How to remove the fishy smell of hairtail

The fishy smell of hairtail can be removed by soaking, pickling, cooking, seasoning neutralization, pre-treatment, and other methods. The fishy smell mainly comes from the mucous on the body surface and the decomposition products of trimethylamine oxide. Reasonable treatment can significantly improve the taste.

1. Soak to remove fishy smell

Cut the hairtail into sections and soak them in light salt water or rice washing water for 15-20 minutes. Salt can promote the shedding of mucus on the surface of the fish, and starch in the rice washing water can adsorb fishy substances. It is recommended to control the water temperature at around 10 ℃, as excessive temperature can cause the fish meat to loosen. After soaking, rinse the remaining mucus on the surface of the fish with running water.

2. Marinate and remove fishy smell

Apply cooking wine, ginger slices, and scallions evenly to the fish body, and let it stand for 10 minutes. Alcohol can dissolve fishy substances, while gingerol and sulfur-containing compounds in ginger can neutralize the fishy smell. Adding a little white vinegar or lemon juice during pickling can inhibit the volatilization of trimethylamine in an acidic environment. Please note that the pickling time should not exceed 30 minutes to avoid the fish meat being too salty.

3. Cooking to remove fishy odors

uses high-temperature cooking methods such as frying and braising, which can decompose fishy substances at high temperatures. When frying, first place the fish skin face down and quickly set it at high temperature to lock in the juice. When braised, spices such as star anise and cinnamon are added, and their volatile components can undergo esterification reactions with fishy substances. Before steaming, insert ginger and scallions into the belly of the fish. The steam cycle can remove some of the fishy smell.

4. Condiment neutralization

Pour a little Baijiu or Huadiao wine before cooking, and the residual odor will be taken away when the alcohol volatilizes. Paired with herbs containing aldehydes such as perilla and coriander, their unique aroma can mask the fishy smell. When making sweet and sour sauce, increase the proportion of vinegar appropriately. Acetic acid can combine with amine substances to form odorless salts. Fermented seasonings such as Douban sauce and fermented black beans can also effectively transform fishy ingredients.

5. Pre treatment to remove fishy odor [SEP]: Quickly remove fish gills, internal organs, and abdominal black membranes, which contain a large amount of fishy odor precursor substances. Scrape off the silver film on the body surface with the back of the knife to reduce residual trimethylamine oxide. Fresh hairtail can be frozen for 1 hour, and low temperature can solidify the protein to reduce the fishy smell and leakage. Choose high-quality hairtail with clear eyeballs and bright red gills when purchasing.

Removing fishy odors requires a combination of multiple methods, from selecting ingredients to controlling the entire cooking process. It is recommended to consume no more than twice a week and pair it with vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin C to help break down nitrite. hypertensive patients should reduce the amount of salt in the pickling process and switch to using spices for flavor enhancement. After processing raw fish, it is necessary to wash hands with lemon juice to remove the fishy smell, and cutting boards and knives should be promptly hot washed with boiling water. If you are particularly sensitive to the fishy smell of seafood, you can try making hairtail into a pan fried or salt and pepper flavor. High temperature and heavy seasoning can better mask the fishy smell.