Even the most accomplished home cooks can come a cropper when tasked with preparing fish. We so often buy it ready-prepared that to do so at home is at times a bit of a forgotten art – especially when it comes to descaling and gutting. But buying whole fish and then preparing them yourself not only saves money; it gives you more versatility and rewards you with fresher, tastier produce to work with.

Simpler tasks like filleting flat fish, removing the skin from a loin of cod or peeling prawns are skills every home cook should know, while having the ability to open oysters, scallops and clams, removing the meat from lobsters and crabs and cleaning whole squid will earn you major brownie points among your fellow foodies. Our helpful guides cover every aspect of the process, turning you into a fish guru in no time. It also means if you ever go fishing, crabbing or fancy buying some super-fresh produce straight off the boat, you’ll know exactly what to do when you get it home.