Why it works: Fish and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 26% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,036 recipes. Both carry acetoin, which smells butter, cream. The science ↓
Observations on Dressing Fish
Ingredients
Directions
If the fish is not cleaned, have it cleaned by the fishmonger.
For boiling, add some salt and a little vinegar to the water for firmness.
If using cod, whiting, or haddock, salt the fish and let it sit for a day.
Soak fresh-water fish in strong saltwater to remove muddy smell and taste.
Put the fish in cold water and bring to a gentle boil to avoid breaking the outside.
For crimp fish, place in boiling water, then add cold water to reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes.
Check if the fish is ready by seeing if it leaves the bone; remove immediately to avoid woolliness.
Keep the fish warm by placing the plate crosswise over the kettle and cover with a clean cloth.
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
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Fish + vinegartop 26% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,036 recipes
Shared aroma: acetoin (butter, cream).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
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