In a time where most of our fish comes pre-cut and neatly-packaged, many of us have forgotten the skills needed to break down our own food in our own kitchens. Learning how to break down whole fish will not only leave you empowered with new knowledge, it will help you learn how to save money and cook more efficiently.

Taught by butcher McCullough Kelly-Willis, founder of the Chicago Meat Collective, this Azadi Folk School workshop is aimed towards the home cook who wants to increase their skills in butchery, cooking, and cost-efficiency. Each student will get hands-on experience breaking down their own whole fish, sourced from the Upper Mississippi River Valley by Tyler Kutscheid of Fish Food.

We’ll cover scaling, gutting, filleting, and navigating rib bones, as well as how to source sustainably raised fish, how to check for freshness, how to cook, and how to store fish.

Each participant will get to take home their filets, bones, and all! We will share a sample of fresh-cooked fish in class, along with refreshments.