Boiled Salmon After the Scotch Fashion is a traditional British recipe, based on Charles Elmé Francatelli's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of very fresh salmon that's firmed in cold water, boiled in a fish kettle to cook and served with a butter, parsley and lemon juice sauce. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Boiled Salmon After the Scotch Fashion.
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This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Boiled Salmon After the Scotch Fashion that's derived from the chef, Charles Elmé Francatelli's 1861 volume, The Cook's Guide and Housekeeper's & Butler's Assistant. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.
Original Recipe
No. 209.—BOILED SALMON AFTER THE SCOTCH FASHION.
To dress salmon or trout in perfection in this style, it is quite necessary that the fish be dressed a short time after being caught. Sportsmen well know that it is only while this kind of fish is yet almost alive that it retains that white creamy substance which appears between the flakes of the boiled fish, and which makes it so truly delicious: this is a little know to London epicures. If it be practicable to procure what is termed a live salmon, take out the gills, draw out the guts, &c., wash the fish and crimp it on either side, by making deep incisions with a very sharp knife, and then throw it into a large tub containing clean, cold, spring-water, fresh from the pump; the water to be changed every half-hour, and the salmon to remain in it for about two hours. In crimping any sort of fish, the colder the water is the better; the coldness of the water petrifying the fish to a certain degree, gives it the firmness so much desired. Put the crimped salmon on to boil in hot water, with a good handful of salt; allow it to boil gently on the side of the stove, remembering that all crimped fish require considerably less time to boil than plain fish. As soon as the fish is done, it should be immediately drained from the water, dished up, and served with lobster and Dutch sauces, or else with the following sauce: vix.,— put half a pound of fresh churned butter into a clean stewpan with a tablespoonful of chopped parsley, nutmeg, pepper, and salt, and lemon-juice; work this with a spoon (the stewpan containing these ingredients immersed in hot water) until dissolved and mixed, and serve with crimped fish, in a sauceboat. Note.—The foregoing instructions for crimped salmon and trout are placed here solely for the benefit of such of my readers as may be fortunate enough to live sufficiently near salmon fisheries to enjoy an occasional day's sport, to enable them, when they have been successful, to cook their prize in great perfection.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 very fresh salmon, whole
Method:
Prepare the salmon by removing the gills and drawing out the guts. Wash the fish thoroughly then crimp it by making deep slashes in the flesh on both sides of the fish.
Place in a large bowl of cold water then leave the fish in the bowl for 2 hours, changing the water every 2 hours as you do so.
Bring a pan (or fish kettle) of salted water to a boil, add the salmon and cook for about 40 minutes, or until cooked through (crimped fish will cook faster than while fish).
Immediately remove the fish from the pan and serve with lobster sauce or Dutch sauce.
However, you can also serve with the following sauce:
To make Scotch Sauce:
225g unsalted butter
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
salt, black pepper and freshly-grated nutmeg, to taste
2 tbsp lemon juice
Heat a bain-marie then add the butter. When it begins to melt add the remaining ingredients and work into the butter until all the ingredients have melted. Pour into a sauceboat and serve to accompany the fish.
This recipe can also be made with very fresh trout.
