Boiled Salmon
Red speckled trouts, the salmon’s silver jole,
The jointed lobster and unscaly sole,
And luscious scallops to allure the tastes
Of rigid zealots to delicious feasts;
Wednesdays and Fridays, you’ll observe from hence,
Days when our sins were doomed to abstinence.
Gay.
Put on a fish-kettle, with spring water enough to well cover the salmon you are going to dress, or the salmon will neither look nor taste well (boil the liver in a separate saucepan). When the water boils put in a handful of salt, take off the scum as soon as it rises; have the fish well washed, put it in, and if it is thick, let it boil very gently. Salmon requires as much boiling as meat; about a quarter of an hour to a pound of meat; but practice can only perfect the cook in dressing salmon.
A quarter of a salmon will take as long boiling as half a one. You must consider the thickness, not the weight.
Obs. The thinnest part of the fish is the fattest, and if you have a “grand gourmand” at table, ask him if he is for thick or thin.
Lobster sauce and rye bread should be eaten with boiled salmon.