To Boil Cod Fish
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Wash the fish and clean the inside, especially the backbone.
Poach
Place the fish in a fish kettle and cover it with cold water mixed with salt and saltpetre.
Heat over medium heat, skimming off any scum that forms.
Boil gently until the fish is cooked through.
Drain
Drain the fish by placing a plate across the kettle for a minute or two.
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
- Cod fish
- The main protein, which gentle poaching cooks into moist, flaky flesh.
- Coarse sea salt
- Seasons the poaching liquid and firms the surface of the flesh slightly.
- Saltpetre
- Helps the fish keep a firm texture and a pleasing colour during cooking.
The step that matters
Keep the boil gentle. Vigorous boiling agitates the fish and forces proteins to tighten quickly, which breaks up the flesh and toughens it. A gentle simmer cooks the fish evenly while keeping it intact and moist.
“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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