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To Boil Plaice or Flounders

Boiled plaice or flounders seasoned with coarse sea salt, saltpetre, and served with melted butter.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 5 ingredients
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To Boil Plaice or Flounders

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Empty and clean the fish thoroughly.

  2. Make an incision in the back of the fish.

  3. Place the fish in cold spring water.

  4. Add coarse sea salt and saltpetre in equal proportions to that used for cod fish.

Cook and serve

  1. Bring the water to a boil, then let the fish simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or longer if needed based on size.

  2. Serve with plain melted butter.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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

Plaice or flounders
The fish is the main ingredient and is cooked gently in simmering water until it turns opaque and flakes.
Coarse sea salt
Salt seasons the fish and water, and helps firm the flesh during poaching.
Melted butter
Plain melted butter adds richness and fat that complements the mild, delicate flesh.

The step that matters

Simmer, don't boil hard. Once the water reaches a boil, the fish should simmer gently for 4 to 5 minutes. Vigorous boiling can toughen the delicate flesh and break it apart, so the cook should watch the time and adjust it for the fish's size.

“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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