Seafood is certainly delicious and the right thing to make during special occasions or when one wants to eat something delectable. It doesn't also take a lot of effort to cook seafood at home contrary to popular opinion. There are so many fish curries and dishes that are made in both northern and Southern parts of India including goan fish curry, Chettinad fish curry, and Amritsari fish curry. While preparing fish for the first time at home, a person might encounter a set of problems.
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One of the most common problems is how to clean and cut the fish properly and avoid blunders. Depending on how a fish is cleaned and cut, the flavours it produces is determined, and hence it is important to be careful while doing these processes. Here is a set of step-by-step tips and tricks for people to clean and cut fish properly at home.
* Rinsing Fish
While washing the fish, one must only use fresh and cold water. Avoid using hot or lukewarm water to wash the fish. One can take the help of their hands to rub the fish back and forth while washing it under the water to ensure that all dirt particles get off easily. This step is important to ensure that all the dirt particles and germs that are prepared on the upper layer of the fish are removed. This is an absolutely mandatory step that everyone must follow.
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* Cutting Fish
While cutting a fish, one thing that everyone must keep in mind is to only use the tip of the knife and not its middle part. This helps in cutting the fish more cleanly. The fish has to be gently placed on the top of a chopping board after placing newspapers on it. One can spread some newspapers around the chopping board for extra care and precision. Now with the help of a knife, one has to gently cut the belly of the fish and go to its head. The bottom part of the fish has to be cut in a V shape.
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* Removing The Insides
One has to follow accurate hygiene protocols during this process and be sure that their hands are clean and if possible then they must also wear plastic gloves. If one doesn't want to use their hands then a big spoon can be taken to scrap out the parts that are not to be used. All of these parts must be put inside a bowl to avoid any counter mess.
* Taking Out The Cavity
The best way to scrap the cavity out is to use a spoon. The cavity part of the fish must be taken out as well because it has a very strong and oily flavour that is generally not liked by most people. This process must be done very carefully as the abdominal cavity is quite thin and while removing it, one might also take out the edible part of the fish. After taking out the cavity, the rest of the part must be rinsed with some water to remove the flavour of oil that might be still present on the skin.
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* Taking Out The Top Of Fish
To remove the head part of the fish, a sharp knife has to be used and the neck of the fish has to be slowly slit. This will help in removing the upper area of the fish that is not to be cooked. Remember to first draw imaginary lines before directly making cuts. This gives a better idea of where and how to give cuts. The top part of the fish which is the head is generally removed though many people like to cook it as well, so it depends upon the preference of the person.
* Taking Off Scales
Removing the scales of a fish with hands can be a time-consuming task so the best way to do it is by taking the help of a knife. Another way is to use the edge of a knife. One can simply start from the tail part of the fish and proceed towards the upward part. A person must fully remove scales from one side of the fish and then only turn towards the other side. Remember to remove only the skills and not the skin. Keeping a light hand on a knife is always affected while removing scales.
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* Washing Again
Remember, one must never use any kind of soap or detergents to wash the fish. Water is enough and using chemical-infested soaps and cleaning agents can negatively impact the quality and flavours of the flesh. After all the scales from the fish skin are removed, it must be washed again to make sure that any bacterial residue or dirt that might still be present is washed off. Again, the fish must be placed under cold water.
