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Food & Receipts

The Secret Ingredient to Transform Your Fish Dishes: A Sweet and Savory Delight

17 January, 2025

## Tips for Choosing and Preparing Delicious Fish

Tips for Choosing Fresh Fish

Marinate Your Fish with This One Secret Ingredient for Succulent, Tender Flesh, and Say Goodbye to Fishy Odor

Ideally, opt for live fish when purchasing. However, if you’re buying a previously caught fish, keep the following tips in mind:

– Inspect the fish’s appearance. Fresh fish should have a slimy sheen, clear eyes, intact scales, and pink gills. When placed in water, it should sink, indicating its freshness.

– Conversely, if the fish has mucus, sunken eyes, easily detachable scales, and pale flesh with reduced elasticity, it’s likely stale. Additionally, its anus and belly may protrude, and it will float in water.

– White or yellow fish typically offer the best flavor. Black fish, often from ditches or ponds, tend to be less tasty.

– Don’t be squeamish when selecting fish; your bravery will be rewarded with a better catch. Examine the gills—they should be red if the fish is fresh, but if they’re pale or bruised, the fish is stale.

Marinating Tips to Eliminate Fishy Odor

Mix Lemon, Chili, and Salt for a Perfect Marinade

In a bowl, combine two tablespoons of salt, one tablespoon of MSG, three bird’s eye chilies, and three finely chopped lemon leaves. Pound this mixture to a paste.

Coat the fish evenly with the marinade and let it sit for about 15 minutes to absorb the flavors.

Ensure You Clean the Fish Properly Before Marinating

– For seawater fish, opt for those with clear eyes, red gills, and firm, elastic flesh. Wash the fish with saltwater and remove the gills and any traces of blood before cutting and marinating.

– River fish tend to have a stronger muddy odor in addition to the fishy smell. Rinse them with saltwater or rub with salt before cooking to neutralize the odors.

– For snakehead fish, remove the skin and scales, paying close attention to the two muddy scales near the head and the muddy thread along the spine.

Note: After cleaning the fish, rinse it with clean water, then wash it with ginger wine. Place the fish in a colander and pour hot water (70–80°C) over it to firm up the flesh. Ensure the colander is sparse, and the water isn’t too hot to avoid scalding the fish. Let the fish drain and pat it dry.

– Depending on the recipe, you can marinate the fish with a few drops of lemon juice to neutralize the fishy odor.

– During preparation, some fried fish dishes with sweet and sour sauces or fish sauce can benefit from adding ginger to neutralize the fishiness (as in congee, fried pike with sweet and sour sauce, or fried catfish served with ginger fish sauce). After preliminary processing, blot the fish dry before cooking to reduce the fishy odor.

– For fried fish, ensure it’s thoroughly dried, then coat it with a layer of dry starch (tapioca, wheat, or crispy flour) before frying.

When preparing stewed fish, pay attention to marinating the fish with seasonings and coloring agents to enhance flavor absorption. Avoid excessive stirring or mixing when stewing, and don’t let the broth boil vigorously, as this can cause the fish to break apart.

– For boiled or steamed fish, serve it immediately while it’s still hot and tender. Overcooking will cause the fish to fall apart and the flesh to dry out, losing its sweetness.

Note:

When preparing fish, aim to minimize its fishy odor by using specific spices and preparation methods, such as washing with salt and removing the gills and bloody parts.

For stewed fish, avoid excessive stirring or mixing, as this can cause the fish to break apart and release bitter-tasting bile.