¿Es seguro comer la piel del pescado?
Si eres nuevo en el mundo de los mariscos, puede que te sientas un poco perdido. Saber qué partes son comestibles y cuáles no requiere práctica, sobre todo si quieres comer pescado entero como un verdadero experto. La buena noticia es que muchas partes del pescado son comestibles, incluida la piel.
If you're new to the world of seafood, you may feel a bit like a fish out of water. Figuring out which parts are edible and which aren't takes some practice, especially if you want to be able to eat whole fish like a true connoisseur. The good news is that many parts of a fish are edible, including its skin. However, you should consider what type of fish you have on your hands before you dig in. While fish skin is generally fine to consume, some species of fish contain higher amounts of mercury than others. Eating enough mercury can lead to some serious neurological issues, such as problems with coordination, depression, anxiety, and even diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Fortunately, as long as you only eat fish a couple times a week as recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and you make sure that the fish you get is up to par, most species you'll find on a menu don't contain enough mercury to be a problem. Fish with high mercury include king mackerel, shark, and swordfish. Varieties like catfish, snapper, cod, and salmon all have relatively low mercury levels, and have skin that is perfectly safe to eat in moderation.
Fish skin is a healthy treat
Not only is fish skin safe to eat, it contains the same vital nutrients as the rest of the fish, like omega-3s and iron. Just make sure the fish is clean and cooked correctly, and there should be no adverse effects from eating fish skin — except maybe the texture. Unless it's prepared properly, fish skin can be unpleasantly chewy. That's why if you want tasty fish skin, you should first grill, roast, bake, or fry it to a crisp. You won't even need any extra ingredients except perhaps a little salt. Fish skin can be so good, some people call salmon skin the bacon of the sea.
If you want to eat the skin of a fish you're preparing at home, you'll first have to descale it (you can also ask your fishmonger to do this step). To remove the scales yourself, run a knife along the fish at an angle to scrape everything off. Although eating fish skin isn't a requirement, it is a way to get the most out of your meal. Whether you're learning how to eat whole fish like a pro or just want to get some extra protein in, eating fish skin is a completely safe option.