Taste a freshly caught fish from a cauldron, appetizingly fragrant on the river bank, meet a beloved husband from a “quiet hunt”, quickly prepare a catch and treat the household - these moments could be even more pleasant if it were not for cleaning the fish from slippery scales. This adds a "fly in the ointment" to the enjoyment of river fish dishes.

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

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

Preparing for cleaning

• Cutting board.
• Kitchen, large scissors.
• 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.

A difficult task is to remove adhering 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 the fish in the basin, change the water several times.

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

The method of liberation from scales and giblets depends on the type of fish. For some varieties, you need ingenuity when cleaning at home.

Quick and easy cleaning of the most popular river fish

Perch river and sea

First, cut off the fins with scissors, which can damage the skin of the hands. It's painful and unsafe.

Then dip the carcass in cold water, and clean against scales with a fork or knife. Grooves are obtained that raise the scales in some areas. Thus, they are easier to clean.

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

Video tips

catfish

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

• catfish 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.

Let's leave it for a minute.

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

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

We wash off everything that is rubbed off. Then repeat at least once.

On "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, wipe the carcass.
2. Cut the fins with a knife, capturing some meat.
3. We use boiling water to remove scales. We clean from the tail to the head, against the growth of 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 offal. We cut the skin of pike perch between the gills and bring 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 can not remove the skin from pike perch.

ADVICE! Always clean the membranes inside any fish to avoid bitterness and an unpleasant taste in the finished dish.

Video guide

Tench

Tench has small, dense scales and mucus. To begin with, it washes away the mucus, then we dip it in boiling water and sharply shift it into cold water. Let's start cleaning the scales and entrails.

carp

Carp is the cleanest fish. We wash it in water, clean the scales with a knife. Gutted.

silver carp

Silver carp lends itself well to cleaning with a special tool (buy in a store or process with a grater). Keep the fish in the water if you do not want to collect the scales scattered around the house.

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

CAREFULLY! There is a lot of bile in the silver carp, so when cleaning, try to take out the offal carefully! If you damage the place of accumulation of fluid secreted by the liver, you can say goodbye to the plans for the "fish day" - the pulp will become bitter in taste.

Be sure to cut the gill plates from the head. From a semi-finished product (head of a silver carp), you can cook an ear 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 for processing can be doused with boiling water. Then the scales will soften and it will become easier to move away.

Video instruction

• For processing all types of fish, it is desirable to have a special cutting board. To prevent the fishy smell from being absorbed into the canvas, put on a plastic bag or lay paper on it.
• Handling should take place as soon as possible after the catch (or purchase). Pull out the fish giblets on the same day.
• If the fish is dry, soak it for a few minutes in cool water. Then start processing.
• Rinse fish thoroughly after handling. This will allow you to notice the flaws of cleaning - a small scale that has 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 give off the aroma of river mud? Soak after cleaning for an hour in salt water, the problem will disappear.
• You can use the freezer. Place the carcass for a day. Take it out, wait for the moment when the scales thaw, and inside the pulp is still frozen. You can clean it, the scales will come off perfectly.

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

, this, perhaps, is the problem that stops many before cooking it, especially if it is a serious difficulty for you to quickly, without long fuss, remove all the scales.

It is the cleaning of the fish that seriously “slows down” the inspiration of many housewives to prepare a delicious fish dish. But not only hostesses do not like to clean, there are also fishermen who are ready only to catch it, and then transfer it to more skilled hands.

It also happens that the family is not at all happy with a good catch, again because of the problem of removing scales from this catch.

Meanwhile, for a long time, various devices have been invented for us that will help remove even the smallest scales from the fish, which is usually the strongest and holds.

We clean the fish properly. Basic Rules

The first thing you should learn if you are used to fishing on your own is any fresh fish it is much easier to part with its scales than one that has already lain for some time.

So, when you return from fishing, immediately start cleaning the fish, and even better, clean it in general when the catch has just been removed from the water.

What kind of fish can not be cleaned?

This includes salmon, as well as tench, which is popular in many reservoirs. Someone, for example, does not clean the gobies, but fry them just like that. The scales from the catfish can also not be removed, they only scrape off the mucus from it.

There is another option for cleaning this fish, when they simply remove the skin from it, as they say, with a "stocking". To do this, simply make an incision around his head first.

We clean carp and other carp fish

- this is one of the most simple fish in terms of cleaning it from scales. The same can be said about the whole family..

If aYou literally just caught it, then the scales are removed from it very easily. You can even do it with your finger.

If the fish is small, sprinkle it with salt first, rub it with your hands, and then rinse it under running water. After these procedures, you can remove the scales from it without problems.

We clean and ruff

These two varieties of river fish are especially difficult to clean, due to their very small scales. There are, however, general rules, which will help you free both of these fish from scales.

First of all, cut off all the spiny fins from the fish, and then place it in cold water for a while.

It is very convenient to remove the scales from the fish, if you insert a stick into her mouth. At the same time, the stick should rest and go no further.

You can take a plank and pin the tail of the fish to it, then the whole carcass is simply pulled out until a "crunch" appears, while holding it by the eyes.

It is best to use a large knife to clean the fish. With it, peeling off the scales will be much easier and faster.

What can you use to remove the scales from a fish?

It’s really not difficult to quickly clean the fish, for this you can use various improvised items or simple devices.

For example, the simplest such device is a small wooden block, on which a piece of tin can is simply nailed (even a can lid will do) or aluminum.

In the tin, holes are first punched with a nail, on one side of which, sharp notches are sure to appear. They will help you remove the scales from the fish.

You can not use a wooden block at all, but simply punch through the bottom of a tin can. The effect will be the same.

Another option is to nail beer bottle caps to the plank with a sharp edge up. This device has been tested for a long time, cleansvery good.

If you are reluctant to bother with the manufacture of such home-made products, then you can use a simple metal fork.

Even the absence of a knife can be made up for if you put the fish in boiling water, which will later help you remove the scales even without a knife. But the plastic bag will not allow the scales to scatter around the kitchen at the time of cleaning.

Another inconvenience, when the fish simply slips out of the hands, can be neutralized if it is sprinkled with quite a bit of salt.

How to clean fish from scales. We look.

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

A quick way to clean fish from scales

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 fish skin is caused by slow defrosting in the main compartment of the refrigerator. If there is no time to wait 6-10 hours, defrost the fish in cold salted water.

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

Immediately rinse with cold water or put on ice so that the fish is not partially cooked. When scalded, a whitish coating forms on the surface of the carcass, which is easily scraped off with a knife.

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

If you feel sorry for the manicure, remove the scales with a knife or a special peeler, prying it against the direction of growth. So that the scales do not scatter throughout the kitchen, it is necessary 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 very convenient, but fast and accurate. You can then put the insides and fins there, wrap everything up and throw it away - there will be no smell.

Once again, rinse the fish well from white plaque 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 take out all the insides. At this stage, accuracy will be required: it is important not to damage the gallbladder. If, nevertheless, bile has flowed 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.

Everything, you can cook fish according to your favorite recipes.

The usual picture after cleaning the fish is scales all over the kitchen and a nervous hostess. Even worse, if she does not know how to approach the fish at all.

How to remove offal

- It is desirable to gut the fish and remove the scales from it at the same time (at least on the same day).
- You need a cutting board. To prevent the smell of fish from getting into it and to speed up the process of subsequent cleaning, a bag or newspaper is placed on the board.
- Holding the fish belly down, you need to make an incision on it from head to tail.
- Take out the contents with a spoon or knife.
- There is a dark film on the walls of the belly, which must be removed.
- Thoroughly wash the fish.

How to get rid of scales

- If the fish is slippery (after defrosting), it is necessary to rinse it. In addition, if you sprinkle your hands with salt, the fish will not slip out. You can hold it with a towel.
- You will need a large vessel (basin, bowl), in which the whole fish is placed. To ensure cleanliness in the kitchen, you can clean the fish in a bag of dense polyethylene under running water.
- We moisten the fish with dried scales with water, wait a few minutes and clean it.
- First of all, you need to cut off the sharp fins and head (if it is not in the recipe).
- The scales are removed using a special grater, knife, fork and even a teaspoon.
- You need to clean the scales from the tail to the head, that is, against its growth. With small sharp movements, we begin cleaning. First you need to clean the sides, and then the belly.
- After washing the fish, we get rid of adherent scales and evaluate the quality of work.

If the fish is supposed to be boiled or smoked, you can not clean the scales. This will keep more useful substances. In addition, you can buy already cleaned fish. I recommend trying it as well.

Cleaning by fish species

It must be borne in mind that the way how to quickly and correctly clean the fish depends on its characteristics. In particular, mackerel and flounder do not have scales. In burbot and catfish, it is very small, almost imperceptible. The strongest scales are in zander, crucian carp, carp and perch.

Perch

It is very difficult to clean the scales of a perch, so the scales are removed along with the skin.

Zander

The fin on the back of the walleye is very hard. We cut the fish under and above the fin, after which it can be removed.

Horse mackerel

Before cleaning, you need to dip in boiling water for thirty seconds, because the scales are very hard.

Catfish

After gutting, removing the head and fins, you need to divide the fish into fillets, from which to remove the skin.

Burbot, eel

An incision should be made around the head and the skin removed like a stocking. When eviscerated, the burbot liver is separated and cooked separately.

Tench

Tench scales are dense and small, covered with mucus, which makes cleaning very difficult. First you need to put the fish in boiling water, then in cold water. Now you can clean the mucus, scales and gut.

Hake

It is necessary to clean the small scales and remove the abdominal film. The skin of a large fish is rough, so remove it.

catfish

It is necessary to clear the mucus, gut and cut off the head with fins. If the fish is very large, you can cut it open before removing the skin.

Cod

The liver is eaten. There is an abdominal membrane that \needs to be removed.

Lamprey

This fish is not gutted. After cleaning from mucus, rub it with salt and rinse.

Flounder

Clean off the scales from the light side. At the tail, you need to cut the dark skin and remove it. It is advisable to first dip the flounder in boiling water.

Sole

Cut off the head from the back and remove the insides. Remove the skin like a stocking, making an incision at the tail.

Tricks to speed up cleaning

Method 1 how to quickly clean the fish: Dip the fish in boiling water for two to three minutes. After that, the scales are removed easily with your fingers under running water.

Method 2 how to quickly clean the fish: Boil gutted fish. After that, it is much easier to remove the scales and remove the bones.

Method 3 how to quickly clean the fish: Pre-soak in cold water a small amount vinegar.

In nature or on the site of a private house, cleaning fish does not cause much trouble. But many housewives are interested in how to clean the fish so that the scales do not fly in different directions in a small apartment. It turns out that there are several simple ways to do this.

What you need for cleaning and cutting fish

To clean fish from scales at home, you can use the following tools:

• kitchen long and sharp knife;
• a tablespoon (tea) spoon or fork;
• special tin grater;
• shop fish scaler;
• drill.

In addition to the listed tools, you will need a bulk container with water (bucket or basin). It is convenient to clean under water so that the scales from the fish do not scatter.

For butchering, you will need a board and culinary scissors to trim the fins.

It is recommended to clean and cut the fish fresh, and then only place it in the freezer for storage. First of all, it is necessary to cut off the prickly fins with scissors, so that in the process of removing the scales you do not accidentally injure your hands on them. The tail does not need to be trimmed, it is convenient to hold the carcass during cleaning.

Cleaning the fish carcass begins with the tail, gradually moving towards the head. When all the scales are removed, the carcass is cut, all the insides are removed and, if necessary, the head and tail are cut off.

If the fish is small, then for the time of cleaning it can be placed not under water, but in a plastic bag. All the scales will remain in the bag, it will not have to be collected throughout the kitchen.

If the scales from the fish are poorly peeled off, then the carcass is first doused with boiling water, and then lowered into a basin of cold water.

How to clear mucus

First, the fish is washed in plenty of water from dirt and mucus. Then it is dried with a napkin or towel so that it does not slip in the hands. If there is a lot of mucus, then the fish is abundantly sprinkled with salt, left for 10 minutes, and then washed under running water.

To remove mucus, you can also dip the carcass for 10 seconds in a pot of boiling water, the mucus adhering to the scales curls up like egg white. By further rinsing with cool water, the fish is completely cleaned.

Another way is to rub the fish with plenty of salt so that it does not slip in your hands. To quickly remove mucus, the fish is placed for a couple of minutes in a prepared vinegar solution, 1 tbsp. l. table vinegar dissolved in 3 liters of water.

The correct way to remove scales with a knife

Cleaning begins with the tail (for which it must be held), the knife gradually moves towards the head. If the scales from the fish are poorly peeled off, then the carcass is first doused with boiling water, and then lowered into a bucket of cold water. A small fish is simply held in the palm of your hand during cleaning.

After removing the scales, the fish is cut along the abdomen (trying not to damage the gallbladder, so that the finished a fish dish not bitter) and gutted, removing the insides. If the head remains, then the gills must be cut off. To remove the bones, a deep incision is made along the ridge, a large bone is taken out, and then those that are smaller. The gutted fish is washed in water and dried with a paper towel.

Cleaning the fast way

To clean carp, you can use a special scraper that has a container for collecting scales. Plastic, metal and electric scrapers are available for sale. Included with the tools you can find cutting boards with a fishtail clamp.

You can quickly clean the crucian from scales like this in a simple way. The fish is scalded with boiling water, after which the scales rise and are easily removed by hand, if you draw from the tail to the head. First, the sides are cleaned, and then the abdomen, while the skin is not damaged.

You can quickly and correctly clean the fish with a simple spoon or fork. The side part of the cutlery produces movements from the tail to the head against the location of the scales.

How to quickly clean a fish with a grater

Clean river fish or lake with hard scales is convenient with a simple grater. With one hand, the fish is held by the tail, and with the other hand, in which the grater is located, they are carried out with smooth movements with effort from the tail to the head. When fishing, you can try to make a grater from an empty, unnecessary tin can by breaking through its bottom several times with a large nail.

When using this method, for safety, it is recommended to wear rubber gloves with a ribbed base.

How to do it with a drill

It is difficult to clean a perch with a knife; this fish has small but strong scales. The fishermen came up with a method that made it possible to simplify the cleaning process. A thick board is prepared, a large nail is nailed to it, on which the head of a fish is planted.

A brush with metal bristles is inserted into the drill, the tool is turned on at low speed and they begin to remove the scales with it. At the same time, it is recommended to clamp the tail with pliers so that the perch does not slide on the board. It is convenient to use this method on the street, because the scales will fly around. To facilitate the cleaning process, the fish after the catch should be covered with a wet cloth.

How to clean frozen

To clean frozen fish after removing it from the freezer, leave it for 1 hour at room temperature. When the scales warm up a little, they are separated from the skin with the tip of a knife. For frozen fish, it is convenient to use a special knife with notches along the edge.

How to cut fish in different ways

Cut the fish depending on the chosen cooking method. The carcass can be cut into portions for frying, separate the fillet from the bones, or prepare for further stuffing.

How to quickly fillet

To obtain a fish fillet, the carcass is placed on a board. With one hand they firmly hold the tail, with a sharp knife they cut the fish lengthwise into halves. In this case, the knife blade should pass close to the spine. After that, all bones and skin are removed from both parts with the help of a knife edge. The finished fillet can be twisted in a minced meat grinder.

For portioned round pieces

Before cutting into pieces in salmon and other big fish remove the head and tail. Then, on the board on the carcass, even small cuts are made on its lateral part in order to portioned pieces were the same size.

The flesh is cut with a sharp knife, when in contact with the vertebral bone, they press on the edge of the knife with one hand, and with the other hand they sharply and forcefully press on the handle. When the ridge is broken, cut off the rest of the pulp.

For stuffing

A whole fish can be used for stuffing; before cooking, the carcass should be carefully gutted. We clean the fish, put it on its back, pierce the tip of the knife into the belly at the base of the head and draw it to the beginning of the tail. The open belly is parted and all the insides are removed from it by hand, then the black film is removed.

Using one of these methods, cleaning and butchering fish will become a pleasant and quick task. The right tool and practice will shorten the cleaning process.