How to clean a herring from bones? Cutting salted herring for salad preparation and serving.
Despite the fact that stores sell ready-made fillets and preserves, many housewives prefer to clean the herring on their own. This is because it is much easier to assess the freshness of a whole fish. Herring is sold by weight from barrels and cans and individually in vacuum packaging. Fresh fish should have tight, dark red gills and a clean, undamaged skin. It should not have a raid on it. The presence of “rust” on herring indicates its low quality or unsuitable storage conditions.
Herring is a perishable product, therefore, as soon as it gets into your kitchen, it must be gutted, removing all the insides.
How to properly clean a herring from bones on a fillet
Quality fillet can be obtained at home. To do this, you will need a convenient cutting board, a well-sharpened knife with a thin blade and a pack of napkins or paper towels. Every experienced housewife knows how to properly clean a herring from bones.For this you need:
- Wrap the cutting board in cling film. This will help protect the surface from odor and dirt. You can use paper towels or newspaper instead of film.
- Lay paper towels on the countertop, which will be needed in order to remove films and blood from the abdomen.
- Make two even cuts: longitudinal along the back and transverse at the head
- Gently pull the edge of the skin from head to tail. Do not make sudden movements, otherwise the skin will tear.
- Remove the fillet from the spine and costal bones. Thin and small bones can be removed with tweezers
Started a herring under a fur coat? Cutting herring for salad
If the herring was bought for a salad, you can clean it in another way. In this case, the spine is removed first, and then the skin. After you prepare the work surface and sharpen the knife, rinse the fish in cold running water. Then dry it thoroughly using paper towels.
How to cut a herring for a fur coat? First cut off the tail, fins and head. Make a neat incision on the abdomen and remove the insides. If after that there are a lot of giblets and films left, rinse the herring again.
Important! Do not forget to dry the herring after rinsing it in cold water.Gutted fish must be wrapped in cling film and lightly beaten off. Do not hit the fish on the work surface, use a wooden mallet or rolling pin. This will help separate all the bones from the fish, including the smallest ones. Next, putting the fish belly down, press on it so that it opens like a book. Turn over and pull out the spine. Now divide the carcass into two separate fillets, and remove the skin from them with your hands. Remove small bones with tweezers.
For those who need faster! We cut the herring in one motion
If you save time, you need to cut the herring in one motion. First, prepare the workpiece. Cut off the fins and remove the innards. Do not forget to dry the abdomen and get rid of intestinal films. If this is your first time carving fish this way, do it over a table. In case of failure, the fish will not fall to the floor.- To make the trick work, you need to make a cut about one centimeter on the tail.
- Then take the herring and make a circular motion towards yourself so that the carcass describes a circle around its tail. Movement must be confident
- Break the herring into two halves with a sharp movement
- You will have two bellies and a backbone with a sirloin
- Separate the fillet from the bones
What to do with herring milk: is it possible to eat them
During the cleaning of the fish, milk may remain. Unlike caviar, many housewives throw them away because they don't know what to do with them. Others, having learned that this is the sperm of males, refuse to eat them. However, this product deserves attention because it has a lot of advantages.
Herring milk can be fried in batter and added to a salad or used as a filling for a fishburger. Often they are put in a fur coat, in addition to the fillet. In Finland, they don't wonder if they eat herring milk. Here they are added to the ear along with caviar. Using a blender, you can make a paste out of the remaining milk. It is enough to add a boiled egg, raw carrots and butter.
Ways to beautifully serve peeled herring on the table
Thinly sliced salted herring fillets can be a good appetizer. It is served with pickled cucumbers, pickled mushrooms, olives and olives. Fillets are also used for canapés. Small pieces of herring and boiled potatoes are strung on a skewer with an onion ring between them. The set of products for this snack can be anything; for piquancy, you can add an olive or pickled champignons.
If you are in doubt and do not know how to serve herring on the table, make sandwiches with black bread, butter and herbs. The taste familiar from childhood can please guests and remind them of family feasts in the parental home. An alternative can be rolls that are made with or without filling.
How to quickly clean a herring: video
Use the video to quickly clean the herring:
Every time I decide to cook my favorite “herring under a fur coat”, I am faced with a dilemma: buy a whole carcass of fish or ready-made fillet pieces. It seems that I know how to clean a herring, and I know how to do it, but I want to save my own time and not bother with choosing the seeds. On the other hand, stores sell herring fillets in vegetable oil or with the addition of all kinds of seasonings, which cannot but affect the taste of the salad. So (most of the time) common sense prevails over laziness, and I buy a whole
What else, besides fish, do you need for a salad? The ingredients are as follows:
Two medium beets;
Two large carrots;
five potatoes;
Four chicken eggs;
Mayonnaise.
Vegetables and eggs must be washed, boiled until cooked, cooled, peeled and grated on a fine grater into separate plates.
Is it time to do herring? Take a cutting board, cover it with cling film or a plastic bag, then with a paper towel. So we will save ourselves from the need to wash the board from fish residues.
We take a herring, open its abdomen - from head to tail - with a sharp knife, pull out the insides. Caviar or milk can be left if your family eats them, or you can throw it away. We remove the intestines and a thin black film that covers the herring from the inside. Cut off the head of the fish. Now you need to make a deep incision along the ridge, cutting out the dorsal fin. We also remove the fins on the abdomen and near the tail. From the side of the head, pry off the skin with a knife and gently pull it towards the tail. If you do not make sharp jerks, the skin is easily separated. The fish is cleaned, but the cutting of the herring is not finished. It remains for us to separate the fillets, which we do: first on one side, then on the other. The bulk of the bones will remain on the spine, but some of the costal bones will have to be selected manually. Do it carefully: no one needs it. How did you not like to clean the herring? Try to involve your other half in this process, because it has long been known that cooking together brings people together.
We cut the fillet into small pieces, we begin to collect the salad. We take a flat and, preferably, an oblong salad bowl, where we lay out all the ingredients in the following order: beets, herring fillets, potatoes, eggs, carrots, beets. We coat each layer, except the lowest one, with mayonnaise. When preparing a salad, I do not use salt, the one contained in fish and mayonnaise is enough.
Do you know that there is a legend about the creation of salad "herring under a fur coat", according to which "SHUB" - it is like "chauvinism and decline - a boycott and anathema." The salad was invented in 1918 in the tavern of the Moscow merchant Anastas Bogomilov in order to reconcile representatives of different social strata. The fish symbolized the proletariat, whose favorite food was dishes with herring, the beets - the Red Army revolutionaries, and the vegetables - the peasants. The chef, who knew well how to peel herring and how to cook vegetables, decided to combine all the ingredients and flavor them with French mayonnaise. The visitors of the tavern really liked the new dish, which, moreover, was an excellent snack for drinking. They ate more, got less drunk, and the number of fights and quarrels decreased accordingly. And they presented the salad just the day before, and since then they began to associate “herring under a fur coat” with this holiday.
The presence of herring on the festive table is a must. It is served not only separately, but also as part of various salads, portioned snacks, sandwiches. That is why the question comes to the fore: “Who will clean the herring?” There are few people who want to choose bones. Meanwhile, there is a way, having learned about which, you can get a fillet separated from the bones in a matter of minutes, and all this, provided that you need to clean several fish at once.
Express method for obtaining fillets
First, we prepare the workplace. Even at this stage, you can save time. By pre-wrapping the cutting board with cling film or placing it in a bag of a suitable size, after cutting the fish you will not have to wash it for a long time.
First of all, we get rid of the head and tail.
Carefully cut open the belly.
We extract the insides. If necessary, blot the herring with a napkin or disposable towel and get rid of the film.
Having freed enough space on the board, turn the carcass over and lay it flat.
Now we just press with the palm of our hand so that the herring is flattened on the board.
We turn the carcass over and find the beginning of the ridge from the side of the tail.
With one hand holding the herring, with the other we pull the ridge. It is on it that all the bones remain as a result.
Now you can cut the fillet into portions or use it for preparing festive dishes without fear that bones will accidentally fall into them.
More clearly about cutting herring in the video:
This method of cleaning can also be attributed to light and simple, it is good when the herring is planned to be chopped:
Herring can be deservedly called "the most popular fish", which is loved by both adults and children. It is affordable, so many people can afford it. Such slightly salted fish is used as a simple snack, and also included in salad recipes, for example, for cooking the famous “fur coat” and snacks.
Preparation for cutting
The most unpleasant thing about herring is cleaning, because for many this is a very difficult and painstaking task. In fact, if you know some tricks, you can clean the fish quickly and without much difficulty. Below are the most popular and effective cleaning methods that everyone can master.
To begin with, you have to choose the right and high-quality herring, which will not disappoint with taste.
That is why it is better to buy a whole carcass, because it is easy to check how long it has been on the counter and whether the fish is worthy of being on your table. To choose the right herring, pay attention to the color of the gills.
In quality fish, they are dark red, elastic and do not fall apart. Look the fish in the eyes, which should not be cloudy. Do not buy herring that is in spicy brines, as this is how sellers mask spoiled fish.
Herring is cleaned using the following tools: a cutting board, a sharp knife, tweezers for removing small bones, a plastic bag and napkins. It's better to have a separate herring cleaning board, but another option is to wrap it in several layers of cling film. Many people use newspaper to keep the board clean, but this is a serious mistake because the printing ink gets on the fish and, consequently, in the stomach. To avoid an unpleasant fishy smell on your hands, be sure to wear medical gloves. If the smell remains, then use lemon juice. It will help remove the fishy flavor from the board as well.
How to clean herring in the traditional way?
The most common cleaning method takes place in several stages:
- Put the fish on the prepared board and separate the head and then the tail with a knife. Holding the herring by the upper fin, carefully cut it off;
- Passing the knife through the hole left after removing the head, cut the abdomen, which will make it easy to get the insides. Look, perhaps you got milk or caviar, which many people eat on bread;
- Place the fish on its side and cut first from one side and then from the other side strips about 0.5 cm wide. This will remove the pelvic fins and hard inedible parts;
- From the inside, remove the black film, as it will be bitter. Rinse the fish inside and out under running water;
- Lay the herring on the board with its back to you and use your thumb to make an indentation where the top fin was located. Move to the top of the fish, dividing the carcass into two halves, and then do the same, moving down;
- Put the herring on the board and pick up the skin. After that, grasp the edge and quickly remove the skin in one motion. Do the same with the other half. The herring is cleaned, it remains to cut into portioned pieces and serve.
How to clean a herring from bones
If the fish will be used to prepare a snack or salad, or if you want to get separate clean pieces of fillet, then you need to remove the bones.
There are several ways to quickly deal with this task.
It is worth noting that the fresher the fish, the easier it will be to separate the meat from the bones.
To release the other half of the fillet, repeat the steps, extending the spine. If the bones remain, then use tweezers with which you can easily remove them. It remains only to cut the fillet into pieces.
- Cleaning herring in one motion. A prepared carcass, that is, cleaned of fins and skins, can be quickly freed from bones. Take the carcass in your hands by the tail sideways to you. Turn it over, making a turn, and then sharply spread your arms to the sides and separate the carcass in one motion.
If everything was done correctly, then in one hand there will be a ridge with a back, and in the second - two parts of the abdomen. It remains only to separate the back from the bones and the fillet is considered ready for use. For raw herring, this cutting option is not suitable.
- Punching method. Another way to clean salted herring, but it does not completely eliminate the bones. Gut the carcass, cut off the fins and remove the skin. After that, wash the herring and make an incision on the back. Hold the fish in your hands so that 4 fingers are inside, and the big one is on the dorsal incision.
The task is to squeeze the fingers, making squeezing movements, and thereby separate the meat from the ridge. First, in this way, separate one half of the fillet, and then the second. This cleaning option is ideal if the herring is fresh and well thawed.
Now you know how to properly clean a herring at home. Use the suggested options to find the most suitable option for you.
In the event that the cleaned fillet is not used immediately, then it can be wrapped in cling film and stored in the refrigerator.
Many people love herring, despite the many minor flaws (yes, I'm talking about numerous bones). But very few people like to butcher a delicious fish. It's long, dirty, tedious... I propose to forget about this problem forever! I tell you how to clean a herring quickly and without bones, so that it turns out beautifully, neatly, appetizingly.
Basic Rules:
When cleaning salted (smoked) fish, it is advisable to use a separate cutting board. Wood fibers quickly absorb fat and blood, which promotes the growth of bacteria. In addition, after the herring, the plank will smell, to put it mildly, unappetizing. Plastic boards are less susceptible to diffusion, but still become unusable. Cling film, clean paper will help protect the board from the fishy smell. Newspapers are not suitable for these purposes. I don’t know exactly what is added to the printing ink, but their contact with food will clearly not be useful. After cleaning, roll up the paper along with the bones and giblets. The board will remain almost clean, no unpleasant smell, greasy stains. Just rinse it with a drop of detergent.
A sharp knife is the key to quick cleaning of herring and smooth, neat fillets.
To get rid of a specific smell from your hands, pour them with lemon juice (diluted table vinegar). Washing in beer also helps (50-70 ml is enough). Grated potatoes, distributed over the surface of the palms and between the fingers, will also help eliminate the intrusive “aroma”.
It is advisable to have a roll of thick paper napkins on hand to periodically wipe the knife and hands.
It is convenient to take out small bones with special tweezers.
How to peel a salted (fresh) herring to get an even fillet, absolutely boneless
A reliable way when accuracy is paramount. By and large, almost everyone cleans fish this way, sometimes with some additions and changes.
You will need:
herring - 1 carcass
board - 1 pc.
sharpened knife - 1 pc.
paper (plastic film) - as much as you need
paper towels - 4-5 pcs. tweezers - desirable, but not necessary
Cutting order:
-1- Remove the fish from the brine, rinse. Clean the carcass (if necessary) so that transparent scales do not fall on the finished fillet. Dry with napkins.
-2- To remove the head and at the same time take out most of the insides, make an incision about 3 cm deep from the side of the ridge, as shown in the photo. When the spinal bone is cut, gently pull the head forward.
-3- She will easily move away from the abdominal part and the giblets will follow her. Send waste to trash
-4- Open the belly in one precise motion. Take out milk or caviar (as you are lucky). They are edible and delicious. Put them in a herring box, cover with a film, hide in the refrigerator.
-5- Place the knife blade with the sharp part perpendicular to the fish. Scrape off the remaining innards along with the black film. At the same stage, cut off the halves of the abdomen. This part of the carcass is edible, but "for an amateur." Peel it and send it to the herring machine along with the fillet or throw it away. By the way, to preserve the integrity of the abdomen, remove the remains of the insides through the top of the fish when you take out the backbone.
-6- Remove the dorsal fin. Make 2 parallel shallow cuts close to it. Remove the fin with your fingers.
-7- Cut off the tail.
-8- Cut the herring along the back, cutting through the skin and fish pulp almost to the ridge. Remove the skin, prying it in the abdomen, pulling it towards the back, as if lifting it up. So the outer part of the fillet is less damaged.
-9- The crucial stage is the separation of the ridge along with large bones from the fillet. Take the herring with both hands. Turn her belly towards you. Feel the ridge from the inside with your thumbs, and the outside with the rest. Carefully separate the halves of the herring so that the bones remain on one fillet. Don't rush, don't make sudden movements. Gently press the ridge on the inside, and on the outside, slowly sort out the bones, trying to remove them from the fish. After separating the first half, remove the bones from the second. If everything went according to plan, no more than 4-6 large bones will remain in the herring. With small ones - get rid of with tweezers.
-10- Use the finished herring fillet for its intended purpose: cut it or serve it whole in a herring machine, roll it into a roll, finely chop it into a “Shuba”.
When you need to quickly clean a lot of herring and accuracy is not important
When preparing "Herring under a fur coat" you can neglect the aesthetic appearance of the fillet. The main thing is that it should be without bones. Also, this method is suitable for quickly cleaning a large number of fish, for example, for a large-scale feast.
