Catfish is an interesting freshwater fish that attracts attention with its long whiskers and ability to live outside of water for a long time. Catfish can survive for long periods of time even out of water as long as their skin remains wet. With this feature and its ability to move between muddy and swampy ponds, it has a higher chance of survival than other fish in case of drought. Thanks to this feature, catfish can be found in all inland waters. Catfish is a delicious fish to eat. You can create delightful tables by using this fish in many recipes and experience the taste of catfish.
Catfish cleaning is slightly different from other fish because the catfish has no scales and its skin has a hard and slippery structure. Here are the catfish cleaning steps:
Preparation: Before you start cleaning the catfish, prepare a sharp knife, a pair of gloves and a cutting board. Gloves will help you grip the slippery fish better and protect your hands from cuts.
Decapitating: If you want to decapitate the fish, place the knife behind the fish's head and cut at the point where the head connects to the body. Some prefer to cut off the head after cleaning the fish's internal organs, which is entirely up to your preference.
Tail cut: Cut off the tail by carefully rotating the knife around the fish, approximately 1 cm above the tail.
Removing the skin: Gently split the skin on the back and ventral side of the fish with a knife and cut to the point where the skin separates from the meat. Then, with your gloved hands, remove the skin by pulling it from head to tail. You may need to continue to separate the skin using a knife during this process.
Cleaning the internal organs: Using the knife, open the abdominal cavity of the fish and carefully remove the internal organs. When removing internal organs, be careful not to burst the digestive tract and bladder. After the internal organs are removed, wash the inside of the fish thoroughly and clean it.
Removing the bones (optional): If you want to remove the bones, use the knife on the side of the fish in the area where the bones are located and cut around it. Then, carefully remove the bones. Don't forget to do this on both sides.
Slicing and washing: Prepare the fish to serve by cutting it into slices. Wash the fish thoroughly to get rid of any remaining waste and prepare the cleaned catfish for cooking.
The process of cleaning catfish may seem complicated at first, but after a few tries it will become more convenient and faster.
