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Why scale a fish to be skinned?

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Mark Thorson

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Apr 2, 2011, 2:54:34 PM4/2/11
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I'm watching a show with Julia and Jacques, and at the beginning
Jacques shows how to scale a fish in a big plastic bag to keep
the scales from going everywhere. But now at the end of the
show, the skin of the cooked fish is being removed. Would
it not be simpler to cook the fish without scaling, then remove
the skin and scales from the cooked fish?


Landon

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Apr 2, 2011, 2:00:25 PM4/2/11
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On Sat, 02 Apr 2011 10:54:34 -0800, Mark Thorson <nos...@sonic.net>
wrote:

Sometimes some pretty nasty stuff is held under the scales even after
cleaning well. Bacteria and other things that could flavor the end
product after cooking.

Its always wise to scale the fish and then wash it again before adding
it to your pan or grill.

Cooking with the skin on adds quite a bit of flavor to the cooked
dish. Leaving the head on will also add a lot of flavor to the fish
meat during cooking.

The head fat is delicious by-the-way, and can be added to any broth or
sauce that is made from the dish.

Chemo the Clown

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Apr 2, 2011, 2:09:44 PM4/2/11
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Try it and you'll understand why.

ImStillMags

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Apr 2, 2011, 2:15:36 PM4/2/11
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LOL! yes indeed. blech.

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notbob

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Apr 2, 2011, 2:26:06 PM4/2/11
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On 2011-04-02, Mark Thorson <nos...@sonic.net> wrote:

> it not be simpler to cook the fish without scaling, then remove
> the skin and scales from the cooked fish?

Some fish, like carp, have very large/thick scales. Leaving them on
is like trying to skin a dead crusade knight while he's still wearing
his armour. Baking an unscaled fish may get you a curly scales.

nb

Landon

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Apr 2, 2011, 2:41:13 PM4/2/11
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On Sat, 02 Apr 2011 13:22:49 -0500, Andy <a@b.c> wrote:

>First time out I was taken quite by surprise when the BUM!!! pulled one
>on board and slammed it on the head with a 2x4 plank of wood. He showed
>why. They have hundreds of needle teeth! Could have shredded your head
>off, given the chance!!!
>
>Tasty! :)))
>
>Andy

Dang man! These ain't what I would call "Needle Teeth"....

http://s1135.photobucket.com/albums/m636/Landonrfc/Photos%20for%20RFC/?action=view&current=Salmon-King-Teeth.jpg

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George Shirley

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Apr 2, 2011, 4:03:28 PM4/2/11
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Skin is usually left on to provide more flavor, scaling it keeps other
flavors from permeating the meat. I was taught by my father to do the
same thing about 65 years ago and, as far as I know, people who catch
their own fish do the same thing.

The only time I leave scales on a fish to be cooked with the skin on is
when I grill them outside, the fire takes care of the off flavor and
generally removes the scales as the fish cooks.

Landon

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Apr 2, 2011, 4:03:51 PM4/2/11
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On Sat, 02 Apr 2011 14:12:09 -0500, Andy <a@b.c> wrote:

>Landon,
>
>I'd beg to differ.
>
>Could be old age in your photo!
>
>Some things you just never forget!
>
>Best,
>
>Andy
>

My old age or the fishes? hahahaahaha

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Chemo the Clown

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Apr 2, 2011, 5:25:29 PM4/2/11
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On Apr 2, 11:22 am, Andy <a...@b.c> wrote:
> We'd scale the king salmon after fishing the Pacific ocean, heading in
> across the San Francisco bay to the Berkeley pier. The process drew a
> wealth of seagulls, almost blackening the sky. We cooked the filets pan
> fried in butter with the skin on, which slid off after cooking.

>
> First time out I was taken quite by surprise when the BUM!!! pulled one
> on board and slammed it on the head with a 2x4 plank of wood. He showed
> why. They have hundreds of needle teeth! Could have shredded your head
> off, given the chance!!!
>
> Tasty! :)))
>
> Andy

I fish for salmon and they don't have hundreds of needle fish. Again
you don't have a clue.

Chemo the Clown

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Apr 2, 2011, 5:26:12 PM4/2/11
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I meant needle teeth.

Dan Abel

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Apr 2, 2011, 6:10:21 PM4/2/11
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In article <380fp6l808ak259va...@4ax.com>,
Landon <lan...@noreply.com> wrote:


> >Landon <lan...@noreply.com> wrote:
> >
> >> On Sat, 02 Apr 2011 13:22:49 -0500, Andy <a@b.c> wrote:
> >>
> >>>First time out I was taken quite by surprise when the BUM!!! pulled
> >>>one on board and slammed it on the head with a 2x4 plank of wood. He
> >>>showed why. They have hundreds of needle teeth! Could have shredded
> >>>your head off, given the chance!!!

> >> Dang man! These ain't what I would call "Needle Teeth"....
> >>
> >> http://s1135.photobucket.com/albums/m636/Landonrfc/Photos%20for%
> >20RFC/?
> >> action=view&current=Salmon-King-Teeth.jpg

> My old age or the fishes? hahahaahaha

I was reading an account of a fishing trip in South America. The men
operating the boat were bare footed, and one was missing a big toe.
When asked, he said that he had caught a piranha some years back, and it
was flopping around in the bottom of the boat. He got too close, and
the piranha took his toe right off!

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA
da...@sonic.net

I'm back.

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Apr 2, 2011, 7:52:27 PM4/2/11
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Mark Thorson <nos...@sonic.net> wrote in news:4D9770EA...@sonic.net:


If the fish is cooked with the scales on, and being prepared for the table by
having the skin removed, there's always the finnicky bit of picking scales
off the fless when they fall off and get stuck.

Scaling first alleviates that problem.

--
Peter Lucas
Hobart
Tasmania

Nothing ever truely dies
the Universe wastes nothing
everything is simply... transformed

Brooklyn1

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Apr 2, 2011, 9:11:37 PM4/2/11
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On Sat, 02 Apr 2011 23:52:27 GMT, "I'm back."
<Aus...@home.upstairs.in.brisbane> wrote:

>Mark Thorson wrote:
>
>> I'm watching a show with Julia and Jacques, and at the beginning
>> Jacques shows how to scale a fish in a big plastic bag to keep
>> the scales from going everywhere. But now at the end of the
>> show, the skin of the cooked fish is being removed. Would
>> it not be simpler to cook the fish without scaling, then remove
>> the skin and scales from the cooked fish?

Naturally you'd cook a chicken without plucking.


notbob

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Apr 2, 2011, 9:34:08 PM4/2/11
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On 2011-04-03, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:

> Naturally you'd cook a chicken without plucking.

Oh, shut the Hell up!!

Yer not even here and you're causing an argument!

(granted. a great one! To bad yer missing it) ;)

nb

ItsJoanNotJoann

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Apr 2, 2011, 10:20:38 PM4/2/11
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On Apr 2, 8:11 pm, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
> On Sat, 02 Apr 2011 23:52:27 GMT, "I'm back."
>

>
>
Snigger.

I'm back.

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Apr 2, 2011, 10:51:29 PM4/2/11
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ItsJoanNotJoann <itsjoan...@webtv.net> wrote in news:36c005e2-e8fd-
4842-ad4f-c...@x18g2000yqe.googlegroups.com:

Eckchewly..... I have had a chicken that was cooked without
plucking/gutting etc. Along with a lambs head, fur intact.

They were both boiled for a bit, and chucked into a container with the
veges, soup, and dessert... 3 course meal in one box :-)

It was a phase of a course that I was doing at the time, called 'Lucky
Dip'.

projectile vomit chick

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Apr 3, 2011, 3:09:52 AM4/3/11
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That's just plain nasty.

projectile vomit chick

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Apr 3, 2011, 3:11:26 AM4/3/11
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On Apr 2, 8:11 pm, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
> On Sat, 02 Apr 2011 23:52:27 GMT, "I'm back."
>

lmfao! A succinct summary, to be sure.

Brooklyn1

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Apr 3, 2011, 10:00:45 AM4/3/11
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On Sun, 03 Apr 2011 02:51:29 GMT, "I'm back."
<Aus...@home.upstairs.in.brisbane> wrote:

>ItsJoanNotJoann <itsjoan...@webtv.net> wrote in news:36c005e2-e8fd-
>4842-ad4f-c...@x18g2000yqe.googlegroups.com:
>
>> On Apr 2, 8:11 pm, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
>>> On Sat, 02 Apr 2011 23:52:27 GMT, "I'm back."
>>>
>>> <Auss...@home.upstairs.in.brisbane> wrote:
>>> >Mark Thorson wrote:
>>>
>>> >> I'm watching a show with Julia and Jacques, and at the beginning
>>> >> Jacques shows how to scale a fish in a big plastic bag to keep
>>> >> the scales from going everywhere.  But now at the end of the
>>> >> show, the skin of the cooked fish is being removed.  Would
>>> >> it not be simpler to cook the fish without scaling, then remove
>>> >> the skin and scales from the cooked fish?
>>>
>>> Naturally you'd cook a chicken without plucking.
>>
>>>
>>>
>> Snigger.
>>
>
>
>
>Eckchewly..... I have had a chicken that was cooked without
>plucking/gutting etc. Along with a lambs head, fur intact.
>
>They were both boiled for a bit, and chucked into a container with the
>veges, soup, and dessert... 3 course meal in one box :-)
>
>It was a phase of a course that I was doing at the time, called 'Lucky
>Dip'.

Something your momma gorged on in her attempt to abort you... it's no
wonder you have TIAD.

Brooklyn1

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Apr 3, 2011, 10:29:14 AM4/3/11
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And dumb... what's so difficult about scaling fish OUTDOORS. And even
after scaling you still gotta wash off the loose scales. I used to do
a lot of surf fishing (I lived 800' from the Long Island Sound), so
I'd scrape the scales right at the water's edge, gutted them into the
surf too, and rinsed the fish clean in the surf. Walked home with a
couple three doormats (fluke) and slapped em right on the grill...
nothing so good as fish caught, cooked, and eaten within the hour.
Flounder is good but fluke is better... you probably never saw fluke
in Nebraska.
http://www.fishingnj.org/profluke.htm
Anytime I'd look out my window and see gulls fishing the surf I knew
I'd snag my fill of fluke.
http://www.thefishingline.com/lisound1.htm

Brooklyn1

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Apr 3, 2011, 10:38:00 AM4/3/11
to

If the scales are left on while grilling fish they'd burn and smell
pretty much like burning chicken feathers. If pan frying unscaled
fish many scales would come off rendering the fish inedible. When
making fish stock make certain the trimmings were carefully scaled and
well washed.

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