How to Prepare Fresh Raw Sardines
Fresh raw sardines are gaining a renewed popularity. Sardines are good for your health, with plenty of omega-3, vitamins and other nutrients. They also are commonly accepted as being nearly mercury free, if not completely free. Sardines are an oily fish and tend to spoil more rapidly than less oily fish. The flesh is also soft, so bruising can occur in handling. When purchasing fresh raw sardines, be sure the eyes and skin are bright. There should be no offensive odor to the sardines, slime or visible marks. It is also best if they are kept on ice. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Rinse the sardines in cold water. Scrape a knife across the length of each fish on both sides, working from tail to head to remove any scales, if necessary. Rinse the sardines again.
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Cut off the head just behind the gills. The head also can be broken off by hand without a knife, and most of the entrails will pull out with the head.
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Slice the length of the belly to remove any remaining entrails. Splay the two sides of each fish open, so the fish is flattened, with the inside facing up. Remove the backbone and attached bones with your fingers, starting at the tail. Snip the backbone at the tail with a scissors if you are having trouble removing it. It should pull out in one piece with little effort.
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Flip each fish over so the skin side is up. Pull the skin off. You may need to use your fingernails to grasp an edge to start it, but it pulls off easily and in one piece when done properly.
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Rinse and cook as desired or eat raw in your favorite manner.
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Tips & Warnings
Some species of sardines are quite small and may not need to be scaled. Some also are eaten with the skin on. The bones are soft and can be left in when cooked, though are best removed when eating sardines raw. Heads are also left on and eaten in some dishes.
Grilling is a popular method for preparing sardines. Raw dishes are considered a delicacy, as fresh raw sardines are hard to come by in many locations.
Only the freshest sardines are suitable for raw dishes.
References
- Photo Credit sardines image by Jorge Casais from Fotolia.com
