Perch refers to the fishes of the percidae family, which have sharp fins in the upper and lower parts of the trunk, and small, firmly scales on the body. Usually the weight of freshwater perch ranges from 900 g to 1.3 kg, but there are also larger specimens. He lives in fresh water, rivers and seas.
It is a very tasty fish that can be soared, boiled, fried and salted. And in general, there are many recipes for cooking dishes from perch. But then a natural question arises, but is it necessary to clean the perch? Definitely, yes. Unfortunately, as already mentioned, the scales of this fish hold tightly to the body, and the fins are very sharp, so you will not have a hard time. We still dare to give some advice and tell you how quickly to clean the perch from the scales.
How to clean a fresh river perch?
Fresh perch is cleaned a little easier than lying down. First, we cut all the fins with scissors so as not to prick. Then we cut off the head. Armed with a knife and fork, begin to clean. Before the beginning of work we put on gloves, as the fish slips. Press the tail to the cutting board, use a fork or knife to scrape and remove. It is more convenient to clean not from the tail to the head, but from the abdomen to the back. The minus of this method is scales all over the kitchen, and it's hard to get. But there is a faster way to easily clean the perch: after you have cut all the fins and separated the head, put the carcass for a while in the freezer. When they are slightly frozen, we take out and peeled the cuticle easily with the scales, like a stocking. And there is no order and garbage in the kitchen. This method is good if you are cutting fish for minced meat or salting. For frying and baking, this method does not work. How, then, in the right way to clean the perch? Folk craftsmen offer this method. To a simple, but comfortable wooden stick, nails nail iron plugs from beer bottles, as shown in the picture. It is not necessary to use such a number of plugs, enough 1-2 lids. Or other adaptation: from an old grater for vegetables we cut off a cloth and we beat it to a wooden bar. With such adaptations the fish are cleaned easily and quickly. The truth is to do it better on the street, because the scales fly in all directions. And in general, now on the market of goods, a wide range of universal fish cleaners is offered, in which a pocket for collecting scales is provided. When buying, pay attention to the quality of the product and the thickness of the metal, so that it does not break and do not bend.
And how best to clean sea bass?
In principle also. True, sea bass - the fish is prickly and has poisonous glands on the fins and if they are pricked, the wound will be very sick and will heal for a long time. Therefore, you should always wear gloves and cut the fins. In addition, you can add a few tips:
- Before you start cleaning the fish, dip it for a few seconds in boiling water. The main thing is not to overdo it, and then the skin peels off along with the scales.
- Still it is possible to fall asleep at night for a fish a large rock salt. In the morning, you can quickly and easily remove it with a knife.
- If you are going to smoke a perch, it is not necessary to clean it at all.
How to clean a small perch?
In winter, small perch is caught most often. The fish, of course, is delicious, but there's a lot of trouble with it. It is better to clean it immediately and remove the scales together with the skin.
Gutted perch from the side of the abdomen, making an incision from the head to the anal fin. After that, we take out the insides and wash the abdominal cavity. Then, on both sides of the dorsal fin, we make incisions and pull it out. The carcass is ready.
We hope that these simple tips on how to clean the perch, will help and facilitate the preparation of wonderful and tasty dishes from this fish.