At the end of a pleasant and productive day of fishing, returning home with what is caught, there is still a lot of work to do before you can enjoy the fresh meal you deserved. The cleaning and evisceration of the fish can become, with a little practice, a quick and relatively simple job, follow the instructions in this article to remove the scales and entrails, this last aspect is essential for filleting the fish.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Prepare for Fish Cleaning
Step 1. Plan to clean the fish within one hour of catching it
Fish deteriorates quickly after death, so it is important that you plan to clean it as soon as possible. Keep the fish alive in the water as long as you can, and then chill them in a refrigerated container for transport.
- Keep the fish hydrated until you are ready to scale it. If it has dried out, soak it in ice water for a few minutes to make it easier to remove the scales.
- If you buy fish at the market, clean it as soon as it gets home, don't put it back in the refrigerator before cleaning, and plan to eat it the same day.
Step 2. Prepare a work surface on an outdoor table, and cover it with newspaper
Choose a table that is tall enough for you to work comfortably, and that is easy to rinse with a sprinkler hose when the job is done.
- Do not choose to clean inside the house. Scaling and removing guts are messy jobs, and you'll be glad you don't have to clean fish scales from kitchen cabinets, sinks, or walls.
- In many ports or lakes there are areas equipped for cleaning fish. Plan ahead, and check first if there is running water available.
Step 3. Prepare everything you will need in advance
Get a bucket for the parts to be discarded, gloves if you want to protect your hands from odors or possible injuries, a sharp knife, and a container for clean fish parts. If you have a lot of fish to clean, also get a container full of ice to keep it cool.
- If you are cleaning a fish with scales, you will need a scaling knife or a scaling tool.
- If you are cleaning fish without scales, you will need pliers to remove the skin.
Method 2 of 4: How to Clean Fish with Scales
Step 1. Take the fish from the container or bucket, and place it on the newspaper
Only catch one fish at a time. Leave any remaining fish cool while you work on what you have on the table
Step 2. Start scaling the fish
Hold it firmly by the head, and scrape off the scales, starting from the tail and towards the gills, using the tool of choice, which can be a dull knife, spoon or other suitable tool. Give it a try to assess the right strength: you should find a way for the flakes to come off easily.
- Continue with quick, short movements. Avoid pressing too hard and denting the fish's flesh.
- Pay attention to the area near the fins, which can easily injure the skin.
- Be careful to remove all scales from both sides. Don't forget the scales around the dorsal and pectoral fins, and under the throat, which is where the gills meet.
Step 3. Rinse the fish
Use the garden hose, or the water provided by the port. The water should have enough pressure to remove the already detached scales, but it shouldn't be too strong to spoil the delicate flesh of the fish.
Step 4. Return the cleaned fish to the refrigerated container, and proceed to clean the next fish
If you are ready to gut the fish, skip to the relevant step below.
Method 3 of 4: How to Clean Scaleless Fish
Step 1. Take the fish (usually catfish) from the container or bucket
Place it on the newspaper belly down.
- If you are peeling the skin off a catfish, the use of gloves is recommended as the catfish has sharp spines that are easily injured.
- Take one fish at a time, and leave the other fish in the container until it's their turn.
Step 2. Make a cut behind the dorsal fin, on the fish's back, and under the other dorsal fin
To grab hold of the fish's head.
If you prefer, you can remove the dorsal and ventral fins. If the catfish you're working on has a lot of spines, you may find the easiest process if you remove the fins. this is not necessary in the case of catfish with few spines
Step 3. Make a perpendicular cut along the spine
Be careful not to dent the bone with the knife; make a shallow cut to incise the skin to be removed.
Step 4. Use the pliers to peel off the skin
Lay the fish on its side and use the pliers to grab the skin near the cut near the dorsal fin. Then pull the skin towards the fish's tail. turn the fish to the other side and repeat the operation.
- Use a knife to facilitate the removal of the skin, in case it is difficult to remove using only the forceps.
- Remove any residue of skin with your fingers if necessary.
Step 5. Rinse the fish
Use the garden hose, or the dock faucet. As mentioned earlier, be careful that the water pressure is not too strong to spoil the fish's flesh.
Step 6. Return the cleaned fish to the fish container and start cleaning the next one
Method 4 of 4: How to Gut the Fish
Step 1. Insert the filleting knife into the anal orifice, near the caudal fin
Pull the knife towards the head, opening the fish up to the height of the gills.
For small fish, you can hold the body with one hand and work with the other, while large fish should be placed belly up on the countertop
Step 2. Widen the cut in the abdomen with your fingers
push your fingers inside the cut and extract the entrails. Discard the entrails in the designated waste pail.
Step 3. Rinse the abdominal cavity with a large jet of water
Rinse the outside of the fish as well.
Step 4. If you prefer, you can also remove the fish head
Trout are often cooked with the head, but often other fish are cooked after removing it at the height of the gills.
Step 5. The fish can now be filleted
Advice
- Clean the work surface before the residues dry out, collect the entrails, heads and scales, and get rid of them immediately in order to avoid the formation of bad smells. These residues are excellent for fertilizing the garden or vegetable garden.
- In some fish, the abdominal cavity is lined with a dark tissue, which can be removed to eliminate the strong, oily taste that is typical of it.
- Using a dull knife or spoon to remove the flakes can help keep the meat from spoiling during cleaning. You can also find special tools for scaling fish on sale, in sports shops or in the kitchen.
- If you have to work indoors, fill a bucket with water and scale the fish by holding it under water to prevent the scales from splashing around. Rinse the fish well as soon as you have finished cleaning it.
- Some fish with very small spines, such as flatfish such as flounder, require a lot of patience to clean. The cleaning operation takes time, as some people are very delicate and prefer not to find any plugs in their mouth at the time of the meal.
- Large fish must necessarily filleted to cook properly.
- A filleting knife or electric knife is a great help, especially for large fish.
- Rinsing the fish with lemon juice, as well as water, after cleaning, can help remove some of the unpleasant odor.
Warnings
- Research the fishing area to see if the fish caught in this area is edible. For example, in some waterways or parts of the sea there may be pollutants or heavy metals that are absorbed by the fish, accumulating in the soft tissues and potentially causing serious damage to the health of the final consumer.
- Some tropical fish, such as puffer fish, can be toxic if not properly prepared.
- Some fish have sharp teeth. In the event of a bite, forcefully open the fish's mouth and remove your fingers, never pull hard until the mouth is still closed.
- The fins can be sharp and pierce the skin severely and painfully.
- Some types of fish are inedible due to the little meat present or the unpleasant taste.
