How to properly clean fish from scales. How to clean fish. How to clean fish from scales underwater

How healthy fish is, and how many delicious things you can cook from it! But... You probably won’t find a woman who wouldn’t wrinkle her nose at the mere thought of these torments. Like, it needs to be cleaned, which means the whole kitchen is covered in scales again, your hands are cut and scratched, and the smells will haunt you for several days.

Do you want cooking to become a joy? Let's learn how to properly prepare this product. After all, fresh fish is not cut everywhere. But buying fillets is not always advisable - who knows how long the carcass was in the freezer before and how many times it was defrosted. So, I offer several options for cleaning fish.

What do you need to clean fish?

• Sharp knife . If this is your first time doing this, do it with the blunt side and or use a dull knife. After all, large scales can be removed even with a fork. If you have a scraper adapted for this purpose or a grater, then in the case of small scales this will be great.

TIP: Make your own grater. Previously, bottle caps helped out - I nailed a few to a board and off I went. Now you can take an empty tin can, cut its ends, and nail it to the board with the bottom.

• Paper towel.
• Cutting board.
• Kitchen scissors.
• Water for rinsing hands.

Preparing fresh fish for cutting - step-by-step instructions with photos

The first thing to do is rinse the fish under high pressure water. This is especially true for large specimens (like mine - weighing 2 kg).

After washing off the dirt from the carcass and removing the mucus with a napkin, look into the mouth of the fish you bought at the market to see if there is any bait left in the form of corn or something else.

TIP: Cooking fish without a head? Don't cut it off! After all, during the cleaning process you will have to hold on to it, otherwise the slippery carcass will try to slip out onto the floor.

And now – the main options and stages!

Option #1

Why clean the fish? What a question? Of course, in order to cook and eat the dish comfortably. But, by the way, sometimes the scales are not removed at all. After all, it can sometimes enhance the taste of a dish. It also retains nutrients. Have you guessed it? But I'm not just talking about fish soup. After all, this is what they do when steaming or stewing. The dishes turn out aromatic and rich.

In this situation, cleaning is limited to gutting and straining the broth, if it is fish soup.

TIP: The fish should only be fresh, but not defrosted!

Option 2

Place the clean carcass on a cutting board. To prevent you from getting injured even by a tiny fin, arm yourself with scissors. It is urgent to cut off anything that can cause injury. You can also do this with a knife, making cuts. But I like to use scissors - it makes the fish whole.

What scales does a fish have? What size is it? If you come across a small specimen, take the carcass in your free hand, pry the scales off the tail with a knife and, pressing the blade almost flat, begin moving the knife towards the head. If the fish is large, like mine, hold it on a cutting board, grabbing it by the gills. Peel with a sharp movement, moving with a knife or grater against the growth of scales from the tail to the head. Be careful, because your left hand is very close!

By running your hand over the surface, are you convinced that not a single flake remains? It's time to start cutting up the abdominal cavity. But before that, rinse the fish thoroughly so that the scales do not fall from the board inside. The carcass lies on the board. With your free hand (you can wrap it in a paper towel or something else), use a knife or scissors to make an incision along the abdomen.

BY THE WAY: Do not press the knife too hard against the fish, otherwise its surface will be damaged or the abdominal cavity will open, which is undesirable.

Select everything that is inside. To do this, move your hand deeper. Feeling that it has rested against the walls, begin to slowly move your fingers under the insides. Grab them and move them, slightly tearing them off, all the way to the head. Very carefully - here is the gallbladder. Don't forget to rinse your belly well!

TIP: Have you damaged the integrity of your gallbladder? Don’t be upset, just immediately rub salt where the bile touches the fish. You can cut it out with a knife, but immediately and carefully, without damaging the integrity!

Then it all depends on what you are preparing. That is, use it entirely or without the head and tail, say, you need a fillet or carcass. In the second case, we place the fish on the board and, holding its head with the other hand, cut it off evenly and quickly.

ATTENTION: When carefully cleaning the insides, it is advisable to go deep under the head with your index finger - blood clots are always hidden there, which will spoil the taste of the dish. Especially if you want to make an ear from the trimmings! Rinse then several times with water. Grab the fins on both sides with a knife - there good piece the meat will catch.

Do you want to make some soup since the fish is large? Then cut off all the parts so that there is more meat in them (in the area of ​​​​the head, tail, and fins). Don't forget to remove the gills from the head and eyes. This is such a beautiful cut!

Are you faced with the task of chopping steaks? If the fish is small, there will be no problems. But with a large one you will have to tinker, because the pieces should be beautiful and even. You can cut with a sharp knife to the ridge, and then cut it with a cleaver.

But do you need to separate the fillets? Which one - in pieces or the whole carcass? Let's begin. The process is not easy, but real. Using a sharp knife, run the knife along the entire length of the ridge. Have you reached the bones? Now carefully move the knife to the bottom, prying the meat. You will get two fillets. If you already have steaks, do the same, separating the meat at the backbone.

Then do as the further scenario requires. That is, it will either be two fillets, or you will cut them into slices. The main thing is to get rid of all the bones, do not throw away a single fin or spine! I want to brag - I have such a wonderful set for fish soup. Someday I’ll post the recipe for the soup that came out of it!

Option No. 3

Everything is simpler here in terms of removing scales. By dipping the carcass in boiling water for a few seconds, you can easily get rid of it.

Using a sharp knife, make two cuts across the head and closer to the tail. Rip open the belly and gut the carcass.

Cut the top fin with two longitudinal cuts side by side, and pull out the bottom one.

Remove the gills and eyes from the head. Cut steaks or fillets and cook!

Some useful tips on how to properly prepare fresh fish for cooking

• So that there are no odors. Lubricate the board, knife and hands with lemon. Finally, wrap the board in plastic and collect the scales and entrails immediately into a bag.
• So that the fish does not slip out. You can either rub your hands with salt, or wrap them in a towel or napkin.
• So that the scales do not fly apart. Open the tap and continue cleaning the fish under running water. Wrap the carcass in plastic, collecting the entrails and scales. Or carry out the entire procedure in a deep bowl or bucket of water - this way the scales will not end up on the walls and floor
• If the scales are dry. Rinse the carcass again, or keep it in ice water for a while (but not warm!).
• If the scales are hard or pressed tightly against the skin. Rinse the carcass with boiling water.
• It is better to clean the fish immediately after purchase.
• After slightly oxidizing the water with vinegar or lemon, keep the fish in it - it will become easier to clean!
• Don't forget to remove the films inside - brown ones can make it taste bitter
• Take only sharp knives, but also put some brilliant green stuff nearby - in case you get a cut!
• Place the fish in the refrigerator, wrapping it in a damp cloth or polyethylene - this will prevent it from getting airy.
• The bag with intestines must be tied immediately and taken out immediately.
• It is better to cut fish on a special board.

And know that careless cleaning of fish will definitely affect the taste of the dish. So let's not be lazy!

Taste freshly caught fish from a cauldron, deliciously fragrant on the banks of the river, meet your beloved husband from a “quiet hunt”, quickly prepare your catch and treat your household - these moments could be even more pleasant if it weren’t for cleaning the fish from slippery scales. This adds a fly in the ointment to enjoying dishes from river fish.

We will not give up our positions and will try to optimize objective reality. After all, fish-based dishes are healthy and tasty.

The basic rule for processing fish: clean from tail to head, using small sharp movements. First we clean the sides, then the belly of the carcass.

Preparing for cleaning

• Cutting board.
• Kitchen scissors, large.
• Paper towels.
• Sharp knife. If you are not a master, take a regular knife.
• Scraper for cleaning small scales. This device is purchased at retail outlets.
• A grater will also come in handy.

The difficult task is removing adhered debris from the fish. This is grass, grains of sand, mud and more, so we wash the catch in cold water. If the water is running, great! If you have to wash fish in a basin, change the water several times.

ADVICE! Do not cut off the head while cleaning. It will be useful when removing scales. Cut it off when you begin to gut the carcass.

The method of removing scales and giblets depends on the type of fish. Certain varieties require ingenuity when cleaning at home.

Quick and easy cleaning of the most popular river fish

River and sea perch

First, use scissors to trim the fins that may damage the skin of your hands. It's painful and unsafe.

Then dip the carcass in cold water and peel away the scales with a fork or knife. The result is grooves that raise the scales in some areas. This makes them easier to clean.

ADVICE! You can easily, quickly and safely remove the scales from the perch along with the skin.

Video tips

Som

The catfish has smooth skin, and there are no small bones in the carcass. Removing the mucus covering it is the main task in preparation. Coarse salt will come to the rescue.

Ingredients

Servings: 4

• som 1 PC
• coarse salt 1 tsp.

Per serving

Calories: 143 kcal

Proteins: 16.8 g

Fats: 8.5 g

Carbohydrates: 0 g

8 min. Video recipe Print

Roll the catfish in salt.

Leave it for a minute.

We wipe the carcass (after putting on a rubber glove) with a sponge or clean rag.

Use a knife (blunt side) to scrape the skin to a light shade.

We wash off everything that has been wiped off. Then repeat at least once.

During summer fishing, salt can be replaced with ash.

Zander

Pike perch has a slimy surface, so we also use coarse salt.

1. We get rid of mud and mucus and wipe the carcass.
2. We cut out the fins with a knife, taking some of the meat.
3. To remove scales, use boiling water. We clean from the tail to the head, against the growth of the scales. A metal grater cleans fine scales well. We attach the grater to the stick and, holding the handle, process the fish.
4. Now we remove the giblets. We cut the skin of the pike perch between the gills and move the knife down to the tail, while holding the carcass by the gills.
5. We take out all the insides, not forgetting to remove the films. You don’t have to remove the skin from the pike perch.

ADVICE! Always clean the membranes inside any fish to avoid bitterness and unpleasant taste. ready-made dish.

Video guide

Tench

Tench has small, dense scales and mucus. First, wash off the mucus, then dip it in boiling water and quickly transfer it to cold water. Let's start cleaning the scales and insides.

crucian carp

Crucian carp is the cleanest fish. We wash it in water and clean the scales with a knife. Let's gut it.

Silver carp

Silver carp can be cleaned well with a special device (buy in a store or process with a grater). Keep the fish in water if you don’t want to collect scales scattered around the house.

Cleaned and washed with cold water. It's time to learn about some features when cleaning the insides.

CAREFULLY! There is a lot of bile in silver carp, so when cleaning, try to remove the giblets carefully! If you damage the area where liver fluid accumulates, you can say goodbye to your fish day plans—the flesh will taste bitter.

Be sure to cut out the gill plates from the head. From the semi-finished product (silver carp head) you can cook fish soup or fry it.

Carp

Carp has large and dense scales; it is better to clean it in a bowl of cold water, moving against the growth of the scales. Places that are difficult to reach can be doused with boiling water. Then the scales will soften and it will become easier to come off.

Video instruction

• To process all types of fish, it is advisable to have a special cutting board. To prevent the fishy smell from being absorbed into the canvas, wear a plastic bag or cover it with paper.
• Processing should be carried out as soon as possible after catch (or acquisition). Remove fish giblets the same day.
• If the fish is dry, soak it in cool water for a few minutes. Then start processing.
• Rinse the fish thoroughly after processing. This will allow you to notice cleaning flaws - small scales that have not come off in places, a film inside the abdomen.
• When the fish is intended for smoking and drying, it is better to leave the scales.
• Does the fish smell like river mud? Soak it in salt water for an hour after cleaning, the problem will disappear.
• Can be used freezer. Place the carcass for a day. Take it out, wait until the scales thaw, but the flesh inside is still frozen. You can clean it, the scales will come off perfectly.

Now it's time to look in your notes for recipes for fish dishes. Now you can deal with any “river guest” caught in a net or on a hook, and then straight into the kitchen.

The first step in preparing fish is cleaning it, but not all housewives know how to quickly remove scales from fish. Removing scales is a rather unpleasant process. Often the result of this monotonous action is the subsequent cleaning of scattered scales. But there are ways to quickly clean fish that help you deal with it without wasting time and effort.

It is important to know how easily clean the fish from scales with a knife.

• The knife should be small, convenient and sharp.
• It is best to clean a fresh carcass. Ideally, freshly caught or at least just purchased. It is better that it is not subject to freezing.
• First of all, you need to cut off all the fins. You can purchase special kitchen scissors for this.
• Clean the product starting from the tail and moving towards the head. This way the scales are cleaned off. Subsequently, the carcass is gutted and the head is cut off.
• It is easier to clean the fish by opening its mouth and securing it with a toothpick.
• It is not necessary to clean very small fish. The scales can be removed with salt by sprinkling and rubbing after a few minutes.
• If the scales do not come off well, you can pour boiling water over the carcass and then clean it in a container with cold water.

Subtleties of the process

1. The carcass is thoroughly washed in running water, this way dirt and mucus are washed out from under the scales. Then it is dried a little so that it does not slip.
2. Next, all fins are removed. The carcass is placed on the cutting surface and held tightly by the tail. If the fish is small, simply hold it in the palm of your hand. You need to brush starting from the tail and moving towards the head.
3. Then the carcass is gutted. All entrails are removed and the head is cut off. If the head must be left, an incision is made along the belly to the gills. The gills should be removed. It is necessary to make an incision only with the tip of a knife so as not to cut the gallbladder.
4. If bones need to be removed, an incision is made along the ridge. The large bone is removed, and then all the small bones.
5. All that remains is to rinse the carcass with water. If mucus remains on the carcass even after cleaning, it is sprinkled with salt and washed after a few minutes under the tap.

There are special tools for cleaning fish. They look like a regular kitchen grater. These graters have special holes into which scales fall. during cleaning. There are also special boards with a clamp for the carcass on sale. When you attach a carcass to such a board, you won’t have to hold it and it won’t slide on the board.

You can make a device for cleaning fish with your own hands. To do this you will need a board, small nails and metal lids with grooved edges. Such covers are simply nailed to the board. If you need to clean fish on the go, you can use a tin can and make holes in it.

We clean the fish so that scales do not fly off

In order not to clean the entire kitchen from scattered scales, use instructions

• You can quickly clean the carcass from scales using a regular grater. When cleaning with a grater, the scales do not scatter in different directions. A grater is used to clean fish with hard scales, most often river or lake fish. The carcass is held by the tail and made smooth and at the same time strong movements.
• To prevent the scales from scattering when cleaning the product, the carcass must be immersed in water and cleaned in it. With this method of cleaning, it is better to use rubber gloves, and it is advisable to take gloves with a ribbed surface.
• You can use a bag and clean the product in it, then all the scales will remain in the bag.
• The carcass can be cleaned under running water.
• The product can be cleaned with a regular teaspoon; all the scales will be collected in the spoon.

How to clean carp at home

Carp is an artificially bred species of fish, its ancestor is the carp. Common and mirror carp are usually found on sale. Carp is famous with his gentle, helpful and delicious meat. Carp meat is a source of many useful substances, helping to prevent certain diseases, it is easily digestible and suitable for people who follow a low-fat diet, as well as for children.

Carp also requires a special approach to bone processing. Despite the fact that he has dense scales, he needs to be treated with care. Mirror carp It is somewhat easier to clean, its scales are large and do not fit so tightly to each other. If possible, it is better to clean carp in nature. But if this is not possible, you need to do this in the apartment as carefully as possible. Ideally best place there will be a bathroom for this purpose.

On sale you can find already gutted carp carcass, and you can also buy fillets of this product. But great benefits can only be obtained from self-preparation.

To make your work easier, it is better to purchase special scrapers for cleaning fish. If you buy such fish cleaning devices, you will learn how to clean carp without flew scales You can also prepare a plastic bag for cleaning waste, thick paper or newspaper and rubber gloves.

1. First you need to cover the table with paper or newspaper folded in several layers. It will absorb the liquid that will be released when cutting the product. You can clean the carcass in the sink.
2. Use kitchen scissors to cut off the fins unless they are needed for cooking. It is better to do all this with rubber gloves.
3. You need to press the carp near the tail or secure it in some other way. Using a scraper, or, if one is not available, a knife or spoon, the scales are cleaned off, first diagonally from the abdomen to the back, and then from the tail to the head. You need to make short movements and try to get under the scales, pushing them.
4. Then a shallow incision is made in the lower part of the carcass, it is cut along the abdomen to the base of the head. The innards are removed through the incision so as not to puncture the gallbladder.
5. Next you need to remove the black film and, if necessary, cut off the head. If the head is left, then the gills need to be pulled out of it. Then the carcass should be washed under running water.

After mastering the simple rules, you will know how to clean fish from scales quickly and get moral satisfaction from the result.

Attention, TODAY only!

• fresh or frozen fish;
• knife or device for cleaning scales;
• boiling water and cold water.

A quick way to remove scales from fish

If the fish is fresh, wash it thoroughly under running water. Freshly frozen carcasses must first be thawed. The least damage to the taste and integrity of the skin of the fish is caused by slow defrosting in the main compartment of the refrigerator. If you don’t have time to wait 6-10 hours, defrost the fish in cold salted water.

Place the washed fish in a deep basin or sink. Heat 1.5-2 liters of water. Scald the carcass with boiling water on all sides where there are scales.

Immediately rinse with cold water or place on ice to prevent the fish from being partially cooked. When scalded, a whitish coating forms on the surface of the carcass, which can be easily scraped off with a knife.

Now the scales can simply be removed by hand. Pry the edge of the scales at the tail and, moving towards the head, against its growth, remove the entire layer of scales in a single layer.

If you don't like a manicure, remove the scales with a knife or a special cleaner, lifting them against the direction of growth. To prevent scales from scattering all over the kitchen, you need to clean the fish in a deep basin, immersing the carcass completely in water. Another method for a clean kitchen is cleaning in a large plastic bag. Not entirely convenient, but fast and neat. You can then place the entrails and fins there, wrap everything up and throw it away - there will be no smell.

Once again, rinse the fish thoroughly to remove any white deposits and you can proceed to further cutting. To do this, remove the fins and gills with a knife or kitchen scissors. Cut open the belly and remove all the entrails. At this stage, you will need to be careful: it is important not to damage the gallbladder. If the bile does leak out, rinse the fish with plenty of salted water to get rid of the unpleasant, bitter taste. Next, if necessary, remove the head and tail.

That's it, you can cook fish according to your favorite recipes.

To make life easier for all housewives, we will talk about how to clean fish correctly. In fact, there is nothing incredibly complicated in this process, but you realize this only when you see a plate of cleaned, gutted fish. And when a large, live carp appears in your hands for the first time, you look at it in confusion.

If you have a live fish in your hands, you must first “neutralize” it and only then clean it. To do this, you can turn to the person who caught it and hit it on the head with something (not the fisherman, but the carp). For some housewives, this process is the most difficult, therefore, in order not to complicate your life, you can put your catch under the freezer - you will get a freshly chilled fish, which is also quietly waiting to be cleaned.

If you buy fish at the market, it is important to choose fresh fish - it is not slippery, without unpleasant color or odor, and the meat holds tightly without separating from the bones.

The very first stage of cleaning is rinsing the carcass under running cool water. Now you can start cleaning the fish, and it’s good if you have a special knife for this (it’s inexpensive and sold at the bazaar or in fishing stores). Special fish scalers that look like scrapers are very popular.

But if there is no such tool, a regular one will do, but you need to be careful with it and clean it with the blunt side so as not to cut yourself. Some housewives, to avoid injury, clean with any convenient object - spoon, fork, etc. Cleaning is best done in the same sink where you washed the fish. Be prepared for scales to fly in all directions. Therefore, many housewives put the fish in a bag and clean it as if “in a bag”, and put a plastic or metal mesh in place of the drain in the sink. Here, every housewife has her own recipe. Someone puts a large bowl in the sink and does everything in it so that all the scales remain there.

The fish must be held correctly: the head should look at you, and you hold it by the tail and clean it from the tail, slowly moving towards the head, while the scales fly off to the sides. After you have completed the task, rinse the fish again under running water.

Tip: If you choose a fish that has very tight scales, lower it into boiling water for two seconds.

How to properly gut fish

For gutting, you will need a kitchen knife and a cutting board. If the board is wooden, the smell will not be washed off at once, so we recommend covering the board with newspaper or a regular bag. This technique will allow you to get rid of the fishy smell immediately after gutting the carcass and quickly clean the work area. By the way, this advice is also relevant for plastic boards.

Place the carcass on the board with the ridge down and the belly up. Using a kitchen knife or scissors, we cut the belly almost from the head to the anus (located near the tail), so that it is convenient to get “all the contents” and clean it out with a knife, while trying not to touch the gall bladder. In addition to the intestines, do not forget to remove the red-brown film located on the walls of the belly.

Let's move on to the head. If you decide to leave it, you need to remove the gills so that the future dish does not become bitter. If the head is too small or simply not needed, cut it off and don’t suffer. After this, rinse the fish thoroughly again and you can start creating delicious things.

As you can see, the process is not difficult, but after it you will be filled with a feeling of pride that you were able to cope on your own. Having done this at least once from start to finish, you can tell your friends how to properly clean fish from scales.

If you don’t know how to cook this yet, check out the recipes on our website. You can, for example, cook fish in batter, or if you cleaned crucian carp, grease it with sour cream, salt and pepper and put it in the oven, preheated to 180 degrees for half an hour - it will be delicious.

Serve like in a restaurant

You can prepare many dishes from fish, and not just fish soup and frying. Fish pies, jellied meats, snacks require housewives to prepare the fish more thoroughly than removing scales and gutting. The above method is suitable for home use when you cook fish for yourself. But if you have to cover festive table, the fish requires completely different preparation. You need to courageously go through such steps as removing scales, removing fins, gutting, skinning, and filleting.

What to do with frozen fish

Cutting frozen fish begins with thawing. To prevent it from drying out, it is recommended to thaw it by wrapping the carcass in paper or leaving it in a bag. But the most the best option– Place the fish in lightly salted water.

If you bought fillet, you can fry it without defrosting, which will preserve its juiciness, or defrost it in air and, if necessary, remove scales.

Cutting off the fins

Often when cleaning fish it becomes necessary to remove the fins. If the fish is large, you can “put them on the fish soup” together with the gutted head.

The first step is to cut off the sharp fins, this is done so that the cooked fish looks appetizing, is beautifully decorated, and is easily cut into portions.

Large sharp fins can be removed with special kitchen scissors even before the process of removing the scales, then the work will be safer. If there is no particular need to remove the fins, you can omit this point. For example, if a recipe calls for boiling fish whole, it is easier to remove the fins after cooking.

How to fillet raw fish

To make fillets, you need to remove the fins along with the bones that attach them to the body. To do this, the tip of the knife is inserted into the bone connective tissue located under the fin. By moving the knife like a lever, it is easy to remove the fin along with the bone.

If you separate the gills, make a cut behind them and pull, you can remove all the insides in one fell swoop without destroying the carcass.

Skin removal

The skin of the fish does not need to be removed if you are going to boil it whole, fry or stew it. Large flat fish can be boiled first, and only then the skin can be easily removed. But some types of fish, due to their recipe or individual characteristics, require removing the skin immediately before cooking. For example, work with in maritime language It’s as easy as shelling pears: cut and remove.

It is often necessary to remove the skin also because some representatives of the marine kingdom have an unpleasant odor. Sometimes it is easier to fillet the fish first and only then remove the skin - it all depends on the chosen individual.

Video on how to properly clean fish

What you need for perch

If you want to clean perch or other representatives with difficult-to-remove scales, buy a fish scaler or make a ram out of it. If you can’t buy a fish scaler, make one yourself: nail tin caps from beer bottles to a board next to each other in two rows - the device is ready for use.

P.S.

In some stores, sellers offer to clean fish for a small fee. This method has taken root among Russians, but if your husband returns with a good catch from fishing, naturally you won’t take it to the store for cleaning. Therefore, we roll up our sleeves and clean the fish with our own hands - it’s easy, especially after the first kilogram.