"Questions" > wrote in message
...
> I've never cleaned a fish for use as sushi. When I clean fish for
> cooking, I'm not as worried about being perfectly clean. The fish will
> be cooked at a temperature that will allow for minor infractions.
>
> Can someone who has cleaned a live fish for use as sushi tell me the
> method for making the process as safe and clean as possible please?
>
> TIA

I have been catching, cleaning and preparing fish for raw consumption for
some 30 years.
Cleaning a fish for raw consumption doesn't differ so much from cleaning a
fish for cooking.
The differences really come before and after you clean the fish.

1) When keeping your catch with the intent of eating raw, make sure you have
an ice filled
cooler. Common practices like landed fish left on deck, in a bucket, in a
burlap bag are not good.
Bringing the fish home in good condition (mostly keeping it cool) is key to
enjoying good raw fish.
2) The fish should be cleaned (head dropped, reduced to 2 filets) on a board
designated for that
purpose. Do not use the same board for slicing your "sashimi".
If dealing with a live fish, using a thick bladed knife (in Japan the Deba
Boucho is used) stab and cut
through the upper gill opening to sever the spine.You will used lots of COLD
running water.
Most fish should have their skin removed. An exception would be Japanese Tai
but I won't get into that right now.
Hikarimo Mackeral and Aji must have their "outer skin removed" but this does
not apply to regular scaled fish.
3) When slicing your filet for use as sashimi or as sushi neta, rinse your
hands and wet your board first with cold water
then wipe with a paper towel. When handling the filet, minimize excessive
handling and if for some reason
you find yourself working with a filet for over 2-3 minutes or so, rinse
your hands in cold water and wipe.
Use a Wood board, rather than a plastic board which tends to trap bacteria
in the grooves left behind from cutting.
Also wood has anti-bacterial properties which is one of the reasons why it's
used so much.

You mentioned cleaning a "live" fish and unless you have a livewell I
imagine that you are thinking of
preparing your fish on-site. If so be careful of working in the shade and
that the temperature is higher than
an air-conditioned kitchen.

If you test your Florida "Whiting" please let us know how it was.
In particular, what fish common to the sushi counter that it resembled if
any.

Musashi