The Argentina fish, more commonly known as the golden smelt, is the northern Atlantic herring, less known than the common herring. This fish is of great commercial importance and is caught in countries such as Norway, Denmark, Ireland, and the Faroe Islands. Our fishing farms also catch it. It goes on sale frozen in blocks or in separate carcasses.

What kind of fish is Argentina and where is it found

Argentina is not a very common type of fish that humans use for food. Its name does not mean at all that this valuable commercial fish lives exclusively in the waters around Argentina. The fact is that, belonging to the Serebryanka family from the vast order of salmonids, the main appearance formed the basis of the Latin name argentum, meaning silver. True, Argentina can be called golden smelt (the side scales often cast a golden hue), silvery, or just silvery.

Related to herring, Argentina is characterized by:

• general thin narrow body;
• no more than 50 centimeters in length (the maximum size of up to 60 centimeters can reach by the age of 25) with a weight of 500 grams (the fish growth time is long);
• strong compression of the body from the sides;
• its significant taper towards the tail;
• big eyes;
• small pointed mouth;
• lower jaw pushed forward;
• not large, rather small, head;
• large scale ( distinctive feature- passing along the sides of a silvery scaly tape with a bluish or golden sheen);
• more often brown back color (color is also dark yellow or green-gray).

The main habitats of the silverfish are considered to be the temperate and cold waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans.

She prefers to dwell closer to the ocean floor, usually at a depth of 55-550 meters, sometimes going to a depth of 1400 meters. Adults live in deeper waters, while juveniles prefer shallower waters at a depth of 10-15 meters.

As a deep-seated shallow predator, Argentina live in flocks and choose a sandy-muddy bottom. Their diet includes small crustaceans, shrimp, krill, squid, worms or small fish.

The fish has a lifespan of about 29 years. The sexual maturity of the silverfish occurs only at the age of 9–12 years of age, and spawning lasts from May to September. Depending on the size of the female, she is able to "lay down" from 3.5 to 7 thousand large floating (have a fat drop) eggs ranging in size from 3 to 3.5 ml.

The fish grows slowly. Therefore, its catch is not so large, which is carried out at a depth of 30 to 100 meters (although it lives at depths of 10 to 600 meters), near Denmark (especially in the Danish Strait), Norway, Iceland, Ireland, the Faroe Islands and in The Barents (preferably in the southeast and west) and North Seas. Russian vessels sometimes enter Canadian waters to catch gold smelt.

Argentina fish health benefits

Not everyone knows that Argentina belongs to the so-called table fish varieties that are valuable to humans. That is why, along with the substances supplied and enriching the meat of the golden smelt, in contrast to other types of consumed seafood, the silverfish is rich in:

• easily digestible protein;
• fats (fish, also easily digestible);
• B vitamins such as niacin (nicotinic acid) and riboflavin;
• tocopherol (vitamin E);
• minerals represented by fluorine, nickel, molybdenum, iron, chromium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium.

Total calorie content dietary meat 100 grams of product is only 88 kilocalories.

Fish argentina benefits

No wonder this type of fish is widespread in the European part of the world. The whole secret of usefulness lies in:

• high nutritional value of fish meat;
• low fat content;
• complete absence of carbohydrates (an important factor in diabetes mellitus);
• good assimilation of protein (or protein);
• stabilization of the correct functioning of all human organs;
• filling the human body with vitamins and important minerals.

The industry uses the so-called essence of the scales of this fish, which becomes the basis of the "pearl coating" for many artificial jewelry (especially artificial pearls).

In addition to being a food product, this fish is used for the production of bone meal.

What to cook with fish argentina

The attitude to the meat of the golden smelt among the world's culinary experts is rather twofold. But no one dares to object that her meat is incredibly tender with high level density.

That is why the original meat aroma, reminiscent of a fresh cucumber (but this is only for freshly caught fish), someone is trying to leave, and someone is trying to remove it with vinegar or lemon juice.

In any case, in order not to spoil the pleasant taste, dark black mucus is first removed from the abdominal part, the scales are cleaned and, if possible, the fish is sent to the marinade for several hours. Only then can you start cooking the golden smelt.

All types of heat treatment (boiling, frying, grilling, steaming, stewing, hot smoking, drying) can be considered acceptable cooking methods.

Contraindications and harm

As for the contraindications, they are not wide and are mainly reduced to the presence of an individual intolerance to fish meat.

In addition, overeating can also cause intestinal upset, such as poisoning.

Good day to all!
Today my reviews will be about three types of fish that I bought at the request of my husband, and of course I have not forgotten myself and the cat.
The first fish is Argentina. The choice fell on her, since the one that her husband loves, and this is pollock or hake, was not on sale.
I am already so many years old, I am already a big girl, but I can honestly admit that I never bought Argentina and did not even know what it was like. I am not a fan of fried sea fish, but in this case there was no choice.
Most of the seafood, namely frozen fish, is represented by the Santa & Fish TM. Who is responsible for this fish, you will not understand, "Santa Bremor" bought from "Santa Impex" and all this in Brest. But it's not that important, I like Santa's products.
This fish is packed in plastic bags. Fish inside without glaze. The only disadvantage is that, although the bags are made of very dense material, but during (perhaps this is my opinion) transportation they break and in our stores they are packed in cellophane again. As a result, it is not clear what you are buying, but this is in another review.

Each package has a label with the information available.
The country of origin, date of packaging, expiration date are indicated here.
Already in the outlets, the weight and cost are indicated.

And so are the responsible parties with addresses and phone numbers.

Argentina is a small fish, weighing about 400 grams. Clean, but with the presence of scales. Had to clean it up a bit.
The fillet is dense, does not fall apart when cut into pieces. The specific smell of sea fish is almost absent.

When frying, Argentina fillets remain white, the pieces do not fall apart. The rind is firm and forms a beautiful crust when fried.
O taste on my own behalf, I can say one thing - the fish is a little dry, in comparison with pollock or hake does not go, there is no tenderness and juiciness. A lot of small bones (awns) like river fish such as roach, crucian carp or carp. I had to poke around in each piece for a long time to put it in my mouth. These small bones are found in the dorsal portion of the fish. So I definitely didn't like it.
My husband has a completely different opinion, he really liked the fish and ate it all with great pleasure.

My attitude towards this fish will remain ambiguous, as I cook different dishes With sea ​​fish- these are stewed and baked, and under vegetable dressing, then all of the above is not for Argentina, namely its small bones. It goes only for frying (or I don't know how to cook?)
And I will recommend this fish, not everyone is as fussy as I am, and its taste is excellent.
So happy shopping!

Argentina in tomato sauce

Today for dinner I was preparing a wonderful fish with snow-white pulp, long thin bones, which were easily found and taken out when eating .... and huge circles of transparent scales that stick to my hands when I took out the defrosted carcass from the bag. I bought this fish for the first time and decided to stew it in tomato sauce.

It turned out so delicious! First I tried the gravy - you could eat it just like that, with a spoon. No fish or bread. The taste turned out to be completely unexpected, sweetish, as if it was formed on the basis of squid juices, and not stewed fish... And this gravy so gently enveloped the pieces of Argentina, so abundantly greased its low-fat pulp that it was impossible to come off ... very tasty!

Composition of the dish

for 2-4 servings(a very hungry person can eat all one)

• Argentina - 1 fish (I had no head, weight - 500g);
• Vegetable oil - to the bottom of the pan;
• Carrots - small or half medium;
• Tomato paste (I had Tomato) - 1 tablespoon;
• Sugar - 1 tablespoon;
• Salt to taste;
• Basil - a pinch of dried;
• Chili pepper - 1/4 pod (optional);
• Flour - 1 rounded tablespoon.

I also added juice from half a large mug of orange. I don’t know if this had any effect on the taste, but I dropped a drop of orange juice the moment I caught a fishy smell, which I don’t like. I sensed light orange notes in the flavor of the gravy, and it supported the overall sweet-salty flavor of the sauce. But, I do not exclude that in the general euphoria from the deliciousness and unusualness of the dish, it seemed to me. If in doubt, but also suffer from fishy odors, drizzle with a gravy lemon juice... This will help.

How to cook

• Defrost the fish. Rinse in cool water, clean: cut off the head (if any), fins, tail, peel off the scales with a grater or knife (if there are scales), rip up the abdomen, remove the insides (by the way, I found some silvery insides in the fish, as if inside one Argentina there was a second, small long fish) and peel off the black film. Rinse again. Cut into portions (I got 4 - 3 middle and tail).
• Pour oil into the bottom of a saucepan. Put the fish and carrots (sliced ​​into thin quarters), pour 2/3 of the fish over with cool water. For those who like spicy things, add hot red chili (a pinch or finely chopped piece of pod). Boil.
• Add tomato paste and sugar and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes.
• Salt. Sprinkle with basil. Drizzle with orange juice (if desired). Dissolve 1/3 cup flour cold water(stir well, otherwise you will have argentina in sauce with dumplings). Pour in a thin stream into the gravy (stirring occasionally). Simmer for another minute or two. Turn off. Sprinkle with dill when serving. Delicious with potatoes (boiled or mashed), rice and pasta. And I served with potatoes and a boiled egg)).

Bon Appetit!

Argentina in sweet tomato sauce

Argentina cooking stages

Argentina fish peeling on a cutting board Bring the argentina pot to a boil Ready argentina stew in a pot
Delicious argentina in orange sauce White fish pulp argentina

"Baked fish (Argentina)"

Quick recipes

Place chopped carrots (12 kg), 4 onions, parsley on the bottom of the pan. Salt and pepper. Place pieces of fish on vegetables, pour with oil, add 1 tbsp. water, cover the pan tightly and keep in the oven until tender.

Argentina stew

For 500 g of fish:

• 1 tbsp. a spoon vegetable oil,
• 1 onion
• 1/2 tbsp. tablespoons of mustard
• 1-2 tomatoes, pepper and salt to taste.

Cut the cut fish into portions, sprinkle with pepper, roll in flour and lightly fry. Cut into thin rings onion and fry. In a dish, greased with oil, put onions, sliced ​​tomatoes, fish, mustard (dilute the prepared mustard with 2 tablespoons of cold water) and, covered with a lid, simmer over low heat

Argentina fish fried with onions

Ingredients:
400 g fish fillet, 2-3 tbsp. tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, salt to taste, 2 tbsp. tablespoons flour, 2 onions, refined vegetable oil for frying.

Cooking method:
Cut the washed and dried fish fillets into slices, sprinkle with lemon juice and let stand for 5 minutes. Peel the onion, chop and fry a little in vegetable oil. Breaded the fish in flour mixed with salt and fry together with onions on both sides until browning. Cover and heat over low heat for 2 minutes. Garnish with lemon slices fresh cucumbers and boiled potatoes.

Argentina soup

350 g fish, 1-1.5 liters of water, 5 potatoes, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1/2 parsley root, 3 black and allspice peas, 1-2 bay leaves, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of fat, parsley or celery; salt to taste.

Cut the prepared Argentina carcass into pieces. Put peeled and diced potatoes and carrots, chopped onions and parsley root into boiling water. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Then add fish pieces, pepper, Bay leaf, salt and cook for 0.5 hours. Before serving, season with fat and sprinkle with herbs.

Fish with mushroom sauce

Fish fillet in a briquette 1 kg, frozen mushrooms 2 bags, onions 2 pcs., Black peas 15 peas, seasoning (vegetation) Edam cheese, dried bacon 200 g, kefir about 100 ml, sour cream, mayonnaise - to taste.

Sauce:
Pour vegetable oil into a thick-walled saucepan about 1.5 cm from the bottom, put black pepper, finely chopped onions, washed mushrooms, seasoning (vegetation) (to taste), first simmer over high heat, then (when the liquid evaporates) turn the fire and add kefir, simmer for another 10 minutes over medium heat.

Prepare the fish, cut the briquette into pieces approximately 2 cm thick, place on a ceramic / glass dish, sprinkle with bacon crumbs, place on top stewed mushrooms, pour over the resulting liquid, evenly distribute sour cream and mayonnaise on top, put in the microwave. 20 minutes in microwave oven, then microwave + grill for 10 minutes, remove, sprinkle with grated cheese (before serving), microwave again for 5 minutes

1. What is this fish

Argentina (Serebryanka) widespread in the temperate waters of the American and European coasts of the Atlantic Ocean. Length: 25-40 (up to 95) cm; weight up to 4 kg, on average - 500 - 800g. Valuable commercial fish. Like smelt, freshly caught Argentina gives off a strong scent of fresh cucumber.

2. Culinary properties

Argentina's meat has a pleasant taste and delicate texture. It is noted that, like smelt, Argentina meat smells like fresh cucumbers.

3. Short story

Fish Argentina lives in the temperate and northern waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. It can be found in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, from Ireland to the northern Norwegian regions. In the Barents Sea, fish are found in the east and southwest. Argentina is distributed in the Danish Strait and the North Sea. Individuals prefer to lead a deep lifestyle. It has been noticed that they live mainly on a muddy or sandy bottom. The depth of fish distribution is from 20 meters to 1 kilometer. But catching it on an industrial scale is most effective at a depth of 30 to 100 meters.

4. Positive and negative qualities

Fish in the diet is good in a certain amount, and too much fish can lead to unpleasant consequences especially intestinal disorders or allergies.

5. How it is prepared

Fish Argentina is best recommended to boil, fry, stew, marinate.

Argentina is cooked with vegetables: Whole fish carcasses or cut into steaks are boiled. Chopped vegetables, salt, spices are put into the water, vinegar is added, all this is brought to a boil. Put the fish and cook for 15-20 minutes with a low boil or with potatoes: First, lightly fried with bacon carrots, onions and parsley root are added to the fish cut into portions (along with the heads), then potatoes, salt and pepper, a glass of water, and fish brought to readiness.

Argentina is fried in the following way: Fillet pieces are sprinkled with lemon juice, breaded in flour and salt, fried with onions.

Stew Argentina is recommended different ways, for example under sour cream sauce: The fish is cut into portions and fried. Onions and carrots are fried and stewed with sour cream and herbs. Fish is laid out in a saucepan, vegetables stewed with sour cream are on top. The dish is stewed until tender or with tomatoes: The chopped fish is lightly fried, then stewed over low heat with onions.

Argentina is marinated as follows: Vegetables are boiled until tender, with the addition of spices, vinegar, sugar, salt. Fried fish is poured with ready-made marinade and garnished with herbs when served.

Argentina fish can be baked, minced meat, in soup and aspic.

Argentina can be baked in different ways, for example with rice: The fish is cut into pieces, pepper, breaded and lightly fried. After the fish is placed in a greased dish, in which it is previously placed rice porrige... Everything is poured with sauce made of flour, fish broth, sour cream, salt, grated cheese and baked in the oven or in foil with shrimps: The gutted fish is stuffed with shrimps and onions, wrapped in foil and baked.

Argentina soup can be cooked in several ways - with olive oil and tomato: Portions of fish are cooked with parsley root and potatoes. Sauteed onions and chopped tomatoes with garlic or rice in a spicy broth are added: fish broth boiled washed rice, finely chopped onion, sautéed with fat, tomato puree, then add pieces of boneless fish, crushed garlic, salt.

Minced meat-second from Argentina can be prepared in two types: cutlets - From boiled fish, bread and onion cutlets are formed and boiled in broth. Ready cutlets filled with broth with gelatin and cooled and zrazy - The carcass of the fish is cleaned, the fillet is cut and passed through a meat grinder. Grated carrots, chopped onions, crumb soaked in milk are added to a bowl of fish white bread and a raw egg... The filling is prepared from fried mushrooms with onions, eggs and herbs. Cakes are formed from minced meat, on which the filling is laid out, the edges are stuck together. The meatballs are rolled in breadcrumbs and fried until tender.

Aspic from Argentina is prepared in the form of cutlets: The head, skin, fins, bones of fish are poured with water and boiled. The broth is filtered and gelatin soaked in water is added, brought to a boil, cooled. Fish pulp, bread soaked in milk and fried onions are passed through a meat grinder, salt, pepper, egg, milk are added and whipped. Cutlets are formed, placed in a saucepan, poured with broth and boiled. Ready cutlets are poured with chilled broth, placed in the cold.