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Poached Haddock With Parsley Sauce
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| What You Need: |
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A 3- to 4-pound whole fresh haddock, cleaned and scaled, but with head and tail left on, or substitute any other 3- to 4-pound whole firm, white fish
2½ quarts water
1 cup malt vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
¼ cup finely chopped fresh fennel leaves or 1 tablespoon dried fennel seed
SAUCE
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1½ cups milk
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Wash the fish inside and out under cold running water. Without drying it, wrap it in a long piece of damp cheesecloth of double thickness, leaving at least 6 inches of cloth at each end to serve as handles for lifting the fish.
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2. Twist the ends of the cloth and tie them with string. In a fish poacher or a deep covered roasting pan large enough to hold the fish comfortably, bring the water, vinegar, 1 tablespoon of salt, peppercorns and fennel to a boil over high heat.
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3. Place the fish on the rack of the poacher or roasting pan, and lower it into the pan. The liquid should cover the fish by about 2 inches; add more boiling water if necessary.
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4. Cover, reduce the heat to its lowest point, and simmer slowly for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the fish feels firm when pressed lightly with a finger.
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SAUCE:
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1. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a heavy 8- to 10-inch skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat. When the foam begins to subside, stir in the flour and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and, stirring constantly with a whisk, cook over high heat until the sauce thickens and comes to a boil.
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2. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 3 minutes to remove any taste of raw flour. Then add the parsley, ½ teaspoon of salt and white pepper. Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice and taste for seasoning.
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3. Using the ends of the cheesecloth as handles, lift the fish from the pan and lay it on a large board or platter. Open the cheesecloth and skin the fish with a small, sharp knife by making a cut in the skin at the base of the tail and gently pulling off the skin in strips from tail to gill.
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4. Holding both ends of the cheesecloth, carefully lift the fish and turn it over onto a heated serving platter. Peel off the skin on the upturned side.
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5. Serve the fish from the platter, the sauce from a separate bowl. If you like, you may debone the fish for serving. Divide the top layer into individual portions with a fish server without cutting through the spine.
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6. Leave the head and tail intact. Lift out the portions with the fish server and a fork, and arrange them attractively on another plate or platter. Then gently remove the backbone in one piece, discard it, and divide the bottom layer of fish into individual portions as before.
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