How to Boil Fish
Ingredients
Directions
Place the fish in a pot of cold water.
Bring the water to a strong boil.
Add a small amount of cold water to reduce the boil.
Continue adding cold water or remove the pot from the heat to maintain a gentle boil until the fish is fully cooked.
Keep the pot covered to prevent dirt from falling in, removing the lid occasionally to skim off any scum.
Once cooked, lift the fish gently and allow the water to drain off.
Place the fish on a clean napkin in a dish, ensuring no water remains.
Serve the fish immediately before it is to be eaten.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Fish
- Is the main protein that cooks gently in the simmering water until flaky and fully cooked.
- Cold water
- Cooks the fish gently and, when added, lowers the water temperature to keep the boil gentle.
The step that matters
Keeping the boil gentle. A strong, rolling boil can toughen fish and break it apart. Adding cold water or lowering the heat keeps the water just simmering so the flesh cooks evenly and stays tender.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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