Doe a whole tilapia need scaling before cooking?
How do you scale a whole tilapia.?
Does most frozen whole tilapia have scales or it it scaled?
Can you eat the skin safely after cooking?

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Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 07 Feb 2005 15:53 PST

Hello byzantinequeen-ga,

I can answer most of your questions but I haven't been able to find
anything to show/explain to you how to scale a whole tilapia or
whether most of the whole frozen tilapia sold have already been
scaled. It might depend on where you are located. Where do you buy
your tilapia? I found that the skin of the tilapia is edible. Thanks.

~ czh ~

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Clarification of Question by byzantinequeen-ga on 08 Feb 2005 01:09 PST

I purchase my whole tilapia at a Super Walmart frozen and a local
oriential market also frozen.  I just wanted to know if they come
prescaled, can you eat the skin like a fresh water trout after
cooking, & how is the best way to prepare them (grill with marinade,
steam, bake or poach). They are gutted. I cook alot and have used the
tilapia filets exclusively but find the whole fish a better deal and
prefer the flavor of whole fish to filets of any sort. This enables me
to have homemade fumet as needed.

We eat alot of fish that I catch or purchase. I normally gut and scale
at the place I catch them & ice them down immediately for I carry the
tools and equipment to maintain the safety/optimum freshness of my
bounty. Or I leave them in a large container of the water they were
caught in and process them at home for eating or storing. When I buy
fish at whatever market they go from the store to an ice filled clean
ice chest inside my car (not the trunk).  Upon arrival at home they
are either frozen or defrosted by laying the wrapped fish on a bed of
ice seperated by plastic wrap or two tubs (one holds the fish that is
placed on top of an ice water bath so as not to waterlog the
defrosting fish...like a cold bain marie in the fridge). This method
is also great for maintaining a fresh fish or filet as well. Just keep
the wrapped fish seperated from the icebath and your safe to go. for a
day or so. Change the ice out daily.  I do not let the fresh or
defrosted fish sit in my fridge longer than 48 hours in my icy bain
marie due to safety concerns and issues of taste/flavor.

I live in an area that has quite a developing aqua culture with fresh
water shrimp, bass, trout, and now tilapia.  These fish have become
very affordable thankfully. I also live on a major freshwater river,
near a lake and many mountain pristine streams. All bodies of water
are quite clean. There is nothing better than fresh wild rainbow trout
cooked at the rivers edge in the mountains. When at the sea shore, I
use the same methods of storage and safety. Freshly caught,
immediately cooked an eaten seafood like shrimp or crabs not to
meantion fisherman's stew on board a fishing boat can never be equaled
on land.

I hope this clarifies any questions you may have. Forgive my waxing
poetic about my habits and food culture.
Thank you sincerely for your time.....
byzantinequeen

Eating scales is not a pleasant experience.

Scale a fish by rubbing vinegar over its skin.

Hold the fish by its tail, and scrape away from you towards the head
with the back of a knife. This should lift and remove the scales from
your fish.

Remove the gills, by placing the fish on its back, open the gill flap,
gently pull the gills between the flap, cut and discard. Repeat on
other side of fish.

Trim off the fins, using a pair of scissors. 

Make a slit in the stomach and remove all of the entrails. 

Rinse the whole fish thoroughly under cold running water.

Tilapia is a common seafood here in Manila, Philippines. It's a scaly
freshwater fish, and people selling them in the market here do scale
removal manually, with a knife or other such scraping tool. Yes the
skin can be eaten when cooked. Cook it in stew with vegetables, fry it
or grill it. Whether frozen tilapia sold in your stores is scaled, you
may have to check it for yourself and just have your knife or scaling
tool ready just in case.