The most popular way of cooking large fish is to boil
it. It is so usual to put fish into cold water and bring it
gently to the boil, that I daresay you will be astonished
when I say that in my opinion, and that of a great many
people who know very much more about cookery than I
do, the same rule should be followed in boiling fish that
is observed in boiling meat, and for the same reason. I
hope you remember that when we were talking of boiling
meat we said that meat was first put into boiling water
to harden the surface, and so keep in the goodness ;
afterwards it was to be drawn back and simmered gently
till tender. Salt meat, on the other hand, was to be put
into tepid water, or, if very salt, into cold water, in order
to draw out a little of the salt, which might harden
the meat.
Now, we wish to keep the goodness in fish as in meat,
and therefore we put it into boiling water. But as fish is
more delicate than meat, we must be careful to put it into
the boiling water very carefully, and then to draw it back
immediately and keep it below boiling point until it is
cooked. We ought to put a good handful of salt or a
little vinegar✪ How to Cook Fish into the water with it, as that will help to
harden the outside quickly, but if we allow the water in
the pan with the fish to boil quickly, our fish will be spoilt.
The only exception to this rule of putting fresh fish
into boiling water occurs in the case of mackerel. The
skin of this fish is so tender that if put into boiling
water it would break. It is therefore put into tepid water,
and must not be brought to the boil.
It is not possible to say how long fish must be boiled,
because that must be determined by the thickness and, if
I may use the word, the texture of the flesh, as well as its
weight. It will vary from six to fifteen minutes per
pound. We may know when it is done by pushing a
skewer through the thickest part of the fish ; if it goes
through quite easily, and the flesh feels soft, it is done,
and should be taken up immediately, for ever}’ minute
in which it continues to boil now will spoil it. Perhaps
it cannot be served Immediately, but that is no reason
How to Cook Fish.
87
why it should be left in the water, for it may easily be
lifted in the strainer and laid on the top of the fish kettle
with a hot cloth over it. It should be laid here in any
case, that is, whether it can be served immediately or
not, to let the water drain from it, and when this is
accomplished it can be placed on a hot dish, covered with
a napkin or fish paper, garnished neatly, and served.
It is very desirable that fish should be of uniform
thickness throughout, for if one part is thick and another
thin, the thin end will be in rags before the thick part is
cooked through.
White fish, such as turbot or brill, should be rubbed
over with lemon-juice, before being boiled ; this will help
to whiten the fish and so improve its appearance.
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Presented as published in 1882. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The most popular way of cooking large fish is to boil it. It is so usual to put fish into cold water and bring it gently to the boil, that I daresay you will be astonished when I say that in my opinion, and that of a great many people who know very much more about cookery than I do, the same rule should be followed in boiling fish that is observed in boiling meat, and for the same reason. I hope you remember that when we were talking of boiling meat we said that meat was first put into boiling water to harden the surface, and so keep in the goodness ; afterwards it was to be drawn back and simmered gently till tender. Salt meat, on the other hand, was to be put into tepid water, or, if very salt, into cold water, in order to draw out a little of the salt, which might harden the meat.
Now, we wish to keep the goodness in fish as in meat, and therefore we put it into boiling water. But as fish is more delicate than meat, we must be careful to put it into the boiling water very carefully, and then to draw it back immediately and keep it below boiling point until it is cooked. We ought to put a good handful of salt or a little vinegar into the water with it, as that will help to harden the outside quickly, but if we allow the water in the pan with the fish to boil quickly, our fish will be spoilt.
The only exception to this rule of putting fresh fish into boiling water occurs in the case of mackerel. The skin of this fish is so tender that if put into boiling water it would break. It is therefore put into tepid water, and must not be brought to the boil.
It is not possible to say how long fish must be boiled, because that must be determined by the thickness and, if I may use the word, the texture of the flesh, as well as its weight. It will vary from six to fifteen minutes per pound. We may know when it is done by pushing a skewer through the thickest part of the fish ; if it goes through quite easily, and the flesh feels soft, it is done, and should be taken up immediately, for every minute in which it continues to boil now will spoil it. Perhaps it cannot be served Immediately, but that is no reason
How to Cook Fish.
why it should be left in the water, for it may easily be lifted in the strainer and laid on the top of the fish kettle with a hot cloth over it. It should be laid here in any case, that is, whether it can be served immediately or not, to let the water drain from it, and when this is accomplished it can be placed on a hot dish, covered with a napkin or fish paper, garnished neatly, and served.
It is very desirable that fish should be of uniform thickness throughout, for if one part is thick and another thin, the thin end will be in rags before the thick part is cooked through.
White fish, such as turbot or brill, should be rubbed over with lemon-juice, before being boiled ; this will help to whiten the fish and so improve its appearance.
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How to Cook Fish