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Home Dish Preparing Frigate Mackerel (Katsuo)

Preparing Frigate Mackerel (Katsuo)

Introduce

Chef :

cookpad.japan

Preparing Frigate Mackerel (Katsuo)

Katsuo are in season.

Ingredient

Cooking instructions

* Step 1

It's hard to see, but in this photo, I'm slicing along either side of the back fin. (You might be able to see it better in the photo for the recipe for preparing Inada Fish?)

* Step 2

Starting from the tail end, grab the fin with your hand and pull toward the head end to remove.

* Step 3

There are tough scales around the pectoral fin, so scrape those off with a knife. It's hard to see here, so once again, refer to the photos for preparing Inada Fish.

* Step 4

There are some tough scales around the ventral fin on the fish's belly as well, so scrape those off.

* Step 5

Once you've finished scraping off the scales, in order to remove the head, insert your knife into the fish under the ventral fin, and push it in until it hits the spine.

* Step 6

Lay the fish on its side, and insert the knife under the pectoral fin, again pushing it in until it reaches the spine. Turn the fish over and repeat this incision on the other side. The head still won't come off quite yet.

* Step 7

Next, cut the fish's belly open starting from the anal vent and slicing forward.

* Step 8

Pull out the guts.

* Step 9

Now, use the heel of the knife (the end of the blade closer to the handle, as opposed to the tip of the knife) to sever the spine, and now, the head should come off.

* Step 10

In the opened stomach cavity (up near the spine) there is some bloody tissue, so make a slit with the knife as shown and wash it out thoroughly under running water.

* Step 11

If you use a bamboo cleaning brush or a toothbrush, you can get the inside of the fish really clean. After washing, wipe the fish dry, and clean off your chopping board.

* Step 12

Next, cutting from the fish's back, you'll feel a sort of gritty sensation as you slice along the spine to divide the fish into three pieces. Don't rush this step. It's important to keep the angle of the knife blade even as you cut.

* Step 13

With katsuo and other soft-fleshed fish, you almost don't even have to turn the fish over to finish filleting it...although, it is a little tricky.

* Step 14

OK, we've managed to fillet the fish. What's left is to remove the fatty waste tissue and the bones that are in the middle of the fish. You can also remove the skin as needed.

* Step 15

And now the question is: how to serve your fish?

* Step 16

I recommend slicing it into sashimi and eating it with some grated ginger and grated garlic. Or, chopped up and seasoned with ponzu sauce is also an excellent choice!!