To Boil Plaice or Flounders
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Clean the fish thoroughly and make an incision in the back.
Soak the fish in cold spring water with salt and saltpetre.
Cook and serve
Bring the water to a boil, then let the fish simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, adjusting time for size.
Serve with plain 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
- Plaice or flounders
- Firm white fish that stays flaky and moist when gently simmered.
- Plain melted butter
- Adds richness and fat to the mild fish as a serving sauce.
The step that matters
Simmering time. Simmering for 4 to 5 minutes is a guide, and larger fish need longer. Overcooked fish becomes dry and tough because its proteins tighten and squeeze out moisture, so check the flesh for flakes at the thickest part.
“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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