Deborah's Cold Poached Fish

Ingredients

• 1.2 kilogram kabeljou (cob / kob), cleaned, scaled and trimmed by fishmonger; no bigger than 2 kg
• 2.salt, for rubbing fish
• 3.black pepper, for rubbing fish
• 4.thyme, for rubbing fish
• 5.butter, for foil and dotting over fish
• 6.bay leaves, crushed; scattered over fish
• 7.black peppercorns, scattered over fish
• 8.onion, sliced; scattered over fish
• 9.celery, chopped; scattered over fish
• 10.parsley, in sprigs; scattered over fish
• 11.carrot, sliced; scattered over fish
• 12.180 millilitre white wine, poured over fish before sealing foil

Method

1. 1.Let the fishmonger clean, scale and trim the fish.
2. 2.Rub the skin of the fish very well with the salt, pepper and thyme.
3. 3.Butter a large sheet of foil. Place the fish on the foil and scatter over the bayleaves, peppercorns, onion, celery, parsley and carrot.
4. 4.Dot with butter. Pour over the wine and seal the fish in the foil.
5. 5.Bake at 180°C for 45 minutes.
6. 6.Cool in the foil.
7. 7.When fish is cool, unwrap and slip onto a large platter. Remove the skin only from head to tail — only skin the top side. Leave head and tail intact.
8. 8.Just before serving, spread the skinned area with mayonnaise and decorate with sliced cucumber to resemble scales.

Notes

• The decorative cucumber-scale presentation makes this an impressive centrepiece for a dinner party buffet.