Should you keep one?
The smooth hound is currently not under a formal bag limit in the UK, but stocks are considered vulnerable. Consider keeping only one or two fish per session, and return any females (which are larger and breed later in life). The starry smooth hound is subject to a recommended minimum size of 50 cm total length by the NFSA.
Humane dispatch
Sharks should be dispatched quickly and with minimum stress. The preferred method is iki jime.
- Lay the fish flat and keep it still, a wet cloth over the eyes calms them.
- Locate the brain: on a smooth hound it sits just behind the eyes, roughly level with the tops of the gill slits. Feel for a soft spot at the rear of the skull.
- Drive a sharp spike (iki jime spike, marlinspike, or thick wire) firmly into the brain in one motion. The fish should go limp instantly with a brief muscular shudder.
- If you do not have a spike, a firm, sharp blow to the top of the head with a priest directly above the eyes is an acceptable alternative.
Bleeding
Bleeding improves the quality of the flesh significantly and removes the urea-based ammonia smell common to all sharks.
- Immediately after dispatch, cut the gills on both sides or make a deep cut at the base of the tail where the caudal fin meets the body.
- Hold the fish head-down over the water or a bucket for two to three minutes.
- Place straight into an ice slurry. Cold slows the urea conversion that causes the ammonia smell.
Skinning
Smooth hound skin is covered in tiny dermal denticles (placoid scales) that feel like coarse sandpaper. The skin is edible but tough; most people remove it.
- Make a shallow cut around the circumference just behind the head.
- Use pliers and a cloth to grip the skin and pull firmly toward the tail, it peels back in one piece on fresh fish.
- Alternatively, skin the fillets after they have been cut from the carcass, holding each fillet skin-down and running the knife between skin and flesh.
Gutting
- Make a shallow incision from the vent (cloaca) forward to the base of the pectoral fins, keep the cut shallow to avoid puncturing the digestive tract.
- Remove the stomach, intestines, and liver. The liver is edible and rich in oil.
- The spiral-valve intestine is distinctive and compact; remove it whole.
- Rinse the body cavity thoroughly with cold seawater.
Dealing with the ammonia smell
All cartilaginous fish (sharks, skates, rays) store urea in their flesh. If the smell is present after bleeding and chilling, soak the fillets in cold salted water or milk for 30–60 minutes before cooking. This draws out the remaining urea and leaves clean, mild flesh.
