Scaling Tog?

[RnK]

We like to prepare fish whole from time to time, but never did a whole tog. So I decided to do one, and when I went to scale it, it was very hard to get them off, and in the hopes there is an easier way than scraping, I'm posting looking for advice. Thanks!

Russ

[italianfisherman]

Originally Posted by RnK

We like to prepare fish whole from time to time, but never did a whole tog. So I decided to do one, and when I went to scale it, it was very hard to get them off, and in the hopes there is an easier way than scraping, I'm posting looking for advice. Thanks!

Russ

no need to scale Tog.. if you bake the fish, the skin will just fall off with a fork. i bake mine with crush tomatos, ex vir olive oil, & fresh basil..

[Boston Pete]

Or you can grab a pair of fish pliers(not sure that's the correct name) cut around the head, then down both sides and underneath...real easy/quick and you can pull the skin right off.

[dfish28]

Throw it in a pot of boiling water for 10-20 seconds or so, depending on size, you'll learn, but smoked tog is the shiznit!! That's how I learned to do it, or you could try an angle grinder with a wire wheel, that could be fun
Ok ... Idea... 18 volt (brand) fish scaler attachment...hmmmmm I want the rights to this one, ill be talkin to dewalt tomorrow

[RnK]

Thanks guys - sorry its taken me so long to get back.

What I wanted to do was cook a tog my favorite way to cook seabass whole. A key part to that is the seabass skin, which gives a lot of flavor to the sauce. Thus, for the dish I needed the scales off, skin on. After a lot of work, I did get the scales off the tog, but after a hot sear, the skin browned but stayed on the tog, so tog turned out to not be suitable for the dish, as seabass skin comes off when seared. With the tog, the sauce was quite a step down than with seabass.

The recipe for whole seabass (one of out top favs) for 2

gut, remove tail, fins, head (optional.) in heavy iron skillet, heat 3 tbl oilive oil to just smoking, add fish, sear couple minutes till skin comes off, same the other side, then remove partially cooked fish to platter, cover with foil to keep warm.

turn heat down to low/medium, add few cloves chopped diced garlic, brown just slightly, then deglaze with a bottle of clam juice and 1/2 cup white wine. Add a light (true) marinara, we make our own, the stuff sold in jars in stores is too thick. you want thin to be able to taste the seafood first, not the tomato first. Cover, cook on low for 10 min, then put back the fish, spoon sauce over the top 1/2 of the fish, turn heat to medium, when the sauce bubbles, cover and turn heat down to low (just above simmer). Cook 5 min, then flip the other side for 5 min. - or until done, if this a 5# you were lucky to get

We serve over rice and with steamed broccoli with a squirt with lime juice - a good veggie anytime you cook a garlicky dish. And of course crusty French or Italian bread for the great garlicky seafood sauce.

Very easy and delicious.