Fish cleaning - Tips to gut a fish

Using scissors, cut off the fins. if the fish are scaly, remove the scales with the back of a small knife or with a fish scaling knife. Hold the fish firmly by the tail, then scrape the knife from the tail end down to the head. To prevent the scales of larger fish flying all over the kitchen, place the fish inside a large polythene bag and scrape it in the bag.

To remove the entrails of round fish, such as trout, salmon, mackerel and herring, insert the tip of a sharp-pointed knife at the tail end of the fish and slit it right along the belly up to the head, then simply pull out and discard the entrails.

Rinse the fish once again under cold water and pat dry. Any fine black membrane that remains inside the fish can easily be removed by rubbing it with a little fine salt.

Flat and round fish bought from most fishmongers will be cleaned already.