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Turbot, Boiled (turbot cuit)

Whole boiled turbot (2 kg): cleaned without skinning, brushed with salt, rubbed with lemon, a deep cut along the backbone. Placed on a fish rack in lukewarm salted water (1 tbsp salt/l), brought quickly to a boil and then poached 20–30 minutes off high heat. Served belly-up on a napkin, garnished with parsley/crayfish and boiled potatoes, with melted parsley butter, oyster, crayfish or mushroom sauce.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 90 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

Turbot was called "the pheasant of the sea" for its firm, white flesh and was one of the most costly fish on middle-class banquet tables around 1914. Erken stresses that the fish should be boiled whole and finish poaching off high heat — a technique that still gives the juiciest result.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Cleaning

    Make a deep cut up by the head and remove the innards. Take out the gills.

  2. 2

    Brushing

    Brush the fish with a stiff brush and salt until all slime is removed. Brush and scrape the white side as well. The fish should not be skinned.

  3. 3

    Lemon and fins

    Rub the fish all over with a lemon slice; it makes it even whiter. Trim only a little off the fins — they should not be cut away.

  4. 4

    Slit

    Cut a deep slit along the backbone on the dark side, all the way to the bone, so the fish doesn't split during cooking. You may wrap the head in a piece of white cloth.

  5. 5

    Cooking

    Place the fish whole on a fish rack in the pot. Pour in good lukewarm water with about 1 tablespoon of salt per liter — no more water than just barely covers the fish.

  6. 6

    Poaching

    Set the pot over high heat and let it come quickly to the boiling point. Draw the pot aside and let the fish poach for 20–30 minutes, until tender. It must not boil hard.

  7. 7

    Plating

    Lift the fish out of the water as soon as it's tender. Place it belly-up on a warm fish platter lined with a folded napkin.

  8. 8

    Garnish and serving

    Garnish at the head and tail with lettuce leaves or parsley and, if you like, crayfish. Arrange round, peeled, boiled potatoes along the sides. Serve melted parsley butter, oyster sauce, crayfish sauce or mushroom sauce alongside.

Changes from the original

Measurements are modernized: "1 part salt to every liter of water" is converted to about 1 tablespoon of salt per liter of water. The fish rack is kept, but it's noted that a cloth can be used instead. Accompaniments and sauces are kept as optional suggestions.

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Time machine – what changed?

Pick two editions and see what Henriette Schønberg Erken added, removed or changed between them.

From19141949Modernised
To19141949Modernised
Modernised → 1949 (proofread, p. 110)~80% of the text changedremovedadded
2 kg kg. piggvar (hel, uflådd). 1 ss salt (per liter vann). 2 l vann (eller så mye at fisken er dekket). 1 stk sitron (til å gni fisken og til pynt). 1 kurv persille eller salatblad (til pynt). 1 kg poteter (skrelte, kokte, til servering). Gjør et vann. Piggvaren renses på følgende måte: Et dypt innsnitt insnitt gjøres oppe ved hodet hodet, og ta ut innmaten. Ta ut gjellene.. Børst innmaten tas ut; derpå tas gjellene ut, og man børster fisken med en stiv børste og salt salt, til alt slim er fjernet. Børst og skrap også den Den hvite siden. Fisken skal ikke flås.. Gni fisken side børstes også og skrapes; gnis over med en sitronskive; det sitronskive, hvilket gjør den enda fisken ennu hvitere. Klipp bare litt av Av finnene — de skal ikke skjæres bort.. Skjær et dypt innsnitt langs ryggbenet på den mørke siden, helt inn til benet, så klippes kun litt. På en fiskerist legges fisken ikke revner under kokingen. Vikle gjerne hodet inn hel i et stykke hvitt klede.. Legg fisken gryten; kokt hel på en fiskerist blir fisken saftigst og mest velsmakende. Fisken settes over varmen i gryten. Hell på godt lunkent koldt vann med ca. 1 spiseskje 15 gr. salt per og 1 del. melk til hver liter — vann —, ikke mer mere vann enn at fisken så vidt nettop er dekket.. Sett gryten over sterk varme og la det raskt komme dekket. Kjelen bringes sakte til kokepunktet. Trekk gryten kokepunktet; den settes til side på komfyren og la fisken trekke trekker i 20–30 15—20 minutter, eller til den piggvaren er mør. Den må ikke fosskoke.. Ta Straks fisken opp av vannet straks den er mør. Legg mør, bør den med buksiden opp tas op av vannet og serveres på et varmt fiskefat med en sammenlagt serviett.. Pynt fat. Buksiden av fisken legges op. Fisken pyntes ved hode hodet og hale halen med salatblad salatblade eller persille og eventuelt kreps. Legg Langs sidene legges runde, skrelte, kokte poteter langs sidene. Server smeltet poteter. Smeltet persillesmør, østerssaus, krepsesaus eller sjampinjongsaus champignonsaus serveres til.

Note on Modernised

Mål er modernisert: «1 del. salt til hver liter vand» er omregnet til ca. 1 spiseskje salt per liter vann. Fiskerist er beholdt, men det er nevnt at et klede kan brukes i stedet. Tilbehør og sauser er beholdt som valgfrie forslag.

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Frequently asked questions

Why should the turbot be boiled whole?
According to the recipe, the fish is juiciest and most flavorful when boiled whole. Place it on a fish rack in the pot so it's easy to lift out without falling apart.
How is turbot cleaned?
Make a deep cut up by the head and remove the innards, take out the gills, and brush the fish with a stiff brush and salt until all slime is gone. The white side is brushed and scraped, and rubbed with a lemon slice – it makes the fish whiter. Only a little is trimmed off the fins.
How much salt and water should be used in the cooking water?
Use about 1 part salt per liter of water, and only enough water that the fish is just covered. The fish is put in good lukewarm water, brought quickly to a boil over high heat and then drawn aside.
What size fish and how long does the recipe reckon on?
The recipe is intended for 2 kg turbot to serve 6, with a total time of about 70 minutes. The source is Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" of 1914, p. 90.

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