Question: How To Prep Fresh Shark Fin For Shark Fin Soup?
By: Brad Norris
Published: May 6, 2010

I have landed and released over 40 leopard sharks and kept my first one...i want to try  to make shark fin soup.  but need prep. instruction for fresh sharkfin

Answers:
Curt

Contact your favorite local Chinese restaurant and ask the chef.  I have had sharks fin soup one time at a fancy dinner hosted by a Chinese restaruant and I have to tell you it wasn't very good....in fact, it was terrible and I wondered what all the fuss was about.  Most 'fins' are harvested from the shark and then the shark is tossed back into the ocean....finless.  It's not a favorite of anyone who cares about the rights of animals, over fishing, incidental catch, etc.  In fact, I'm uncomfortable answering this question.
Euclydes Antoni...

You can try to cook the fins as I did a shark head (please, read http://borderlesscooking.wordpress.com/2009/05/08/steamed-shark-head/).
Also, I´ve ound a FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) of the UN report on "Shark Utilization, Marketing and Trade", which may interest you.  Take a look at http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/x3690e/x3690e00.htm.
Briefly:
Processing of "raw" fins
This is the process that renders the fin needles of the dried shark fin soft and ready for cooking. The resultant fins are termed wet fin and those that are not required for immediate use are often re-dried or frozen. The re-dried fins are called cooked fins. The steps involved in the processing of raw fins are as follows:
1 Removal of the denticles
Depending on the size, thickness and species of the fin, this process involves soaking the fins in water varying from lukewarm to 60°C. Some need to be repeatedly heated over a slow fire for up to five hours. When the skin and the denticles are sufficiently soft to work with, the denticles are removed by scratching with a small knife or wire brush.
2 Removal of the cartilaginous platelet
The fin is cut from the broad edge to loosen the fin needles on either side of the cartilaginous platelet, taking care not to cut open the fan shape, so that the fin still remains in a joined piece after the platelet is removed.
3 Trimming
Fins are trimmed to remove any undesirable waste material and to give it a tidy appearance. (Photograph 1.2) The fins at this stage are ready for the market as wet fins. They can also be frozen or re-dried for later use.
4 Bleaching
The fins are usually bleached to give them a desirable whitish colour. The methods include smoking with sulphur overnight (Liu, Li and Niu) or treatment with 3 % hydrogen peroxide for about 30 minutes (Subashingha).