Cleaning and Preparing Whole Fish
To prepare a whole fish, use a sturdy knife to scale the skin, remove the gills and entrails through the belly cavity, and rinse the carcass under cold running water before patting it completely dry. A dry surface ensures the skin crisps rather than steams during cooking.
A sharp knife is non-negotiable.
If your blade is dull, you will mangle the flesh instead of making clean cuts. Keep your workspace iced if the fish isn't going straight into the pan.
- Fillet knife or sharp chef's knife
- Fish scaler or the back of a butter knife
- Large cutting board
- Kitchen shears
What goes in.
- 1 wholefresh fish, gutted
- 1 tbspcoarse sea salt
- 2 tbspneutral oil, like grapeseed
Removing the bloodline
After pulling the entrails, scrape the dark red bloodline against the spine using your thumbnail or the tip of a spoon. Rinsing this away removes the primary source of metallic, bitter flavor.
The method.
Scale the fish
Lay the fish flat. Hold it firmly by the tail. Use your tool to scrape from the tail toward the head against the grain of the scales. Do this under a slow trickle of water to keep the scales from flying everywhere.
Trim the fins
Use kitchen shears to snip off the dorsal, pelvic, and pectoral fins. They will burn and become brittle in the pan, so get as close to the body as possible.
Gut the cavity
If the fish hasn't been cleaned, insert your knife into the vent near the tail and cut forward toward the head. Pull the internal organs out by hand. Scrape the spine clean and rinse well.
Score the skin
Make three diagonal incisions along the thickest part of the flank on each side. This allows heat to reach the center of the meat without overcooking the outer layer.
Dry and salt
Pat the skin bone-dry with paper towels. Rub salt over the skin and into the scores. Let it sit for five minutes until the surface feels tacky.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always work with the grain of the scales; if you push the wrong way, they lock onto the skin.
If you are leaving the head on, remove the gills entirely as they turn sour quickly when cooked.
A cold fish is easier to handle; keep it on ice until the very second you are ready to cut.
The ones that keep coming up.
How do I know if the fish is fresh?
The eyes should be clear and bulging, not sunken or cloudy. The gills should be bright red, not brown or slimy.
Do I have to remove the head?
Not unless you want to, but the head contains a lot of gelatinous meat that provides flavor to the broth or sauce.
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