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To Boil Plaice or Flounders

A simple boiled fish dish using plaice or flounders, seasoned with coarse sea salt and served with melted butter.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 4 ingredients
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To Boil Plaice or Flounders

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Clean and empty the fish, making an incision in the back.

  2. Soak the fish in cold spring water with coarse sea salt.

Cook and serve

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

  2. Serve the fish with 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 flounder
Provides the flaky white flesh that is the main component of the dish.
Butter
Adds richness and a smooth, fatty finish when melted over the cooked fish.

The step that matters

Simmering time. Simmering for too long can toughen and dry the delicate flesh, while stopping too early can leave the fish undercooked near the bone. Checking doneness at the earliest time keeps the fish moist and tender.

“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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