cover your fish. Cover your fish with the weak brine. Once the brine has cooled to room temperature, put your fish fillets or fish chunks in a ceramic or glass container.
Pour in enough brine to completely cover the fish, but not so much that you cannot move the dish. Refrigerate the fish in brine for 8-24 hours. How long you choose to keep your fish in the weak brine will be a matter of preference. The longer you brine, the more of a pickled flavor you will get. This can work well for stronger fish like pike but may be too much for a more delicate fish like bass. Drain the brine from the container. Carefully drain out the brine from the dish into the sink or another container.