Why it works: Vinegar and horseradish are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 12% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,609 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
How to Boil Fish
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the poaching liquid
Fill a large kettle with enough water to cover the fish.
Add salt, vinegar, shredded horseradish, and sweet herbs to the water.
Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer to infuse the flavors.
Remove the kettle from heat and let the water cool completely.
Poach the turbot
Score the dark side of the turbot through the skin to prevent cracking.
Place the fish in the kettle, dark side down, and bring the water back to a boil.
Boil a moderate-sized turbot for about 20 minutes, or a large one for 25 to 30 minutes.
Once cooked, drain the fish well and place it on a napkin on a fish-drain.
Serve
Garnish with sliced lemon and scraped horseradish.
Serve with lobster, shrimp, or crab sauce, and optionally with anchovy, soy, ketchup, or sliced cucumber.
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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Vinegar + horseradishtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,609 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Fish + turbottop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together153 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-octenal (fatty, green).
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Fish + horseradishtop 16% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together178 recipes
Shared aroma: octanal (fat, soap).
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Horseradish + turbottop 19% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together70 recipes
Shared aroma: octanal (fat, soap).
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Vinegar + turbottop 26% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together132 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Turbot
- Its firm, flaky flesh is the main element that holds its shape while poaching.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the flavor of the mild fish and the poaching liquid.
- Horseradish
- Contributes a sharp, pungent aroma that flavors the poaching water and the fish.
- Sweet herbs
- Infuse the poaching water with aroma, lightly flavoring the fish as it cooks.
The step that matters
Let the water cool completely before adding the fish. Placing the fish in water that is still hot can cook the outside too fast and break the skin. Starting in cooler liquid and then bringing it slowly to a boil helps the flesh cook evenly and stay intact.
Swap the horseradish
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (fish, vinegar, turbot):
- Cucumberfits about as well
- Horseradishthe original
- Shallotfits about as well
- Capsicumfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against fish, vinegar, turbot. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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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