Preparing fish

I like to eat fish on the bone, although a lot of people are put off by eyes, heads and bones. The eating quality of the fish does benefit massively from being cooked on the bone, as the flesh stays much more moist and keeps a fuller flavour. A fishmonger will normally offer to prepare your fish for you, which will save you lots of time and valuable flesh, if you are not an experienced filleter.

With a pair of heavy scissors, cut off the fins and tails (and reserve them for stock or soup). Scales can be removed by scraping the skin with an old table knife in the opposite direction to that in which the scales lie. It’s a messy job, so do it in the sink if possible, or surround the work area with paper or a bin liner. This should always be done before filleting, as the flesh will just get mashed if you try scaling once it’s filleted.