Capelin is an inexpensive and tasty fish. It is great as a snack when smoked, salted, fried, or baked. But many people don’t want to mess with it because of the thinning process. It seems difficult to remove all the guts and bones from such a little thing. But there is a cleaning method that significantly reduces the time. With its help, you can sort through a kilogram of fish in just five minutes. Interesting? Then this master class is for you.
Step-by-step instructions for cutting capelin
Leave the frozen fish in the refrigerator overnight so that it thaws gradually. This will preserve its juiciness and strength. If there is no time, then defrost it in cold water. While the fish is defrosting, prepare the following equipment for work:- a wooden board wrapped in cling film;
- sharp fish knife;
- two plates for whole and filleted capelin;
- waste bag.
It is easier to work with fish that is not completely melted. We take it out of the water, put it on a board and begin a quick cleaning.
1. First, remove the head from all capelin, while simultaneously pulling out the insides. We don't need any tools. We do everything by hand.Pressing your fingers at the base of the head, pull it out. The internal organs will be pulled in place with it. We put the head and them in a waste bag, and put the carcass on a plate. We do this with all the fish at once.
2. Next, with a sharp knife, cut the abdominal cavity all the way to the tail (a little further than the anus). We insert the knife into the cavity and in one motion rip open the abdomen. There is no need to remove the remaining caviar and films at this stage. Let's not waste time. We quickly cut all the carcasses and move on to the cleaning stage.
Pay attention to how the carcass is cut. This cut will help you quickly remove the bones.
3. Using a napkin (toilet paper or paper towel), remove the black film. You should not skip this step, as the film gives the meat a sludge taste.
4. Now you need to prepare the capelin for removing the ridge and small bones. To do this, place the carcass belly down, run your finger along the ridge, pressing on the back.
5. Place your finger on the ridge near the tail and pull on it. It can be easily removed with all the bones in one movement.
So, the process is over. We cleaned small fish in just five minutes. Please note that you need to use a step-by-step method. That is, apply one procedure for all fish. It works faster this way.
Look clearly
You can see clearly how to clean a kilogram of capelin in 5 minutes in the video.
