To Boil a Turbot
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the fish
Clean the turbot thoroughly, washing the inside until perfectly clean.
Rub a little coarse sea salt over the outside to reduce slime.
Make a deep incision in the thickest part of the back on the dark side of the fish.
Poach
In a large fish kettle, dissolve the salt and saltpetre in enough cold spring water to cover the fish.
Place the turbot on a clean fish plate, white side up, and then into the kettle.
Bring the water to a slow boil, skimming off any scum that rises.
Let the water simmer until the fish is cooked, then lift it out.
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
- Turbot
- The main fish, whose firm flesh holds together during gentle poaching.
- Coarse sea salt
- Draws off surface slime and seasons the fish and poaching water.
- Saltpetre
- Helps the flesh keep a firm, pleasing colour during cooking.
The step that matters
Bringing the water to a slow boil and simmering. Boiling vigorously can break up the delicate flesh and cook the outside before the centre is done. Gentle heat keeps the fish moist and intact, and skimming removes scum that would cloud the water and mar the appearance.
“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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