FISH with CREAM of MILK

Ingredients

• 1 as needed (for coating paper) butter (Used to coat both sides of the baking paper before wrapping the fish. Use softened butter so it spreads easily.)
• 1 large sheet baking paper (parchment paper) (Must be large enough to wrap around the middle portion of the whole fish. Parchment paper is the modern equivalent of the original greased paper; use kitchen twine or toothpicks instead of pins to secure it.)
• 1 large fish (approximately 1–1.5 kg) whole fish (large) (Any large whole fish suitable for poaching works well, such as rohu, hilsa, snapper, or sea bass. Ask your fishmonger to clean and scale it for you.)
• 375 ml (approximately 1 to 1½ powa) water (1 powa is approximately 250 ml. Use 375 ml (1½ powa) if your pan is wide or the fish is large, to ensure the bottom of the pan stays moist during poaching.)
• 14 g (½ chhatak, approximately 1 tablespoon) butter (½ chhatak is approximately 14 g. This butter is stirred into the poaching water to keep the fish moist and add flavour.)
• 1 pinch bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) (A very small amount — just a pinch on your fingertips. Added to the cream to stabilise it during gentle heating.)
• 125 ml or more (approximately ½ powa or more) cream of milk (single or double cream) (½ powa is approximately 125 ml. Use single cream (pouring cream) for a lighter sauce or double cream for a richer result. The original note states milk mixed with egg may be substituted.)
• 1 pinch plain flour (Just a tiny pinch — used to very lightly thicken the cream sauce. Do not add more or the sauce will become paste-like.)
• 1 to taste salt (Add gradually and taste as you go. Start with a small pinch.)
• 1 a little (approximately 1 teaspoon) butter (Stirred into the warm cream sauce at the end for richness and flavour.)
• 1 to taste powdered pepper (ground black pepper) (Freshly ground black pepper is ideal. Add to taste — the original recipe calls for a seasoning amount, not a dominant flavour.)

Instructions

1. 1Wash the whole fish thoroughly under cold running water, inside and out if it has been gutted, then pat it dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. Lay a large sheet of parchment (baking) paper on your work surface. Using your fingers or a butter knife, spread softened butter generously across both sides of the paper — this stops the paper from burning and helps keep moisture in. Place the fish in the centre of the paper and fold the paper firmly around the middle portion of the fish (the thickest part of the body). Secure the paper in place using kitchen twine or toothpicks — the original recipe used pins. The head and tail of the fish may remain uncovered; only the middle needs to be wrapped.
2. 2Place the paper-wrapped fish into a large, deep pan or fish kettle with a lid — it should be wide enough so the fish fits without bending. Pour in approximately 375 ml (1½ powa) of water — use 250 ml if your pan is narrow or the fish is small. Add 14 g (approximately 1 tablespoon) of butter to the water and stir briefly. Place the pan on the stove over a low heat — the water should only ever gently simmer, never come to a rolling boil, as this would cause the paper to scorch or tear and the fish to overcook. Cover the pan with its lid. Poach the fish for approximately 1 hour, checking occasionally to make sure the water has not evaporated completely. If the water level drops very low, carefully add a small splash more. Watch that the paper does not scorch against the bottom — if necessary, gently lift the fish and ensure it is sitting in liquid.
3. 3About 10–15 minutes before the fish finishes poaching, begin preparing the cream sauce. Pour approximately 125 ml (½ powa) of cream into a small heatproof cup or bowl. Add a tiny pinch of bicarbonate of soda (just what you can hold between two fingertips) and stir it in. To heat the cream gently without scorching it, use a double-boiler method: fill a small saucepan with water and bring it to a gentle boil on the stove, then set the cup or bowl of cream on top of (or suspended over) the simmering water, making sure the bottom of the cup does not touch the water. Allow the cream to warm through slowly, stirring occasionally.
4. 4While the cream is warming over the hot water, add a tiny pinch of plain flour and stir it in thoroughly so no lumps form — the flour very lightly thickens the sauce. Next, add salt to taste (start with a small pinch and adjust), a little butter (approximately 1 teaspoon), and a seasoning of ground black pepper (powdered pepper) to taste. Stir everything together well. Keep the sauce warm over the hot water until the fish is ready.
5. 5Once the fish has finished poaching, carefully lift it out of the pan using a large spatula or fish slice and transfer it to a serving platter or large plate. Remove and discard the baking paper — unwrap carefully as the fish and paper will be very hot and the fish may be delicate. Pour the warm cream sauce evenly over the fish and serve immediately.