The Stewpot Recipe Gallery

[To cook fish]

Hierophile, 13th century

…one should choose fish which has a delicate flesh… They should be cooked with oxymel, vinegar and garum. [Master Demetrios, Byzantine Cuisine]

Ingredients:

4 lbs. salmon fillets
4 Tbsp. White wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. Honey
2 tsp. Fish sauce
Olive oil

Preparation Steps

Spread a small amount of olive oil in the bottom of the baking dish to prevent sticking. Place the fish in the baking dish, skin side down. Pour the vinegar, honey, and fish sauce combined into a sauce over the fish. Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes, or until the flesh from the thickest part of the filet can be flaked with a fork. 

Number of Servings

Serves 8-12.

Redaction Notes

The salmon was perhaps a bit stronger flavor that Hierophile had in mind, but it was at a reasonable price, whereas other, milder fish were not. I choose the salmon. Again there is no indication of how the fish was cooked, but as it appears that fish should be cooked with the sauce, I decided to bake it. I have used Thai fish sauce to approximate garum.

I find that I cannot tolerate the smell of fish sauce, but the flavor is not at all objectionable. This was excellent served chilled with Mustard Sauce.

References

• Master Demetrios, Byzantine Cuisine. 

Date Of Redaction

January, 2003.