Stewed Tench is a traditional British recipe, based on Charles Elmé Francatelli's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of tench stewed in white wine or cider with vegetables and herbs where the pan juices are thickened and flavoured with catsup and anchovy essence to serve with the fish. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Stewed Tench.
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This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Stewed Tench 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. 275.—STEWED TENCH.
Place the tench in a stewpan with a small bunch of parsley, green onions, thyme, and bay-leaf, a little pepper and salt, and just enough common French wine or cider to cover it ; stew the tench gently over a slow fire till it is done ; then dish it up ; strain the liquor into a small stewpan ; thicken with an ounce of butter, kneaded with an ounce of flour; add a little mushroom-catsup, anchovy, nutmeg, chopped parsley, and some prepared mushrooms; stir the sauce over the stove for five minutes ; pour it over the tench, and send to table. Note.—Tench bearing so great an affinity to carp, may also be dressed in every variety prescribed for that fish.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 large tench, scaled and gutted
1 small bunch of parsley
2 shallots, halved
1 sprig of thyme
1 bayleaf
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
500ml (about) white wine or cider
60g butter kneaded to a smooth paste with 60g plain flour
1 tbsp mushroom catsup
1 tsp anchovy essence
freshly-grated nutmeg, to taste
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
60g finely sliced mushrooms, fried
Method:
Prepare the tench, place in a pan with the parsley, shallots, thyme and bayleaf. Season to taste then pour over enough white wine or cider to just cover the fish. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for about 35 minutes, or until the fish is done.
Transfer the fish to a plate to keep warm then strain the pan juices into a smaller pan. Bring to a simmer then work in the butter paste, a small piece at a time, until the sauce is smooth. Add the catsup, anchovy essence, nutmeg, parsley and chopped mushrooms and return to a simmer. Cook until the sauce has thickened then transfer the tench to a serving plate and pour the sauce over the fish. Serve immediately.
