When do you need to wash the fish?

Fish meat is rich in useful substances and, of course, must be present in the diet of both adults and children. Do I need to wash fish before cooking? It depends on where it was bought or caught, as well as on taste preferences. Be sure to wash the fish outside from large debris, such as leaves. Almost always - it is cleaned of scales, and with it - of possible dirt.

Pickling

The salting procedure itself does not imply high temperatures, but it must be understood that salt destroys all pests that could only be on the meat. The skin of salted fish is also disinfected, but, as a rule, is not eaten.

Cooks note that it is not necessary to wash fish before salting if there are no noticeable traces of dirt on the skin. It’s not worth washing it from the inside, because it spoils the taste of the finished dish.

However, many housewives prefer to flush the carcass both outside and inside after cleaning and gutting. So small scales, the remains of entrails are cleaned. It is necessary to sprinkle with salt, and then rinse the fish with cold running water if the gall bladder is affected - otherwise the meat will be bitter.

Important
Wash the fish under low pressure, in a deep sink so that there is no spray, otherwise you will then have to wash half of the kitchen from smell and bacteria.

Freezing

Severe cold in one day completely kills microbes, viruses and parasites. Therefore, there is usually no great need to wash the fish - just dip in a basin with clean water to remove sand, algae and other "accessories". If a fish is bought alive in a store, there is no need to wash it at all - it is enough to free the carcass from the scales.

For the same reason, there is no need to disinfect fish after defrosting. Although if you are preparing dinner for a cat, then one of the quick ways is to send the fish to a bowl and under running water (always cold, otherwise the carcass will be cooked, not defrosted).

If the fish goes to the human table, it should thaw in the refrigerator, at a maximum at room temperature, so that the skin does not crack, and the meat does not lose its taste. In this case, it is advisable to put fish on the grill, and put dishes under the bottom - quite a lot of water and juice will drain.

Interesting fact
Domestic fish surpasses foreign analogues in its benefits and diet. However, you need to buy it either live or frozen. As a rule, Russian fishing companies freeze fish directly on the ship - accordingly, the “chilled” carcass in the store is actually a former frozen.

Before cooking, baking or frying

Heat treatment is the best disinfectant, so it does not make sense to wash the skin of fish before cooking (if there was no noticeable dirt). From the inside, carcasses are washed only if bile is spilled, in other cases it only reduces the appetite.

The fish is cooked for 10-15 minutes at least, and this time is enough to destroy all dangerous microorganisms. The main condition is that the meat should be cooked completely, become soft, easily move away from the bones. If you have small children and you are worried about their tummies, get a culinary thermometer: fish meat should warm up to 55 degrees (with at least 10 minutes of cooking).

Before frying or baking, if you had to wash the fish, it must be blotted with paper towels. Excess moisture will not allow the crust to seize on time, and the taste will suffer greatly.

Life hack
If the fire on the stove was too strong, and the skin turned brown, and the fish meat was not cooked, send the entire batch to a plate and in the microwave for an average capacity of about 10 minutes. Be sure to cover with a cap or a lid to preserve the richness of the dish.

Fish is a healthy tender meat that is quickly and easily cooked. The main difficulty is butchering if you are buying live or uncut fish. At this stage, sometimes it is necessary to dip the carcass to get rid of adhering garbage. In other cases, there is no need to wash the fish before cooking (whether it is salting or frying). Much more important is that the meat is cooked to the end.