Fish is a popular and most commonly used seafood. People around the world prepare fish in different ways. Some prefer grilling it, while others like frying and making delicious curries with it. Whatever the style of cooking, fish dishes are a perfect choice to be prepared for a special party or dinner. However, many can find it challenging to cut and clean the fish by themselves. Cutting and cleaning fish before cooking is an important step because a lot of fish parts should not be consumed and therefore it is essential to remove them. If you are new to cooking, you can easily learn how to perfectly cut and clean fish. Just follow these steps to enhance your skills.
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Follow These Tips To Cut And Clean Fish: 

1. Wash It Properly 

The first step is to wash the fish in water. This helps in getting rid of any dirt and germs present in the fish scales. Wash the fish in runny water and with the help of your hand, rub the fish from front to back. Ensure you use cold water to wash it.

2. Cut Open The Fish 

Keep the fish on the chopping board and place newspapers around it. Placing newspapers will keep the counter clean. Now place the tip of the knife on the fish’s belly and put a cut from there towards the head. Do it gently, as we only want to open the skin. Next, cut open the bottom part in a V shape and discard it.

3. Pull Out The Insides 

Once you are successful in cutting the skin, it’s time to take out the intestines and other parts that are present inside. Take out everything inside the fish, until you only see the flesh. You can scrape out the parts with a spoon. Keep the entrails in a separate bowl so it doesn’t make your counter messy, and discard it later.

4. Rinse The Cavity 

You can find a thin tissue lining, which is the abdominal cavity of the fish; make sure to take it out as it has a strong oily flavour. This can easily be done by scraping it off with a spoon. Further, rinse that specific area with water.

5. Remove The Head 

While many people like to cook the head, others avoid keeping it as a part of their meals. So, this step is totally optional. If you wish to remove the head, hold the fish in one hand and slowly slit the neck, and remove the head.

6. Get Rid Of Scales 

The next step is to remove the fish scales which is a time-consuming process. But you can easily do it by scraping off the scales with the help of a knife. Start by removing the scale from the tail and slowly move ahead toward the body. Once one side of the fish is scale-free, turn the fish and repeat the same procedure on the other side until it is absolutely clean.

7. Wash It

Now that you have properly cleaned the fish from inside and outside too, it is time to clean it with water. Place the fish underwater and clean it with your hands. Make sure to get rid of any unwanted parts that are still there on the fish.
Also Read: Meat Lover’s Shopping Guide: Things To Keep In Mind While Buying Meat

8. Cut Small Pieces 

Cutting fish into small pieces is totally optional. Many people prefer cooking the whole fish, whereas some prefer cutting it into pieces. This depends on what your recipe demands. You can simply do this by cutting thick slices of fish, the size of the cuts can be anywhere between small to medium.

9. Freeze It 

If you don’t want to cook the fish right away, you can store it in the freezer. Make sure to put it in a zip-lock bag or an airtight box. Keeping fish in the freezer expands its shelf life and saves it from rotting easily. 

We suggest you use disposable gloves for cutting and cleaning fish, as the fins and scales can hurt the skin of your hands.