How to clean a Fish

Use the Necessary Equipment

 Fillet Knife
 Scaling tool
 Bucket or other container for discarded parts
 Water source to keep the fish and work surface clean
 Zip top plastic bags store the fish if necessary
Scale the Fish
Always work with one fish at a time. Hold the head with one hand and,
using a scaling tool, dull knife or spoon, apply short, raking motions, moving
from the tail toward the head. Use caution around the sharp edges of the fins.
Repeat the action on both sides of the fish, around the fins and up to the gills.
Rinse the fish in water when you’ve finished.
Skin the Fish
Bullheads, catfish and other bottom-feeders lack scales, but are
protected by a thick skin, which most people prefer to remove before cooking.
First, cut the sharp spines off, which makes handling the fish easier.
Once you’ve removed the spine, make a cut behind the head and along
the pectoral or belly fins. Hold the fish by the head with one hand, grasp the
skin with the other, and pull toward the tail. Rinse the fish when it’s
completely skinned.
Cleaning and Gut Your Fish
On the belly of the fish, insert the knife into the anus, near the tail.
Slowly slide the knife toward the head of the fish and stop at the base of the
gills. Open the abdominal cavity, grab the entrails, pull, and remove. Some fish
have a kidney located by the spine, which you can remove with a spoon.
Always remove the darkened inner membrane (only some fish have this)
with a scraping motion- the membrane negatively affects the flavour. Remove
the head, if desired, by cutting behind the gills. Rinse the fish and the internal
cavity.
How to Prep a Fish for Cooking

Fillet
Use the fillet method on large fish to negate the need for scaling or
skinning. Lay the fish on its side and hold the head. Insert the fillet knife
behind the pectoral fin and cut downward to, but not through, the backbone.
Turn the knife flat with the sharp edge pointed toward the tail and uses a
sawing motion to slowly work down toward the tail; stay as close as possible to
the backbone. Once you’ve cut through to the tail, turn the scale side down on
the table. Insert the knife between the flesh and the skin and use the same
sawing motion to remove the meat. Repeat the process on the other side of the
fish and rinse in cold water when you’re finished.
Steaking
Use steaking as an alternative to filleting when you prepare salmon or
large fish. Cut perpendicular to the work surface, along the entire fish. These
cuts are traditionally 1/2- to 1-inch thick. Don’t forget to trim any excess fat or
bones without removing the backbone.