How to clean carp from scales - Here is the fish

The benefits of carp for humans

Carp is a very tasty and healthy fish. It contains many vitamins and minerals: iodine, vitamin C, PP, B1, B2, B6, B12, as well as pantothenic acid, a lot of phosphorus, calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc.

Regular consumption of carp leads to:

• improving memory and performance,
• reducing blood cholesterol levels;
• improving appetite;
• normalization of blood pressure;
• improving the functioning of the digestive system;
• cleansing the liver.

It is easily absorbed by the human body. Carp is a dietary product. It is recommended for consumption by adults and small children. The benefits of carp for human health have been proven by scientists. It does not accumulate radionuclides and heavy metals. Does not cause allergic reactions. Contains a large amount of polyunsaturated fats. Positively affects the cardiovascular system.

Appearance

Characteristics:

• Thick body of moderate length.
• Large, uniform, cylindrical scales with a characteristic edging on the sides.
• The sides are brown or golden yellow.
• Double nostrils.
• He often pulls his mouth into a tube.
• Small mustache above the upper lip.
• The eyes are set high, the pupils are small.
• Dark back with characteristic gray-olive fins.
• In adult specimens, brownish, gray and dark gray tones predominate in the general color.
• There are individuals that have no scales. This variety is called naked carp.

Carp is a freshwater fish; it comes to the table either from the store or by catching it yourself from a reservoir. It can grow up to one and a half meters. This fish lives in rivers and lakes, and is found in ponds, reservoirs, and artificial reservoirs. It is almost impossible to find it in the ocean and in the sea. This is due to the fact that it is not able to live in salt water.

How to choose the right carp in the store

When choosing fresh carp, pay attention to the following:

1. Fresh carp meat may have the smell of river water, algae, or pond. It should be elastic.
2. There cannot be a cloudy layer, mucus or blood on the skin.
3. Gill covers - pink or red, not stuck together
4. The eyes are clear, without a veil.

If you want to buy frozen fish, then you should pay attention to the quality of the glaze. It should be transparent, uniform and free of streaks. This suggests that the carcass was frozen on the day it was caught.

If, when purchasing a frozen carcass, you notice that its surface is rough, this indicates that the technology was violated at some stage of processing. It should be smooth.

If the carcass has spots or is brown in color, it is probably spoiled.

Features of carp

Carp is an unpretentious fish and can be caught using almost any bait. It can be attracted either by corn or peas, or by worms or maggots. Before preparing a dish, it is imperative to remove the bait from the mouth so that it does not end up in the finished dish.

To remove the bait, you need to open the carp's mouth and expose it to a fairly high pressure of cold water. Thus, the water will wash away all excess. If you can’t get the bait, then you can use a hook.

Before you start cleaning the carp, you should rinse it and remove any remaining bait.

Preparing the site

Carp can be cleaned in the kitchen, but its scales will fly in different directions. Therefore, housewives suggest putting it in a basin or other suitable container. You will also need a large volume of water, you can use running water.

Prepare a sponge, but remember that after working with fish you will have to throw it away. You will also need towels or napkins to dry the carp after washing.

Knives, scissors, scrapers and other devices can be laid out on the workplace in advance.

You can also use the package. You need to place the fish in it and remove the scales. In this case, the kitchen will definitely remain clean.

Carp cleaning

The main question that arises during the work: how to clean carp so that the scales do not fly away in different directions? During cleaning, the fish should be held by the tail, while the head should be facing the person cleaning it. Tips to facilitate this process are also highlighted:

• You can place the carcass in a bowl of cold water and clean it there. In this case, the scales will not scatter throughout the kitchen, but will all remain in the water.
• An equally effective option is to place the fish in a plastic bag and clean it inside. This way all the waste will be in the bag.
• To make the carcass easy to clean, you can place it in the sink, pouring boiling water over it. It would be a good idea to cover the table with film and the board with newspaper. This will prevent the fish from sliding on the surface, which will make cleaning much easier.

You can simply clean carp in the sink

When asked how to quickly clean carp, there are useful recommendations. To avoid fiddling with fish for a long time, you need to follow the instructions. The fish is cleaned strictly from the tail to the head. First, the scales are removed from one side, then from the other. You need to pay special attention to the place where the abdomen is located. This is where it is most difficult to clean.

Preparing carp for cleaning and cooking

Not every housewife knows how to properly clean carp. It is better to clean it fresh, in three stages:

1. Preparation.
2. Removing scales.
3. Removal of internal organs.

Before you start cleaning and preparing carp, you need to perform several preparatory steps:

• If the fish is caught with bait, then you need to rinse your throat by directing a stream of water there. This is done to wash away all excess.
• It is necessary to remove the gills near the head. Because bacteria multiply most quickly in them. You can skip this step if you don't plan to use the head for cooking. If you don't need it, you can simply cut it off.
• The carcass must be washed very well, the fins must be cut off so that they do not interfere with the removal of scales.

Preparing fresh fish

Carp lives in fresh water bodies; most often this fish ends up on the table from a store or as a fisherman’s catch. If it was caught with bait, then the latter needs to be removed from the throat; this can be done by directing a stream of water there, which will wash away all the excess. You also need to remove the gills from the head, where bacteria begin to multiply first. All this is necessary if the preparation requires the presence of a head, otherwise it can simply be cut off later.

The carcass must be thoroughly washed to remove silt and the slimy coating that protects the scales. To do this, simply rinse the carp under running water. It is also worth cutting off the fins first so that they do not interfere when the time comes to clean the carp from scales. They can easily hurt you.

Removing scales

This is the most difficult stage. It is best to clean fish from scales with a sharp knife. You need to be extremely careful during the process.

1. Pour boiling water over the carp. This way we soften the scales.
2. Let's start cleaning with a fillet knife from the tail to the head; if there are small scales left, just clean them off. We wash the knife periodically under the tap.
3. Wash the carp with running water until the scales are completely removed.

The video shows a manual cleaning method that will ensure a clean kitchen.

The process of cleaning frozen fish is no different, but it should be slightly defrosted before working.

Carp should be soaked in water before cleaning. To give it a special taste, you can add dill or a little lemon zest.

How to clean fish from scales?

The main question that arises in the process of processing carp is how to quickly clean the fish from scales so that the scales do not fly off in different directions?

1. Many people clean fish by dipping it in a bowl of water. The scales remain in the water and do not need to be removed later.
2. You can put the carcass in a thick plastic bag and clean it there. All waste will remain inside the bag.
3. The carcass can be cleaned on the table by nailing it by the tail to a wooden cutting board. The fish is pulled out, held by the head, and calmly cleaned, starting from the tail, against the growth of the scales. However, after this procedure you will have to wash the table and kitchen utensils.

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How to gut

Cleaned and washed carp must be properly gutted.

1. We place the washed carp on a cutting board; you can put paper or a plastic bag on it.
2. We make an incision from head to tail, rip open the belly.
3. We carefully pull out the insides so that the bile does not burst, because in this case the meat will taste bitter.
4. We wash the fish thoroughly.

To get rid of lingering odor, wipe your hands and board with lemon juice.

How to cut carp

After the carp is cleared of scales, it must be properly cut. The process involves removing the entrails, gills, fins, and preparing the fillets.

How to gut it properly

1. We cut the cleaned and washed fish on a board. To avoid a persistent fishy smell, grease your hands and board with lemon juice.
2. Using a sharp knife or scissors, make a longitudinal cut from head to tail, opening the belly of the fish.

You need to cut the belly of the fish from head to tail.

How to cut this fish

1. If we cook the carp whole, remove the gills and eyes with a knife. Otherwise, we cut off the head.

If you cook fish with the head on, you need to remove the gills with a knife.

To remove the upper fin, we make longitudinal cuts along the back

Video: filleting carp without gutting

Before cutting into fillets, the carp also needs to be washed and scaled, but you don’t have to gut it.

How to cut

It all depends on how we cook the fish: whole or sliced, or perhaps you only need fillets.

In the first case, you need to remove the eyes and gills with fins and cut off the head and tail.

If you have to prepare portioned pieces, then cut the carcass as required by the recipe. You can fillet large fish by following the steps below.

How to fillet carp

You need a knife and a cutting board.

1. Using a sharp knife, make an incision along the gills, reaching the spine.
2. We make an incision from the dorsal fin.
3. We cut through the tail part with a knife.
4. Separate the meat. We leave the ribs on the ridge.
5. After this, remove the fillet from both sides.
6. Remove the skin from the fillet.
7. We check for the presence of single bones. Ready!

Cleaning carp from scales and entrails

After preparing the work area, you can clean the carp from scales. Pour water into a deep bowl and place the fish in it. First put rubber gloves on your hands and rag gloves on them so that the carcass does not slip. Using a grater and a fish scraper, remove scales, moving from the tail to the head.

After cleaning, rinse the fish. If there are any problem areas, pour boiling water over them. Hot water will soften the plates and they will easily come away from the skin. To quickly clean small carp, you can completely immerse the carcass in boiling water for 30–50 seconds.

Rip open the abdomen from the anus to the head using a sharp kitchen knife. Do not make the incision deep so as not to damage the intestines. Use a knife to scrape out the insides, being careful not to damage the bile sac. Remove all films and blood clots. Rinse the carcass thoroughly several times under running water.

If the bile was cut during the tearing process, you need to quickly place the carcass under running water to wash away all remaining bitterness. On the back, make deep cuts on the sides of the upper fin and pull it out. Use scissors to cut off the sides of the fins. Also make cuts at the bottom near the tail to remove the lower fin.

Carp recipes

Once you have completed the cleaning, you can start cooking. Carp is a universal fish. It can be cooked in the oven, on the grill, and in the smokehouse. The most important thing is that when cooked correctly, the meat turns out to be very tasty. We have prepared a couple of recipes that will please any connoisseur of this freshwater fish.

Fried carp with crispy crust

• carp - approximately 1.5 kg;
• lemon - 1-2 pieces;
• wheat flour (for deboning);
• salt to taste;
• pepper (ground black) to taste;
• vegetable oil (for frying)

Preparation:

1. Cut the fish into steaks approximately 2 cm thick.
2. Blot with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
3. Place the carp in a bowl and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
4. Leave for 10 minutes.
5. Dip each steak in flour. This will give an original taste and golden color to the finished product.
6. Pour vegetable oil into the frying pan until it completely covers the bottom.
7. Place the steaks and fry on both sides for 5-7 minutes over high heat until golden brown.
8. If the pieces are large, then at the end of frying, cover with a lid and fry under it over low heat.
9. Place the finished steaks on paper towels to remove excess oil.

Fried carp is ready. You can serve with onions or other side dishes. Don't forget to sprinkle with herbs and sprinkle with lemon juice for taste.

Stuffed carp with vegetables and mushrooms

• carp - 1.8 kg;
• sour cream (or mayonnaise) - 50 g;
• fried mushrooms - 100 g;
• onion - 150 g;
• carrots - 150 g;
• lemon (juice) - 0.5 pcs.;
• salt - 1 tsp;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• seasoning for fish - 0.5 tsp;
• vegetable oil - for frying.

Preparation:

1. Cut the carcass from the top from the back to the ridge into portioned pieces. In the incised places, cut the ridge.
2. Mix all seasonings with salt.
3. Rub the mixture onto the fish.
4. Sprinkle with lemon juice.
5. Fry the onions with mushrooms and carrots in vegetable oil and add a little salt.
6. Lubricate the carp with sour cream or mayonnaise.
7. Stuff with vegetables and mushrooms.
8. Bake the stuffed carp for 40-50 minutes at 200°C.

Carp stuffed with mushrooms and vegetables is ready.

Cleaning carp is not as difficult as it seems. You should not deny yourself gastronomic pleasure because of this process. If you follow all the rules, the result will exceed your expectations, and soon you will be cleaning like a real professional. Healthy and tasty fish will become your favorite dish!