Food & Receipts

Freshwater Fish Cleaning Hack: Eliminate Odor and Enhance Taste

Washing fish also requires some tips to effectively remove the fishy smell. The following methods are simple yet can make the dish taste better when cooking.

Administrator

11 March, 2024

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Quick and Clean Fish Preparation

– To have a clean fish, remove the organs and scale the fish, unless you want to keep the scales for frying. Continue to remove the fins and most importantly, clean the blood + white membrane in the belly.

– For fish like snakehead, carp, tuna, etc., there is a white tendon on both sides of the fish, which gives the fish a fishy smell. When preparing, make sure to cut along the fish spine to expose the tendon, and remove it to reduce the fishy smell during cooking.

– For freshwater fish with smooth skin like catfish, tilapia, basa fish, eel… use kitchen ash to rub the fish to remove the slimy layer. If you don’t have kitchen ash, you can heat up some water and pour it over the fish, then use a knife to scrape off the slimy layer. This method helps to remove the slimy layer and the fishy smell effectively.

Note: After fish preparation, if you don’t cook it immediately, you can store it in the refrigerator to use later. But remember not to keep it for more than 48 hours, as the fish meat will lose its freshness.

Soaking Fish in Milk

Foreign chefs often soak fish in fresh milk without sugar for about 15-20 minutes to eliminate the fishy smell. Milk contains casein which can combine with trimethylamine in the fish, effectively removing the fishy smell.

Salt

Add a bit of salt to water (make it slightly salty) and soak the fish for about 5-10 minutes. You can also use salt to rub on the fish, then scale and clean the fish.

Using salt can make the fish less slimy and effectively eliminate the fishy smell. Finally, just rinse the fish with water before cooking.

Lime and Vinegar

Lime and vinegar are very effective ingredients in removing the fishy smell. Cut a slice of lime and squeeze the juice onto the fish meat, let it sit for a few minutes before cooking. The lime juice will penetrate the fish and make it more flavorful.

This method not only helps to eliminate the fishy smell but also works well with smooth-skin fish in removing the slimy layer.

Ginger

When you buy ginger, crush it and slice it. Then soak it in water together with the fish for about 5 minutes.

Ginger is very effective in removing the fishy smell and adds more flavor to the dish.

Spices

You can also use various spices in the kitchen to create a seasoning mixture that effectively eliminates the fishy smell. Use pepper, onions, chili, ginger, and cilantro to reduce the fishy smell. If you don’t mind the smell of basil, rub it on the fish. This is also a very effective method to eliminate the fishy smell.

Salt and Alcohol

Dissolve salt in water, then soak the pre-prepared fish for about 10 minutes. Or you can use salt to rub on the fish, then scale and clean it. Using salt can make the fish less slimy and effectively eliminate the fishy smell. Finally, just rinse the fish with water before cooking.

You can also soak the fish in diluted alcohol for about 15 minutes, then rinse it with clean water. This significantly reduces the fishy smell of the fish.

Rinsing with Rice Water

When cooking rice, don’t throw away the rice water. Use this water to rinse the fish. Rinsing fish with rice water is a long-standing method to eliminate the fishy smell.

After rinsing the fish with rice water, rinse it several times under tap water to make it clean.

Frequently asked questions

For catfish, tilapia, basa, and eel, rub kitchen ash on the fish to get rid of the slime. Alternatively, pour hot water over the fish and scrape off the layer with a knife. These methods also help to reduce any fishy odor.

There are several ways to eliminate the fishy smell:
Soak the fish in fresh milk for 15-20 minutes. The casein in milk combines with trimethylamine in the fish, removing the odor.
Use a salt water solution to soak the fish for 5-10 minutes, or rub salt directly on the fish before scaling and cleaning.
Lime and vinegar are also effective odor removers. Squeeze lime juice over the fish and let it sit for a few minutes.
Ginger is another great option – crush and slice ginger, then soak it with the fish for 5 minutes.
Create a spice mix with pepper, onions, chili, ginger, and cilantro to reduce the fishy smell.
Soak the fish in diluted alcohol for 15 minutes, then rinse.

Yes, you can store the prepared fish in the refrigerator for later use, but it’s best not to keep it for more than 48 hours, as the meat will start to lose its freshness.

Rinse the fish with rice water! It’s an age-old method that really works. Just be sure to give the fish a final rinse under the tap to ensure it’s fully clean.