To Render Boiled Fish Firm
Ingredients
Directions
Add saltpetre and coarse sea salt to the water.
Bring the water to a boil.
Submerge the fish in the boiling water and cook until firm.
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
- Saltpetre
- Acts as a curing agent that helps preserve the fish and keep its color.
- Coarse sea salt
- Seasons the water and helps firm the flesh of the fish.
The step that matters
Cooking the fish until firm. Fish proteins tighten as they heat, so cooking past firm makes the flesh dry and rubbery. Check it early and remove it once it is just firm.
“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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