You should never wash raw fish in your sink, either. Remove the scales from fish if a recipe calls for it, but leave your fish unrinsed to prevent your kitchen from becoming a breeding ground for germs.
Poultry and fish
Not only does it not eliminate any bacteria or pathogens off of your food, it can actually increase your risk of contamination.
Fish. Fish is in the same category as poultry and red meat: If you wash it, you will spread bacteria around your kitchen. Cook it off instead. The only exceptions to this rule are clams, oysters, mussels, and scallops that you get fresh.
Cleaning is important for two main reasons, the prevention of food poisoning and the reduction of spoilage. Bacteria that cause food poisoning are for the most part transferred to the fish, mainly from human beings, during processing, but occasionally some may be present on the fish when caught.
Holding the scaling tool in your dominant hand, remove the scales using short, quick strokes. Repeat this down one side, then flip it over and do it on the other side. Once done, rinse the fish under water to remove any remaining scales. (Make sure the stream of water has low pressure, so you don't damage the meat.)
Rinsing with freshwater doesn't matter much. You're putting it on ice which is basically the same thing just a little colder. Two things to consider though. *The fish is on the ice, but the skin is the barrier between any freshwater and actual meat fillet.
For freshwater fish, a good rinse with clean water will do. But for saltwater fish, the secret cleaning agent is salt. Mix some salt with water and thoroughly rinse the fish to remove the fishy smell.
The USDA cautions: “do not rinse raw fish, seafood, meat, and poultry. Bacteria in these raw juices can splash and spread to other foods and surfaces. Cooking foods thoroughly will kill harmful bacteria.” You remove the skin.
Once fish are dead, it's best to clean them within two hours and eat them within 24 hours. You will need a method of holding your fish until you are ready to clean them. Some anglers use a stringer to keep the fish in the water. Other anglers place fish directly on ice in a cooler.
Because it's an acid, it can make salmon more susceptible to bacterial growth. So if you're not careful, your fish could spoil before you even have a chance to cook it. Ultimately, it's up to you whether or not you want to clean your salmon with vinegar.
You should remove the skin when you're poaching or slow-roasting salmon—it will never get crispy in liquid and end up with a gummy, unpleasant texture. If you do want to leave it on, just discard it before eating.
Cover the last layer of fish with a layer of salt, and leave the fish to cure for at least 1 week. Then rinse them, return them to the cleaned-out cooler, and cover them with salted water for at least 2 weeks. The fish will keep in the brine.
Fish. You can spray fish with vinegar when preparing it, to prevent your hands picking up the smell. Having gutted the fish, wash it with warm water and vinegar, dry it and wrap in cling film or foil; it will keep happily in the fridge.
It is a good idea to let salmon sit out for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking so that it can warm to room temperature. Do not let it sit out for too long. You want it to reach room temperature right before cooking. If it is at room temperature for too long it can be a food safety risk.
America's Test Kitchen recommends soaking the salmon in a standard brine—one tablespoon of salt per cup of water—for just 10 minutes before cooking. That should minimize the amount of albumin forming on the surface of the fish. Or you could try cooking the fish at a low temperature, according to Martha Stewart.
You don't need to rinse fish, chicken, pork, or any other meat before cooking. Not only does it not get rid of bacteria, it spreads bacteria (if water splashes from the sink in the process of rinsing). What kills bacteria much more effectively is cooking.
By giving a fillet a vinegar rinse (or even a full-on soak while you prepare the rest of your meal's components), you can bring out all of the fish's best qualities and textures, neutralizing any fishy scents while seasoning it.
Put the salmon in the dish and pour the vinegar over the salmon. Move the fish around and be sure to wet the entire piece of fish with the vinegar. Pour off the vinegar. Allow the fish to “marinate” for 15 minutes (10 minutes for leaner salmon).
Natural way to tenderize
To ensure tender meat, Chinese cooks wash it thoroughly. The meat is tenderized as they rinse the meat and wring it out (via Milk Street).
Bottom line. Washing raw meat doesn't kill harmful germs, and it may actually lead to cross contamination and food poisoning. Lemon juice, vinegar, and other acidic solutions may help reduce bacteria in raw meat, but they don't seem to combat harmful viruses.