Boiled Mackerel
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Clean the mackerel well.
Let them lie a short time in vinegar and water.
Choose mackerel that have soft roe for boiling.
Boil
Put them into a fish‑kettle with cold water and a handful of salt.
Boil them slowly.
If small, cook for about twenty minutes.
Check when the eye starts to split and the tail separates; they are done.
Remove them immediately once boiled enough.
Do not let them stand in the water for any time, or they will break.
Alternatively, put them in cold salt and water, let warm gradually for an hour. Then give them one hard boil; they will be done.
Serve
Serve with parsley sauce and garnish with lumps of minced parsley.
Eat with mustard.
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. See the original page.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Mackerel (in the method)
- Is the main fish that is cooked whole and served as the dish.
- Salt
- Seasons the cooking water and flavours the fish during boiling.
The step that matters
Removing the mackerel promptly after boiling. Fish protein sets as it cooks and keeps cooking in hot water, so leaving it in too long makes the flesh break apart and turn dry.
“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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