It’s no secret that fish cleaning is a lesson that does not cause special enthusiasm for the hostesses. And even more so when there are no certain skills. That is why most people are trying to acquire already cleaned and cut fish. But, in fact, it is not difficult to clean the fish correctly. You only need to know small tricks that noticeably facilitate the process of processing it.
Is it always necessary to clean the fish?
Each housewoman is more familiar to cook purified fish, but you should know that there are options when uncleaned scales can improve the taste of cooked fish. For example, if you decide to cook fish, it is better not to clean it of scales, since this helps to preserve additional nutrients and enrich the taste of the dish. It should also be taken into account that when forming fish, extinguishing and cooking it, it is also done without cleaning it. All this allows you to save the aroma. In order to avoid the scales getting into the decoction obtained as a result of preparation, it must be filtered through gauze, and the scales itself must be removed with the skin before setting on the table.
How to clean fish
When frying, do not remove scales with salmon, bulls, and it is recommended only to clean the mucus from the catfish. In addition, it is very easy to clean coral fish and just caught crucians. And in order to remove scales from small river fish, it is enough to sprinkle it with a lot of salt, rub with your hands and rinse well under a strong stream of water.
How to clean fish
The most important rule that should always be observed is the following. If you decide to remove scales yourself, you need to purchase only fresh fish. And if you are fishing, then it is best to clean the catch immediately after getting out of the water.
The process of cleaning fish
In order to facilitate the process of cleaning fish, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work. In the case when living fish is bought, you should first kill it. At the same time, you need to clean and gut at the same time. If you purchased frozen fish, then you need to defrost it at room temperature. It should be noted that you should not wait for complete thawing, since a slightly frozen fish is much easier to clean.
Now that the fish is prepared, it must be removed with sharp scissors fins. If the head is not used in the recipe, then it should also be removed. After that, you can start cleaning the scales. For this, the dull side of the knife is used. It is necessary to take the knife and, holding the fish by the tail, start making quick sharp movements in the direction from the head to the tail. If you need to clean the fish with small scales, it is better to replace the knife with a grater or special scrapers. In the case when scales do not want to succumb, you should put the fish for one hour in cold water with the addition of a small amount of vinegar.
In order for the fish not to slip out of the hands, you need to use a towel or a special napkin. And if there are no superficial wounds on the hands, then you can grate them with salt. To prevent the smashing of scales throughout the kitchen, you need to carry out the procedure for cleaning fish under a strong stream of cold water.
How to clean fish
When the scales are removed, it is necessary to start gutting. To do this, make a cut along the abdomen of the fish and through it remove all the insides. If the gall bladder is damaged, you need to cut the stained places or thoroughly grate them with salt. Then it is necessary to cut the film along the vertebral bone and remove all the blood. Black film needs to be removed completely. After the fish is cleaned, it should be thoroughly washed in running water several times. Now you can start cooking fish.