To Boil Salt Fish

Modern cookery for private families · Acton, Eliza · 1845
Source
Modern cookery for private families
Status
success · extracted 13 days ago
Not a recipe
No
Ingredients (3)
Instructions (10)
  1. If the salt fish is very salt and dry, soak it for a night in a large quantity of cold water.
  2. Then let it lie exposed to the air for some time.
  3. Then put it back into water and continue this process until it is well softened.
  4. Brush the fish very clean and wash it thoroughly.
  5. Place the fish in a fish kettle with abundance of cold water.
  6. Position the kettle near the fire and heat it very slowly.
  7. Keep the water just on the point of simmering, without allowing it to boil, for three-quarters of an hour to a full hour, depending on its weight.
  8. If the fish is small and thin, less time will be sufficient.
  9. Clear off the scum with great care from the beginning.
  10. Serve the fish on a hot napkin, optionally strewed with chopped eggs.
Original Text
TO BOIL SALT FISH. When very salt and dry, this must be long soaked before it is boiled, but it is generally supplied by the fishmongers nearly or quite ready to dress. When it is not so, lay it for a night into a large quantity of cold water, then let it lie exposed to the air for some time, then again put it into water, and continue thus until it is well 63softened. Brush it very clean, wash it thoroughly, and put it with abundance of cold water into the fish kettle, place it near the fire and let it heat very slowly indeed. Keep it just on the point of simmering, without allowing it ever to boil (which would render it hard), from three quarters of an hour to a full hour, according to its weight; should it be quite small and thin, less time will be sufficient for it; but by following these directions, the fish will be almost as good as if it were fresh. The scum should be cleared off with great care from the beginning. Egg sauce and boiled parsneps are the usual accompaniment to salt fish, which should be dished upon a hot napkin, and which is sometimes also thickly strewed with chopped eggs.
Notes
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