First the fish has to be scaled and gutted. This means scraping off all the scales and removing all the viscera (everything that you find in the stomach cavity).

SCALING: If you are going to remove the skin before eating, don’t bother. But if, like the sea trout on the barbecue, the crispy, smokey skin is part of what is so delicious, then you definitely need to scale.

• Lay the fish in the sink (or on your table – only be sure to put down newspaper or plastic bags) and holding the tail firmly, scrape away from you towards the head with the blunt side of a chef’s knife.
• Turn the fish over and repeat, making sure you wash off all the loose scales.
• Trim the fins (dorsal & belly) with kitchen scissors, as well as the ones at the gills

Voila – scaled!

GUTTING: The easiest way to do this is through a cut in the belly, and since we are butterflying (opening up the fish and spreading it out – like butterfly wings) the fish, it doesn’t matter if we cut it open.

• Lay the fish on its side and using a sharp knife or scissors, slit it gently from tail to head
• Pull out everything inside (the guts – hence gutting) and rinse clean under cold water.

BONING: You need to take out the transverse bones and the spine before you can butterfly the fish

• run a sharp knife along the ribcage of the fish, loosening it from the flesh.
• turn the fish over and do the same to the other side
• using kitchen scissors, snip the spine at the tail and head end
• pull the spine away from the fish from the tail end first
• the ribcage will come along with it

BUTTERFLYING: Now all that’s left is the tidying up

• Run your knife sharply along the flesh behind the gills, cutting away the head
• repeat on the other side
• Open up the last little bit at the tail and flatten out

And you’re done

Thank you for trying my recipes.
I hope they fed your mind, body and soul.

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