1. Separate head and tail from body. With spoon and fork, ease fin bones away from each side of fish. |
2. Using fork, roll skin backward from tail, peeling toward head, and remove. Repeat with other side of fish. |
3. Divide upper side of fish into two fillets by cutting along natural line down center of fish. Ease bottom fillet off bone with an outward motion, placing it at edge of plate. Repeat with top fillet. |
4. With bone structure now fully exposed, lift backbone from head-side first, pull gently back toward tail, and remove, exposing other side of fish. |
5. Carefully probe plate-side fillets for errant bones; remove by sliding them in opposite directions onto plate. Replace all four fillets on plate, reconstructing them (if they have broken) into fish's natural shape. |