How to Quickly Clean Fish and Seafood

When working with fish, we oftentimes find it difficult to remove the scales or separate the fillet from the skin. Cleaning seafood is not as easy as pie — for example, it’s quite hard to clean a squid or a prawn without accidentally throwing away pieces of meat together with the scraps.

5-Minute Crafts is showing you 7 simple ways to peel a fish, how to separate the fillet from the skin, and how to clean squid and shrimp. And the bonus feature will tell you how to quickly remove the smell of fish from a cutting board.

1. How to remove scales with a grater

1. Take a grater and apply it to the fish with the coarse side.

2. Remove the scales with the coarse part, moving it from one side to the other.

3. Make sure there are no more scales left. If necessary, brush the fish with the grater once again. Smaller scales can be removed with the help of the other side of the grater, which has smaller holes.

2. How to remove scales with a carrot

1. Take a fish and a big carrot. Split the carrot into 2 equal parts by making a diagonal cut in the middle.

2. Take one half of the carrot and apply it to the fish with the cut side.

3. Move the carrot from one side to the other, pushing the edges of the cut under the scales and removing them from the fish.

4. Make sure the scales have been removed completely. If necessary, proceed with the carrot once again.

3. How to remove scales with a mixer attachment

1. Take a drill and insert the mixer whisk attachment into it. Switch on the device. Make sure to take all the necessary precautions when working with your drill.

2. Slowly move the attachment from one side to the other, slightly touching the scales. Don’t press on the fish too hard as not to remove the skin and the fillet together with the scales. Once you’re done, make sure that the scales have been removed completely. If there are still some more scales left, proceed with the device once again. Also, be careful with the scales as you work: during the process, they will fly in different directions. That’s why it’s best to put paper towels around.

4. How to remove the skin from the fish fillet

1. Take a piece of fillet with the skin on it.

2. Pour boiling water over the skin. Be careful not to burn yourself.

3. Use your finger to pry the skin off the corner and pull gently.

4. Remove the skin from the fillet and start cooking.

5. How to clean a squid

1. Make cuts around the squid’s head and grab it with one hand. Holding the body, carefully pull the head and remove it together with the insides.

2. Find the cartilage inside the squid and remove it from the body.

3. Pry the squid’s skin open with your finger and carefully remove it together with the transparent film.

4. The squid’s body is clean now. You can start cooking it.

6. How to quickly clean shrimp with your hands

1. Spread the shrimp out, grab it by the head, and pull slightly on the tail.

2. Remove the bottom of the shell.

3. Remove the shrimp’s head and the leftovers of the shell.

4. The shrimp is ready for use.

7. How to quickly clean shrimp with a fork

1. Take a fork and some shrimp, having already removed its head.

2. Carefully slide the outermost tooth of the fork through the top of the shell.

3. When the biggest part of the shell is on the fork, pull the shrimp out from the bottom.

4. Clean the rest of the shrimp the same way.

Bonus: how to remove the smell of fish from a cutting board

1. Gather some ice cube trays and fill the compartments with mint toothpaste. Freeze them.

2. Cut the fish on the board.

3. Squeeze a portion of frozen toothpaste out of the tray.

4. Rub it on the cutting board.

5. Remove the toothpaste under running water with the help of a sponge.

6. Rinse well and properly dry the board.