Cleaning Fish

Fish require proper handling from the time they are hooked until served. Fish flesh begins to deteriorate the moment the fish dies and proper steps must be taken to preserve the delicate flavor. Proper fish preparation is essential to your families health.

There are two ways of keeping fish fresh. The best way is to keep them alive until cleaning, or to chill them. Since keeping fish alive is not always possible, a practical solution is an ice chest. Keep the drain open on the chest or place the fish in a plastic bag, because dead fish left in water soon lose their flavor. Many People clean them before they take them home. Take some gallon size zip-loc bags with you to put your cleaned fish in or save the job till you get home.

Some tools you may need for cleaning fish are a fish scaler, a fish skinner, a filleting knife, a knife sharpener, zip-loc bags, needle nose pliers, and a cleaning board of some kind, the top of your cooler works pretty good for this.

For small pan fish you'll use your scaler, starting at the tail on one side start scaling from tail to head, ending at the gills. Flip your fish over and repeat the same. Make sure you scale the area on the belly and back also. To see how good you've done, rub your hand over the fish from tail to head, it should be smooth. You'll know if you have missed any.

The next step in cleaning fish you'll use your filleting knife. You should cut the head off just behind the gills. Next you stick the point of your knife in the vent, that's the proper name for butt hole, and cut towards where the head used to be. The easiest thing next, is to use your finger to rake out the guts and rinse your fish. At this point that fish should be clean, move on to the next one- lather, rinse, and repeat.

Cleaning fish this way applies to mostly smaller flat fish. You can clean bigger fish this way if you like the skin on them. Some people do clean their bigger fish like this, but instead of leaving them whole, they cut them from top to bottom to make fish steaks. Your fish steaks should be about 1" thick. Some of the bones prevent you from being able to make them all exact. Try to get them as close as possible to the same thickness, this helps them get done about the same time when you cook them.

Cleaning catfish is a little different,they have no scales. You will need your fish skinner for this job. Starting at the tail, make a slit with your fillet knife and grab the skin with your skinner. You want to hold the tail down with one hand and pull the skin off to the head with the other hand. Repeat on the other side and pull off any other skin you may have missed. Cut off the head. Starting at the vent again, cut the belly towards where the head was and remove the guts and rinse.

Filleting is method used by most anglers in cleaning fish that they have caught. A sharp knife with a flexible blade is practically all you will need. The six-inch blade is the most popular. The quickest and simplest way of filleting fish is explained below.

Cut behind the pectoral fin straight down to the backbone. Next, starting at the top of the head, run the knife along one side of the backbone. The knife should scrape the rib bones without cutting them. Push the knife through the flesh near the vent just behind the rib bones. Cut the fillet free at the tail.

Cut the flesh carefully away from the rib cage. To save as much of the flesh as possible, the blade should graze the bones. Remove the first fillet by cutting through the skin of the stomach area. Turn the fish over. Remove the second fillet using the same process. Feel the fillet to make sure you've gotten all the bones out. Some little sneaky ones may be left, you use your needle nose pliers to snatch these out.

Rinse fillets quickly with cold water or wipe with paper towels. Skin your fillets, if desired. Hold the tail with your fingertips and cut between flesh and skin with a sawing motion away from your fingers. Throw the skin away or feed it to your cat. Save the head and skeleton for stock when cleaning fish. The slabs of cheek meat, located just below the eyes on large gamefish, are very good. Remove with a knife tip and panfry in butter.

When cleaning fish, some flesh remains on the fish bones and head after filleting. Don't waste it. Make a fish stock by simmmering the skeleton and the head. They add rich flavor to the stock. Discard the bones where your cat can't get to them.

The flaked, cooked fish can be used for an excellent fish chowder, in a salad, fish cakes, patties or sandwich spread.

Use the remaining fish stock as a foundation for chowder, sauces or soups. You should refrigerate or freeze the stock. Freeze your stock in 1- or 2-cup quantities it will be quicker to thaw.

Cleaning fish is easy and will go faster the more you have done it. Keep your knife sharp and watch your fingers.