Scaling

This is a messy job best done at the fish market, but if you’re stuck with it, cut off any sharp fins with a pair of heavy scissors, so the fins don’t poke you, and hold the fish in a clear, unscented plastic garbage bag so you can see what you’re doing but don’t end up covered with scales. Scrape against the scales, working from head to tail, with a fish scaler or the back of a paring knife. Be thorough and especially conscious of the belly and underside of the fish, parts that are easy to miss. Rinse the fish thoroughly to get rid of loose scales—in grilling season I use the garden hose.