Soaked Cod

Ingredients

• cod fish
• water
• 120 ml vinegar

Method

Salt cod requires a long soak to rehydrate the fish and leach out excess salt. The vinegar accelerates this process by lowering the pH, which helps denature the proteins and open up the muscle fibres — you'll notice the flesh becomes noticeably softer and more pliable after 12–24 hours. Submerge the cod completely in cold water with the vinegar and leave it overnight, or longer if the fillets are thick. Change the water halfway through if the fish still tastes aggressively salty.

Once soaked, the fish is ready for poaching. This is where temperature control matters entirely. Rinse the cod under cold water, then place it in a fish kettle or large shallow pan with fresh cold water — enough to cover it by about 3 cm. Bring the water up slowly to a bare simmer, around 75–80°C. This is not the same as a rolling boil: vigorous heat will toughen the delicate proteins and cause them to contract and squeeze out moisture, leaving the fish dry and stringy. The surface should barely tremble. Skim off any grey foam that rises in the first few minutes — this is denatured protein and blood, and removing it gives you a cleaner boiling liquor.

The fish is cooked when the flesh turns opaque and flakes easily at the thickest part near the backbone. For a 1–2 cm thick fillet, expect 8–12 minutes; a whole side will take 15–20. Do not overcook. The moment it's done, lift the fish carefully onto a warmed plate lined with kitchen paper to blot away excess moisture.

Serve the poached cod on a bed of soft white napkin if you prefer the traditional presentation, though a simple warmed plate works as well. Accompany it with hard-boiled egg sauce — made from a béchamel enriched with chopped hard-boiled eggs and a touch of mustard — and buttered parsnips. The mild, slightly sweet flesh of properly soaked and gently poached cod stands up well to the richness of the egg sauce without disappearing.