Over the course of around 20,000 years, the Inuit body has adapted to the freezing temperatures, primarily down to their high fish and marine life diet, which provides them with massive levels of omega-3 fatty acids.
The Inuit body is used to sitting, hunched over a hole in the ice, fishing and cleaning fish, while Arctic winds batter them from every angle. So much fish is consumed, the cleaning process is probably not half as rigorous as it might be for, say … well, just about anyone else. The Inuit tolerance to germs from what we’d consider not clean fish is astronomical.
The rest of us need to be more careful when cleaning and preparing fish for personal consumption. Picture yourself, rod in hand, casting off your favorite wall or stretch of beach. You wait a little bit, then you feel that tug on the end of your rod. The excitement is almost unbearable. Reel the fish in and get him off the hook. Give his head a sharp knock off a stone or the wall. You should aim to clean your fish within an hour of catching it. Fish spoil quickly after dying.
When the time comes to cleaning your fish adequately, do it at the beach or wherever you’ve been fishing. Gutting and scaling is a messy job and you don’t want to be doing that at home. You’ll stink up the house and get scales everywhere. Get down to the water’s edge somehow. I say this for two reasons: The water makes it easy to clean off any blood and it also makes the scales come off easier if the fish has dried a little. You’ll need a sharp pocketknife and a butter knife.
Scale the fish first; the intestines inside make it easier to hold. Drag the butter knife against the grain of the scales from tail to gill. You’ll need to do this until the vast majority of the scales are gone. Use short, sharp strokes. Pay close attention to areas around the fins and make sure all the scales are gone. Rinse after scaling.
It sounds crude, but find the fish’s anus at the lower end of its belly and poke the tip of your knife into it. This will give you a guaranteed central and straight incision up the fish’s belly. Gently wiggle your knife up to just in line with the gills.
Pull the innards out, severing any parts attached inside. Rinse the fish in the water to wash away any blood and guts. Put the fish immediately into a cooler and take it home. Either freeze it or eat within 24 hours.
Read This Next
Bone Fishing in Puerto Rico
Adventure
May 7, 2016#TrazeeTravel
Insta FeedHotel
Mar 27, 2024Earn a Free Night with BWH Hotels This Spring
Earn a free night with BWH Hotels this spring by being a member of its Best Western Rewards loyalty program. Through May 5, BWR members who stay two nights (do not need to be consecutive) at BWH Hotels properties in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean will earn one free night to be used for stays through Aug. 25. Register for the promotion prior to the completion of your first stay online or with the hotel directly. The awarded free night is eligible at any Best Western-branded hotel in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean, and members can only earn one free night via the promotion.
Sponsored Content
Your Home Away from Home in Dallas
Open spaces, open thinking and open expression thrive at Aloft Dallas Downtown.
Products / Technology
Mar 27, 2024Getting to the Airport Just Became Easier with FlyPool
A new service launched last month that may make your trip to and from the airport just a little easier and less costly. FlyPool is an online platform and app that facilitates carpooling, specifically to airports around the world.
Destinations / North America
Mar 26, 2024Car Enthusiasts Head to California for La Jolla Concours d’Elegance
Head to La Jolla, California, this April for the 18th Annual La Jolla Concours d’Elegance. The automotive and lifestyle festival offers car fanatics a variety of free and paid events. This year’s theme showcases the roaring 20s and glamorous 1930s. The event takes place April 19–21.
Sponsored Content
Travel Tips to Help Protect Your Health and Your Trip
Five Tips to Help Minimize Potential Travel Problems
Surveys
Mar 26, 2024Study Discovers Destinations Where Hotels are Cheaper Than Home Rentals
For the longest time, travelers touted home rentals as an affordable alternative to hotels. However, is that really the case? Do you really get more for your money when you book an Airbnb versus a hotel room?
ShareThis