Rinse the fresh sardines under cold running tap water. Rub them gently until the scales are removed. Do this very carefully. A mouthful of scales is so extremely unappetizing!

Drain the sardines on a piece of kitchen paper. Then put them on a chopping board and cut off the heads.

Hold the sardine upside down in the palm of one hand. Then cut open the belly of the fish using a sharp knife or a pair of scissors up until the part where the tail starts.

Run your thumb along the spine and push out the bloody guts.

Rinse the inside of the sardine under cold running tap water. Make sure to remove all bloody bits (they taste awfully bitter). Then drain the cleaned sardine on kitchen paper again. Carefully push along the spine on both sides.

The spine will bit by bit come off the sardine flesh. Leave the sardine fillet in one piece!

Then carefully remove the spine.

Break it off right in front of the tail or remove the spine with tail and all if you prefer.

Rinse the sardine again. You can remove any other small fish bones if you like. And there it is: a perfectly cleaned and filleted sardine! Booyah!