Iwashi
鰯 iwashi · sardine · sardine

Videos: 5-1

Buying / identifying

Scaling & gutting

  1. In the sink. Descale with the knife edge, tail to head, gently. Rinse gently, back to the board.video 5-1
  2. Cut the head off straight.video 5-1
  3. Cut off a good amount of the belly — it's not very edible — then squeeze the guts out with the knife tip.video 5-1
  4. Back to the sink. Pad of the index finger inside the belly: rub out the spleen and bloodline and the rest of the guts. This step matters. Clean the board at the same time.video 5-1
  5. Wipe off all moisture — tap water left on the fish spoils it.video 5-1

Filleting

  1. Cut the tail off.video 5-1
  2. Two knife cuts: a small entry cut on the right-hand belly meat along the fin line, and one on the other side of the fin. Just enough to get a finger onto the bone.video 5-1
  3. Index finger on the bone at the entry; slide along the top of the bone towards the head. The belly bones pop off the meat. Keep sliding the pad of the finger over the bone down to the skin.video 5-1
  4. Same on the other side, along the back of the bone to the head and down to the skin. Nail or pad against the bone, either works.video 5-1
  5. Pull the whole bone out towards the tail.video 5-1
  6. Trim the belly: whole length of the knife, slide to the end and detach. Either slide towards the right, or flip the fish and repeat the same move.video 5-1

Serving

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