EXOTIC SPICES AND BALTIC SKIPPERS MAKES "MAUSTEKALA".

"Maustekala" is a Finnish  marinated delicacy made from small Skippers (Sprattus sprattus). Also you can use Baltic herring (Clupea harengus membras). Here in Spain I have used Sardelles (Engraulis encrasicolus) also called Anchovy and making them from fresh and small fish  fillets to avoid Anisakis.

When you have available small  Baltic Skippers, you only wash them and dry.

Ingredients for thousand's flavor's "Maustekala" marinated delicacy from Gulf of Bothnia Finland.

-1 kg fresh small Skippers

-80 g sugar

-100 g sea salt

-20 g "Maustekala" spice mix

-2 g dried bay leaves

Blend well the spice mix, sugar and salt. Make  the first layer in a ceramic pot with Skippers , strew above it  bay leaves and spice mix, next layer with Skippers, bay leaves and spice mix and repeating each step same way with all fish. Cover the fish pot with a load and let it mature two (2) weeks in a refrigerator.

When the "Maustekala" is ready, there is a reddish liquid above the fish, which comes from the Indian sandalwood (Santalum album).

"Maustekala" spice mix:

Indian sandalwood,Allspice , White pepper, Nut-meg tree mace,Cinnamon, Cloves and  Ginger.

The perfumed, sweet and salty fillets are a basic ingredient for many surprising "tapa"-style snacks.

CHEF THOR