1. Trim the fish by snipping the fins off with kitchen scissors. Use several sheets of newspaper or under cold running water, remove the scales by scraping the fish from tail to head with a blunt, thick-bladed knife or a fish scaler.With some delicate skinned fish, such as sardines, pilchards and small herrings,you can simply rub off the scales with your thumb.

2. To remove the guts, slit open The belly from the anal fin (two thirds of the way down the fish from the head) up towards the head.Pull out most of the guts with your hand, cut away any pieces of the entrails left behind and then wash out the cavity with plenty Of cold water.

3. To remove the gills, pull open the gill flaps and cut them away from the two places where they join the fish, at the back of thehead and under the mouth.