Cabbie Claw (Scottish Whitefish with Egg and Potato)
Cabbie claw is a salt fish dish from the north-east of Scotland and Orkney, and its odd name comes from the French word for cod, cabillaud. Traditionally it uses speldings, young cod, haddock or whiting that are salted overnight and air-dried for a day before poaching. That slow preparation firms the flesh, and the poaching broth then becomes the base of an egg white sauce served over mash.
Instructions
Clean the spelding, removing the eyes, then split the fish and wipe it down. Rub it all over with coarse sea salt and leave it overnight.
The next day, hang the salted fish in a cool, shaded, drafty spot for 24 hours.
Put the fish in a kettle and cover it with boiling water. You can add parsley and fresh horseradish to the water for flavor. Simmer until the fish is cooked through.
Lift the fish out and keep the cooking liquid. Skin and bone the fish, flake the flesh roughly, and keep it warm in a slow oven.
Make a roux with the butter and flour. Add the reserved fish stock and the milk a little at a time, stirring constantly so the sauce stays smooth.
Chop the egg whites roughly and set the yolks aside. Stir the whites into the sauce and season to taste, using the nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Spread the mashed potato on a dish and lay the flaked fish on top. Pour the sauce over, then garnish with chopped egg yolk, parsley and a dusting of cayenne.
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