What kind of fish is ray? How much is 1 kg? Prepare properly and suggest dishes

A popular fish with delicious taste and high nutritional value that many people know is stingray. It can’t be denied that rays bring many benefits to human health. Join KINGFISH to discover how much rays cost, how to prepare and cook delicious and attractive ray dishes in the article below.

I/ What is ray?

1. Stingray identification characteristics

Rays are a kind of fish that includes many species such as stingrays, sawfishes and many others. Their outstanding characteristics are a flat and thin body, a small head, a small and long tail.

Rays’ lives take place mainly under the sand, where they often hide and are inactive. Their distribution and habitat vary by species, depending on the specific type of ray. Seas all over the world have their presence, especially in tropical or subtropical climates. Rays use the breathing holes on their bodies to push water out, helping them better adapt to their living environment.

2. Nutritional value of stingray

Ray, a food source from the sea, has been widely used in many delicious dishes. It is worth noting that ray not only brings delicious taste but also brings many health benefits. Therefore, you should not miss the opportunity to enjoy rays.

Ray is especially rich in nutrients. In its composition, there is a lot of vitamin B12, protein, important minerals, omega-3 and essential amino acids. In addition, ray provides fat, which helps provide energy for the body.

The ability to support cardiovascular health is also a strong point of rays. It has the ability to lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and stabilize mood. In this way, rays have the ability to prevent cardiovascular problems and help improve psychological conditions.

For those interested in losing weight, stingray is also an attractive choice. Although rich in fat, it also contains a lot of protein, helping to create a feeling of fullness for a long time and control appetite. At the same time, rays also support effective weight loss by reducing calorie consumption.

For the above reasons, adding ray to your diet is a smart decision. It not only helps supplement nutrition and control the heart, but also supports the effective weight loss process. Experience the exciting taste of ray to enjoy the benefits it brings.

II/ Common types of stingrays

1. Stingray

Known as the most agile ray in the family, stingrays have the scientific name Dasyatis Violacea. What’s special about them is their ability to move flexibly and attack their prey quickly.

Stingrays are not only famous for their powerful attack ability, but also possess intelligent self-defense mechanisms. When they detect danger or while hunting, they will cleverly bury their bodies under a thin layer of sand to hide. Another unique thing is that stingrays are equipped with poisonous spines on their tails, which they use to attack and fight against enemies.

2. Star rays

The blue ray, also known as the star ray, is a type of ray similar in appearance to the common ray, with the characteristic difference being that its body is adorned with blue spots.

They often live in areas along rivers and lakes. Star rays are characterized by large nostrils, small mouths, and a head with many spines. Another characteristic of their pelvic fins is that they are relatively smaller than those of other rays. The tail of the star ray is narrow and short.

3. Bat rays

Bat rays, also known as giant devil rays, originate from the Mediterranean Sea and are most commonly found in the Atlantic region.
This fish has a special shape with a much larger body than other rays. They can reach a body size of up to 5.2 meters. An easily recognizable feature is that the bat ray’s tail contains many spines.

III/ How much does 1kg stingray cost?

Currently, on the market there are whole fresh rays for sale at prices ranging from 360,000 to 370,000 VND per kilogram. The fish range in size from 0.5kg to 3kg.

In addition, it is also possible to find rays suffocated, which are fresh but dead fish, selling for about 190,000 VND per kilogram. This ray has been frozen after being caught, still retains its freshness and ranges in size from 0.5kg to 3kg.

IV/ How to prepare rays

After choosing fresh rays, the next step is to remove the smell of the fish. This process can be done as follows:

1. Peel off the fish’s gills and blood bags inside the fish’s belly, remove all the fish’s intestines and wash off the mucus to remove the fishy smell.
2. Use a knife to cut along the fish’s spine to remove bruises and black membranes. This is where the stinging smell in rays is caused. Thorough cleaning is required to remove odors.
3. Clean the slime from the underbelly of the fish by rubbing with salt. Additionally, you can also use white wine or rice vinegar.
4. During preparation, be careful to avoid breaking the fish’s bile, as this will make the fish flesh bitter.
5. Grease the stingray skin by scraping off the slime layer with a knife. Then, rub the fish with salt and rinse with ginger, white wine or vinegar to completely remove the fishy smell and slime.
6. Complete the ray cleaning process by rinsing the fish again with water. Then, proceed to cut the ray to the desired size.
7. Rays should be eaten immediately after cleaning to ensure deliciousness. If you want to preserve, you can put the fish in the refrigerator for no more than 2 weeks.
8. Before putting it in the refrigerator, use paper towels to dry the fish and place it in a box then put it in the freezer.
9. However, you should not leave rays in the refrigerator for too long, because it will lose its deliciousness and reduce its nutrients.

V/ Delicious dishes from rays

1. Grilled ray with lemongrass and turmeric

Ingredients for Grilled ray with lemongrass and turmeric

• Ray 300 grams
• Turmeric 1 bulb
• Lemon juice 1 tablespoon
• Fish sauce 1 tablespoon
• Minced lemongrass 1 tablespoon
• Pepper 1/2 teaspoon
• 1 chilli
• Salt 1 teaspoon
• Ginger leaves 5 grams

The detailed method is as follows:

1. Prepare ingredients: Rinse rays with water and clean using the steps as previously instructed. Then, use a knife to lightly carve the fish body so that the spices can penetrate the fish easily.

2. Prepare spices: Wash the turmeric root, grind it and put it in a bowl.

3. Marinate fish: Mix crushed turmeric, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to marinate rays for 10 minutes. If you like spicy dishes, you can add a little minced chili to the mixture.

4. Grill fish: Spread ginger leaves on the grill and brush the leaves with a layer of oil to prevent the fish from sticking. Then, place the ray on ginger leaves, clamp and grill the fish for about 25 minutes on a charcoal stove. Turn the ray frequently to ensure it cooks evenly without burning.

5. Finishing: When the ray is cooked, the grilled fish with turmeric will have a characteristic aroma of turmeric and ginger leaves. The fish meat will be delicious, crispy and sweet. You can enjoy grilled ray with turmeric with green chili salt or chili garlic fish sauce if you want.
Wish you success and enjoy a delicious meal!

2. Ray braised with lemongrass and chili

Ingredients for Braised stingray with lemongrass and chili

• Ray 700 gr
• Lemongrass 6 cloves
• 10 chili peppers
• 3 purple onions
• Garlic 4 cloves
• Turmeric 1 bulb
• Fish sauce 2 tablespoons
• Cooking oil 3 tablespoons
• Common spices

How to prepare ray braised with lemongrass and chili:

1. Prepare ingredients

• Ray: Wash, cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Lemongrass: Peel, wash and mince.
• Turmeric: Peel and grate thinly.
• Purple onion and garlic: Peel and mince.

2. Prepare fish

• Remove fish gills, blood sacs and fish fins.
• Wash fish in salt water.
• Make an incision along the spine to remove the bruise and black membrane.
• Wash the fish again and scrape off any slime from the skin.
• Rub salt on the fish and rinse with diluted salt water with ginger, white wine or vinegar added to remove the fishy smell

3. Marinate fish

Mix fish with salt, sugar, seasoning, fish sauce and MSG. Marinate fish for 15 – 20 minutes

4. Fish warehouse

• Heat cooking oil in a pan, then add shallots and fry until fragrant.
• Add minced garlic to the pan and continue to fry until fragrant.
• Add grated lemongrass, minced lemongrass and minced turmeric to the pan, stir well to spread the aroma.
• Next, add the marinated ray into the pan, stir well and simmer for about 10 – 15 minutes until the fish is soft.
• Finally, add fresh chili to the pan, cover and simmer for another 5 minutes.
• Adjust seasoning to taste and turn off the stove.

Finishing: Present braised ray with lemongrass and chili on a plate and decorate to make it more attractive.

3. Ray hotpot with sour bamboo shoots

Ingredients for making Ray hotpot with sour bamboo shoots

• Ray 1 kg
• Sour bamboo shoots 300 gr
• 2 tomatoes
• 1/4 pineapple
• 80 gr squeezed tamarind
• 1 chili pepper
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 purple onion
• Cooking oil 4 tablespoons
• Cornstarch 1.5 tablespoons
• 1 little vinegar
• 1 little common seasoning
• Vegetables served with 500 gr

How to prepare Ray cooked in sour bamboo shoot soup:

1. Prepare ray

• Wash rays with diluted salt water and a little vinegar.
• Use nylon gloves and rub vigorously on the fish flesh to remove odors.
• Scrape off the skin, if any, to remove fish slime.
• Rinse with clean water, rub salt on the fish again, then rinse with clean water and drain.
• Cut fish into bite-sized pieces.

2. Prepare vegetables

• Cut the pineapple into small pieces, cut the chili and tomatoes into small pieces.
• Mince garlic and cut purple onion into slices.
• Wash sour bamboo shoots about 2-3 times with clean water, squeeze gently to reduce odor.
• If sour bamboo shoots have a strong odor, wash them with rice water or boil them in boiling water mixed with salt to remove the smell.

3. Cook hot pot

• Heat cooking oil in a pan, add minced garlic and fry until fragrant, then take out the garlic.
• Use the garlic oil to saute the shallots and minced shallots with cornstarch, then put them in a saute pan over medium heat.
• Boil about 2 liters of water in a pot, use the boiling water in the pot to get the juice.
• Put tamarind juice and water into the pot, season with spices such as seasoning powder, sugar and MSG. Stirred

4. Perfect the hot pot dish

• Put the vegetables and stingrays into the electric hot pot.
• Sprinkle fried onions and garlic on top.
• Add remaining chili slices and tomatoes.
• When using, add hot pot water, heat and enjoy. Add chili fish sauce if desired.

Sour Ray hotpot with bamboo shoots will have a harmonious sour and sweet taste, combining the typical flavors of stingrays and vegetables. When eating, you can add a cup of chili fish sauce to add flavor to the dish.

VI/ How to preserve rays for longer

How to store fresh fish in the refrigerator

A popular way to store fresh fish is in the refrigerator. Here are some methods to preserve fresh fish effectively:

• Use a discreet bag: Place the prepared fish in a sealed bag, push all the air out before closing the bag, then place the fish in the freezer.
• Wrap the fish with aluminum foil or specialized mold lining paper: Use aluminum foil or specialized mold lining paper to wrap around the fish, then put it in the freezer.
• Use a vacuum sealer: If you have a vacuum sealer, suck the air out of the fish bag before placing it in the freezer. This is an effective way to store large quantities of fish.
• Freeze fish in water: You can also freeze fish in water. Place the fish in an ice tray, pour water to cover the fish and place the tray in the freezer.

How to preserve fresh fish with natural substances:

1. Use lemon or vinegar: Use a little vinegar or lemon juice to rub evenly over the entire fish. This helps reduce fishy odors and prolongs storage time.

2. Preserving with salt: There are two ways to use salt to preserve fish:

– Wet salting: Dissolve salt into water at a ratio of about 55g salt per liter of water. Soak the fish in salt solution for about 12 hours, then put it in an airtight container to store in the freezer.

– Marinate with dry salt: Rub granular salt evenly on the surface of the fish and let it marinate for a while, then put the fish in a box and put it in the freezer.

• Use white wine: Pour a little white wine into the fish’s mouth to prolong storage for about 1 to 3 days.
• Use wet paper: To keep the fish fresh longer, you can place a piece of wet paper on the fish’s eye to protect the fish’s nerve.

VII/ Conclusion

Above, KINGFISH has shared basic information about rays to help you better understand this fish and the health benefits it brings. Hopefully, after reading this article, you will buy rays and make delicious dishes for your family today!