What is the easiest way to clean frozen pike? How to properly clean and cut pike at home. How to properly separate pike fillets from bones

Freeing pike from scales

First, the carcass must be washed from mucus and dirt under pressure of water. The pike should be cleaned of scales starting from the tail. There are two ways to do this.

In the first, you need a large cutting board (glass or plastic). To prevent slipping, fix it on a damp towel. Before you get ready to clean the fish, you need to put on rubber gloves. Cleaning algorithm:

1. Place the fish so that the head is on the left and the tail is on the right. (For lefties, it’s the other way around).
2. Clean from the pike's tail to the head.

• Holding the tail with one hand and a knife (scraper, fork) with the other, you need to pry the scales against the growth. Using the device at a sharp angle, with frequent movements, prying up the scales, you need to move them onto the blade.

In the second method, it is recommended to clean the scales in water. To do this, a large basin or sink with a stopper that holds back the drain is filled with cold water so that the carcass is completely covered. Holding the tail in your hand, they begin to clean the fish scales towards the head. First, one of the sides is cleaned, covering the middle of the back and belly. Turning it over, clean everything else from scales.

Advice: It is strictly not recommended to hold the fish by the head with your fingers inserted into the mouth. Sharp teeth can cause serious injury. To prevent the tail from slipping out, sprinkle it with salt. It is necessary to clean the scales before they dry out, otherwise they will be very difficult to remove.

Stages of mandatory cleaning of pike

Fortunately, before cleaning a pike, you don’t have to waste time trimming the sharp spines on its fins, as you have to do when working with many other species. But we must not forget that the gills of this animal are equipped with impressive spines, which can also cause injury.

The manipulation of product pre-processing itself is as follows:

• We rinse the fish under running water for several minutes, trying to remove mucus and dirt from its surface.
• It is recommended to remove scales under water, this will reduce the risk of debris spreading throughout the kitchen. For this purpose, we use either a filled sink or a prepared basin with cool water.
• We hold the fish by the tail, which has been treated with coarse salt. We work with a knife or other cleaning object towards the head. A big mistake is the almost perpendicular position of the knife. Its blade should be at an acute angle, in this case the scales will not fly off, but will lie on the surface of the tool.
• First rinse the fish thoroughly in the same water, then rinse it under the tap. We make sure that there are no scales left anywhere, put the product on a cutting board.
• Remove the fins with kitchen scissors. If you use a knife for this purpose, then you need to work from the tail to the head.

• There is dense cartilage between the head and belly of the pike; it must be cut. Now you can open the belly of the fish by making an even longitudinal cut and going minimally inside. If the manipulation is performed correctly, after this it will be possible to easily remove the intact insides. If during the cutting process any organs are damaged, you will have to additionally clean the cavity, rinse it repeatedly and rub it with salt.
• We do not cut off or tear off the insides that are brought out. We move on to the head and cut out the gills from it, prying off the cartilages to which they are attached. Now the giblets can be separated from the carcass.
• All that remains is to clean out the air bubble and the blood clots underneath. We wash the carcass again and proceed to further processing.

From the insides of large pike, you can use not only caviar, but also liver as food. Just first you need to examine it and make sure the integrity of the gallbladder. We separate it and throw it away, and use the offal to prepare delicious dishes.

Two ways to clean scales in a minute

When time is short, we clean the pike quickly. It will take less than a minute to get rid of scales at home if you use boiling water from a kettle. Carefully hold the carcass by the head and scald it in the sink on all sides. After this, the scales can be removed very easily with a knife without flying apart.

A quick option in the yard involves cleaning the pike with a Karcher. The fish in the area of ​​the head is secured on one side to a nail previously driven into the board. Using Karcher, directing the jet with powerful pressure, like a razor, scales, dirt and mucus are removed from it. Then the fish is turned over and the procedure is repeated.

How to clean frozen pike

Frozen pike is easier to clean, it is not so slippery. There is no need to defrost, but you will have to clean it like this:

• Prepare a sharp, strong knife, pliers (tongs), and a cutting board.
• Cut off all sharp fins of a frozen carcass, except the side ones.

• Make an incision along the entire circumference of the head, along the back and belly to make it easier to remove the skin.

• Use tongs to grab the edge of the pike skin and gently pull it off, starting from the tail, although there is not much difference if you do this from the head. After this you can safely cut it off.

• Gut the carcass, removing the insides carefully so as not to damage the gallbladder.

• Separate the caviar and intact liver to later use for cooking.
• Cut the fish into pieces 5 cm thick.
• Use a knife to separate the pulp from the spine.

• Place the finished fillet in the freezer or marinate. You can also twist it into minced meat.

Advice: before putting caught pike in the freezer, do not wash it and clear it of mucus, this will cause the taste to deteriorate later. You can remove the scales of fish taken out of the freezer using the northern peoples’ method. To do this, wear cotton gloves. Take the cassette from under the eggs and lower the pike's head into the recess. Holding the tail, from it to the head, like a planer, using a sharp knife, cut off the skin with frozen scales thinly, like a plane. The good thing about this method is that it’s easy to clean even difficult places in the abdominal area.

The fastest option

If you plan to make roasts, cutlets, dumplings, pie filling from pike, or get layers of fillet for some recipe, you don’t need to save the skin.

In this case, it is simply removed along with the scales in a few minutes. Before cleaning the pike for cutlets, you need to make an incision along the back and pry it with a knife. Place your index finger under it and, moving forward, separate it from the pulp. After this, the fillet is removed from the bones and washed well.

Note! You can also cut the fish lengthwise into two layers. Remove the backbone and trim the flesh from the rib bones and skin.

Cleaning and gutting thawed pike

After removing the scales, freshly caught or thawed pike can be cleaned and dressed in almost the same way as frozen pike:

1. The knife is stuck shallowly, so as not to damage the gallbladder, into the head, cutting the thick cartilage at its base with the abdomen.
2. The belly rips open towards the tail.
3. The insides are removed, but the insides are not torn off.
4. The gills are hooked onto the cartilages and removed from the head.
5. The carcass is freed from giblets.
6. The bubble holding the air is removed. The blood that has accumulated underneath is removed.
7. The pike is washed under running water.
8. Everything that will later be useful for fish soup (fins, tail and head) is removed.

• Using a sharp wide knife blade, the fillet, straight with the ribs, is separated from the ridge on one side and the other.
• Using tweezers, remove the small bones remaining in the fillet.

• If the pulp is for minced meat, then you can leave the skin without removing it. If it is not needed, then use a sharp knife blade to cut the fillet from the skin.

How to clean pike – fillets and bones

• The fish is cleaned of scales and the insides are gutted; you can begin to separate the fillet from the bones. The meat is thoroughly washed under running water. For convenience during work, the pike's head is not separated from the body. Holding the fish by the head, the gill covers are trimmed using a sharp knife.
• Next, the gills are grabbed by hand, and the fillet layer is cut with a knife along the ridge on one side and the other. After cutting off the juiciest parts, the fish is not thrown away. The pike head and meat scraps make a delicious fish soup. Only the gills need to be cut out, because the soup will be very bitter. The head and spine are frozen in the freezer.

Variations: how to clean a pike according to the rules

If you have any doubts about how to properly approach cleaning, then the following options are possible:

In winter and summer fishing, in the yard and at home, cleaning pike, as it turns out, can be done safely and quickly. This means there will be even more opportunities to pamper yourself and those around you with pike delicacies.

Fish is a food product rich in vitamins and is often used in the diet menu. There are a variety of types, and even more cooking methods. Many lovers prefer pike, whose meat is rich in protein and has excellent taste. Regular consumption improves human immunity, the body becomes resistant to various infections, pike meat contains antiseptic substances.

Preparation

To make the dish quick and easy to prepare, it is important to properly prepare the pike. The processing is as follows.

• Get rid of the smell of mud.
• Remove the bones.

Cutting up a carcass is a dirty task and few housewives do it willingly. But the desire to get a tasty and healthy dish will force you to sacrifice a manicure. Knowing how to cut it correctly, everything will end quickly. We will need:

• Convenient knife.
• Cutting board.
• Running water.
• Paper towels.
• Bowl or other suitable container.

Classic cutting of fresh pike

How to get rid of mucus

To get rid of mucus, the pike must be washed under the tap, then placed in a container of water and left there for 30 minutes. After this, rinse again and start cutting.

How to remove scales correctly

Pour boiling water over the fish and the scales will be easier to remove. It is best to use a knife with a thick blade for cleaning. It is necessary to move against the growth of scales.

How to gut

Using a thin sharp knife, an incision is made in the abdomen area and the entrails are removed. The tail and all fins are cut off using scissors. The finished carcass is washed under running cold water. Next, cooking from pike. If these are fish cutlets, then the fillets are separated. Fried or baked fish requires preliminary removal of bones.

Milling

An incision is made 1 cm from the gills deep into the ridge, without cutting it. An incision is also made along the back. Using a knife, starting from the head, carefully cut off the fillet on one side. Then turn the carcass over and do the same manipulation on the other side. From the inside, remove the film and remove the ribs.

Video tips

Lifehacks for cleaning pike

Tips for easy cleaning:

• you need to rinse the pike in salt water, this will help get rid of mucus;
• To prevent the fish from slipping in your hands and make it more convenient to hold, dip the tail in coarse salt;
• If the gall bladder ruptures and bile gets on the meat, treat these areas with salt.

Cleaning with boiling water and lemon

Algorithm of actions:

1. Quickly scald the carcass with boiling water.
2. We clean the scales. After this, rub the fish with half a lemon for several minutes, then continue cutting.
3. Immediately before cooking, squeeze out lemon juice and apply it to the surface of the pike and the insides.

Boiling water and lemon are often used when cleaning fish. Their use relieves the pike of unpleasant odors and makes the process easier.

Getting rid of scales with a Karcher

For this method of cleaning you will need a wooden board with a clothespin and a car karcher.

Step by step steps:

1. Hook the pike by the tail with a clothespin.
2. Turn on Kärcher.
3. Smoothly move the pistol along the carcass at a minimum distance.
4. After processing one side, turn the fish over and do the same manipulations on the other side.

In the next video you can see how to clean fish with a Karcher. The video was published by the KopilkaSamorodkov channel.

Cleaning on the go

Cleaning fish in field conditions differs from the same process at home except in the limited amenities, while:

1. To speed up the process of removing scales, a fisherman should boil water in a pot in advance and pour it over the carcass.
2. Then you need to rinse the fish with plain water, and then begin removing the scales.
3. Next, the fins are trimmed and the gills are removed.
4. The belly is ripped open and the entrails are removed. If necessary, the head is cut off.

Features of cutting frozen pike

To easily handle frozen pike, you need a sharp knife, cutting board and tongs. The step-by-step cleaning step looks like this:

• Rinse the pike in running water.
• Trim all fins and tail.
• Make a shallow cut around the entire head.
• Also make an incision along the entire abdomen and back.
• Using tongs, grab the edge of the skin from the side of the head and gently pull it off.
• After this, cut off the head.
• The fish is cut into pieces 5 cm in size - this makes it easier to separate the fillet from the backbone and small bones.

Basic rules for cutting pike

Rule I

Be careful with the fish's mouth! This predator has very sharp teeth and they grow in several rows deep into the mouth. You can hurt your fingers very easily!

Rule II

Before cleaning the fish from scales, it must be rinsed very thoroughly to remove mucus and dirt under running water. Next, blot away the moisture.

Rule III

Before cleaning your pike, take care of the facilities. When cutting fish, there should be enough space so that you can lay it out on the board and have room to move your hands.

The cutting board should not move on the table, it should be stable on the countertop, so place paper towels lightly moistened with water under it. Or, to be safe, moisten a linen towel with water and place it under the board.

Rule IV

The knife must be very sharp, with a wide blade and a comfortable handle, otherwise it will be difficult to properly separate the fillet.

Preparing to cook

The basis of preparation is proper cutting, cleaning of bones, scales, and skins. Pike is prepared in various ways, which we will consider below.

Frying

To fry a pike, you need to cut the carcass into pieces about 5 cm in size. In a separate plate, mix flour and salt and pepper, in another, break a couple of eggs. You can lightly salt them. Heat a frying pan with a little oil. Each piece:

1. Roll on all sides in flour.
2. Dip completely into egg mixture.
3. Place in a frying pan and fry on both sides until golden brown.

To prepare pike soup, you need to throw potatoes, a whole onion and salt to taste into boiling water. When it is ready, it is the turn of fish and cereals (you can use rice, pearl barley, millet cereals). At the end you can add bay leaf and fresh dill.

Fish cutlets

Grind the pike fillet, add the egg, spices, onion, a couple of tbsp. spoons of flour, mix. The dough should look like pancakes. Fry in a small amount of oil.

Baking

One of the cooking options is baking in the oven. Cooking time is about 30 minutes. You can use foil if desired. The fish will turn out juicy, tasty and healthy.

Ingredients:

• Pike – 1 carcass.
• Hard cheese – 100 gr.
• Spices to taste, salt.
• Mayonnaise or vegetable oil.
• Fresh tomato – 1-2 pieces (depending on size).

Preparation:

1. Cut the prepared carcass into 3 cm pieces. Place in a bowl.
2. Add salt, spices, oil (or mayonnaise) and mix. Leave for 30 minutes, let it marinate.
3. Place the finished pieces on a baking sheet or foil.
4. Place a tomato circle on top of each piece, brush lightly with mayonnaise and sprinkle with grated cheese.
5. Place in the oven until fully cooked.

Video recipe

• The remaining backbone with a small amount of fish meat (after filleting) can be used to prepare fish soup.
• When cutting pike you need to be careful because it has sharp teeth.
• When purchasing, you should pay attention to the gills, smell, eyes (should not be cloudy), elasticity.

Pike is an excellent option for preparing tasty and healthy food at home. If you follow all the recommendations, cutting will not take much time. Bon appetit!

Fish is a healthy product, rich in fatty acids and microelements. Pike is considered one of the most delicious river fish; a particularly good dish is made from the pike pulp, for example, cutlets, but cooking the fish takes a lot of time: it needs to be cleaned, gutted and cut up. And if the first two points usually do not pose any difficulties even for inexperienced housewives, then you need to be able to cut a pike correctly.

How to cut a pike

Pike dishes are very popular: it is not only a tasty and nutritious river fish, but also a healthy dietary food product with a large amount of proteins, fatty acids and other healing substances. To fry pike, it is not necessary to cut it completely, that is, separate all the bones from the pulp, but the taste of this dish is inferior to the taste of pike cutlets and other chopped fish dishes.

The first method of cutting pike

There are several ways to cut pike; each housewife or cook also has her own secrets of this labor-intensive process. First, you need to rinse the pike in cold water, removing mucus and debris, and then clean it of scales using a sharp knife. To prevent the scales from scattering in different directions, you need to hold the fish at a slight angle.

You can place newspapers or a plastic bag under the board - this makes it easier to collect the scales later

Then the tail, dorsal and anal fins of the fish are cut off, while holding the knife against the direction of the scales. Then gut the pike - by piercing the skin near the head, run the knife all the way to the tail and pull out the entire contents of the belly from the resulting cut. You can save the milk or game to cook later. Now you can cut off the pelvic fins. Cut off the head and tail - they can be used to prepare other dishes. Now all that remains is to remove the skin from the fish; in pike it is elastic, dense, and comes off easily. Then, with a strong movement of the knife, cut the pike in half along the ridge, you will get a strip of fish flesh with a row of bones on the upper dorsal part. Using a knife at a sharp angle, cut off the part with the bones. There will be a few bones left on the pulp - large bones can be removed later, and small bones will be finely chopped when preparing minced meat and will not interfere. The second strip of fillet must be turned over with the ridge up and the ridge cut off.

How to quickly and correctly clean fresh pike

You can easily and quickly clean fresh pike using this method:

1. Place the fish in a basin or sink and treat with boiling water or running water for 3-5 minutes.
2. Clean off scales.
3. Remove fins.
4. Remove the entrails.

How to get rid of mucus

An easy way to get rid of fish slime is to rinse the carcass with water. For a better effect, this can be done with a warm or hot stream.

How to remove scales

• You need to hold the fish by the caudal fin with one hand, and use the other to separate the scales using a knife or a special device against the direction of growth;
• The tool needs to be held slightly at an angle so that the scales do not fly apart.

To keep your work area clean, it is best to place the fish in a basin and process it under water.

How to gut

Gutting a fish looks like this:

1. Remove fins.
2. Then remove the cartilage located between the head and belly.
3. Make a longitudinal incision in the abdominal cavity from the gills to the tail. If the cavity is too deep, the bile can be damaged and the belly can be stained.
4. After this, you should remove the insides, carefully cutting them off.
5. All that remains is to separate the gills and, last of all, get rid of the air bubble and blood clots underneath it.
6. Before proceeding with further processing, we wash the carcass again.

This cutting method is used when you intend to fry or boil fish.

How to cook fillet

If only fillets are required from the pike, the cleaning process is greatly simplified:

1. We remove the fins and entrails according to the algorithm above, leaving the scales.
2. Then we cut lengthwise along the ridge (most likely, this will have to be done several times until the knife reaches the ribs).
3. Remove the skin from both sides.
4. All that remains is to cut out the ridge and pull out the bones with tongs. If the fish is large, for convenience you can chop it into pieces and then remove the bones with special tweezers.

The process of cutting fish along the ridge

Cutting pike for stuffing

To cut pike for stuffing you need:

1. Carefully peel off the scales: they need to be removed, being careful not to damage the skin. If the skin is still damaged, then you should simply sew up the excess cuts and remove the threads after cooking.
2. Before cutting, you should lightly wipe off any moisture from the fish.
3. To get rid of the entrails without damaging the belly, you need to make a cut in a circle under the gill bones and remove them from there.
4. After freeing the carcass from giblets, remove the skin.
5. Next, cut off the tail and you can start cooking.

When cleaning, it is not advisable to hold the fish by its open mouth. Pike have small but very sharp teeth that can severely damage hands even with gloves.

Alex Z showed how to prepare a dish of stuffed pike in his video.

The second method of cutting pike

Another method is much faster - you do not need to first gut the pike and separate the skin from it. Clean it and immediately start cutting along the ridge, as in the first method. When one strip of flesh is cut from the pike, the remaining part will contain not only the ridge, but also the entire contents - now all this needs to be separated from the pulp. All that remains is to separate the fillet from the skin, always from the tail side, while conveniently holding the skin with a fork.

Pike is a river predatory fish. On average, it reaches a meter in length. The usual weight is eight kilograms (maybe more). For cooking, you need to choose a fish that weighs less - up to three kilograms. It is not so fatty, but at the same time tender and juicy. The low calorie content of pike meat will be useful in diets and proper nutrition.

Useful properties of pike

Pike meat contains a large amount of fats, vitamins, micro- and macroelements necessary for the human body. The content of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, iron, zinc, iodine and many other useful substances makes the pike dish not only tasty, but also extremely healthy.

This fish also has antiseptic properties, which help strengthen the immune system and maintain the body's resistance to infectious diseases.

From this we can highlight the main benefits of cutting and preparing a pike carcass:

• contains vitamins;
• many micro- and macroelements;
• few calories;
• natural antiseptic.

Useful properties of fish

Pike belongs to freshwater fish from the pike family.
Its length can be about 150 cm, and its weight can be from 2 to 35 kg. Its meat is quite filling and low in calories. The most delicious meat is from young pike weighing 2-2.5 kg; it is very juicy and tender. Larger fish have a less rich and expressive taste, but they are no less often used for preparing various dishes. Stuffed pike is especially popular. The benefits of pike meat for the human body are difficult to overestimate. It manifests itself in the following properties:

1. It has a low calorie content: 100 g of meat contains only 84 kcal and about 3% fat.
2. Acts as a natural antiseptic, much more useful than chemical ones. It fights all kinds of infections, strengthening the immune system.
3. The content of vitamins, micro- and macroelements makes pike an unusually healthy fish.

The fact that in addition to its excellent taste, this fish is a real storehouse of vitamins and nutrients, undoubtedly makes it one of the most common and favorite delicacies.

Those who decided to try this fish for the first time are interested in how many bones there are in pike compared to other types of fish. In fact, it contains quite a lot of thin seeds branched from the ridge. In terms of bonyness, it can be compared with fish from the carp family. In this regard, it is extremely rarely fried.

Quick cleaning methods

As everyone knows, cleaning fish is an unpleasant and messy process. There are many lovers of fish meat, but few will want to take on cutting. To make it easier to clean the pike, you need to take it alive. Of course, it is not always possible to immediately clean a fish after catching it. Although some fishermen do this during winter fishing.

To make cleaning easier and remove mucus from the skin of the fish, you need to wash it well under running water (warm), and then pour boiling water over it. This must be done several times during cleaning from different sides of the carcass.

Due to the fact that the carcass has already sat and hardened a little, the cleaning process becomes more difficult. To remedy the situation and make it easier, you can use tips for eliminating the river smell: brush the fish with lemon or soak it in water and vinegar.

If the smell is not a problem, you can start cleaning the scales. If possible, do this outside, but if this is not possible, then for cleaning you need to:

If all processes are performed correctly and carefully, it will not take much time or much hassle. We place the scalded carcass on the prepared workplace and begin the cleaning itself:

Having received the cleaned meat of low-calorie tasty fish, you need to take care of further parsing of the carcass

.

You can prepare meat for minced meat or for frying chops in batter or cutlets. To understand how to cut pike into cutlets, you should use the following tips:

• Cut off the head below the pectoral fins.
• Make a cut along the dorsal fins along the ridge to the ribs (to do this, you may need to repeat the cut several times).
• Having reached the side line, cut the sirloin from the rib bones.
• Use tweezers to remove bones from fillet.
• Using a sharp knife, carefully cut off the skin at an angle, holding the meat with your hands.

How to clean a pike - scales and entrails

• It is better to start cutting fish after catching or purchasing. The meat quickly deteriorates (the smell changes) and hardens. The pike mouth is equipped with long and sharp teeth, so you should be very careful when cutting and cleaning. It is easy to get injured with such teeth.
• Before you start cleaning, the fish is washed under running water to remove mucus and dirt. A working surface is prepared, that is, a large comfortable board and a sharp knife for cutting. Before removing the insides, it will be convenient to remove scales from the fish. For these purposes, you can use a special device called a “scraper”. The object looks like a serrated knife. If there is no scraper, then use a knife. The scales are removed at an angle and against the growth of the scales. To do this, the fish is taken by the tail part, the scales are removed by moving the knife or scraper towards you. Remove the scales carefully, as they can scatter throughout the kitchen. It is advisable to use a knife to avoid tearing the skin.
• The carcass is placed on the board with its tail facing away from itself. Now you need to cut open the stomach to pull out the insides. You should press the fish head firmly and run the knife in the area of ​​the middle fins up to the head. After the belly is open, the insides are pulled out by hand. If there is any caviar left in the belly, it is pulled out. Fish caviar is a good addition to the dish and a great delicacy. The structure of the internal organs is such that the caviar is hidden in a protective film. And in order to get it out conveniently, it is important to try not to damage the film during cutting and gutting. Otherwise, the eggs will fall out of their shell, making its preparation and washing will be inconvenient.

Cleaning frozen fish

When it is not possible to buy fresh fish, there is a way out - buy fresh frozen

. To clean it, you need to prepare it: defrost it, but not completely, just to the skin (to do this, just pour it over with warm water).

Pike is a predatory fish with quite tasty meat. To cook pike, you can find a large number of different recipes, especially on the Internet.

Some of them are designed to remove the skin from the fish. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to do this quickly and correctly. This operation requires attention and caution, as there is a possibility of damage to the fish carcass. This is especially important when the pike needs to be cooked whole.

The easiest way is to remove it with a stocking. To do this you will have to do some steps.

Cleaning the scales

The first thing to do is remove the scales from the fish carcass. This is not as easy to do as it seems, since the scales on the pike are held firmly, and the scales themselves are quite hard. It is better to do this operation outside, otherwise you can clog the entire kitchen. The easiest way to clean scales is with a sharp knife. Movements should be directed against the direction of scale growth.

Preparatory operations

After removing the scales, wash the fish, and then remove excess moisture with a paper towel. To make it convenient, you should select the entire desktop surface for this operation. A cutting board, a sharp knife and a container for waste will also come in handy.

Skin Removal Technology

This cutting stage is not only difficult, but also responsible. To begin, use a sharp knife to make several cuts near the gills. In this case, you should leave the space intact that connects the head and back of the fish. After this, the fish is gutted, removing all the insides, and washed thoroughly.

Before starting the process, you should pry the skin near the head with a knife. Some craftsmen cut off the fins right away, but this is not recommended, since after removing the skin there will be unsightly places that will need to be repaired.

To make the skin easier to remove, it is constantly pryed with a sharp knife. This is a very delicate and jewelry work that requires a certain amount of attention and concentration. In the places where the fins are located, they are trimmed with scissors, and the tail is cut off along with the skin removed.

How to clean fillets - an alternative option

• There is also a way to clean pike without the hassle of dealing with scales. To achieve this, scales are not scraped off the fish during processing. After washing, the meat is immediately placed on a board, an incision is made under the gills, and the fillet is cut off.
• The ridge and head are set aside for later use. The skin along with the scales is removed from the loin. This way the scales don’t scatter all over the kitchen, although it adds more hassle to cleaning the work area.

Cutting fish is a messy process that you have to go through to start preparing a delicious dish. Although pike has a lot of bones, the meat is worth the hassle. By observing the important nuances of cleaning and cutting, you can prepare an amazing dish. There are plenty of recipes for cooking pike: fried, stewed and boiled meat. Fish is suitable for people on a diet and those who simply love to eat with an appetite.

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Cutting pike in the field

Most vacationers cook the caught fish directly near the reservoir. And this is understandable, since freshly caught fish is always much tastier, and even cooked in nature. Moreover, despite the fact that some devices are missing in nature, pike can be cut without any particular difficulties.

Cutting begins with removing the scales and entrails from the pike. These operations are carried out using a sharp knife, which is always available to vacationers or fishermen.

After this, the fish is thoroughly washed to remove excess odors, since marinating alone is unlikely to get rid of this. The fish can either be cut into pieces and fried in a frying pan, or cooked whole over coals, having previously coated the carcass with clay.

Many fishermen who go fishing for several days take with them all the necessary kitchen utensils, so there should not be any special problems with cooking fish outdoors.

Pike recipes

Pike has been valued for its nutritional value since ancient times, and dishes made from it were a real decoration for any celebration. Currently, many recipes for its preparation are known. It is not only fried, but also baked whole, and also stuffed with various cereals, which turns out tasty and nutritious.

Pike is prepared quite simply, but for this you need to stock up on additional ingredients. For example:

• Pike – 2 carcasses.
• One onion.
• One carrot.
• Loaf.
• One egg.
• Dill.
• Salt.
• Pepper.
• Olive oil.

Cooking technology:

1. The fish is cleaned of scales and entrails. In this case, you should cut off the head and get rid of the gills, after which the fish is thoroughly washed. After this, the pike is skinned using a “stocking”, with the tail and fins removed.
2. The stuffing filling is prepared from another pike fillet. To do this, take a loaf and cut off several fragments from it and soften it in warm water. The fish fillet is ground in a meat grinder with the addition of a soaked loaf.
3. Then the onion is peeled and finely chopped. Take a carrot, peel it and rub it on a fine grater. Onions and carrots are lightly fried in olive oil, then salted and peppered.
4. All ingredients are placed in a deep bowl and mixed, with the addition of eggs and chopped dill.
5. Mix all this thoroughly and stuff the prepared carcass of another fish with it. The filling is not packed very tightly. The edges of the abdomen should be secured either with toothpicks or sewn up with simple (not artificial) thread.
6. You can bake the head of the pike along with the body, but it must also be wrapped in foil.
7. The baking dish is covered with paper, and a little oil is poured on top. The stuffed fish is placed on the paper and sprinkled with oil.
8. The fish is cooked in the oven, preheated to 180 degrees, for about 40-50 minutes.
9. After this, the oven turns off. At the same time, there is no need to rush to transfer the stuffed pike to another surface. It needs time to cool down, otherwise it will fall apart.

Pike cutlets

The most delicious recipe for tender pike cutlets. To cook, you need to prepare the following ingredients:

• 500 grams of pike meat.
• 100 grams of lard.
• 2-3 slices of white bread.
• 100 ml milk.
• One onion.
• One egg.
• Breadcrumbs.
• Greenery.
• Salt.
• Spices.
• Vegetable oil.

Technological stages of preparation:

1. Lard and fish meat (fillets) are passed through a meat grinder. The presence of lard will make the cutlets more juicy and tender. As a last resort, if there is no lard, you can add vegetable oil to the minced meat.
2. Onions and carrots can also be minced or finely chopped.
3. White bread is crushed in milk and left for a while so that the bread is saturated with milk.
4. All ingredients are placed in a deep container and mixed with the addition of eggs, salt and spices, as well as herbs. After this, everything is thoroughly mixed again, and balls are formed from the minced meat.
5. Future cutlets are sprinkled on all sides with breadcrumbs and fried on all sides until golden brown.
6. To keep the cutlets soft and juicy, it is advisable to cover the frying pan with a lid.

Pike is considered the most delicious freshwater fish, the meat of which contains quite a lot of easily digestible protein, which is so necessary for the human body. In addition to vitamins and microelements, pike is valued for its minimal amount of fat, which makes its meat dietary. Properly cooked pike is not only tasty, but also healthy, but you can cook a delicious fish soup from its head, tail and fins.