Smoked Cod with Béchamel Sauce
Main Dishes • Russian
Description
Recipe from 'The Handbook of the Experienced Housekeeper' by Catherine Anderson, the sister of the writer Nicholas Field. The book was first published in 1842 and has been successfully reissued multiple times since then. In the original recipe, labardan was actually used — a term that referred to cod salted in barrels without the head, backbone, and tail. For simplicity, it has been replaced with regular smoked cod.
Ingredients
- Cold-smoked trout 1 piece
- Onion 5 oz
- Wheat Flour 1½ spoons
- Ghee 1 tablespoon
- Butter 3 spoons
- 10% cream ½ l
- White Pepper (whole) to taste
- Nutmeg a pinch
- White bread 2 pieces
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1
Slice the onion into half-moons and sauté in clarified butter until golden brown.
Step 2
Break the cod into small flakes — the texture of the fish suggests this method.
Step 3
To make the béchamel sauce, melt one and a half tablespoons of butter in a pan, add flour, and sauté it until it reaches a light cream color. Gradually whisk in the cream while stirring. Add some pepper and a pinch of grated nutmeg. There's no need to add salt, as the smoked cod is salty enough.
Step 4
Grate the bread using a coarse grater. Place the cod mixed with sautéed onions in a baking dish and pour sauce over it. Sprinkle with the grated bread and crumble the remaining finely chopped butter on top. Bake in a preheated oven at 355°F for forty minutes. Serve the dish hot.
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