Dressing a Roundfish

Cut off the fins using a pair of kitchen shears.

Scale the fish, as necessary: Hold the fish by the tail as tightly as you can, and use a fish scaler, the blade of a butter knife, or the back of the blade of a chef’s knife to scrape down from the tail to the head with short, firm strokes. If the fish is very slippery, wrap a clean kitchen towel around your hand to help with the grip. This process can be done in a sink for ease of cleanup.

Snip out the gills.

Cut open the belly from the anal cavity to the gills and pull out the innards. Rinse the belly cavity carefully under cold running water.