Sterlet is not a frequent guest in our kitchen. You will not meet her in large numbers on store shelves. But if you are lucky, and you want to treat yourself to a wonderful fish dish, then first of all you will need to learn how to clean the sterlet.
Unique fish
Sterlet belongs to the sturgeon family. She lives in fresh water and is a valuable subject of fishing. Sterlet can be found in one or another quantity in almost any river in the north and in the central part of Russia. Her meat is often called red, but this is not because it is of some unusual color. It’s just that in the old days in Russia they called everything beautiful, rare or expensive. For example, a red damsel, a red product, a red sun. Sterlet meat is really very tasty and, in addition, unusual. Experts say that it is completely free of carbohydrates. This makes red fish an excellent diet for diabetics. And there are very few fats in it. This feature is at hand for those who have a problem with being overweight. You only need to know how to clean the sterlet and properly cook it. Wonderful fish was very fond of Russian tsars. Perhaps that is why it is sometimes also called "royal."
So, let's talk about how to clean the sterlet.
Basic Culinary Tricks
For those who want to figure out how to clean the sterlet, first you need to learn more about this fish. The first distinguishing feature is that it has virtually no scales. There are only a few bone formations in the form of scutes, arranged in rows along the body, from head to tail. They are sometimes called "bugs". When processing carcasses, they are removed first. The remaining skin of the sterlet is quite dense and almost naked. Secondly, she has absolutely no bones. There are only cartilaginous formations resembling a spine. This greatly simplifies the processing process. Eating such fish is easy and safe. Thirdly, along the main cartilage from tail to head stretches a special vein, which is called a screech. It contains substances poisonous to humans. Therefore, when cutting a carcass of a sterlet, it is necessary to carefully pull it out, being careful not to damage it. Otherwise, the meat will have to be thrown away. He will not be able to eat.
Variety of options
Quite often from the outside you can hear the opinion that this or that fish needs to be cooked in a certain way. There is one option in which all the qualities and advantages of the variety are fully disclosed. Sterlet is a completely different matter. How to clean and cook it, it does not matter. Any option in the end will seem the best. This seemingly ordinary river fish is good in that even a “complete zero in cooking” can make a real masterpiece from it. She is good in any way. For example, as a first course, it is quite easy to prepare an ear from fresh sterlet. You can combine it with any other fish (burbot, say), or season it with champagne. The result will be equally good. As a second course, sterlet can be steamed, fried, baked with vegetables and herbs, or stewed in a fragrant tomato-nut sauce. Good snacks are also prepared from it. Most often it is a chilled boiled fish with mushrooms or aspic from a tender sterlet with caviar. Whichever option the novice hostess chooses, she can be calm and completely sure that not a single rash action of her can ultimately ruin the finished treat.
Initial processing
Processing of any fish begins with surface cleaning. In most cases, this refers to the removal of mucus, which covers the product from the outside and prevents further operations. The next step is the mechanical processing of the upper layer of the skin. Most often, the fish is still covered in scales. It must be removed before proceeding to the main stage of cutting. And how to clean the sterlet from the scales? She has a certain difference in this matter from other varieties. This fish, as already mentioned, has no scales at all. Plates familiar to everyone replace small bone growths, which are colloquially called "bugs." They are arranged in five rows in orderly chains along the whole body of the fish: one on the sides, two on the belly and one - the largest - on the back. The top row is neatly cut with a sharp knife, and the rest are scraped off like regular scales. To do this, you can use a special device (scraper) or a small blunt knife. The main thing is to do everything slowly and very carefully so as not to get hurt.
Main dish of fishing
Each dish made from fish provides a certain way of processing it. For example, a carcass intended for frying should be completely cleaned. The fins, head, scales, gills and all the insides are removed. The sequence of the cutting process is also affected by the type of fish itself. There are a number of significant features. But what if you need to cook an ear of sturgeon fish? For example, how to clean a sterlet for fish soup? In this case, you only need:
- Cut off the tail. It can be thrown away, as it will not be required for cooking.
- Separate the head. Clean it from the remains of the viscera, cut the gills and rinse well with water.
- Cut off the main bone growth on the back. Carefully remove the remaining rows of bugs with a grater or scraper.
- Tear your stomach and gently pull out the screech. Try not to damage it so that you do not have to throw away the whole fish.
- Remove entrails except fat and caviar.
- Cut the remaining carcass across the slices of medium size (5-6 centimeters).
Now you can start a fire and start cooking.
Professional Tips
To make the dish not only tasty, but also beautiful, it is better not to take the initiative, but to adhere to good advice from experienced professionals. For example, you need to cook stuffed sterlet. It would seem nothing complicated. But immediately the question arises: what is the best way to act in this case? How to clean the sterlet so that it is then convenient to stuff it? The fact is that the skin must remain intact. Therefore, you can not use a knife to remove the flap growths. What to do? The solution is very simple. Processing is carried out as follows:
- Flog the fish’s stomach and remove the screech along with all the entrails.
- Pour boiling water over the carcass, dropping it briefly in a pan with hot water. After this pretreatment, the bugs soften and can be easily removed by pressing with your fingers.
Now it remains only to fill the fish’s belly with minced meat, roll it into a roll and then cook according to the recipe. This method is very convenient for those who are afraid to use sharp objects in their work and prefer the safe option.
Custom Options
The process of cutting the fish in half guarantees the quality of the finished dish. If you do not completely remove the entrails, damage the skin in many places, or deform the meat, then the result is an unsightly mess that will ward off any desire to even try the delicacy. Especially if this fish is a sterlet. How to clean it, they knew even under Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Even then, the court chefs used special tricks. For example, removing superficial mucus is not difficult if you sprinkle fish with salt. Then you need to wait a bit until it sticks well, and after that just rinse with water. The removal procedure for squeals can also be done in different ways. It is enough to make a small incision along the ridge, and then pick it up from above or inside with a regular fork and slowly pull it out. If the fish is very large, for starters you can cut it into pieces and carefully remove the harmful vein from each part. It is also convenient because sterlet meat is very tender, and it will be much more difficult to cut it after cooking.
Dishes for the festive table
For a special celebration, housewives usually choose dishes that every day cannot be cooked. For example, you can serve sturgeon or sterlet to the New Year's table. How to clean and cut such a fish? Well, remove the bugs, screech, viscera and gills. What's next? It all depends on the imagination of the cook.
First, you can simply wrap the prepared carcass in foil with lemon and onions, and then put it on a baking sheet and put in the oven for 50 minutes. It is better to set the temperature to 200-210 degrees. Then unfold the foil and again send the fish to the oven for another 10 minutes. Now the finished product can be laid out on a dish and decorated. The skin of such a fish is removed with one movement of the hand, and everyone can easily take the meat with an ordinary fork. Secondly, a sterlet steak is a good option for the holiday. To do this, you must first remove the skin from a cleaned carcass. Then marinate the meat with onions, spices and lemon, and then lay on the grill and bring to readiness for 5-7 minutes. A great option, given that there is always not enough time, it will take quite a bit, and the result will surely please all guests.