• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Marge Perry's A Sweet and Savory Life

  • Recipes
  • Articles
  • Calendar
  • About
  • Contact

How to Get Rid of Stinky Fish Smell in Your Kitchen

May 1, 2018 By Marge Perry 4 Comments

 

Did you wake up to the scent of last night’s fish dinner? Or worse, come home after a long day only to be greeted by the smell of dead fish?

First, here’s what not to do: do not light a scented candle. Doing so will produce the same cacophony of odors French prostitutes in bygone days created by dousing themselves in cheap perfume. You just don’t want to go there.

Don’t blame the scent on bad fish. Even good fish can make your house smell, well, fishy. It’s also not a matter of bad cooking technique, so don’t blame yourself. If you feel a strong need to blame someone, put it on the Kitchen Witch. She clearly didn’t have your back.

I do, though. I am going to tell you how to get rid of that nasty odor– and also how to hedge your bets against it happening again. (No guarantees on the latter, but it will help.) This solution for eradicating the smell really works, albeit with a small, innocuous side effect.

After you cook fish, bring about an inch of white vinegar to boil in a small saucepan. Reduce the heat and let it simmer, just vigorously enough that the vinegar gives off a decent amount of steam, for about an hour. The side effect is that your house will smell like a salad for a an hour or two, but salad smell is clean and fresh, and far preferable to fish smell. It is well worth noting that this also works to cut that headache-inducing odor after you’ve painted your house. Sadly, I can tell you from personal experience that it is ineffective when your dog has been skunked.

Now, you also want to do everything you can to prevent that smell. As I said above, it is not a guarantee, but to help avoid smelling up your house when you cook fish, be sure to open a window or start your fan BEFORE you start cooking. Otherwise, that odor has a chance to linger; to settle in to all the nooks and crannies of your kitchen. Like certain houseguests, it is best to not let it get too comfortable in the first place.

Now that you know how to conquer the dreaded Stinky Fish Smell, you will want to run right out and cook some fish. Below is a robustly flavorful, healthful salmon dish that you can make in less than 15 minutes. And just think, your house will smell fresh as a spring salad.

Before you go, a few quick updates. As we are madly working on getting the manuscript for our upcoming book, Hero Dinners, to our editor by July 1st, we have also created a couple of new social media venues. Take a look at the food we’re creating for the book (and other stuff, too) on Instagram at @HeroDinners, and our joint Marge Perry and David Bonom Facebook page Please follow and join our journey!

Also, as long as you are now on cooking fish and seafood, I would suggest you to try this recipe for Mussels in Coconut Chili Broth we created for Anolon. It is one of my two favorite ways to eat mussels: this is the other.

Print Recipe
Salmon on Ginger-Jalapeno Tomato Sauce
Servings 4
  • 4 (6-ounce) salmon filets, skin on
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt divided
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1/2 jalapeno, sliced (core and seeds removed)
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomato
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
Servings 4
  • 4 (6-ounce) salmon filets, skin on
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt divided
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1/2 jalapeno, sliced (core and seeds removed)
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomato
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
  1. Season the fish on both sides with ½ teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high. Add the fish, skin side down, and cook until the skin is golden and well crisped, about 5 minutes. (The fish will not be cooked through). Transfer to a plate.
  2. 2. Add the onion, jalapeno and ginger to the pan; cook, stirring, 2 minutes until somewhat softened. Add the tomato, honey and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Place the fish, skin side up, on top of the tomato and gently simmer until the fish is cooked to the desired degree of doneness, about 5-7 minutes. Just before serving, sprinkle with the cilantro.
Recipe Notes

363 calories, 41 g protein, 13 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 16 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 714 mg sodium

Filed Under: Fast and Easy, How-To, Recipes, Seafood and Fish

Reader Interactions

Get More Updates!

Sign up to get exclusive updates & tips!

Comments

  1. Amy Nieporent says

    May 2, 2018 at 12:52 pm

    Can not wait to not stink up my house with this wonderful ginger inspired recipe

    Reply
    • Anna says

      May 4, 2018 at 6:47 am

      Love cooking fish but hate the smell! Great idea will definitely try it along with this great recipe.

      Reply
  2. Emily Goldberg says

    May 15, 2018 at 9:10 am

    It really works!!!!!!! Hooray!!!!!!!!
    Do you think it would work for meat? Or do you have another trick up your sleeve? xo e

    Reply
    • Marge Perry says

      May 15, 2018 at 9:24 am

      It absolutely works for meat, and also if you get your house painted it takes that awful smell out of the air. The only smell it has not worked on that I know of is when my dog got skunked 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

I make my living writing, teaching and speaking about food and travel. In the name of work, I (have to!) eat a lot, meet interesting people (many of whom, like me, are passionate about their work) and travel near and far to see where and how food is made, grown or raised. I am saved from a life of extreme obesity by the fact that I truly love to exercise, but I am always one forkful away from not being able to button my jeans. Mine is a sweet and savory life.

I share it with my husband and co-author, David Bonom. Check out our new book, Hero Dinners: Complete One-Pan Meals That Save the Day

To learn more about me, click here →

Subscribe

sign-up here for email updates!

  • Want to see a cool trick for poaching eggs? Check out this video we did for Anolon. The trick comes at :22!

  • Craftsy Blogger Awards - Winner Best Tutorials Badge

    Popular Posts

    How to Cook Tender, Juicy (not dry!) Chicken Breasts

    Grilled or Roasted Spice-Rubbed Chicken Thighs: My Go-To Easy Dinner

    Strawberry Frosted Cupcakes

    Disclosure statement

    Do you have Chicken Anxiety??

    Become a Chicken Master! Make moist, tender, juicy, safe chicken each and every time. My online Craftsy video class, All About Chicken will show you how. Click here to learn more-- and get a special reader discount of half price.

    Footer

    Hero Dinners: Complete One-Pan Meals That Save the Day, our latest cookbook, is available wherever books are sold (including on Amazon).

    Want to see more of my work? Click on "Articles" at the top of the page for links to our recipes, articles and videos in magazines, websites, and social media.

    Feel free to connect/follow via any of the social media buttons below or drop me a line here through my contact page. Read More…

    More From the Blog

    Subscribe

    sign-up here for email updates!

    Copyright © 2023 asweetandsavorylife