On Food and Cooking

flavors and mellow together. Cooking liquids
for fish are therefore either fairly neutral and
discarded — salted water, or a mixture of
water and milk — or are prepared ahead of
time to develop their flavor. In the French
tradition, there are two classic liquids for
poaching fish: a tart, light infusion of
vegetables and herbs, and a richer stock made
from fish and vegetables.
Court bouillon, or “briefly boiled liquid,”
is a mixture of water, salt, wine or vinegar,
and vegetable aromatics, cooked together for
30–60 minutes into a medium that will lightly
flavor the fish. The vegetables soften and
release flavor more rapidly if the acid
ingredient is added toward the end; black or
white pepper is also added in the last 10
minutes to avoid overextraction of its bitter
components. A whole fish poached in court
bouillon will contribute both flavor and
gelatin to the liquid, which can then be boiled
down to a succulent sauce, or else kept as a