Cod à L'Italienne is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of crimped cod that's boiled and de-bonned before being served in a sauce of shallots, cream, garlic vinegar and lemon juice cooked in white stock. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Cod à L'Italienne.
(click this button to prevent the screen from sleeping so Cook Mode is 'ON')
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
241. INGREDIENTS.—2 slices of crimped cod, 1 shalot, 1 slice of ham minced very fine, 1/2 pint of white stock, No. 107; when liked, 1/2 teacupful of cream; salt to taste; a few drops of garlic vinegar, a little lemon-juice, 1/2 teaspoonful of powdered sugar.
Mode.—Chop the shalots, mince the ham very fine, pour on the stock, and simmer for 15 minutes. If the colour should not be good, add cream in the above proportion, and strain it through a fine sieve; season it, and put in the vinegar, lemon-juice, and sugar. Now boil the cod, take out the middle bone, and skin it; put it on the dish without breaking, and pour the sauce over it.
Time.—3/4 hour. Average cost, 3s. 6d., with fresh fish.
Seasonable from November to March.
Sufficient for 4 persons.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 large steak of crimped cod
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 slice of ham, finely minced
300ml white stock
100ml cream
salt, to taste
garlic vinegar, a few drops
1 tbsp lemon juice (or to taste)
1/2 tsp powdered sugar
Method:
Score the cod's flesh down to the bone, place in a large bowl of salted water (add 55g salt per 500ml water) and and set aside to marinate for a few hours.
Drain the fish, bring a pan of water to a boil, add the cod and boil for about 25 minutes, or until just tender but not breaking apart. Remove the central bone from the fish, skin it then place the two fillets halves in a serving dish.
Whilst the fish is cooking prepare the sauce. Combine the shallots and ham in a pan, pour over the white stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in the cream then take off the heat and pass through a fine-meshed sieve. Stir in the lemon juice and garlic vinegar and sweeten with the sugar then pour over the fish and serve.
