Important rules for preparing balyk from carp meat at home. Sockeye salmon balyk Fish balyk recipe at home

In the minds of most people, fish balyk is considered an expensive dish, which is often served on an important occasion. In fact, you can cook and serve balyk as part of an ordinary everyday meal, and it is not necessary to use only red varieties of fish as raw materials; you can use perch, silver carp or. Recipes made from this material will serve especially well for avid fishermen and their families, since the best balyk is always obtained from a fresh catch.

How to make balyk from fish at home?

The recipe for a simple balyk, in addition to the fish itself, includes salt and sugar. There are no specific instructions regarding gramming; just remember a simple proportion: 10 tablespoons of salt and 3 tablespoons of sugar for every kilo of fish. Based on this proportion, you can cook any fatty fish, following the technology described below.

We start with cutting the fish. It must be done very carefully and carefully, clearing the abdominal cavity not only of the insides, but also of films and blood clots. Rinse the cleaned belly and dry the carcass. Now we cut off the tail and cut off the abdominal walls. Divide the remaining carcass into 6-8 equal pieces. The thickness of the pieces should not be less than one and a half centimeters, otherwise the balyk will dry out, but the fish flesh cannot be too thick, otherwise it will turn sour inside.

Now sprinkle the enamel bowl with a mixture of sugar and salt so that this mixture covers the bottom by 2-3 mm. Next, lay out the fish slices, sprinkling each layer with salt. Cover the folded and salted fish with its fins and bellies, then cover everything with a lid of the appropriate size and place under pressure.

After 5-6 days, the fish will need to be rinsed well with cold water to get rid of excess salt. Next, the pieces are dried and hung in a draft (not in the sun!) under gauze. After three days, the preparation of fish balyk is finished, you can try it or put it away for storage.

Fish balyk - recipe

If you decide to cook balyk from medium-sized fish, weighing up to 3 kg, then the cooking method will be slightly different. Having selected a carcass, carefully cut through it from the back so as not to damage the gallbladder. Open the carcass like a book, both halves will be fastened together by the abdominal walls. Clean all the insides and get rid of the film. Cut off the ridge, rinse the carcass and dry it. Pour salt into a plastic, glass or enamel bowl, then place the carcass on top and sprinkle with the same amount of salt. Leave the fish under pressure for up to 12 hours. Afterwards, rinse off the excess salt and soak the fish in cold water for another 1-2 hours (large fish are soaked less). Now the carcass can be taken out, dried, wrapped in gauze soaked in vinegar solution and left to dry in a draft. After drying, the fish is left in the refrigerator for a day, first wrapped in paper. Afterwards, the abdominal walls are opened and secured with spacers made of skewers and the fish is allowed to dry in a draft again throughout the night.

Ingredients:

Preparation

After cleaning the trout carcass and dividing it in half, rub the halves with salt and place under pressure in the refrigerator for two days. Upon completion of the salting process, the fish is washed and dried, then rubbed with a mixture of spices for fish and hung to dry in the shade in a draft, wrapped in gauze. Place any container under the fish to catch dripping fat. After 5-7 days (depending on the thickness of the piece), the fish can be removed and tasted. It is best to store balyk by first wrapping it in paper.

Translated from Turkic, balyk means fish. That is why all products that are called balyk mean a fish dish. This dish can be prepared from various commercial fish. These breeds have differences in fat content, which gives the balyk a delicate taste. Previously, when someone said the word balyk, they meant a delicacy, and in our time this word has not lost this meaning. True, now such a delicacy is available to many, and not just to high society who use special stores.

Today, when markets offer a variety of fish breeds, you can make balyk yourself at home. Because this is not a very difficult technology. You can make balyk from asp, silver carp, carp, and pike. The fatter and thicker the balyk, the better it is valued. What would be healthier and tastier for breakfast than a made sandwich with balyk. It's very easy to make. Let's look at preparing balyk from different types of fish.

We take fresh carp weighing more than 7 kg. Clean the fish from scales, open its abdomen, remove the entrails, thoroughly wipe the abdominal cavity, cut off the tail and head. Cut the carp carcass prepared in this way, separating the large bones and spine. Cut the resulting carcass into pieces 6-7 cm thick, wash with water, wipe with salt, place the pieces in a bowl with the skin side down. After this, dry salt it. Place a weight on top of the carp, cover with a lid and place in a cool place. Keep the salted fish for 5 to 7 days.

Soak the carp in water after salting to reduce the amount of salt. After the fish is wet, you need to let the water drain, tie the slices with twine and hang in a cool, well-ventilated place. To make the pieces shiny and smooth, they must be pressed. Three to four days after the start of wilting, put them under pressure, and then hang them up again. After about 10 - 15 days, the carp balyk is ready. Also, to improve the taste of balyk, before rubbing the pieces with salt, sprinkle them with sugar. Sprinkle layers of fish placed in enamel dishes with salt without sugar.

Balyk made from asp

Asp is the fish most suitable for balyk and salting. The best balyk comes from asp weighing 1–3 kg, caught in the autumn. Small specimens are not suitable for balyk.

The asp must be cut (plated). Using a strong and sharp knife, carefully cut the back of the fish along the ridge from head to tail, while working, we try not to damage the belly, otherwise all the fat will drain off.

We cut off one side of the ribs from the spine and unfold them into two halves. Carefully remove the insides so as not to damage the bile. The ridge can be cut out if desired, or left. Then remove the gills, wash the fish to remove blood and sprinkle with salt. We use coarse salt, but not iodized salt. Leave the salted fish in a cool place for 8-12 hours (depending on the weight of the fish).

When salting asp in brine, add spices to it (for example, seasoning for fish), it contains all the necessary components. To determine the concentration of salt in a solution (brine), you need to put raw potatoes in there - it should not sink.

Then we wash the asp to remove excess salt and soak it. Soak fish weighing 3 kg for approximately 60 minutes; 1 kg. -120 minutes. In late autumn, asp can be made more lightly salted; in hot periods, we reduce the soaking time. Next, we hang the fish so that the water drains from it and it should dry out a little. Be sure to tie gauze soaked in vinegar (for flies and wasps). Could be the air flow from the fan.

Place a sprig of dill inside the slightly dried asp; you can also put a cut clove of garlic, it is a good preservative. Then for a day we put the asp in the refrigerator or a cool place, wrapped in parchment or cotton cloth. At night, we put up the spacers and hang them out into the wind. For the day we put it back in the refrigerator. We place dry salted fish in the sun for an hour during the day so that the asp becomes covered in fat. Now balyk can be used as food.

Silver carp balyk

We carefully remove the caught fish without damaging the inside of the gallbladder. We do not remove scales and thorns. Separate the heads and wash. Then cut off the tail and belly. The abdomen must be cut along an arc so that the thickness of the cut along the entire length is approximately the same. Then we cut the fish into fairly thick pieces, approximately the same thickness, at least two centimeters. If the pieces are thin, then they will dry out, and very thick ones will begin to sour in the middle.

Take a container large enough for the fish to fit in 2-3 layers, but not aluminum!!! Stainless steel, ceramic or enamel pan. Mix salt and sugar, observing the indicated proportions (10 tablespoons of salt, 3 tablespoons of sugar per 1 kg of fish, add spices to taste), pour this mixture into an even layer on the bottom. Place pieces of fish tightly next to each other on top, immediately sprinkling them with salt. Place the tail fins and bellies skin side down. Now we tightly cover the top with a wooden circle and put pressure on it. Leave for six days in the refrigerator.

The fish releases juice and brine is formed - this is a strong solution of salt and juice. Taking it out of the refrigerator, rinse the fish under running water and wash off excess salt. Then hang it on a strong cord, in a draft, wrap the fish in gauze, after soaking the gauze in vinegar. After 2-3 days, balyk can be consumed.

The readiness of the balyk can be checked if it is elastic, and when pressing on it, no moisture is released, but only fat remains on the fingers.

Pike balyk recipe

So, let's begin. The pike must be fresh, otherwise it will not be salted. We cut off the head of the pike and gut it. There is no need to remove the scales. We do not wash the fish. Next, we cut it along the spine to the tail, making cuts throughout the body without damaging the skin. The cuts are necessary for the best penetration of salt into the fish. Next, take coarse salt and lightly, evenly sprinkle the fish with salt. If your pike is quite large, then place a small amount of salt in the cuts. Here it is necessary not to overdo it. If there is not enough salt in the pike, the balyk will disappear. If, on the contrary, there is too much salt, it will be extremely salty. Over-salted balyk must be soaked in water. Then we place the fish meat-to-meat and place them with their backs down, in a plastic or enamel bowl. That's all for now. It's worth resting for about twenty minutes.

Then, we hang the cut carcasses with hooks by the tail outside, in a well-ventilated place that is also protected from flies. The fish carcasses should already be a little dry and weathered, remove the dry ones and go to the kitchen. Let others wait their turn. Open the oven and place the fish carcasses unfolded on the wire rack, with the scales facing down. Turn on the gas and close the door. Although we don't close it tightly.

We maintain a centimeter gap by placing something fireproof between the oven and the door. Turn on the hood above the stove. The hood is needed for two reasons. The first reason is that without it, your kitchen will quickly turn into a sauna (it will be hot). The second reason is that there is a possibility that you will choke on saliva from the smell of the balyk that is being cooked. All! All that's left to do is wait. This is about five to nine hours, depending on the size of the carcasses and the heat in the oven. When the meat on the fish carcasses turns yellowish, your balyk is ready!

Everyone knows what fish balyk is, but few have tried this delicacy. This is an expensive product. But its benefits and taste are at a high level, so many people strive to prepare the dish at home. Whatever cooking method is chosen, it is important to know the nuances of the technology, as well as the rules for choosing fish.

Delicious food with a rich history

The history of the origin of fish balyk

The concept of balyk comes from the Turkic language and originally meant dried fish fillet. In Europe, people learned about this dish in the 18th century, when international trade began to actively develop. But in European countries they began to use pork, beef and chicken for cooking. Nowadays, dried products continue to decorate tables, but fish balyk remains the most valuable.

What is fish balyk

Fish balyk is a dried product. Meat from the ridge zone is pre-salted using a special technology, and then left for a long time to air. This allows the meat to soak in the spices and dry out. It acquires a unique aroma and taste.

Fish balyk at home

You can prepare fish balyk at home, and you can be 100% sure of the quality of the dish. Before you begin the procedure, you should decide which fish to choose and which recipe to follow in order to get a satisfactory result. Each method has its own characteristics.

At the same time, a certain technology is typical for preparing the dish, which includes:

• preparation of fillets;
• pickling;
• drying.

Smoking is sometimes used to make the balyk more flavorful.

What kind of fish goes for balyk

Fish for balyk must be extremely fresh. It is better to take breeds that have high fat content. Salmon and sturgeon are ideal for cooking. The most delicious products are considered to be those made from asp, balyk from silver carp, catfish, and carp. You can take other fish, the main thing is that it is at least 3 kg. The best option would be to use a 5 kg carcass.

Choose fish according to your preferences

Of the listed species, the asp is bony, which is why it is taken for balyk, since it is easier to remove the bones. In addition, the meat turns out tasty and tender. When deciding which fish is suitable for cooking, you should also pay attention to:

• silver carp;
• carp;
• mackerel;
• salmon;
• trout;
• pike;
• pike perch, etc.

Depending on which option is chosen, the taste, as well as the nutritional and energy value of the finished product, will differ.

How to properly clean and cut a carcass

It is necessary to make balyk from fish at home, strictly following the technology, since an incorrectly prepared product can be hazardous to health due to the presence of pathogenic microorganisms. Initially, a thorough cleaning is performed: the scales are removed and the insides are removed. It is also necessary to trim the fins.

There are several rules for individuals of different sizes:

• very large carcasses are cut along the ridge, divided into halves, and then additionally cut into pieces;
• large fish, after removing the entrails, is cut along the ridge into two equal parts;
• not very large carcasses are also cut along the ridge, but the belly is not ripped open and the head is not cut off. It is enough just to remove the gills.

If you need to speed up the salting time, you can further clean the skin.

What ingredients are needed

Balyk from fish can be prepared with a minimum set of ingredients: sugar, salt and seasonings to taste. The product is marinated in this mixture.

If salting in brine is required, then these ingredients are diluted with water. You can also add spices and gourmet seasonings for a richer flavor.

Pickling methods

You can marinate fish balyk in two ways:

1. Dry salting involves rubbing prepared meat with spices. To do this, use salt and spices for fish. You can use a special seasoning or make it yourself. Before rubbing, mix the seasoning for salting with sugar and place the finished fish fillet in the refrigerator. The duration of this marinating varies. For example, about 1 week is needed to obtain salted balyk, and for lightly salted balyk, 4 days will be enough. Small fish, for example, asp, mackerel, can be placed in the refrigerator for a day.
2. Marinating in brine. This will require 4 liters. Water. The amount of salt will depend on the weight of the fish. So, for a silver carp weighing 7 kg. you need to take 385 gr. salt. Water with spices is boiled and then cooled. Fill the fillet with brine and place it in the refrigerator for 4-6 days. After this, you need to soak the meat well so that excess salt is removed from the product.

If dry salting is used, it is better to put the fillet under pressure, wait for the specified time and rinse thoroughly.

Dry salting

Heaviness allows you to effectively remove moisture from the meat along with all the harmful substances present in the fish. Regardless of how balyk is prepared, the main stages are similar and salting is considered one of the most important, because taste qualities largely depend on the quality of this procedure.

How to dry fish correctly

Drying requires certain conditions - light, heat, air circulation. It is important to choose the right period. It’s too hot in summer, so it’s important to hide the fish from direct sunlight and provide ventilation. Spring is considered the best time.

Homemade balyk cooked at this time will have the perfect aroma and taste.

The fattest meat occurs in the fall, so if you organize the conditions correctly, you can dry the product at this time. But in winter it is unlikely that you will be able to get a good result, since humidity and air temperature do not allow the meat to dry out slowly, and placing it indoors will lead to the usual drying out of the meat.

Features of cooking from different breeds of fish

The basic principles for preparing red and white fish are no different. The duration of drying and the set of spices used may differ. In any case, the taste of balyk from any type of fish will be original and bright.

White fish balyk

It is not always possible to find large white fish. Plus, it's not as greasy as red. Mackerel is considered the best option. If you need a large fillet, you can take catfish. Weight from 3 kg. This type is easy to find. It will surprise you in terms of taste.

A common option is dried carp meat.

Balyk prepared from such fish is fatty, especially if you take carcasses caught in the autumn. Fish over 5 kg are best suited. They must first be cleaned, the fins trimmed, and the ridge removed. Now cut the carp into portions, but not too small so that it is convenient to dry them. This procedure should be done with any large fish, as it speeds up the drying process.

A special feature of preparing white fish at home is salting. It is better to use additional spices for it, which will not only enhance the taste and aroma, but also give the product a beautiful color. Often for this purpose, balyk is smoked. This is not necessary, since the taste of the dish will be exquisite without it.

Red fish balyk

Balyk made from red fish is considered traditional. Most often, salmon, trout, salmon, and sturgeon are used for cooking.

Fatty meat turns out so tasty and aromatic that there is no need to use additional spices for marinating. Just salt and sugar will be enough. The carcasses are usually large, so attention should be paid to butchering and cutting into ideal pieces for salting.

Before you make a masterpiece, you should choose a suitable fish balyk recipe and strictly follow the technology. But in order to get a result that will exceed expectations, you should listen to the recommendations of professionals:

1. If fish balyk is prepared in the summer, it is better to extend the marinating period, as this will make the product safer.
2. The optimal size of the pieces is 2-2.5 cm; this size will allow you to get not overdried, but dried fish at home.
3. To protect the surface from flies during drying, you should wrap the fillet in gauze and vinegar.
4. In the middle of drying, place the carcass under pressure so that it acquires an attractive appearance.
5. Metal utensils should not be used for salting.
6. When pickling, use sugar as it will help the salt penetrate deeper into the fibers.
7. You can speed up drying using a fan. This advice is relevant in calm, hot weather.
8. To check for readiness, the balyk is pressed with your finger. If the dent quickly disappears, and no moisture is released from the meat, then the product is ready.

Balyk made at home according to the recommendations listed above will be tasty and healthy. Its aroma and taste will definitely surprise everyone.

Harmful properties of the product

The main problem with fish products is microorganisms that cause diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Proper processing helps eliminate harmful effects. This is especially important if we prepare balyk at home. Salting should be long-lasting, since this procedure allows you to remove unsafe substances from the meat.

In addition, purchased fish balyk may contain additives that enhance taste, increase volume, give a beautiful color, which also cause harm to the body.

Separately, it is worth considering smoked fish balyk, since the smoking procedure can saturate the product with carcinogens that contribute to the development of cancer cells. Also, individual components may cause allergic reactions. It is possible to avoid problems from consumption if you strictly follow the preparation and storage conditions.

Useful properties of the delicacy

Fish balyk is considered a healthy product, since the lack of heat treatment allows you to preserve the maximum amount of useful substances.

Tasty and healthy product enriched with vitamins

Vitamins of groups A, B, E, as well as micro- and macroelements have a positive effect on the condition of the body. The fish contains sodium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, chlorine, iron, zinc, which are necessary for the normal functioning of organs and systems.

Calorie content of the product

Despite the high nutritional value, the calorie content of fish balyk is low. The product contains no carbohydrates. The fats found in meat are extremely healthy.

In 100 gr. balyka:

• 194 kcal;
• 20.4 gr. squirrel;
• 12.5 gr. fat

Such qualities make dried fish fillet a dietary product that can be consumed in moderation by people on a diet.

How to store fish balyk

Fish balyk can be stored under the right conditions for about 3 months. It is better to place the product in the refrigerator, first wrapping it in parchment paper.

It is important to properly store the finished product

It does not absorb moisture and fats and prevents the appearance of mold on the surface. To extend shelf life, the surface is rubbed with vegetable oil. It is important not only to know how to store balyk, but also to periodically check its quality. There may be a change in color or a crust on top. This product can be consumed. But if there is a musty, unpleasant smell, then the balyk is considered spoiled.

Fish balyk is an exquisite delicacy. The high price of such a product does not allow everyone to decorate their table with it. But once you try to cook it at home, it will be impossible to refuse such a delicacy.

About the dish

There is no doubt that cold smoked sockeye salmon is a delicacy of the highest category. Of all the types of red salmon fish, sockeye salmon is distinguished by its excellent taste and very bright color of meat; it is also called krasnitsa. Its habitat guarantees the ecological purity of the product, since the nature of the Kamchatka Territory has not yet been affected by the “benefits” of modern civilization.

Sockeye salmon is quite small in size, weighing two to three kilograms and eighty centimeters long, so preparing the dish does not require much effort. This fish has gained particular popularity in Canada and the United States of America; in Russia they prefer chum salmon or pink salmon. The calorie content of sockeye salmon meat is not very high, only one hundred and sixty kilocalories per hundred grams, while its composition includes potassium, sodium, zinc, manganese, nickel, iron, sulfur, phosphorus, fluorine, magnesium, copper, sulfur, and contains all B vitamins , omega-3 fatty acids. Due to the high content of carotene and vitamin C, sockeye salmon meat is a good antioxidant, so eating it is useful for removing harmful toxins from the body.

It would seem that red fish balyk is a delicacy that does not often appear on our table due to its high cost, but preparing this tasty dish at home will not be difficult.

How to prepare the “sockeye salmon balyk” dish?

Sockeye salmon meat is quite fatty, so it is ideal for smoking, but you can do without it by preparing balyk by simply salting the fish.
For this you will need: salt and sugar at the rate of 12 tablespoons of salt and 3 tablespoons of sugar per kilogram of fish.
First of all, the fish must be thoroughly cleaned and washed inside to get rid of films and blood clots, and cut off the fins and tail.

If the carcass is large, then it is worth dividing it into equal pieces, not thin, so that the meat does not dry out. Divide a small fish into two parts along the back, remove the spine.

For cooking, it is best to use enamel dishes. Cover the bottom of the pan or tank with an even layer of a mixture of salt and sugar two to three millimeters thick. You can add garlic, a mixture of peppers, and bay leaves to the fish. Then the pieces are laid in an even layer and sprinkled with salt, after which the fish must be pressed and left for five to six days in a cool place.

Then the pieces must be removed from the dishes, rinsed in cold water or wiped with damp gauze to remove salt crystals. After this, the fish must be dried by hanging the carcasses in a draft for four to five days. If you periodically lubricate the fish with vegetable oil, it will acquire a more pleasant and appetizing appearance.

You can determine the readiness of the balyk by the presence of droplets of fat that protrude on the surface. It is recommended to store the finished dish wrapped in paper.

Cold-smoked sockeye salmon is prepared from ready-dried carcasses; you can also smoke freshly salted sockeye salmon. To do this, you need to ensure a constant supply of cold smoke into the smoking chamber. In Kamchatka, many people have smoking barrels at their dachas. A pipe (hose) is attached to the barrel and a tank with smoldering sawdust is placed in a hole nearby (the source of the smoke should be below the inlet of the barrel). The smoke temperature should not exceed twenty-five degrees. It will take from one to four days to fully cook, it all depends on the size of the fish pieces.

I would like to note that eating smoked fish in large quantities is not recommended by doctors, since combustion products contain many harmful substances.

Balyk is the name of a dish and the name of a specific method of preparing dried fish. Balyk differs from the usual drying process in that the fish is cut in a special way. Balyks are prepared from large and fatty fish of different breeds - salmon, sturgeon and less valuable ones (a list of such fish and the preparation of balyks from them is presented below).

It is best to fish fish caught in the fall, as it has gained fat over the summer and becomes especially tasty. In summer it is unsafe to dry fish - in hot weather the fish may turn out to be melted or have an unpleasant odor.

If you master one good recipe for fish balyk, you can process fish of different varieties in the same way. Almost all fish are cooked in the same way - there are few differences in preparation, except perhaps the plating and the use of special spices that are more suitable for a particular type of fish.

How to prepare fish balyk at home

The store-bought delicacy is not cheap. It’s easy to make balyk from fish at home; it’s better to make it from fresh or salted fish, but you can use well-thawed fish. Usually the dish is prepared without heat treatment.

The process of preparing balyk from fish at home consists of certain stages:

1. Cleaning and cutting of fish differs depending on the type of fish and the size of the carcasses. In small fish, the belly is not cut open; the fish is spread out like a book, cutting along the ridge along the back. The lower part of the belly of large carcasses is cut off - it is prepared separately under the name “tesha”: it is salted, pickled, and put in pies. The carcasses can be left whole, having removed the backbone, or filleted, cut into large layers or thin two-centimeter pieces.
2. Salting fish at the rate of at least 300 g of coarse salt for every kilogram of balyk. Cut up carcasses or prepared pieces of fish are sprinkled with salt. Sometimes black pepper, crushed laurel leaves, dry herbs, spicy herbs and other spices are added - cumin, coriander and sesame seeds, clove buds. On thick pieces and carcasses, frequent cuts are made so that the fish is salted better, faster and more evenly.

Mixed salting is often used. First, cover the fish with dry salt for a day, then fill it with brine and leave for several weeks. You can keep fish in a strong brine for a long time, take it out and use it as needed.

1. Washing and soaking - these operations, as well as salting, include any fish balyk recipe. After being removed from the saline solution, the fish is washed and soaked in clean water, changing it every hour. Usually, depending on how many days the fish has lain in the brine, it is soaked for so many hours.
2. Drying is the most critical stage. The taste of balyk (melting in the mouth) and appearance (transparent golden amber) depend on it. Dry the fish hanging in the fresh air, in a well-ventilated place, protected from insects. The drying period is about two weeks, depending on the thickness of the pieces. After just a week, you can take a sample and evaluate the fish for taste and appearance.
3. Ripening. After removing the suspended fish from the hooks, you need to give it the opportunity to lie down and ripen. Each fish or each piece is wrapped in cling paper and placed in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator. A little bit of leftover balyk becomes even tastier.
4. Storage, use. Properly prepared fish balyk at home
   can be stored for several months - 3-4. You can grease the pieces with butter and wrap them in parchment. Balyk is eaten simply with bread, served as an appetizing appetizer, and added to various dishes - salads, fish soups.
5. Additional processing. If the balyk was dried in not very good conditions or in violation of the temperature regime (under direct rays of the sun), absorbed foreign odors or acquired an ugly appearance, it can be slightly smoked with hot or cold smoke. Then ventilate and store. Smoked balyk is quite tasty.

Look through different options for preparing balyk from certain types of fish and try their preparation at home.

Fish balyk recipes

Below is a list of recipes for balyk from different fish species. After clicking on the appropriate link, you can go to a page with a detailed description of the process that relates directly to fish of a certain species. See balyk recipes from:

A complete list of recipes for dishes from all types of fish can be easily found in the “” section. You will become familiar with the main types, as well as tactics for using them.

Study everything to become a real fisherman and learn how to make the right choice.