Gutting a fish!
Well over the weekend I got into my cooking mode so decided to make some rainbow trout (the common name given to a number of species of freshwater fish belonging to the salmon family) for dinner.
As I opened the neatly sealed Styrofoam box from Shangri-La Fish Farms (+92-300 988 8338), I was faced with the realization that I would have to ‘gut’ the fish myself (on account that our cook has not come back from his one week holiday currently running into its third week!)
Well I sharpened the biggest knife I could find in the kitchen and washed the fish. Flipped it over and let the knife make a neat incision from neck to navel on the soft underbelly of a very good looking fish.
Boy was I surprised to find that it is not as easy as it looks when watching someone else do it. The innards are soft, hard to grip (due to the fish slime) and are quite securely (duh no big surprise) connected at both ends i.e. the mouse and the ass!
Well I dove in (hands first of course) and pulled out the organs and placed them in a sealed plastic bag to throw out in the dumpster (since I didn’t want the kitchen to reminisce and linger on too much about my mid-afternoon adventure). Using the knife with the skill of jack the ripper I sliced and diced out all the things that needed removal (am avoiding details for you light hearted readers).
One experience nonetheless needs to be shared on account of its grossness and humor.
As I tugged at what can only be described as the stomach attached to very frizzy intestines, (picture Weird Al Yankovic with electrocuted hair) the fish farted! Yes, it let out a rip-roaring flatulent flurry which sounded like a mini scooter motor sputtering on its last drops of gasoline. Thank the Lord it didn’t have the aromas associated with this particular activity, else the plan for dinner would have come to a very sudden stop at that point.
Needless to say I ventured on as a brave (and newly enlightened) chef and finished cleaning the fish till it was a smooth fillet out of a magazine and ready for the marinade (my own recipe). Into the wok it went with vegetable oil for that deep-fried taste and ten minutes later voila.
Mm hmm I tell you the trout was delish!
Next on the menu; prawn tempuras and clam pasta!
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