Instagram/@ammaizza1
Brilio.net - Processing catfish is often a challenge for many people, especially because of its abundant mucus. This mucus basically functions as a natural protector for catfish. However, when cooked, the mucus can make the cleaning process more difficult and time-consuming.
The issue of removing catfish slime is not only a technical issue, but also has an impact on the quality of the resulting dish. If the slime is not cleaned perfectly, the fishy smell and unpleasant taste can stick to the fish meat, which can ruin the taste of the dish. Therefore, special steps and aids such as salt or ash are often used to reduce the slime before the fish is processed further.
In addition to using salt and ash, some people usually also use vinegar. So, catfish will be soaked in vinegar water first before being processed. Well, this vinegar is considered to be able to make the mucus disappear by itself.
But actually, there are other ingredients that are no less effective in removing mucus from catfish. An Instagram user @ammaizza1 once shared a special trick when trying to remove mucus from catfish. Instead of using salt, ash, or vinegar, she relies on one type of leaf.
As reported by BrilioFood from Instagram @ammaizza1 on Sunday (3/11), the leaves in question are guava leaves. Not only does it remove mucus, guava leaves are also considered to be able to eradicate the fishy smell. Therefore, catfish is safer to cook and the results will be tastier.
photo: Instagram/@ammaizza1
Well, prepare the catfish that has been washed clean first. After that, remove the dirt and cut it. If so, take a guava leaf and squeeze it first. Then rub it all over the catfish.
"It turns out that guava leaves can remove mucus and the fishy smell from catfish," said Instagram @ammaizza1.
photo: Instagram/@ammaizza1
Once scrubbed, continue cleaning the catfish again. Rinse under running water so that the mucus also falls off. At this stage, you can also scrub it again using guava leaves, yes. After that, drain until slightly dry.
photo: Instagram/@ammaizza1
Well, the clean catfish can be processed immediately. In the video, Instagram user @ammaizza1 wants to process it into fried catfish. Therefore, she added marinade seasoning and let it sit for a few minutes. Only then is the catfish ready to be fried. Guaranteed the results will be tastier because there is no fishy smell and mucus attached.
Basically, guava leaves are known to have the ability to remove mucus from catfish because of their chemical content. First, guava leaves contain natural compounds such as tannins and saponins. Tannins have astringent properties, meaning they can cause protein precipitation and reduce mucus. Saponins, on the other hand, are substances that can produce foam and help emulsify and dissolve mucus.
When guava leaves are used to clean catfish, these compounds work by breaking down and lifting the mucus from the surface of the fish. This process makes the mucus easier to remove and clean. Guava leaves also have a slightly rough texture, which helps in mechanical scrubbing to remove mucus more effectively.
In addition, the use of guava leaves also provides additional benefits in the form of a fresh and natural aroma that can help reduce the fishy smell of catfish. This makes guava leaves an effective and natural choice for cleaning catfish, making the preparation process easier and the cooking results more delicious.
(brl/lut)
