Boiled Cod
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
In a kettle, combine 1 ounce of coarse sea salt with 1 quart of cold water.
Place the cod on a fish drainer in the kettle and cover it with the salted water.
For large cod, cut into sections for even cooking.
Cook and serve
Heat the water until it is almost boiling, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes and skim any foam.
Boil the cod for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on its size and thickness.
Drain the cod and serve on a napkin with oyster or egg sauce.
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
- Cod
- Is the main protein, cooked gently in salted water until it turns flaky and opaque.
- Coarse sea salt
- Seasons the cod and water, lightly flavouring the fish as it poaches.
The step that matters
Heating the water to almost boiling, then simmering. Boiling vigorously toughens and breaks up delicate fish flesh, while a gentle simmer cooks it evenly. Skimming removes foam that can cloud the broth and cling to the fish.
“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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