Fish is nutritious and good for health, but if you want the fish meat to not smell fishy to enjoy the dish deliciously, discover the processing method suggested by Bach Hoa XANH right below!
Tips for processing fish without smelling fishy
Let's start by cleaning the fish
Remove the organs and scales to clean the fish, unless you use the fish scales for fried dishes, then you should keep them. In particular, note to clean the blood and the opaque white membrane in the belly very carefully!
With fish such as snakehead fish, carp, mackerel, ... pay attention to the white tendons on both sides of the ribs. Because to reduce the fishy smell, you must cut close to the fish's gills to expose the tendons, then remove those tendons when processing.
For fish such as snakehead fish, catfish, basa fish, other types of fish with smooth skin and living in brackish water, you need to remove the mucus to limit the fishy smell. You can use wood ash, brush lightly on the surface of the fish. If there is a lack of ash, boil hot water and pour it over the fish, then use a knife to scrape it clean. This method not only removes the slime but also helps reduce the fishy smell, making your dish more delicious.
After processing the fish, if you do not use it immediately, you can store it in the refrigerator for later use. However, remember not to keep it for more than 48 hours, to ensure that the fish meat retains its freshest flavor.
1. Use salt water or rice water
To remove the fishy smell of fish, you can do the following:
Soak the fish in salt water or rice water for about 15 minutes after cleaning. Then rinse with clean water and the fish will no longer have a fishy smell;
If the fishy smell is stronger, use salt to rub on the fish and then rinse with clean water.
2. Use lemon and vinegar
Useful ingredients in removing the fishy smell of fish include lemon and vinegar. You can put the fish in vinegar mixed with a little cold water to clean and wash. This way you can effectively remove the fishy smell of the fish.
Another good way is to soak the fish in diluted lemon juice for a few minutes and then clean it. Especially for fish with smooth skin, this method helps to remove mucus very effectively. Remember, soaking the fish for too long can cause the fish to cook!
3. White wine can clean the fish
After cleaning the fish, marinate the fish meat in diluted white wine for about 2 minutes, then dry it. This helps reduce the fishy smell. When steaming the fish, adding a little white wine to the steaming water is also a good way to remove the fishy smell of the fish. For marinated fish meat, adding a little white wine not only removes the fishy smell but also enhances the delicious flavor!
4. Spices
Spices such as pepper, onion, chili, ginger, celery, ... can effectively remove the fishy smell. If you don't mind the smell of Vietnamese coriander, rub them on the fish to remove the fishy smell. In addition, sour spices such as tamarind, star fruit, etc. also help reduce the fishy smell when cooking fish. In case you want to fry fish, soaking the fish in fresh milk is also a way to keep the fish meat from smelling fishy and bring delicious flavor.