Preparation of fish

The author: Goran Svedenberg

There is a huge number of ways of preparation of fish. Some kinds of fish it is better fried, others have the best taste, being are boiled, some are perfect for a grill on a grill, others possess graceful taste, being smoked. Generally, small fish is better fried, and large - boiled. Fish with a considerable quantity of fat, type of a salmon and the eel, is excellent for a grill and smoking, but the same processes used with low-fat fish, do its dry and rigid

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The first step in preparation of fish is its cleaning from scales. It is the most easier to clean fish when it you wash because the skin is still soft, but cleaning can be executed also directly ahead of cooking of fish. At first, wash out fish in water during half of minute or softening scales and slime. Using a knife or a fish-scaler, scrape from a tail to a head, yet do not clean off all scales on one side, then do the same on the other hand. At last, flush the stuck scales and slime.

How to cut fish

At cooking of fish, especially, if you are going to fry it, can often be demanded to separate a fillet. The equipment necessary thus, - a chopping board and a sharp knife with the long, narrow edge, named a finishing knife. Also it is good to have near at hand and scissors.

Put the cleared fish flatwise on a finishing surface and accurately make an incision round a head and downwards behind a chest fin. Then make a cut under a small corner to a backbone so it is close to a head, as far as possible, and smooth movement continue a cut to a tail. Try to cut as it is possible more close to a backbone to avoid a waste. Turn fish, and in the same way separate other fillet. If it is required to remove a skin from a fillet, to cut it is necessary to begin from a tail to a head.

How to skin fish

Sometimes fish should be cleared of a skin. The additional equipment necessary for it, besides a sharp knife and a flat surface of type of a table-top - scissors and pair of pincers. Before putting fish on a working surface, make an incision round fins on depth approximately 1 centimetre and pull out them. Then accurately make an incision a skin round a head both to a belly cavity and on a belly cavity and along a backbone make a cut to a tail. Try not to get deeply under a skin.

Now it is necessary to put fish sideways, pincers to take a skin piece close to a head and strongly to pull a skin to a tail. Other hand at this time it is necessary to hold a head of fish. If a head of fish too slippery, you can hold its piece of a paper or a fabric or you to beat its nail to a working surface. Turn fish and in the same way remove a skin from its other side.

Small fish can be cleared in one calling. Make a cut round a neck, lower the bottom side of fish on a working surface, seize a piece of the departed skin pincers and strongly pull a skin to a tail. This method is especially convenient at cleaning of eels. A head cut off in last turn.

the Grill on open fire (grill)

As soon as fire (fire) is dissolved, grind two sharp ends on a stick-slingshot. Small fish can be a spit entirely and is placed directly over fire (fire).

To rotate a stick it is necessary regularly enough so that fish was in regular intervals fried from different directions.

The fish weighing more of 1 kg should be cut along a paunch and to develop so that to give it the flat form, and then to spread it on the prepared slingshot. It is impossible to suppose, that fire (fire) was too weak.

Weak fire does not give enough of heat and makes smaller quantity of heating that means delay of process of preparation and raises probability of that fish is closer to a ridge can not be fried completely, to readiness.

Fish is considered ready to the use when it from both sides gets brown colour and bones start to separate from pulp. Fat fish of type of a salmon and the eel is considered the best for preparation on open fire. Low-fat fish often tends to become dry and rigid, remaining at the same time not fried and insipid.

the Grill on coals

This method can be used both with fat, and with low-fat fish. Besides, it for a long time keeps remarkable aroma of recently prepared fish. To prepare fish on coals, fire (fire) should burn through so that there were only flaring coals but to fry fish completely, coals should be still very hot.

Begin with careful washing and cleaning of fish. Put it on a piece of an aluminium foil and add salt and spices. For aroma it is good to add fennel or a rosemary. If fish low-fat, add a little polished fat on a foil before to put fish: it will make its more juicy. Densely and accurately turn a foil in an envelope and put it directly on hot coals. Time to full readiness of fish - approximately 15 minutes.

This method is excellent for small fish. To prepare in such a way large fish, it is necessary to cut it on a fillet that pieces were fried. Each part should be wrapped up in a separate envelope.

the Spicy pickles

Spicy a pickles of fish - other ancient way of preparation of the fish, used today mainly for a salmon. Process of preparation of fish begins with cutting of fish on a fillet and cleanings from scales. Do not forget to cut out fins and to remove as much as possible bones.

For pickling are required:

• 1 kg of fish
• 50 grammes of salt
• 50 grammes of sugar
• 19 white dried up grains of pepper, pounded
• necessary quantity of fennel.

Mix sugar and salt with the pounded dried up grains of pepper and carefully rub with this mix of a fillet fish. Small cut fennel. In regular intervals pour a fennel layer in glass or ceramic ware with low edges, the size about about fish. Put in a dish the first piece of a fillet a skin downwards and cover with its layer of fennel and spices. Put the second piece of a fillet over the first so that meat of both pieces of a fillet has been connected together. Cover all fish with fennel and other part of spices. At last, cover a dish with a plate and put on it heavy cargo, for example, a stone.

If you pickle some layers of fish it is necessary to be extremely cautious and to arrange pieces of fish steams that the side on which there was a skin, always looked outside. After that, it is necessary to put fish in a cool place, and through two - three days it is already ready to the use and can continue to be stored in a refrigerator within several days.

Keep in mind, that pickling does not kill parasites of type of tape worms who can get to fish from the polluted water. To get rid of them, even before preparation of fish - keep it at temperature approximately-10 °С during a minimum of 24 hours: it will kill any parasites who could contain in fish.

Smoking of fish

There are two methods of smoking of fish: cold smoking and is hot. The last demands smaller quantity of time and a few work. To achieve the best results cold smoking, some days are required, it is more than attention and rather difficult unit.

Before to smoke fish any of methods, it is necessary for salting and drying up. To make it, rub fish with salt or put it in a solution of salt and spices on 3 - 4 hours. Wash out it in cold water, and leave it to dry natural drying at some o'clock per a cool and well aired place. The given process creates a cover which protects fish from drying in the course of smoking.

In the course of smoking small fish can be hung up for a head. If fish weighs more than 1 kg, the head should be removed. Besides, it is necessary to make a cut from a paunch to a ridge as at cutting on a fillet, to divide fish into two half. After that remove a ridge and pierce each half of fish two sharply ground sticks.

Hot smoking

As soon as fish has dried up, it needs to be smoked as soon as possible. The temperature in the smoking chamber should be nearby 65 °С. Hot smoking can occupy from 2 till 10 o'clock depending on the size of fish, heating of a smoke and that, how much strongly it is required to smoke it. The longer smoking, the longer term storage of fish, but, on the other hand, it becomes drier.

Fish of hot smoking well remains within a week-two if it remains cold. It it is possible to freeze and store longer time also.

Cold smoking

Regarding cleaning, salting and drying process of cold smoking the same, as hot smoking. The main distinction between these two processes - an arrangement of a source of heating and smoke temperature. The source of heating for hot smoking settles down approximately on metre below fish so that the hot smoke left directly upwards while the smoke for cold smoking reaches hanging fish, having passed a pipe in length of 2 metres.

Process of cold smoking is developed so that temperature of the smoke reaching fish, the ideal temperature - approximately 28 °С did not exceed 35 °С.

Remember that the cover of the smoking chamber should be very dense to avoid smoke leak. Press a cover of the smoking chamber a stone or other heavy subject.