Do you love perch fish, but are you afraid that it will be difficult to clean? Read the article, in it you will find several ways to remove scales from it.
River perch is a very tasty and healthy fish. It makes incomparable fish soup and many other dishes. What may stop you from buying fresh or frozen perch is its small, closely spaced scales, as well as extremely sharp fins. Cleaning takes a long time, often hurts your hands, and leaves the kitchen a complete mess. This hassle discourages many from cooking perch at all. But we offer you several ways to help you cope with this task.
How to clean scales from fresh river perch easily and quickly yourself: methods
If you have purchased fresh bass, consider which method of cleaning it is best for you.
IMPORTANT: We will please you right away: if you want to smoke fish or use it for the first addition to fish soup, you can skip the cleaning procedure. In these cases it is not required.
Perch is a very healthy and tasty fish.
If you have a fisherman in your family, and he has caught a catch of river perch, do not put off cleaning them: the fresher the fish, the easier it is to rid it of its scales while it is soft and not sticky. And you can freeze already prepared carcasses for future use. Before you move on to the cleaning process, consider where you should do it. Many people prefer to do this right in the kitchen sink, which can then be easily washed to remove dirt and odors. If it is more convenient for you on the table, remove everything unnecessary from it, cover the surface with cling film, paper or regular newspaper sheets. And you should definitely have a separate cutting board for fish!
Board with fish clamp.
IMPORTANT: If you like to eat perch or other fish, buy a special board with clamps for it, it will make your work easier. Also purchase scissors and scrapers for cleaning carcasses. This can be done at any hardware store or on Aliexpress in this section of the catalog.
Scraper for cleaning perch and other fish from Aliexpress.
So, no matter which method you choose from the ones described below, start with this:
- wash the fish
- put on work gloves
- place the perch on a cutting board, grab the head and tail
- stretch the carcass until you hear the crunch of the fins
- take kitchen scissors and cut off all the fins of the fish
- cut off the fish's head and tail fin
Removing fins from perch.
Preparing a perch carcass, removing scales and skin.
IMPORTANT: Be sure to wear gloves when working with a perch carcass, even if you are not a girl with delicate hands, but a strong man. Firstly, it will slip in bare hands and will be inconvenient to clean. Secondly, the fins can leave deep cuts on the skin.
Choose one of the methods for cleaning fresh perch from scales that you find most convenient:
- with a special knife or homemade brush
- grater
- water and vinegar
- boiling water
- salt
Next, each method will be discussed in more detail.
The final step in preparing the carcass is removing the entrails.
Filleting
Filling fish is done as follows:
- The first thing you need to do is remove the skin from the carcass.
- If you bought a fish with the head, not gutted, then it is necessary to gut it, cleaning the entrails from the belly and cutting off the head.
- Using a special knife with a long, thin blade, make the first cut along the back of the perch along the dorsal fin.
- The second cut is made in the middle of the side of the perch along the skin, on the other side.
Incisions are made to then quickly and easily get rid of scales on the carcass. Keep in mind that if you have freshwater grouper in your hands, the skin will come off much easier than red sea bass.
- Use your index finger and thumb to lightly grab the skin. At this time, with your other hand, using a knife, hold the subcutaneous layer of the meat and thus begin to remove the skin from the carcass. It is more convenient at this time to gradually pull the skin towards you with your left hand, as if tearing it away from the carcass.
- Perform these steps on each side of the perch.
As a result, you will get a perch carcass without scales in a few minutes.
Next, it remains to cut the fillet from the spinal bone using a special knife, and carry out the same procedure on the second side of the carcass. The resulting fillet can be subsequently prepared according to any recipe.
How to peel frozen sea bass easily and quickly from scales yourself: methods
A frozen river or sea bass carcass can be cleaned in the same way as fresh fish, with a knife, grater, salt and boiling water. There is another method that is suitable in this case - try to remove the scales along with the skin, after freezing it will be very easy.
- Rinse the frozen carcass in warm water. Or dip it in boiling water for a few seconds. This is necessary so that the skin of the fish thaws, but the inside of the carcass remains frozen.
- Remove all of her fins.
- Cut off the head and tail of the perch.
- Carefully make cuts in the skin of the fish on its back and belly.
- Take a sharp knife, hook the skin of the fish in the area where the head is cut and gently pull it towards the tail.
- Remove the scales along with the skin from one side and then the other.
Removing scales from frozen perch along with the skin.
IMPORTANT: You can also peel fresh perches along with their skins. To do this, they are frozen in the freezer for an hour. This method is the easiest and least dirty. But if you want to fry the fish until golden brown, it is not suitable for you.
Jet of water
During cleaning, housewives say that the main problem is that the scales fly in all directions. To avoid this, fill a container with water, immerse the perch in it, and then you won’t have to worry about the problem of scales flying around the room.
The scales are not able to somehow overcome the resistance of water and fly out of the container.
The main disadvantage of this method is that housewives often cut themselves with a knife in this case. That is why it is worth preparing for the cleaning process in advance by purchasing special rubber gloves at the store. It is better to choose one with a ribbed inner surface. Then the perch will not slip out and your hands will definitely be safe.
Another equally popular option, which men often resort to when they appear in the kitchen, is to place the fish carcass in an ordinary plastic bag and clean it without removing it from it. The convenience of the method lies in the fact that the unnecessary husk remains in the bag. All that's left to do is throw it away. The kitchen will definitely remain clean.
How to quickly remove scales from a perch with salt: description, photo
Didn't have time to clean your freshly caught perch and bought them at the store? Then, before cleaning the scales, go through the preparatory stage.
- Rinse the carcasses, do not cut off the fins.
- Place the fish on a tray sprinkled with salt. Roll it with salt on all sides. Salt should be coarse, rock salt.
- Leave the perch like this overnight.
- In the morning, rinse the carcasses; the scales on them should soften and slightly move away from the skin. The procedure for preparing carcasses and removing scales should become easier.
Salt softens the perch's scales and makes them easier to peel.
With salt
When answering the question of how to clean a perch yourself, it is worth highlighting the main steps.
- Rinse the fish thoroughly and dry it a little using towels.
- Sprinkle salt generously into a bowl or baking sheet.
- Roll the perches in salt on each side.
- Leave the fish in the salt overnight or for at least ten hours.
That's all there is to it. In the morning, the scales from the fish will come off as easily as pantyhose from your legs. You will only need to help with a knife to do it faster.
How to quickly remove scales from a perch with a knife: description, photo
If you have a special knife or fish scraper, use it:
- fix the prepared perch carcass on the board
- run a scraper along one side of it, hooking the scales against their growth
- turn the carcass over, clean it on the other side
- rinse the carcass under running water
Cleaning perch with a knife.
If you don't have a special scraper, you can make your own:
- from a canning lid, making notches in it
- from beer bottle caps, bolting them to a wooden strip or handle, such as a paint brush
Homemade scrapers for cleaning fish.
Boiling water
To quickly and properly clean a perch, you can use hot water. This method is chosen by people who like the skin to be crispy. For most gourmets, this part of the fish is the most appetizing and delicious. They pay special attention to its preparation.
Cutting perch can be done using either of two methods.
- The fish is placed in the sink and then doused with boiling water.
- The perch is placed in a pan of boiling water for literally 20-30 seconds, then it is cleaned with a special tool or any sharp knife.
After you remove the fish from the boiling water, be sure to get rid of all the fins. The easiest way to do this is using scissors. If you don’t do this at the initial stage, then later you can cut your hands while cleaning the product, and then cooking will definitely not bring any pleasure.
For cleaning, some housewives use a special kitchen knife, but others also use the simplest one that is at hand. After the scales are steamed with boiling water, they can be removed very easily and will not scatter throughout the kitchen. After the skin is removed, it will be necessary to perform further actions, namely, rip open her belly.
How to quickly remove scales from a perch using a grater: description, photo
Instead of a scale scraper, you can use an ordinary metal grater. Walk it against the growth of scales. If you are uncomfortable holding a bulky grater in your hands, ask your husband to design a device for you - attach part of a small grater blade to a wooden handle, as in the picture below.
Cleaning perch with a grater.
A grater scraper for removing scales from a perch.
Drum machine
A device such as a drum machine is mainly used only in industries where there is a need to clean fish in large volumes. Using such a machine at home is irrational and expensive. The operating principle of the machine is quite simple. It consists of the following: the scales are exposed to a sharp abrasive surface from the inside. D
To do this, the perches are placed in a special drum, which is filled with water. Next, the time is set. It may vary depending on the volume of fish that needs to be cleaned. The drum rotates at a fairly high speed, the fish carcasses actively rub against the rough surface, and gradually the scales simply come off. The indisputable advantage is that up to 100 kilograms of fish can be cleaned in half an hour. However, its use can be considered rational in the case when the volumes are truly impressive. Otherwise, the cost of the equipment will be unreasonably high. This must be taken into account when choosing this method.
It is advisable to carry out all work in an open space. This will keep it at least partially clean. During the procedure, the scales fly into different places. Despite the fact that most of the listed methods allow you to get rid of scales quickly, you still have to remove the dirt later. This is the price for the speed of the procedure.
Handle perch with extreme caution because its scales are sharp. To avoid possible injury, you must protect your hands with gloves.
As you can see, the cleaning process was simple. If you follow the recommendations and listen to the advice of knowledgeable people, then in a short period of time you will become a professional, capable of finishing a fish in a few minutes. The main thing is practice. Using each of the listed methods, you can clean and cut any fish, from river perch to pike perch. Don’t delay time, learn how to clean fish now so that you can prepare any dish in the future without anyone’s help.
How to quickly clean scales from large and small perch yourself: what is the difference between cleaning?
Although the scales of small perches are not as rough as those of large specimens, it is very difficult to peel without damaging the skin. Most likely, you won't succeed.
Small perches for the first laying on the ear do not need to be cleaned of scales at all.
How to store cleaned fish
Nowadays, it is better to purchase fresh fish and prepare it yourself for future use. And all because a large number of unscrupulous sellers have appeared who pursue one goal: to make money. And they don’t care at all about the quality of the product. Looking at a block of ice shaped like a fish, you can never say with certainty how many times it has been frozen. Therefore, it is better to move to the place where you can buy live fish.
In order to store freshly cleaned and gutted fish, you need to use an airtight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for about 4 days. In such a container, the fish will not dry out, and the products that are forced to coexist with the perch will not absorb foreign odors and will not lose their taste.
The optimal storage temperature for fish is 0-2 degrees.
But if you set this temperature in the refrigerator, you can perfectly preserve the fish, but... ruin everything else. Therefore, in order not to “lose” other products in the refrigerator, you can put ice cubes in the container with cleaned fish.
You can store fish in the freezer for a long time: up to 4 months.
Under no circumstances is it recommended to defrost and re-freeze fish. The product loses all its taste.
Is it possible to preserve fish if there is no refrigerator nearby? You can if you use the following secrets:
- Wipe the fish carcass, cleaned and removed from fins and gills, with a clean rag (do not wash!), rub with salt and pepper, and place in a well-ventilated room. Store for up to 3 days;
- Sprinkle the cleaned fish with salt (coarse) and wrap in a towel. The towel must first be moistened in a mixture made from vinegar and sugar.
In the cold season, when the thermometer does not rise above 2 degrees, cleaned fish can be stored on the balcony for a couple of days.
Using sushi chopsticks
You can clean sea bass using sushi chopsticks. This device makes it possible to remove the entrails from the fish without cutting the abdominal cavity.
Step-by-step description of how to clean a fish carcass:
- Initially, you will need to remove scales from the surface of the fish using any convenient method.
- Then the fish needs to open the mouth cavity slightly by inserting a stick from one edge so that it passes under the gills and penetrates the abdominal cavity.
- The remaining stick should be inserted in a similar way, but from the other end.
- Afterwards, you need to hold the 2 sticks very tightly with your hand, twisting them around their axis. This is required so that the offal can wrap around the device.
- Finally, the sticks along with the insides must be removed through the oral cavity. Then the fish must be rinsed under running water.
To have a crispy skin
Many people like the crispy skin in fried fish, but when preparing the fish there is a risk of damage to the skin. To prevent this and speed up the process of cleaning the perch, you should pour boiling water over the fish.
You can do this at home by following these steps:
- The carcass should be placed in the sink, rinsed with clean running water, washed from the inside, and then doused with boiling water.
- Then, using scissors, you need to remove the fins so that they do not create problems when removing the scales.
- After treatment with boiling water, the scales will come off much easier.
- When the fish is cleaned, it must be gutted, washed again, and then used for its intended purpose.
Perch soup
Many people prefer not to fry perch, but to prepare fish soup from it. This soup is easy and simple to prepare. For the dish, you need to prepare in advance 1 kilogram of fish, 800 grams of potatoes, 150 grams of onions and the same amount of carrots, peppercorns, bay leaves, salt and pepper, and herbs. This quantity of products is intended for a 4-liter pan.
Perch soup
First you need to clean the fish. Pour cold water over the tail and head and cook for about half an hour. Then take them out and forget about them (they won't be needed anymore). The broth can be strained if desired. Cut the perch crosswise into small pieces. The length of each should be no more than 4 centimeters. Chop the onion and sauté. Grate the carrots on a medium grater and add them to the onion.
Cut the potatoes into cubes and add to the boiling broth. Salt and pepper everything. When the broth with potatoes boils, add the fish and cook for about 10 minutes. Next you need to add bay leaf and peppercorns. And let the soup brew for about 30 minutes. Serve with greens.
The editors of uznayvse.ru wish you easy cooking and an excellent catch!
Scissors
Special scissors made for cutting fish do an excellent job. They easily cut off fins and tail parts and are suitable for cutting bones. Of course, they cannot complete the entire cleaning process, since scissors are not convenient to use at all stages. However, such a device will greatly simplify the procedure and prevent the owner from getting hurt.
