To Boil Salmon

Ingredients

• 8 ounces common salt
• 1 whole salmon
• hot napkin
• dressed cucumber
• anchovy, shrimp, or lobster sauce
• plain melted butter

Instructions

1. Scale, empty, and wash the salmon with great care, paying special attention to removing all blood from the inside.
2. Stir eight ounces of common salt into a fish-kettle filled with water—one gallon per measure.
3. Bring the salted water to a boil quickly and skim off all the scum.
4. Place the salmon into the boiling water and cook at a moderate-to-brisk pace if the fish is small, or more gently if it is very thick.
5. Cook for half an hour if using a 2–3 pound piece of the thick part; for an 8–10 pound whole fish, allow a little over one hour; smaller fish or the thin end of a large one will require less time proportionally.
6. Ensure the fish is thoroughly cooked before serving—underdone fish is distasteful in both flavour and appearance.
7. Remove the salmon from the water immediately upon cooking; do not allow it to remain in the water, as this will harm both its flavour and appearance.
8. Dish it on a hot napkin and serve with dressed cucumber, a sauce of anchovy, shrimp, or lobster, and a tureen of plain melted butter.