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How to dry-age fish at home

How to dry-age fish at home

For many people, fresh sea-caught fish cooked on the beach is a wonderful experience, but purists would say that the fish is not being eaten at its best. Really fresh fish has tight muscles and undeveloped flavor.


Dry-aging fish eliminates moisture, and that includes the blood and slime that makes for a fishy odour. 


Dry-aged fish is cleaner and infinitely more tender fish. Large flakes of tendons and muscles get broken down through the aging process.


Many people believe that dry-aged white fish tastes richer and creamier and richer than the freshly-cauht version. 


We're not talking about years, here! It is usually recommended to age  fish for four to seven days. Much longer than that and it stops resembling fish and becomes more meaty and leathery. Fish ages and improves but shouldn't spoil in seven days.


You don't need special equipment to dry-age fish. Follow this process:

  • Using paper towels, pat fish completely dry

  • Lay the fish between a few layers of paper towels, wrapping it tightly enough to protect the surface area.

  • Put the wrapped fish in a ziploc bag or cover with plastic wrap, squeeze out as much air as possible, and refrigerate for one day.

  • Every day, replace the paper towels and reseal it

To prepare dry-aged fish for the table, just treat it exactly like fresh fish, but if you typically use touch to assess temperature, remember that dried fish will be denser/firmer than fresh fish.

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