How To Choose And Clean Fish For St. Nicholas Day

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

We hardly need to give you another lecture on the useful properties of fish. And children are already convinced that fish is a delicious and healthy food because it is rich in essential amino acids, such as methionine and cystine, which are not synthesized by the human body.

We want to help you with some useful tips on how to choose fresh fish for St. Nicholas Day. We will also tell you how to clean the fish so that it is ready to start its culinary processing.

This year you have decided to surprise your family and friends with a rich St. Nicholas table and with a cheerful step you go to the nearby fish shop. Most of the shops already have large aquariums in which fat carp and other fish swim - ie. you can't go wrong with them - once she's swimming and alive, she's obviously fresh.

But if you come across a smaller store that doesn't offer live fish, or you just liked one of the fish placed on ice, how do you know if it's fresh? In fact, it's very easy - fresh fish can be seen in the eyes and gills. The fish's eyes should be clear and the gills softly pink to bright red.

Also pay attention to the belly of the fish - it should be flat, not swollen. Swollen abdomen suggests some disease of the fish or eating inappropriate food. The flesh of fresh fish is firm and elastic. When you press it with your finger, it immediately regains its shape.

Fresh fish immersed in water immediately sink to the bottom. Another hallmark that shows that the fish has recently come out "dry" are the scales. The tighter they stick to the body and the firmer they are, the fresher the fish is and, of course, the harder it is to clean.

So, we have already established beyond doubt that the fish is fresh. It's time to clean it of scales and guts. There are a few tricks that will help you easily remove the annoying keratin growths that cover the carp fillet.

The scales are easily removed with the help of a long sharp knife, which moves in the opposite direction of their growth, ie. from the tail to the head of the fish.

If scraping the scales becomes very difficult, you can immerse the fish in hot water for a few seconds. Do not be tempted to leave it in the water for a long time, because this will worsen its taste.

In case you do not want to risk hot water, you can pour plenty of vinegar over the fish and let it stand for about 30 minutes. Then cleaning the scales is as easy as a toy.

It is good to rub your hands well with salt before cleaning the fish. This way it will not escape you, and then an idea will make it easier to remove the unpleasant odor from them.

It's time to clean the inside of the fish. To do this, you need to make a longitudinal incision that starts at the base of the tail and continues up to the head. While making the incision, you must be careful not to touch the bile, liver or intestines of the fish.

Gut the entrails, then use a knife or fork to remove and grill the fish. The fins and tail can be cut with scissors. All spikes on her skin are also removed.

You need to rinse the fish outside and inside under a strong stream of water. Sprinkle it with lemon and leave it for at least 30 minutes, after which it is completely ready for culinary feats and for the St. Nicholas table.