Instructions

1. Scrape the body of the fish against the grain with a knife to remove the scales.The scales contain a high amount of bacteria and should be discarded prior to preparing the fish.

2. Cut the head off the fish beginning at the gills. Make an incision beginning at a small hole that you will find on the bottom of the fish 3/4 of the way down its body all the way towards the gills. After making this incision, cut off the dorsal fins located on both sides of the fish.

3. Remove everything inside the fish through the incision that was just made. When completed, there should be nothing left inside except the spine.

4. Use your finger or the knife to remove any dark colored coating that may be inside of the fish. The spine and ribs should be removed from the fish after it has been cooked.

5. Rinse the inside and outside of the fish thoroughly. When completed, visually inspect the cavity for leftover entrails.

6. Cook the fish, or store it inside a freezer with the incision facing down to prevent water from freezing inside the fish.