Editor’s note: The theme of Gohan Lab is to help people make simple, tasty “gohan” (meals).
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To cap the series on answering our readers’ requests, we chose a desire “to clean and prepare fish.”
The in-season Japanese sardine is opened flat with the hands. Since sardines are tender, they can be filleted with your hands instead of a knife after removing the head and guts.
The flesh and bones are separated by running the ball of the thumbs along the bone. Once you get the hang of it and get better, cleaning fish will become fun.
According to the Japan Fisheries Information Service Center based in Tokyo, the catch and price of Japanese sardines continue to be stable this year. Once you learn how to open them flat with your hands, a process called “tebiraki,” your cooking repertoire will expand to include fries, fish cake balls and more.