Fish is one of the healthiest foods available. It is rich in essential nutrients such as protein, vitamins, and minerals. Numerous studies have shown that individuals who consume fish regularly have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and death from heart-related issues. Below are some tips for eliminating the fishy smell from fish for your reference.
Cleaning the Fish: Gut the fish, remove the internal organs, scale it (keep the scales only if frying), remove fins, clean the blood and the cloudy white membrane inside the belly, and discard the gills.
Using Salt Water or Rice Washing Water: After cleaning, you can soak the fish in diluted salt water or rice washing water for about 15 minutes, then rinse it with clean water to reduce the fishy smell.
After cleaning, you can soak the fish in diluted salt water or rice washing water to eliminate the fishy smell. (Illustrative image).
Using Lemon and Vinegar: Mix some cold water with vinegar, then wash the cleaned fish in this mixture to reduce the fishy smell. Additionally, you can dilute lemon juice and soak the fish in it for a few minutes before cleaning it as usual. This method is particularly useful for slippery fish as it helps remove the slime.
White Wine: After cleaning the fish, use diluted white wine to marinate the fish for about 2 minutes, then pat it dry; this will help reduce the fishy odor. If preparing steamed fish, add a little white wine to the steaming water; the steam will help dissipate the fishy smell.
Using Spices: Various spices can effectively eliminate the fishy smell. You can use pepper, onion, chili, ginger, and celery to help mask the odor. Specifically, you can use ginger and green onions. After frying the fish, while the oil is still hot, add some sliced ginger and stir well. After about 1 minute, add some chopped green onions and continue stirring until both the ginger and green onions are fragrant. At this point, the oil and pan will have been cleansed of the fishy smell.
Using Toothpaste: To remove the fishy smell from the pan after frying fish, first, squeeze a sufficient amount of toothpaste into the pan in a circular motion. Then, use a sponge to gently scrub in a clockwise direction to evenly coat the pan with toothpaste. Wait for about 5 minutes, then rinse the pan with dish soap or hot water. This will eliminate the fishy odor along with any stubborn burnt-on residues on the pan’s surface.
Coffee Grounds: Take a sufficient amount of coffee grounds and mix them with regular dish soap to create a thick paste. Use this mixture along with a sponge to scrub the surface of pans, pots, and dishes. After that, rinse all utensils with clean water. By following these steps, you can easily remove the fishy smell and leave a subtle coffee fragrance on your cookware and dishes. Additionally, coffee grounds help protect your hands during the scrubbing process.