Ingredients
Serves 6
1 fish, about 3lb/1.4 kg, and 2 inches/5 cm thick, gutted and scaled
spice bundle containing 5 black peppercorns
2 whole cloves
1 large blade mace
1 slice fresh ginger root
1 shallot, halved
2 red radishes, halved
a sprig each of fresh thym, marjoram and rosemary
2 bay leaves
10 fl oz/275 ml/1录 cups medium-dry white wine
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
sea salt to taste
garnish of cooked prawns if serving hot or of sliced radishes and preserved lemon slices if serving cold
Method
Any large fish was generally boiled: that is, poached in a fish-kettle, having first been wrapped in a cloth. An oval pot-roaster or a stew-pan is suitable for most fish; one measuring 14 x 9 inches/36 x 23cm is a convenient size, holding about 7 pints/4 litres/17陆 cups of liquid when brimful.
Ask the fishmonger to gut and scale the fish. Prpare the spices. A square of butter muslin makes a good 'bundle'. Put in the centre the dried spices, ginger root, shallot, radishes and herbs, then tie the opposite points together.
Wrap the cleaned fish in another piece of muslin folded over on top to make unwrapping easy. Put it on a trivet or serving dish in a stew-pan or pot-roaster. Add the spice bundle, then pour the liquids, including about 4 pins/2.3 litres/10 cups water, over the lot - the fish should be just covered. Add salt to taste and leave to soak for about an hour.
Removed the wrapped fish and gently bring the cooking liquid to simmering point. Replace the fish and poach very gently for about 15 minutes. Unwrap to check whether it is done. When it is, lift it out, and drain it well.
You can serve it hot, preferably skinned, with some prawns and the wine sauce (on page 73), or cold with the radish and preserved lemon slices, new potatoes and a salad, new potatoes and a salad. Substitute scrapings of fresh horseradish for the radishes if you have any.
Reproduced by kind permission of Maggie Black and Deirdre Le Faye from their book, The Jane Austen Cookbook, published by The British Museum Press ISBN: 0-7141-2769-8
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