The preparation and choice of spices are crucial steps in cooking fish dishes, helping to eliminate the pungent odor of the ingredients. Here are some methods to neutralize the fishy smell, applicable to both freshwater and saltwater fish.
Selecting and Preparing the Fish
When buying fish, choose fresh ones. The fresher the fish, the less pungent it smells. Fish that has been sitting for a while will have a stronger fishy odor and may even smell rancid. Look for fish with reddish-pink gills that adhere firmly to the operculum. Fresh fish will have clear, black eyes. Additionally, if the fish has scales, they should be tightly attached to the body. For slippery fish, ensure the skin is intact.
Press your thumb into the fish’s flesh; it should be firm and resilient.
Before cooking, the fish should be scaled, gutted, and have its gills, fins, and intestines removed. You may ask the fishmonger to do this to save time. Rinse the fish with clean water to remove excess blood and scrape away the black membrane inside the belly, as this is a source of the fishy odor.
Tips to Neutralize the Fishy Smell
- Use Ash
Using ash to remove the slime and neutralize the fishy smell is a traditional method. If you have a stove that uses straw, husks, or charcoal, collect the dry ash and place it in a container with the fish. Spread the ash evenly over the fish’s exterior. Use the ash to rub along the fish’s body to remove the slime. Repeat this process a few times to ensure the fish is slime-free.
For eels and loaches, place them in a tall pot, add ash and a little salt, cover the pot, and let the eels and loaches wriggle to release their slime.
- Use Bamboo or Banana Leaves
This method is effective for slippery fish, eels, and loaches. Simply crumple bamboo or banana leaves and rub them gently on the fish’s body several times to remove the outer slime. The substances in these leaves help clean the slime and neutralize the fishy odor.
- Rice Washing Water
Rice washing water, combined with a little salt, is an effective way to remove slime and neutralize the fishy smell. This method can be applied not only to fish but also to other types of meat.
- Green Tea
Using fresh tea leaves to brew tea and then washing the fish with this water is an effective way to neutralize the fishy smell. This method is commonly used in Central Vietnam.
Tea leaves contain tannin, a substance known for its ability to neutralize fishy odors. You can also find this astringent substance in green bananas. Smoking fish with fresh tea leaves or cooking fish with green bananas are other methods to eliminate the fishy smell.
- Alcohol and Ginger
Using alcohol and ginger to neutralize the fishy smell in fish and other foods is a popular method.
Trimethylamine and dimethylamine are amino acids in fish that cause the fishy odor. These substances have a weak alkaline property. To eliminate them, use crushed fresh ginger with white alcohol or cooking wine.
- Use Acidic Substances
Since the substances causing the fishy odor have a slightly alkaline nature, you can use ingredients with acidic properties to neutralize them. Common acidic ingredients include vinegar, lemon, and fermented rice paste. During preparation, simply rinse the fish with these ingredients to remove the slime and reduce the fishy smell.
During cooking, depending on the specific dish, you can add ingredients with sour flavors such as vinegar, fermented rice paste, green plum, star fruit, sour bamboo shoots, sour gourd, tamarind, pineapple, or tomato. These ingredients not only add flavor to the dish but also effectively neutralize the fishy odor.
- Aromatic Herbs
When cooking fish, don’t forget to use aromatic herbs to create a distinctive fragrance. For example, fish soup usually includes scallions, coriander, and dill. In some regions, people use ginger or turmeric leaves to cook with fish, imparting a unique aroma and effectively eliminating the fishy smell.
In conclusion, to neutralize the fishy smell, you can use readily available ingredients in your kitchen, such as white alcohol, ginger, rice washing water, bamboo or banana leaves, tea leaves, ginger or turmeric leaves, or acidic ingredients. These methods not only effectively eliminate the fishy odor but also enhance the flavor and fragrance of your fish dishes.
