Costas Inn

Fresh Fish: How to Take the Scales Off of Your Next Catch

Have you ever noticed how fresh fish sparkle in the sun?

Have you ever noticed how fresh fish sparkle in the sun? That’s mainly due to the scales they have. Salmon, in particular, is known for having beautiful scales. Once they are skinned (the skin is the best part!), you’ll see some appealing meat waiting to be cooked and devoured. Not sure how to do it yourself? We’ve assembled this helpful guide to get you started! Learn a thing or two about this technique today! 

Some of the Necessary Tools 

Without these tools, you can’t prepare your fish for grilling, baking, or however else you’d like to cook it. A butter knife, kitchen shears, and a fillet knife are essential. Likewise, fill a small bucket. Alternatively, you can use your kitchen sink. Sometimes, your meal plans might include an entirely unaltered fish. What does that mean? You don’t intend to fillet it. Even so, you can’t scale the fish without the shears and the butter knife. And if you’re hesitant to use a filleting knife, you can opt to cook the entire thing intact. That way, it retains more flavor, which will end up being a mouth party for your taste buds! 

The Proper Scaling Technique 

Let’s switch gears and discuss how to scale correctly. First off, use the shears to cut off the fins. Do the best you can to stay close to the body. Although you’ll want to chop off the other fins, leaving the tail fin alone is fine. It won’t present an obstacle for the rest of the process. Hang onto the tail as sweep the scales away. Is your kitchen equipped with a deep sink? In that case, put it to good use. Shallower sinks are acceptable, but only if you are okay with making a huge mess.  

The Best Cleaning Method 

Cleaning up the fish doesn’t just mean getting rid of the scales. It means you have to go deeper and remove the innards. At this point, you’ll be eliminating the gills. The gills run along the belly, so getting them off calls for some concentrated effort. Once that step is done, though, all of the guts should come right out! 

COSTAS INN IS YOUR SEAFOOD DESTINATION

Costas Inn has been a Baltimore tradition since 1971. So here’s to 50 years, and cheers to 50 more! 

You may recognize our restaurant recently featured on the Food Network with Michael Symon on Burgers, Brew, and ‘Que! We were also voted the 2015 #1 Baltimore Seafood Restaurant by USA Today and #1 Crab Restaurant 2014 in the Baltimore Business Journal. You may have also spotted Costas Inn during one of our nine appearances on the Today Show or heard one of our many interviews on WJZ TV Channel 13 with Ron Matz and Marty Bass.

You can enjoy our famous crab cakes in-house or order them online for any time eating. We also provide some of the best seafood catering in the Baltimore area! Of course, you can also get your fill from Costas even when you’re not in our dining room: follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube!