Whiting au Gratin, or Baked Whiting is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of whiting toped with herbs and dotted with butter that are oven baked and served with the pan juices. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Whiting aux Fine Herbes.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
347. INGREDIENTS.—1 bunch of sweet herbs chopped very fine; butter.
Mode.—Clean and skin the fish, fasten the tails in the mouths; and lay them in a baking-dish. Mince the herbs very fine, strew them over the fish, and place small pieces of butter over; cover with another dish, and let them simmer in a Dutch oven for 1/4 hour or 20 minutes. Turn the fish once or twice, and serve with the sauce poured over.
Time.—1/4 hour or 20 minutes. Average cost, 4d. each.
Seasonable all the year, but best from October to March.
Sufficient, 1 small whiting for each person.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
4 small whiting
1 bunch of sweet herbs, finely chopped
60g butter, finely diced
Method:
Clean and skin the fish then wash and wipe dry before inserting the tails into the mouths and fixing with a skewer. Arrange in a baking dish then strew over the finely-chopped herbs. Dot with the butter then place a lid or a double piece of foil over the top.
Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 20 minutes, or until done. Turn the fish over twice during this period.
Arrange the fish on a serving plate, pour over the herb and butter sauce then serve immediately.
