Key Tips for Processing Shark Fins
A method for processing shark fin, using shark fin as the raw material, through steps such as boiling, skinning and deboning, followed by smoking and sun-drying.
Ingredients
shark fins (hammerhead shark or blacktip shark fins are best)
to taste
freshwater (for soaking and heating)
sufficient
alum (for soaking the peeled shark fins)
a small amount
sulfur (for fumigation bleaching)
0.8% of shark fin weight
Instructions
1
Ingredient Preparation
Remove the meat attached to the base of the shark fins, and use freshwater to scrub off surface mucus and dirt. After washing the raw materials, soak them in freshwater for half a day, turning frequently so that blood seeps out of the fins quickly. Be sure to change the water often, especially during the high-temperature seasons of spring and summer.
2
Boiling and Heating
Use freshwater in the pot, with enough volume to cover the surface of the shark fins. First heat the water to about 40°C, add the ingredients, and stir frequently from bottom to top. When the temperature reaches 70-80°C, take out a fin from the bottom of the pot and scrape it a few times with a small knife or fingernail. If the surface peels off easily, the heating is appropriate; remove it quickly at this point. After heating and removing from the pot, place the ingredients in a warm water bucket and soak for 10-15 minutes, with the water temperature adjusted to about 40-50°C.
3
Skinning and Deboning
Take the shark fins out of the warming bucket, and use a small knife to scrape off the hard bone scales and skin. Scrape from the base of the fin to the tip. After skinning, place in cold water with a small amount of alum to soak; after 2 hours, remove and put in a sieve to drain. Use a fin-splitting knife to split the fin body into 2 connected pieces, and remove the central bone.
4
Fumigation and Sun-Drying
After the fin bodies have been split and deboned, soak them in clean water and wash with a soft brush. Spread out the cut surfaces, and arrange on a sieve for sun-drying. When three to four-tenths dry, sulfur fumigation can begin. Place the shark fins along with the bamboo sieve into the sulfur fumigation cabinet. Place a porcelain bowl at the bottom of the cabinet, add sulfur powder at 0.8% of the shark fin weight, and ignite the sulfur. After about 4-6 hours, the fin bodies will be bleached and turn white, then they can be taken out.
