Cleaning the Fish

1. Wash the outside of the fish under running water.

Scale the fish under running water if convenient, or on a cutting board (with newspaper under the board for easy cleanup.) Hold the fish by the tail and run the back of the knife (or scaler) from tail to head over entire fish, both sides. Note: if skinning the fish, it's unnecessary to scale.

Place a finger in the gill holes and pull out the gills.

2. Place the fish on its side with the belly facing you, and press down with your gloved hand to hold the fish in place. With the fillet knife, cut the belly from head to tail, being careful not to cut too deeply into the "viscera", or intestines.

3. With a spoon, scrape down from head to tail, scooping out the innards. Look for the kidney – a small white sack attached to the backbone – and scrape out using the knife.

4. Remove fins with scissors. If desired, make a V-cut in the tail for presentation, or remove.
Rinse the fish under cold running water. If you're preparing the fish whole, it is now ready to cook.

How to Fillet