How to clean burbot, pollock and mackerel

To make a fish dish not only tasty, but also pleasant to the eye, it is worth knowing some of the subtleties of processing before cooking. To clean burbot, pollock and mackerel at home will be easy and simple if you follow the recommendations of experienced chefs.

Training

For cutting fish you will need: coarse salt, knife, kitchen scissors, cutting board, tweezers, pliers, paper. Special tools for peeling are optional; you can use a sharp knife.

To cut the carcass, take a glass board. It is better to wash off particles of meat and smell. Pliers will help hold the skin during removal. You can wash the mucus with coarse salt by rubbing it with a carcass.

Advantages and disadvantages of fish cutters

Every housewife should find a convenient fish processing tool for herself. Let's look at the pros and cons of different devices.

• The knife is ideal for cutting. You need to choose a quality gun that fits comfortably in your hand.
• Minus - scales with mucus stick to the edge of a knife, which are difficult to get rid of.
• Pliers - it is convenient to pick up a skin. Minus - to adapt to them, it takes time.
• Hooks and clamps - designed to clean fish, but for beginners it can be inconvenient to use them.
• Tweezers - can successfully remove the skin, but often slips out of the hands.
• Scissors - help cut the tail and fins.

Quick cleaning of burbot from mucus and scales

There are two ways to clean the burbot - the carcass can be cleaned before removing the entrails or after.

• First, the mucus is washed off. The fish is rubbed with coarse salt and washed in warm running water.
• The fins are notched along. Then they are pulled out with force or cut off with scissors.
• At the top of the head above the gills, the skin is pierced by fingers on both sides. A knife is inserted into the hole and skin is cut around the head.
• For incisions you need to grab the pliers or tweezers, and remove the skin in one motion.
• Under the lower fin, an incision is made to the head, through which the insides get. Pull out the internal organs carefully, without damaging the gallbladder. The inner film is removed and the burbot is washed with cool water.

Fillet preparation without preliminary cleaning

1. Without removing the skins, an incision is made from the anus to the head.
2. The entrails neatly get out, the fish is cut into two parts. The head remains in place.
3. Burbot is placed on its side, an incision is made along the spine, which gradually deepens to the ribs. Do not cut the bones.
4. The flesh is cut from the front, then go to the tail. The fish cuts along the ridge, and turns on the other side, to remove the second loin.

If you remove the fillet after peeling, you can damage the peritoneum. With large burbot, the skin is easily removed. Small fish are best salted, smoked or wilted.

Cutting frozen burbot

Experienced cooks cool the carcass without removing the skin from it. Thawed fish are washed in cool water. Scales are removed during washing. Frozen burbot is gutted in the same sequence as fresh.

If the fish was subjected to repeated freezing, then it lost its useful and taste qualities. The meat structure has also changed, so cook fresh or chilled fish.

To peel off easily and evenly, cut the carcass deeply in places where the skin will be removed. Carefully make incisions in the abdominal cavity, otherwise the gall bladder can be damaged, which will lead to the outflow of bile and spoilage of the product.

How to clean pollock

Pollock is cleaned simply. For beginners, there are tips that you should pay attention to before cutting this type of fish.

• In the store you can meet pollock only in frozen form. Before cutting, the carcass must be placed in the refrigerator so that thawing is gradual. You can quickly defrost in a microwave or cool water.
• Pollock has small scales that are not always noticeable. They do not affect the taste of the dish, but you need to get rid of them. From the surface, the scales are cleaned with a knife.
• The head is removed at a distance of 1 cm from the gills. The abdominal cavity is cut and the insides get out of it. Inside, it is necessary to clean the black film, it will give the dish bitterness.
• The fins and tail are cut off with scissors, but it is better to make cuts along the fins and cut the excess bones with a knife.

Cleaning freshly frozen or smoked mackerel

Mackerel is appreciated for its taste and rich vitamin composition. The meat contains healthy omega-3 acids, vitamin A, sulfur, phosphorus and valuable fish oil. It has almost no small bones, which is very convenient when cutting.

Butchering fish in a frozen state. Smoked mackerel can be cleaned on the same principle.

1. The fish cuts horizontally from the side of the abdominal cavity.
2. The insides are removed, the black film is removed manually. Mackerel should not be washed, otherwise the fillet will soften and lose its taste.
3. It’s easy to clean the skin: a longitudinal incision is made on the back from the tip of the tail to the head. The skin is hooked with the tip of the knife and gently separated from the pulp. Do this slowly so that the skin does not tear.
4. An incision is made at an angle of 35 degrees between the head and the fin on both sides. The head is separated, the fins are cut off.
5. Make the first incision along the entire spine, and the second - from the abdomen to the tail.
6. Separate the fillet on both sides of the ridge. From the edges of the meat cut off the remnants of bones and fins or remove them with tweezers.

From mackerel tasty and fragrant dishes are obtained. The main thing is to remove the maximum number of bones.

Secrets and Tips

• Some chefs clean their scales with a grater. A four-sided grater is carried out against the growth of scales. This method is convenient and helps to maintain cleanliness.
• Pour the carcass with coarse salt and refrigerate for 8 hours. Scales easily fall behind with the skin.
• So that the scales do not fly around the kitchen, the fish is placed in a plastic bag and cleaned directly in it.
• For convenience, when cleaning fish can be attached to the board with a nail or awl.

For dishes from burbot, pollock and mackerel to be a worthy decoration on the table, you need to learn how to properly process fish. Using the listed tips for cleaning and cutting, you can quickly deal with this at home, without spending a lot of time and effort.