WHOLE FISH.
If you are able to catch your own fish in river or at sea on beach, pier or in a boat, you can retain as much of your fish as you want, to prepare according to your preferences. Commercial fish is usually gutted at sea and only fish livers are normally retained and processed on vessel to make liver oil. Vessels at sea for a day or so may not carry ice and gutting is important to keep the fish fresh till return to harbour. It should be well done, with clean straight cut across half the neck and down to the anus and all guts removed including little knob of heart in case of cod. The fish should then be washed with care taken to remove all blood from the gut cavity. This may be by swilling in an open basket, or on a washer which must not be overfilled during use. The fish are then packed in boxes with ice in the fish room below deck. Ice is stored on larger vessels, and needs breaking up as it congeals, it is then scattered on each layer of fish and on top of the boxes. Flake ice, made on a continuous freezing roller, is made on some vessels, and flow ice results from mixing this with salt water. Both are excellent for fish storage for two or three weeks at sea. All these processes are directed at providing raw fish in the freshest possible condition for the average consumer. Although I have eaten massive amounts of fish raw, I must confess to never trying fish innards. Perhaps handling fish has given me a distaste for such. More likely I have missed out on another treat which was easily accessible to me, and certainly the liver could be eaten raw to provide all the benefits of liver oil. The intestines will contain pre-digested raw fish which could taste sharp owing to the digestion process of the fish. The eyes are favoured by some, so I suppose it will be necessary for me to try and enjoy more from a raw fish than I had previously considered. Perhaps others can suggest the treats that lie ahead?
