finnan haddie

[cck]

Does that bring back memories!! I grew up with finnan haddie being cooked in the house and always hated the smell. I don't know whether milk was involved - I did not stick around long enough to find out.

[Grizzly]

A brief explanation from Fooduniversity.com -


Although court bouillon is the most common poaching liquid, fish may be poached in milk. Poaching in milk removes strong flavors from salted or smoked varieties.

[Pleater]

There is a difference between seethe - which is boiling, and poaching, which is just off the boil for more delicate items - one would poach an egg, for instance and get a smooth surface but seething it would result in lumps and bumps due to the disturbance of the liquid.

To seethe with anger is the same origin, anger boiling up from within.

There is of course the most poignant commandment - 'thou shall not seethe the kid in its mother's milk'.

With the fish, the smell and taste of the smoking is reduced by the milk more than if it was just cooked in water. An increased effect is gained if a little butter is added, as the fat seems to help clean the surface of the fish, and the fish should be either covered completely or turned over during cooking for maximum effect. Putting the fish into warm water before cooking would also reduce the smokiness, as would using two lots of milk - but the smell and taste of the smoke is pretty pervasive, I must admit.

[sydnie7]

Reminds me of [IIRC] Garrison Keillor's reference to the "Legalize Lutefisk" bumper sticker

I have enjoyed salmon straight from the smoker and smoked albacore from a certain SoCal restaurant. I suspect these are a more delicate version of the smoked swimmers discussed here -- and I'll stick with them, paired with crackers and a nice cold adult beverage.

The only "with milk" dish I recall from childhood was white bread torn up and soaked in cold milk as a "sickbed" meal.

[imrichmond]

This thread brings to mind my maternal grandfather's joy one spring long ago when he was given a couple of cases of long-expired tinned finnan haddie. Grandpa was an avid gardener and his face lit up as he explained that this was the best fertilizer possible for his tomato plants.

Nevertheless, he was, and I am still, very fond of smoked fish, especially kippers.

[KenB]

My mother would prepare Finnan Haddie; not often, but "on occasion". My Father detested it; the smell, etc.. But he hated fish of any kind. I, on the other hand liked mom's presentation. A number of years ago I was fortunate to visit Arbroath and partook of their famous Arbroath Smokie . In retrospect, the finnan haddie was tasty, but that Arbroath Smokie was heaven.

[cormacmacguardhe]

My maternal grandmother used to make this frequently, not too many members of the family cared for it. It was very salty, I did eat it but it was not one of my favorite meals.