There are several ways to clean a puffer. But the end result is the same, with the body of the fish looking like a chicken drumstick, earning it the nickname “sea squab.”
Walter White begins by using a knife to cut through the backbone of the fish just behind the head. Then, while pressing the head of the fish down against a cutting board, he uses pliers to skin the fish by grabbing the dorsal fin. Once the fish had been skinned, he cuts off the tail and the head, leaving nothing but the white meat, ribs and backbone.
Experienced anglers also have success simply by cutting through the backbone and grabbing the back of the fish’s head with two fingers and working the first thumb or first two fingers the opposite hand through the cut all the way down to the belly. By separating the hands, the angler heads, guts and skins the fish all the way down to the tail in one motion. With a practice, cleaning a puffer becomes faster and easier.
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