Fish is low in calories, tastes great, and is nutritious, so many people love to eat it. However, people are often bothered by the fishy smell. How can you remove it? In fact, by mastering a few simple techniques, you can effectively eliminate the fishy smell. Below, the editor will teach you how to remove the fishy smell from fish.
1. Prevent fish from sticking to the pan when frying. You can add oil to a heated pan and then sprinkle some salt, or wipe the hot pan with ginger after heating it empty. You can also heat the pan more and use higher oil temperature. When you add the fish, the high temperature will immediately harden its surface, preventing it from sticking. Then, turn down the heat to cook the fish through.
2. Prevent the fish from breaking apart when braising. Before braising fish, first fry or deep-fry it thoroughly in the pan, using a generous amount of oil at a high temperature. When braising, the sauce should not be too much; it should generally be just enough to cover the fish. Do not turn the fish over. During the cooking process, continuously ladle the sauce over the fish. This will allow the fish to absorb the flavor while maintaining its original shape.
3. Add ginger later to remove the fishy smell. Some people like to add ginger to the pan with the fish, thinking this removes the fishy smell. However, this is not the case. Adding ginger too early will cause the fish to release proteins that hinder ginger's deodorizing effect. You can first cook the fish for a while in the pan until the proteins coagulate before adding ginger. Alternatively, when heating the oil, you can add a small amount of vinegar and cooking wine to help remove the fishy taste, reduce greasiness, and enhance the aroma. If you still detect a fishy smell, sprinkle some minced garlic before serving. This is especially effective for fish that has been frozen for a long time.
4. Steam fish with boiling water. When steaming fish, first bring the water in the steamer to a boil before adding the fish. Never use cold water. This is because the sudden high temperature will cause the fish's outer tissue to coagulate, locking in the internal juices. Before steaming, it's best to drizzle some chicken fat or lard on the fish to make the meat more tender and smooth. You can also cover the fish with plastic wrap to prevent its flavor from escaping or from being diluted by the condensation in the steamer.
5. Add milk when cooking frozen fish. When cooking fish that has been in the freezer for a long time, you can add some fresh milk to the broth to enhance its flavor. After taking the fish out of the freezer, it's best to let it thaw naturally, or you can thaw it in a container with a little salt. The purpose of this is that the proteins in the frozen fish will slowly coagulate upon contact with salt, preventing the loss of liquid and nutrients.