Do I need to clean the flounder before frying. How easy is it to clean and properly cut a flounder? Master class on cutting flounder

The season of ice fishing for flounder is coming to an end and for your attention the material on what to do with it in the kitchen.

When cooked properly, the tender white flounder meat becomes a delicacy for gourmets. Dishes from this fish can be a real table decoration. You can cook it in a variety of ways, but most often flounder is fried, baked or boiled.

Useful properties of flounder

There is very little fat in flounder - about 3%, or 3 g for every 100 g of product. 100 g of raw fish meat contains about 83 kcal, protein content - 15 g, water - 80 g. At the same time, flounder serves as an excellent source of nutrients and nutrients:

valuable amino acids;
Omega-3 fatty acids;
vitamins - A, E, B vitamins, nicotinic and pantothenic acids;
minerals - most of all in flounder iodine, phosphorus and cobalt.

Thus, flounder dishes are not only very tasty - they do not contain a lot of fat and are easily digested, therefore they are suitable for dietary nutrition and nutrition for debilitated patients who need to recuperate. Of course, this does not apply to fried flounder: if boiled fish contains about 100 kcal per 100 g, then when frying, the calorie content of flounder increases to 200-250 kcal.

How to clean flounder before cooking

To clean this fish, you must:

rinse it under running water;
cut off the head and abdomen and pull out the insides;
cut off the circular fins;
make an incision along the side of the fish and pull the skin in the direction from the tail to the head.

In general, the skin from the flounder, especially if it is small in size, can not be removed, it is enough to remove small scales with a knife. However, in this case, the dish may have a specific "marine" flavor.

Cooking flounder is accompanied by a peculiar smell that not all housewives like. It turns out that the main source of the smell is the dark skin on the back of the fish, and removing it solves the smell problem.

The flounder, which was previously frozen, is very easy to peel off the skin. In the case of fresh fish, this will be somewhat more difficult, and it will take some experience to learn how to quickly and easily clean this fish. Your attention is a video on how to cut a flounder before frying, baking, etc.

On this question about how to properly clean (cut) the flounder, we finish and move on to the cooking recipes.

I remembered that when I went to a summer children's camp as a child, the older guys said that those who eat fried flounder are in great demand among girls. Now, of course, it’s funny to remember, but everyone ate flounder while crazed ...

Flounder recipes

Flounder fried in a pan

Cooking fried flounder is quite simple:

Cleaned and washed fish should be breaded in flour (it is better to use rice flour) with a small amount of salt.
Then it is fried on one side and then on the other side until golden brown, depending on the size of the fish. this may take 5 to 15 minutes.
To shade the taste of the fish, you can sprinkle it with thyme during frying.

Fried fish lovers often use lemon juice to give the flounder a special tart taste. Experience has shown that it is best to use lemon juice directly during the meal.

The question of how to fry a flounder deliciously takes a lot of minds and a lot of videos have been shot on this topic, in our opinion one of the most interesting:

Flounder baked in the oven

Recipe for oven-baked flounder:

Peeled flounder meat should be rubbed with salt and put in a baking dish.
Add butter at the rate of 50-70 g per 1 kg of fish.
15-20 minutes bake at 180 degrees.
After that, sprinkle the meat with lemon juice, add parsley, lemon sliced \u200b\u200bin circles and a little more butter on top.

Bake until the dish is fully cooked - as a rule, it is enough 5 minutes.

If you make a vegetable pillow for flounder from potatoes with vegetables, then when baking in the oven, the juices released from the fish will make the taste of vegetables unforgettable.

Flounder stewed with vegetables

Grate the flounder meat with salt and pepper, roll well in flour and fry on both sides.
Fry also diced sweet peppers and onions, transfer them to a saucepan.
Add chopped tomatoes, pour water, and preferably fish broth and bring to a boil.
Add fried flounder and garlic, simmer over low heat.

A good addition to this dish would be boiled potatoes.

How to cook flounder caviar

The easiest way to cook is salting. To get delicious salted caviar, you need:

clean it from films;
add salt to taste, you can also sprinkle caviar with pepper;
spread the caviar in jars;
put the jars in the refrigerator, you can eat the resulting dish in a day.

You can also fry caviar:

make a breading - mix flour and salt in a plate, you can add spices if desired;
salt the caviar and sprinkle with lemon juice;
roll in breading and fry until golden brown on one side, then on the other side.

Thus, making a delicious flounder dish is not difficult at all, for this it is enough to cook it according to one of the simple recipes. Some difficulties may arise during the cleaning of this fish, however, even here, with some experience, there are no problems.

Navaga often bites with flounder, see the material and about.

One of the most delicious marine fish is the flounder. Gourmets appreciate it for its indescribable delicate, slightly sweet taste. This delicacy can be prepared at home, but then the question arises, how to clean the flounder? After all, she has a very unusual flattened appearance. This valuable product should not be excluded from the menu, just because of the prejudices that it is difficult to clean the flounder. The main thing is to learn how to do it correctly and consistently, then cooking will be a pleasure.

Where to start cutting?

Flounder is a product that is included in the diet. The advantage of tender low-calorie meat is the richness of vitamins and proteins that are easily digestible. An important condition is the freshness of the fish, since the “older” it is, the less benefit it will bring to the body.

If a freshly frozen carcass was purchased for cooking, then before cleaning the flounder, it should be properly thawed. Here are some helpful tips to help you with this:

Natural defrosting retains more vitamins and nutrients, ideally leaving frozen fish at room temperature and giving it time to reach the desired state on its own.
It is also allowed to place the flounder in a plastic bag and put it on the lower shelves of the refrigerator, so it will thaw in a few hours.
If there is not much time, then this method can help speed up the process - the fish must be placed in water with a temperature of no higher than 9-10 degrees, with the addition of a teaspoon of salt. It should be noted that hot water is highly discouraged, as it will cause protein breakdown, the meat will lose its attractive shape, and there will be problems during frying. The use of warm liquid can also adversely affect the taste of the dish.

Having dealt with defrosting and preparing the carcass for cooking, you can proceed to the next step - cleaning the fish from scales. This will only be required if it was purchased unpeeled or fresh.

Rules for cleaning flounder from scales

Not every housewife can tell you how to clean flounder before frying, because this process has a number of features. After defrosting, it should be washed and cleaned of algae and other unwanted elements captured from the company from the seabed.

For this, ordinary running water or a salt solution is suitable.

Purification occurs in four stages:

Scale removal.
Removing the skin.
gutting
Cutting.

If the fish is with scales, then cleansing should begin in the direction from the tail to the head. The dark side is cleansed first. The skin is also not suitable for food, as it has a characteristic bitter iodized taste and can spoil the dish, so it is removed after the scales are completely removed.

Skinning also begins with the tail turned towards itself, for this, one cut is made. The tip of the knife should be carefully inserted under the skin and gradually, advancing it, separate it from the meat. If the first time you can’t separate it beautifully, you can tear the skin from the pulp with your thumb, gradually moving towards the gills. Do not forget to firmly hold the fish by the tail.

After everything has been done, the fins and tail are removed with a knife or culinary scissors.

A little advice to those who cook this type of fish for the first time, in order to properly clean the flounder for frying, the head should be removed at the very last turn, at the gutting stage. If you make two cuts in the form of a check mark on both sides, then it will be possible to separate it from the rest of the part at the same time as all the insides, which will facilitate further work with meat.

The internal structure of the flounder is different from other fish, do not be surprised to see all the organs almost under the gills. When cutting the abdominal cavity, one should be careful and careful not to damage the gallbladder, which can easily spoil the taste of meat. All the insides are taken out in one confident movement.

Preparing flounder fillets

After the fish has acquired a beautiful look of a butchered carcass, it is necessary to start harvesting the fillet. It will be possible not only to fry it, but also to steam it, using it as a side dish for vegetables.

Working with large flounder is easier, as the meat separates from the ridge faster. To get a beautiful fillet, you need to follow a few simple steps:

You should take a thin knife, as it will be more convenient for them to work.
You need to start from the tail, making a longitudinal incision along the ridge towards the head.
Side cuts should follow the contour of the flounder, so that the blade slides over the bones.
Separate the pulp should be gradual, making short cuts.
The fillet is cut from both sides, so that as a result one ridge is formed with small remnants of the pulp.

If everything is done correctly, then beautiful even pieces of meat are obtained, with which you can start cooking the intended dish.

Tricks of professionals

For those who have never experienced cooking flounder, little advice from professionals can come in handy. For example, it is much easier to clean the scales if the fish was purchased fresh.

If the top layer has already dried up and the process of removing it causes difficulties, then do not despair. It is necessary to moisten the fish or put it in a container of water for a few minutes, after which the work with the workpiece will go much faster.

So that the protruding tubercles on the skin do not annoy, they can be easily removed with a metal brush, but if it has had time to coarsen, then use a knife.

In restaurants, flounder is served with almost no characteristic fishy smell, this effect can be obtained at home, for this, ordinary milk is used. Soak the fillets in it for half an hour, and after this time, cook according to the chosen recipe. The pulp will be much more tender, and the smell is almost not felt.

Having practiced cleaning the flounder several times, you can be sure that it takes a little time, and the result obtained not only pleases with excellent taste, but also benefits the body, without putting off extra centimeters at the waist.

Which is better - to clean the flounder or to skin it?

How to clean a flounder

Many people neglect such marine fish as flounder. And very in vain! Its meat is considered a delicacy, similar in taste to chicken. Protein is easily digestible, contains minerals and vitamins useful for the body. But most importantly, flounder is a low-calorie product. It is ideal for people who watch their figure.

Despite such usefulness, flounder is rarely found on the table. Because of her unusual appearance, the housewives do not know how to clean her. There is nothing special or complicated about this. Thanks to this article, you will learn how to butcher fish.

How to clean a flounder - carcass preparation

If you did not catch the flounder yourself, but bought it in a store, then it is already gutted. It is necessary to defrost fish in a natural way. Leave it in the bag and put it in the refrigerator.
To speed up the melting process, you can use a little trick. Fill the container with cold water, dissolve the salt in it. Add it at the rate of 1 kg of meat - 1 teaspoon of spice. Completely immerse the product in water and wait for it to completely defrost.

Important! Do not use warm and, especially, hot water to prepare the flounder. It will destroy the protein, make the meat flabby and lose its important qualities, and spoil the taste.

Wash the carcass, which is completely thawed, under running water. Clean it well of mucus, plants and sand.
Since it is very difficult to clean the scales from the flounder, just cut it off.

How to clean a flounder - milling

In most cases, the carcass is first milled, and then cooked. This cutting option involves cooking flounder in small pieces.

Pat the washed fish dry with paper towels. Cut off the fins with a knife. If there are gills, then pull them out.

Advice. Use a milling knife that should be sharp. With it, it will be much more convenient for you to cut meat.

Make a cut across the tail fin. At the same time, do not cut it off completely, but only cut it to the ridge.

Insert the knife under the skin and move it towards the head as shown in the picture. Try to move the knife along the ridge so as not to damage the meat.

Start to gradually separate the meat from the skeleton. Start cutting it from where you inserted the knife.

Hold the fish on top with one hand, cut the fillet with the other. Move towards the head. It is important not to rush, otherwise you can tear the meat.

Cut the fillet off the head and cut around the stomach. Here's what you should get.

Flip the fish over to the light side, and repeat all previous filleting steps.

Fins and muscles from them will remain on the second part of the meat. Trim the edges, they are unsuitable for cooking.

If you want to cook flounder without skin, then it must be removed. Place the fillet on a table or cutting board, meat side up. Pry the skin slightly with a knife, position it perpendicular to the fillet and move towards the head. Hold the meat with your other hand.

You can cut the finished fillet into pieces or cook as a whole.

How to clean a flounder - skinning

Some dishes require whole fish to be cooked. If you do not like the specific smell that the skin gives to the meat, then remove it.

Rinse the flounder as well, dry it from moisture. This will keep your hands from slipping while you work.

Lay the fish on the table with the dark side towards you. Make an incision at the caudal fin, insert your finger into it, then tear off the skin towards the head.

Hold the carcass with your other hand. Remove all the skin on one side of the carcass in this way. Repeat these steps on the white part of the flounder, if necessary.

Cut off the head and stomach. The fish is ready for further cooking.

Since the structure of this type of fish is different from most others, it is necessary to cut off the head and gut it last. When you take out the stomach, try not to hurt the gallbladder. It can completely ruin the taste.
It is easy to remove the skin from fresh fish. Therefore, do not postpone this process for a long time. Even if you want to freeze meat, first remove the skin, and then send it to the freezer.
To remove the specific fishy smell, put the flounder in milk for 15-20 minutes. This will make the meat more tender and palatable.
When the skin is still dry and difficult to clean, wet it and leave it for 10 minutes. Then get to work.

Do not refuse to buy such useful fish as flounder.

There is another way to quickly clean the flounder and cut it into steaks. Watch it on video:

Source: http://SovetClub.ru/kak-pochistit-kambalu

How to clean flounder with or without scales, and cutting fish into fillet strips

All seafood, especially fish, is an excellent way to lose weight, replenish vitamin reserves, promote brain activity and provide such an important fish oil for restoring the human immune system.

But, unfortunately, they do not get it so often and often due to the fact that many do not know how to clean the flounder before frying or cut it into fillets.

For the taste qualities of a sea dweller (who spends most of her time at the bottom) they call it the “chicken of the sea”. It has a pleasant and delicate taste. More classified as dietary meat.

It does not contain a large number of calories, but it has a huge amount of nutrients, including vitamins and protein. They are easily absorbed by the human body. For weight loss, this beauty is most suitable.

Flounder meat contains substances for burning fat.

If the fish is frozen

It is advisable to use any fish meat, especially flounder, immediately after being caught or fresh bought in a store. The longer it lies, the less vitamins will remain in it.

But such a question depends little on us, since it rarely gets on the shelves of supermarkets fresh.

Therefore, it is more common in frozen form, and this indicates that defrosting is required before cleaning.

If there is no particular hurry, then the usual defrosting is suitable for everyone. To do this, put the carcass in a plastic bag and leave it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. But if you urgently need to cook a miracle of culinary art and there is no time to wait? Then you should resort to this option:

Place the flounder carcass in cold water. In no case should it be hot or warm, such a temperature has a destructive effect on the protein.
Now add salt. When buying a fish, you know exactly its weight. Therefore, there will be no difficulties. We start from kilograms: 1 kg - 1 teaspoon without a slide.
After complete thawing, thoroughly rinse the entire fish under running water.

Flounder and its scales

How to clean the carcass from scales will depend only on the type of fish. She comes with or without her. But in both the first and second cases, cleaning is required either from scales or from the skin. If there are plates, they must be removed by gently brushing off the skin, which will be soft and pleasant. After all, the scales serve as a protective shell for all representatives of the marine space.

In the second - skin removal is simply necessary. Since it will give an unpleasant bitter taste to fish meat. In terms of thickness, it is also not suitable for eating (too thick and elastic). There is a whole technology on how to clean flounder:

For the cleanliness of your kitchen space, it is advisable to clean the flounder in a deep container. Scales tend to scatter throughout the room.
Start doing everything only from the dark side.
The head of the fish should be turned towards you. But at the same time, hold it with one hand, and start cleaning with the other.
Carefully scrape off the plates.
Now repeat the whole procedure from the back side, where the color is light.
Once you have finished cleaning, rinse the fish under running water.

If there were no scales, then you need to clean the skin. For many people, the presence of the skin does not interfere and its iodine taste is not noticeable. For some, this is a whole problem and the importance of removing an unpleasant aftertaste and smell is a much-needed event. Let's figure out how to properly clean the flounder by removing the skin:

We begin to clean, just like in the first version, from the dark side of the fish. The tail should be turned towards you.
We make an incision horizontally from the tail and move in a circle of the body. Note that the incision must be under the skin.
Carefully separate the skin from the fish meat with a sharp knife. Cleaning is easier if you put your thumb between the fish fillet and the skin. So you can tear it off and gradually move towards the head.

Advice. Be sure to hold on to the tail to make peeling easier and easier.

Next stage

Naturally, the cleaning of the fish does not end with the removal of the upper part. Next in line is gutting and cutting the carcass. Most often, in stores they sell already cut, but frozen flounder carcass. But if you still had to buy fresh, then you are lucky in terms of the fact that there will be much more useful substances, and it’s not so difficult to cut, resorting to clear instructions.

First of all, wash the fish carcass from sand and mucus.
Now it's up to the fins, which should be removed. The tail fin is also cut off. This procedure can be done with a sharp knife or kitchen scissors.
The last thing to remove is the head. We make incisions on both sides to make a Latin V. When the head is removed, the insides of the fish are also removed at the same time.
Don't separate your head right away. Otherwise, the insides will remain in the middle. It's all about the structure: all the vital organs of the flounder are under the gills. Other representatives of the deep sea stretch throughout the body.

Advice. Movement should not be abrupt. Proceed carefully and carefully so that the gallbladder remains intact. You understand for yourself that after its rupture, bile will get into the meat and bitterness will not allow you to enjoy the taste.

About fillet

If you decide to cook a dish where fillet strips are required, then the following can be applied here:

As usual, we wash and clean the fish.
We lay the flounder with the dark side up and make neat cuts along the contour.
Take care not to damage the cut, which should be made with a sharp knife along the spine from the tail.
We make incisions with gentle small movements so as not to damage the pulp and thereby separate the bone from it.
For convenience, lift the already separated part so that it interferes with you as little as possible. This will open a view of the ridge. So you can make sure that you are doing everything right and the pulp is not damaged.
Do everything exactly with the light side.

Now your fillet is ready for cooking, and you have become the proud owner of knowledge about the intricacies of butchering flounder. Having done such manipulations once, it will not be difficult to repeat the procedure again.

Source: https://vdomeeda.ru/kak-chistit/kambalu.html

How to properly cut a flounder and quickly clean it from scales and skin, how to clean it in different ways

Everyone has heard about the benefits of flounder, but few people like to cook it. And this is due to the fact that the preparatory stage of processing seems terrible, because this flat fish needs to be cleaned and then cut. Let's deal with all the intricacies of handling this marine fish.

Product value

The flounder is a fish with a flattened body, eyes on one side, a brighter upper part of the body, turned upwards. She has the ability to mimic, has earned the recognition of gourmets, affectionately calling her "sea chicken".

Even those who have tried flounder only once note the unique and delicate taste of white meat. The flounder fillet contains about 20% of the daily requirement of proteins necessary for a person.

Moreover, the amino acids in this fish are balanced so that they are easily digestible, that is, they are even suitable for a diet menu.

Flounder meat contains only 3% fat, is low-calorie (about 83 kcal), rich in vitamins A, E and B.

Eating flounder, we get not only vitamins, but also trace elements:

phosphorus (strengthens teeth, skeleton, hair and nails);
iodine (normalizes metabolism);
fatty acids (cancer prevention).

It is rare that someone does not like to eat flounder, but cleaning and carving it is a dubious pleasure.

How to defrost fish

You will not need any special tools for cleaning flounder - except perhaps a sharp knife, an iron sponge for washing dishes (the latter is for cleaning small fish). But there are some nuances to consider.

It is better to cook fresh fish, as over time it loses its beneficial properties. But if going fishing for fresh flounder is not your case, then you can get by with a freshly frozen carcass.

And in this case, it is important to defrost the fish, since it is impossible to clean and gut frozen fish.

If an already cut and cleaned carcass has been frozen, then it must be thawed at room temperature.

There are 2 options to bring the sea chicken "on alert":

natural way - suitable if you do not need to rush anywhere: put the fish in a bag and put it on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator until completely defrosted;
accelerated method: place the carcass of the fish in a bowl of salted water (1 tsp of table salt per 1 kg of flounder weight).

Do not try to speed up the defrosting process with hot water: it destroys the protein and other nutrients in the fish.

The thawed carcass should be washed with cold water, remove sand and salt crystals, mucus, algae residues.

If you have time, you can defrost the flounder in the refrigerator, be sure to lay a napkin under the carcasses to absorb water

When do you need to clean the flounder and how can you do it?

Usually, the fish is cleaned of scales in an industrial way, immediately after the catch. However, there are exceptions (especially if this is your catch). In this case, the scales can be removed with a knife or a washcloth scraper, but most often they simply remove the skin from the flounder. This is the fastest way to clean fish.

Depending on the species (star-shaped, royal, tiger and others), flounder can be with or without scales. In the first case, she has rather soft skin. The second is hard, and it contains more iodine, which can give the finished dish an unpleasant aftertaste. Therefore, for cooking, it is better to remove the skin.

How to properly remove the skin along with the scales and remove the fins

To remove the head, we make 2 incisions from the side of the ridge and cut off the head along with the insides. This can not be done separately, as the gallbladder can be damaged. The released bile will give the meat an unpleasant bitterness.
We put the fish so that the light skin is on the bottom.
Cut off the fins and tail with scissors.
We cut the skin along the perimeter of the carcass (along the line of the fins and at the tail).
After removing the fins around the perimeter of the carcass, shallow incisions are made to remove the skin
We pry off the skin cut at the tail with a knife and carefully separate it, then we put our fingers under the skin and slowly tear it off the meat, as if we were removing a stocking.
The skin from the flounder, when properly cut, is removed easily, like a stocking
We also remove the skin on the other side.
We scrape the blood from the ridge.

How to clean a flounder with skinning - video

How to clean small fish, what to do with spikes: useful tips

It is not necessary to remove the skin from small species of flounder, it is enough to cut it into two parts along the ridge line to remove the bones.
To clean small fish, you can use a hard brush, such as a metal sponge for washing dishes.
If your catch has spikes on the top, then they can be left and removed, like bones, during the meal.

The usual way to remove scales - video

How to gut and butcher a fish

If you need meat on the skin to cook a dish, then the flounder needs to be gutted. Getting rid of the insides of labor will not be.

Cut off the tail and fins (you can use culinary scissors).
From the head on both sides we make an incision in the shape of the letter V.
We separate the offal from the body and remove it along with the head.

Due to the unusual shape of the body, the entrails of the flounder are not located like other fish, but are located immediately under the gills.

How to fillet large fish

Only large fish are suitable for separating the loin, for example, royal or striped. During the filleting process, the skin can be cut in two ways:

from chopped pieces (after removing the fillet from the bones);
from the whole carcass (before removing the fillet from the bones).

In the process of filleting flounder, the skin can be removed before or after removing the meat from the bones.

How to fillet a large fish with skin removed from pieces

For the first option, you do not need to first remove the skin from the fish, just peel off the scales and gut.

We remove the head and the insides of the flounder.
We put the carcass on the bright side.
We make a cut along the ridge.
Cut off the tail.
With a knife, carefully remove the half of the meat with the skin, cutting it off the bones.
Cut the fillet from the second part.
We turn the fish over and remove the fillet from the abdomen in the same way.
We put a piece on the skin, with a knife we cut off the part that is adjacent to the fins - fat.
Repeat with each piece.
From the tail section we make a notch with a knife, separating the meat from the skin.
Remove the skin from the meat in one motion.
We process the rest of the pieces in the same way.

Filleting of fish with skinning from a whole carcass

Before filleting, remove the head along with the insides and remove the skin with a stocking.

We put the flounder with the dark side up.
We make a neat incision from head to tail along the line of the ridge.
We put the tip of the knife into the resulting incision, remove the fillet along the bones, lifting the flesh.
Turn the carcass over to the other side and repeat all the manipulations.

Filleting flounder master class - video

How to further prepare the carcass for cooking

The main thing to do before creating a culinary masterpiece from flounder is to neutralize unpleasant odors and soften the fillet a little.

Rinse the cleaned and gutted carcass with cool water.
We rub the fish with fine salt and send it to the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Before cooking, soak the carcass in warm low-fat milk for 20 minutes. So we get rid of the bitter taste.

To make the flounder dish tasty, you need to rinse the fillet, rub it with salt and soak in milk

Now you will not be afraid of the process of cleaning and butchering flounder, and nothing will prevent you from eating fried or baked fish. The main thing is to defrost the carcass and pay attention to the type of flounder: for example, there is no need to remove the skin from small fish and the spikes can be left.

Natalia Vasilishin
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Source: https://sovet.help/sovety-dlya-doma/kak-razdelat-kambalu.html

Which is better - to clean the flounder or to skin it?

In the depths of the Atlantic Sea lives a flat fish flounder. Her eyes are located only on one side of her body, and her fins have orange blotches. Flounder can be up to 40 centimeters long, one side is white and the other is brown.

This seafood has no contraindications, but has a rather specific smell. It can be bought fresh or frozen, but you need to clean it carefully if you have to take out the insides. The cleaning process has some peculiarities.

Nutritional and taste value of seafood

Flounder has practically no fat, its meat is tender and tasty, it is quickly absorbed by the body. Fish is an aphrodisiac and significantly reduces cholesterol levels, while moderately saturating the body with omega-3 fatty acids.

Regular consumption of flounder helps strengthen blood vessels and reduce chronic fatigue, removes free radicals and strengthens bone tissue.

The energy value of the presented seafood has the following indicators:

100 grams of fillet contains 90 kilocalories;
the product contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, B12, C, E;
meat contains iron, iodine, zinc, chromium, copper, manganese, fluorine;
100 grams of meat contains 75.5% water, 3% fat, 0.6% saturated fatty acids.

What is the best way to buy fish?

In the markets or in supermarkets, you can find fresh chilled, fresh-frozen and frozen flounder. Sometimes on the shelves it is exhibited already in a smoked form.

With the latter option, it is better not to risk it, because it is often the product that has already lost its quality properties that is smoked. It is better to take chilled fish: it has not yet lost its useful properties.

If not, you can buy fresh-frozen.

When choosing a frozen flounder, a person should pay attention to whether there are any damages and stains on it, whether the ice layer is too thick, as this may indicate re-freezing.

Do you need to clean the flounder at all?

The presented sea fish has very small, almost imperceptible scales. If the product was going to be baked, then it would not be possible to clean it, if not for one “but” - the skin will give off an unpleasant odor. To prevent this from happening, you can do the following:

slightly remove the upper scales;
carefully remove the skin;
remove the insides, if necessary, fillet and continue heat treatment.

It is imperative to clean the flounder, otherwise you will not get a quality product for cooking delicious dishes.

Which method to choose for a quick cleaning of flounder

You don’t want to spend too much time cleaning the fish, but you need to do everything right. There are a couple of ways to clean and cut this fish. Let's take a closer look at each of them.

Fast cleaning from scales

To remove scales from fresh or thawed flounder, the hostess needs to do the following:

rinse the product under running cool water;
take a medium-sized sharp knife;
the knife should be near the tail at an angle of 45 degrees;
scrape off the scales with slow and confident movements, moving towards the head.

If a couple of scales remain, this is not scary, because it is still recommended to remove the skin.

Getting rid of the flounder from the skin

If you do not remove the skin from a flat fish, then during frying or other heat treatment it will have a specific, not too pleasant smell. That is why you should get rid of it. You can remove the skin from defrosted flounder in one motion, but with fresh fish you will have to do this:

make a V-shaped incision near the head on both sides;
gently draw a sharp knife from both sides along the line of the central bone;
prying the skin with a sharp, thin knife, gradually begin to tighten it;
do not pull the skin too hard, it can tear not only it, but also the fillet.

This process requires care and caution. If the hostess is not completely confident in her abilities, it is better to remove the skin after milling, it will be much easier.

How to clean a whole fish and remove the head

You can follow the standard algorithm for cleaning flounder. In order for the fish to be completely ready for heat treatment, it must be cleaned as follows:

scrape off the scales with a sharp knife;
make incisions near the head and carefully remove the skin;
cut off the head of the flounder;
starting from the head and moving towards the tail, open the belly;
carefully remove the insides and, if necessary, the central bone, starting the process of filleting from the light side of the carcass.

This is a simple algorithm, but each process should be approached with all responsibility so as not to spoil the delicate fish meat.

How to properly clean different types of product

It is not always possible to buy fresh flounder in the store, and therefore housewives must know how to deal with frozen fish. Cleaning this seafood fresh, frozen or chilled has some features.

Cleaning thawed flounder

After defrosting sea fish, you need to rinse it in cold water, it is not necessary to scrape the scales. Next: carefully cut off the fins, touching the soft tissues a little, pry off the skin and pull it hard, it will be easily removed from the thawed fish. Before removing the skin, you need to cut off the head and only then open the belly, taking out the insides.

How to deal with fresh-frozen flounder

Place frozen fish in the refrigerator to thaw gradually until it is ready to be cleaned. Clean defrosted fish in the manner described above, but you should be more careful with the skin.

The fish can be left whole, simply removing the insides, or filleted from it.

Cleaning and cutting fresh flounder

The algorithm for cleaning fresh flounder is simple and consists of the following steps:

wash and dry the fish with a paper towel;
cut off all fins, cutting off soft tissues a little;
chop off the head and remove the skin, while the scales can not be removed;
gently open the belly of the fish, starting to do this from the head, remove the insides;
rinse the fish well from the inside;

The process is quite simple and won't take long.

In more detail, the process of cleaning fresh flounder can be seen in the following video

Do I need to clean smoked, dried and other similar types of flounder

Since smoked and dried flounder has already undergone heat treatment processes, it does not need additional cleaning. This type of flounder can have a head, before eating it should be removed, skinned. Now the product is ready for use.

Features of cleaning before each type of heat treatment

Flounder is best boiled or steamed, but there are many lovers of fried and baked fillets. Some nuances of processing fish before different cooking methods:

Fillet preparation for frying

Fish can be fried whole or filleted. Before frying the fillet, you need to process the flounder as follows:

cut off the fins, remove the head and skin;
take out the insides and cut the meat along the bone from the white side of the fish;
make the same cut on the brown side of the flounder;
carefully cut the central bone, remove small bones from the fillet with tweezers;
rinse the fish, dry, send to the pan.

It is necessary to salt the flounder at the end of frying so that the meat remains tender and soft.

How to prepare flounder for cooking

You need to clean the fish for cooking in the same way as for frying. At the same time, it is not necessary to mill it, but you will have to remove the skin. You need to salt the prepared flounder before cooking, setting it aside for half an hour so that the salt is absorbed.

Preparing fish for filleting

When milling flounder, you can not remove the skin from the whole carcass at once. First you need to remove the fins, then get rid of the head and internal organs, then rinse the fish and start milling it. After the central bone is removed and the fillet is cut, it is possible to remove the skin from each part separately.

Features of cleaning before baking

Flounder for baking can be cut according to the same principle as for frying. You don't have to remove the head. It is necessary to cut off the fins, carefully open the stomach, remove the insides and scales. Salt the product immediately before baking, you can additionally grate the fish with various spices.

Detailing the process of cutting and gutting flounder

After the fins are removed and the scales are cleaned, the process of cutting and gutting the fish can begin. The algorithm of actions in this case will be approximately as follows:

make a V-shaped incision on both sides of the head;
under this cut, gently pry off the skin and remove it;
cut off the head, gently insert the knife into the fish and open the belly;
discard the internal organs, rinse the carcass;
make even cuts along the line of the bone on both sides;
carefully remove the bone and divide the flounder into separate fillets;
Using special tongs, remove all small bones from the meat.

The process of gutting and cutting will not take much time, and excellent dishes can be prepared from flounder fillets.

How best to cook sea fish

In order for the flounder to retain all its benefits for the body, it is better to steam or bake it. When choosing these methods of heat treatment, you need to salt the fish half an hour before cooking.

The fillet is very tender and therefore it should not be cooked for a long time. If it is decided to fry the flounder, then its fillet can be breaded in flour or breadcrumbs, but you should not salt it.

The finished fillet can be served with a side dish, used in salads, as a filling for sandwiches.

It is not difficult to learn how to properly gut and cook flounder, but you need to know that these processes have their own characteristics. It is about them that we must not forget when cutting and cooking this fish.

How to defrost fish

You can not douse the flounder with boiling water, put it on hot dishes or the sun. The fillet will lose its nutritional value and may flake. Do not defrost seafood in the microwave. It is best to place the fish in the refrigerator, where it will defrost most efficiently.

What to do if the scales are too dry

When the scales of the flounder have dried up and it is difficult to scrape with a knife, you can try to remove it with a new dishwashing scraper. However, this procedure is completely optional if you decide to skin the whole fish.

How to avoid bad odors while cooking

During the heat treatment, an unpleasant odor appears only if the skin is not removed from the fish. When baking fish in the oven, you can not remove the skin, you just need to rub the carcass well with your favorite spices and cook for up to 1 hour at a temperature of 200 degrees. During this time, the spices will kill third-party odors.

Cleaning a flounder is no more difficult than other fish, but this must be done carefully. It is necessary to choose larger fish so that there is enough meat in it, if the skin is removed from the fish, it is not necessary to peel off the scales. Flounder is tasty and healthy, which simply obliges housewives to learn how to clean and cook it.

Cooked flounder has a tender juicy white meat, as well as a great taste. In addition, this fish has one important property - a small amount of bones, which is very convenient when eating.

Flounder meat contains 20% of proteins with a balanced composition of amino acids necessary for the human body, as well as: - vitamins A, B and E, - phosphorus, - iodine, - fatty acids. Regular consumption of flounder brings invaluable benefits to a person, however, in order to get the maximum of valuable substances from it, the fish must be properly processed and cleaned.

Primary processing of flounder

Primary processing is the defrosting of the flounder, which is often done incorrectly and leads to a deterioration in the taste of the fish. Also, the primary processing includes the separation of inedible parts and the cleaning of the flounder from the insides.

To properly defrost the flounder, you need to fill it with several liters of cold water, adding 15 grams of salt to it. With traditional defrosting, the fish loses about 8% of useful trace elements, while the salted solution minimizes this loss. Depending on its size, flounder can thaw from 2 to 4 hours.

Frozen flounder fillets must be thawed exclusively without water and at room temperature in order to preserve the nutrients of the product

When defrosting at home, do not beat off the flounder and do not carry out any other “violent” manipulations with it, otherwise the product will lose a lot of natural juice, which contains a large amount of vitamins.

We clean the flounder correctly

To clean the flounder from scales and entrails correctly, put the defrosted fish with black skin up. Separate the head with an oblique cut and make an incision with a sharp knife along the fish to the very tail, ripping the belly of the flounder. To remove the innards and scale from the underside, slide your thumb between the meat and the upper skin of the flounder, carefully separate the skin from the tail and clean the vertebrae of blood. Remove the fins and rinse the flounder under cold running water.

Flounder meat is distinguished by its unique chemical composition and delicate texture, which favorably distinguishes the product from its analogues. At the same time, only a few housewives cook it - those who know how to clean flounder correctly and quickly. Contrary to popular belief, the process itself is not so complicated, you just need to act according to a strict scheme.

It is worth considering that only fresh fish has useful properties, contains an impressive amount of vitamins, iodine and other trace elements. But a frozen product can also please you with its taste, especially if you thoroughly approach its processing.

Features of cleaning flounder and its preparation for the creation of culinary delights

Before you start cleaning the carcass, you need to defrost the product, if necessary. In doing so, it is necessary to be guided by the following wishes:

It is better to refuse the option of gradual defrosting in the refrigerator or at room temperature. It will take too much time, which is fraught with the loss of most of the useful components.
We put the whole frozen carcass in cold water, add a little rock salt to it. We take at least a teaspoon of salt per kilogram of product, then the loss of mineral components will be minimal.
The use of warm water is prohibited. It will negatively affect the structure of the protein, which will lead to spoilage of the product.
If you need to defrost a piece of fillet, then first grease it with salt, wrap it with cling film and proceed in the same way.

We wash fresh or defrosted flounder under running cold water, removing pieces of algae, salt and sand crystals from its surface. Fish can be with or without scales. Depending on this, you need to either clean the flounder with a sharp knife, removing scales, or cut off a uniform skin, which can be very dense. Only very small carcasses of scaleless flounder varieties do not need to remove the thick skin.

Tip: The skin can be removed very carefully without damaging the tender meat. To do this, we make a shallow incision on the back of the fish, cling to the skin and remove it in one motion, like a stocking.

The next step is to cut off the fins. The last step is to remove the head. It must be remembered that the digestive organs of a specific fish are located immediately under the gills. If this part of the carcass is not cleaned correctly, there is a risk of damage to the insides, which is fraught with the addition of bitter notes and the smell of algae to the taste of the fish.

A V-shaped incision is made on the body of the fish, capturing the head, gills and all the insides. If during the manipulation the contents of the digestive organs still get on the meat, then it will no longer be possible to clean it, it is better to cut off the affected areas immediately.

Before frying the resulting meat, it must be washed again under cool running water, treated with fine salt and put in the refrigerator for half an hour. This step will neutralize any remaining unpleasant odors and soften the texture of the meat. Only then is the required heat treatment of the component carried out according to the recipe.

Small fish carcasses can be cleaned in the same way, bypassing the skinning process. But at the same time, it is recommended to cut the workpiece into two parts along the ridge line and remove all the bones.

Tip: To make the flounder fillet even softer and completely get rid of the specific fishy smell or bitter taste, it is recommended to soak it in lukewarm milk for 15-20 minutes immediately before cooking.

How to separate tender meat from the base?

Fresh flounder fillet is sold quite rarely, and frozen after all stages of processing becomes like paper, so it’s better to learn how to separate tender meat yourself.

It is best to purchase large fish for this purpose. Then the process will seem easier, and the fillet will eventually turn out to be larger.
We take the carcass, wash it under cool water, put it on the table, “back” up. With a very sharp knife, we cut the meat along a prominent dense line to the very bones. The main thing here is not to bring the knife to the head, otherwise you can damage the insides and spoil the meat.
Next, we make an incision perpendicular to the first, along the line that is located immediately below the belly. Now we make a shallow incision strictly along the line of the lower fin. If everything was done correctly, then after that a piece of fillet will be indicated, which can be separated with careful movements, helping yourself with a knife.
By the same principle, we process the remaining larger piece.
Carefully cut off the skin from the resulting pieces, remove all unnecessary unaesthetic elements, carefully remove the bones.

The resulting fillet can not be salted and not subjected to additional processing. Most often, such blanks are fried in a small amount of vegetable oil. Salt is introduced already in the process of frying, but it is better to serve such meat with a separately prepared sauce.

Regardless of the approach chosen, the end product is neat, clean, ready to use or freeze dry. Flounder meat is quite thin and transparent, which allows you to carefully check it for the presence of small bones. This moment should not be neglected, even if the ridge came out easily and without visible damage.