Flat fish has 4 fillets (unlike round fish, which have 2).

Always trim the sharp fins with kitchen scissors, some flatfish have extremely sharp fins and tails.

Make an incision with the point of the knife below the head and cut down towards the backbone, then continue cutting down the length of the fish and through the tail

Make a cut below the head diagonally from the backbone to separate the fillet

Separate the flesh from the bones by inserting the point of a knife into the cut below the head and sliding the knife along the bone with a long, gentle stroking motion

Lift the fillet from the middle as you continue the stroking motion, cutting away from you to remove the first fillet – you should be able to hear and feel the knife moving against the bones

Turn the fish around and repeat on the other side of the backbone to remove the second fillet, cutting a diagonal line below the head then inserting the point of the knife from the tail end and gently following along the line of the bones to remove the fillet

Turn the fish over and repeat this process on the other side, cutting along the backbone and under the head

Use stroking motions along each side of the backbone to remove the third and fourth fillets

Trim the edges to neaten the fillets – these can now be skinned and cooked as required.

Cooking flat fish fillets

Scatter a bit of flour on a large plate.

Season with salt and pepper.

Pop the fish fillets on a chopping board and season all over with salt and pepper.

Squeeze over a little lemon juice and finely grate over some zest.

Dip the fish fillets in the flour, turning to lightly coat both sides of the fillets.

Shake off any excess flour.

Put a large pan on high heat and warm it till it's smoking hot.

Add a splash of oil to the pan – enough to create a thin film on the bottom of the pan.

Add the fish fillets, skin-side-down, and fry for 1-2 mins till the skin is crisp underneath.

Carefully turn over and fry for a further 1 min.

If your frying pan is too small to cook all the fish fillets together, cook them in batches, adding extra oil as needed and making sure to keep the pan hot.

Serve the fish straight away with your choice of sides.