ottawa foodies

I just got back from a lunchtime visit to the Byward Market. As I walked past Lapointes I noticed a sign out front advertising whole salmons for $2.99 per lb. as is. The fine print on the sign inside the store said the salmon is $5.99 cleaned. This leads me to believe as is = uncleaned. So is cleaning a fish difficult to do at home? I assume it involves removing the scales? I am usually lazy and I like having the fish cleaned for me... The sale price is so good I am wondering if it is worth my while just cleaning it myself. Any suggestions on how this is done?

Depends how fancy you want to get, but I'd do it this way with skin on

Thanks! But I am almost certain the fish at Lapointes has the insides removed. I think their idea of cleaning is removing the scales and maybe rinsing it under running water. I will head back to the store tomorrow and make more enquiries.

OK, if the insides are already removed then what do you actually want to know, because the phrase "cleaning a fish" means "removing its insides"

zymurgist After doing a little research on the net (particularly the Lapointes website and the Orvis website) they also refer to "cleaning a fish" as in "removing its insides". When I go to the store the insides are already removed but they still ask if I would like to have the fish cleaned. This is causing a little confusion on my part. The staff usually mentions they clean the scales and the last time I bought a whole fish (some time ago) I'm pretty sure I saw them rinsing it under running water. Hence my original thought that this is something I can do myself instead of paying an extra $3 per lb. to have someone do it for me. I will be heading over to Lapointes at lunch today hoping that the sale is still on so I can keep you posted...

BTW I did in fact watch your video. When you removed the insides of the fish you caught did you do anything else to it or just throw it in the frypan?...

For a smaller fish like that - I just toss it in the fry pan. You could also stuff and bake it (even bigger fish). Don't toss out your head - lots of good eating there!

I'll be interested to hear what you find out at Lapointe

Okay I am back from Lapointe's with one whole salmon. The insides have in fact been removed. For the record when the sales staff refers to "cleaning a fish" they refer to removing the scales and the fins. The young man serving me said I could clean the scales with the back of a knife. I think I can handle that-;)

zymurgist Good call on keeping the head. I usually buy "fish pieces" (my term) at the back of the store for making fish stock. (They usually have out heads, fillets and steaks that don't look pretty enough to put in the display case, etc.) Since Lapointe's had such a good deal on the salmon I will poach it in a court bouillon and save the bouillon for chowders.

Hmmm, wonder how this would work for home made Solomon Gundy ...

p.s. you'd think the sales staff at a fish market would know proper fish terminology. Bad one, Lapointe ...

Hmm, I find this thread interesting. I too have always assumed that "cleaning the fish" refers to cleaning out the guts. Plus, the cheaper price is sometimes due to the fact that they weight the fish uncleaned therefore, you are paying for the insides.

At my local fish monger, they weigh the fish before it is cleaned and then clean it for you (including the scales and the fins) for no extra charge.

Do not fish have to be gutted soon after catching so no fecal matter and such contaminates it? I always assumed (and may have read) that was done before it's even shipped to a fish monger.

Removing scales make sense in this case, I guess. Though cleaning fish, to me, means both gutting and scaling.

Some fish are flash frozen on the boat soon after they are caught (therefore not cleaned first).

Some fish are alive at the fish store and are killed and gutted when you buy them.

I welcome the store to do the scaling because it is messy. Scales fly everywhere!

Last Friday I scaled and poached my salmon. I decided to use my potato peeler (not the side you use for peeling potatoes) running the peeler from tail to head. It only took a few minutes to scale then I rinsed it, wrapped it in cheesecloth and cooked it in a court bouillon. I now have lots of salmon leftover as well as fish stock for chowders. I will certainly be getting my money's worth from this salmon.