To Boil a Turbot
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Empty the turbot and wash the inside until perfectly clean.
Rub a little coarse sea salt over the outside to remove slime.
Change the water several times until the fish is clean.
Make a shallow incision in the thickest part of the back on the dark side.
In a clean fish kettle, dissolve 4 ounces of salt in enough cold spring water to cover the fish.
Wipe the fish plate with a clean cloth and place the turbot white side up.
Poach
Bring the water to a slow boil, skimming off any scum that rises.
Let the water simmer until the fish is done, then lift it out and drain.
Serve
Slide the fish onto a very hot dish, covering it with a hot napkin.
Serve immediately with rich lobster sauce and melted butter.
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
- Forms the main body of the dish; its delicate flesh cooks gently in the simmering water.
The step that matters
Poaching at a gentle simmer. Bring the water to a slow boil, then hold it at a gentle simmer. A rolling boil breaks up delicate fish flesh and toughens its proteins, so the turbot cooks evenly and stays intact. Skimming removes scum that would cloud the liquid.
“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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