How to prepare fish? Learn easily with a seven-step method

Preparing fish before eating is crucial. If it is not done properly, it will cause a lot of inconvenience in cooking, and sometimes it will make the fish taste terrible, or even make it impossible to swallow. Now I will teach you the preparation method:

Washing after slaughtering a live fish: generally people can smoothly remove the fish's gallbladder, so there is not much of a problem. Nowadays people mostly ask the fish seller to help slaughter the live fish, and they do not necessarily clean it very thoroughly. Thorough washing after bringing it home is very important, so as to avoid a strong fishy smell after the dish is made.

Fish gills: be sure to thoroughly gouge out all the gill filaments, to avoid sand being caught in the fish head after the dish is made, making it unpalatable.

Jaw scales: that is, the scales at the connection between the fish's lower jaw and the belly. Because this part of the scales protects the fish's heart, they are firmly attached to the skin and flesh, and the scales are small and easily overlooked, but they are the main cause of fishiness after the dish is made. Especially when preparing crucian carp and most marine fish, the jaw scales must be shaved off with a knife.

Black membrane in the abdominal cavity: the abdominal cavity of silver carp, crucian carp, common carp and other fish has a layer of black membrane, which both affects appearance and produces a fishy smell. When washing, be sure to scrape it clean.

Blood vessel in the abdominal cavity: in some fish, a blood vessel is hidden deep in the abdominal cavity, below the spine. During preparation, use a pointed knife to pierce it open and rinse it clean.

Fish fins: keeping the fish fins is for the sake of the dish's appearance after cooking, but if the fish fins are messy and loose, it defeats the purpose. They should be trimmed appropriately or all cut off.

Tendon in the flesh: fish such as common carp have a thin, long sour tendon on each side of the body, which should be removed during preparation. After slaughtering and removing the scales, use your hand to smooth the fish body in the direction from head to tail, and you can see a dark line on the side of the fish body; the sour tendon is beneath this line. Make a cut at the very front of the fish body near the gill cover, and you can see the white sour tendon. While pinching the thin tendon with your hand and gently pulling it outward, lightly tap the fish body with the back of the knife. In this way, pull out the sour tendons on both sides, then cook.