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An excellent way of dressing Fish

An excellent way of dressing Fish is a traditional Stuart recipe for a classic dish of salmon steamed in a blend of water, wine vinegar and wine with spices and herbs. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Stuart version of: To make Fritters.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

20 minutes

Total Time:

40 minutes

Additional Time:

(+20 minutes marinating)

Serves:

4

Rating: 4.5 star rating

Tags : Spice RecipesHerb RecipesFish RecipesBritish Recipes

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Original Recipe



An excellent way of dressing Fish (from W.M.'s Compleat Cook 1658)

An excellent way of dressing Fish.

Take a piece of fresh Salmon, and wash it clean in a little Vinegar and Water, and let it lye a while in it, in a great Pipkin with a cover, and put to it six spoonfuls of Water and four of Vinegar, as much of white wine, a good deale of Salt, a bundle of sweet Herbs, a little whole Spice, a few Cloves, a little stick of Cinamon, a little Mace, take up all these in a Pipkin close, and set in a Kettle of seething Water and there let it stew three hours, You may doe Carps, Eeles, Trouts, &c. this way, alter the tast to your mind.


Modern Redaction



This recipe calls for 'sack'. There are two types of sack. English sack, mead flavoured with herbs [see recipes for English Sack and Saratoga Wine] or a sweetened fortified wine from Spain, similar to modern-day Madeira. Most Elizabethan recipes calling for 'sack' meant English sack, but the Stuart recipes typically meant the fortified wine. This is not directly available today, but it can be replaced by dry Madeira or sherry sweetened with a little honey and flavoured with a splash of Vermouth to give it a herby and aromatic note.

Ingredients:

750g piece of salmon
6 tbsp water
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 tbsp white wine
2 tbsp salt
1 bunch of sweet herbs, securely tied
2 cloves
1/2 nutmeg, halved
1 blade of mace
1 small cinnamon stick

Method:

Wash the salmon well, place on a large platter, rub over with a mix of vinegar and water, set in the refrigerator and marinate for 20 minutes.

Place the fish on a sheet of foil an bring the edges together as a parcel then add the water, wine vinegar, wine and spices. Scatter over the salt, add the herbs, cloves, nutmeg, mace and cinnamon then close the parcel securely, place in a steamer basket and steam for 40 minutes, or until the fish is cooked and flakes easily with a fork.

Remove the spices, arrange the fish in a serving dish, pour over the juices from the foil packet and serve.

Find more Compleat Cook Recipes Here and more Traditional Stuart Recipes Here.