Tampere inventor’s Kalakko turns small lake fish into thin, crispy fillets

Ilmari Tamminen of Tampere has invented Kalakko, a fish press and a gut‑skirting preparation that turns underused small lake fish into thin, crispy fillets. The device and method allow anglers, home cooks and professional kitchens to process the fish quickly, Tamperelainen reports.

Tamminen’s method starts with a scissors technique. One blade is guided down the mouth along the spine while the other cuts open the cheek and flank, pushing the guts to one side so they can be removed without touching them. The fish is then flattened in the Kalakko press into a thin 'pancake'. It crisps in a pan or contact grill. Tamminen recommends about five minutes per side in oil, or ten minutes in a contact grill.

Tamminen works at Tampere University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology and develops his ideas through his company Vaakalintu Oy. He has trialled the product with passersby on Hämeenkatu and sees uses ranging from family campfire meals to restaurant and food‑industry production.

The invention comes as Tampere has been promoting shore angling and fish‑tasting events for schoolchildren through National Fishing Day activities, and the city resumed fyke‑net fishing in Iidesjärvi to remove rough fish and improve water quality earlier this year.