Fish in White Sauce

Steaming the cooked fish gently reheats it without driving out moisture, preventing the dry, chalky texture that occurs when fish proteins contract excessively from direct heat. Building a quick stock from fish bones and skin extracts gelatin and flavor compounds that create body in the sauce. The beurre manié (butter-flour paste) thickens the sauce without lumps because the fat coats the starch granules, allowing them to disperse before swelling. A single drop of almond extract enhances the fish's natural sweetness without being detectably nutty—a classic Victorian flavor bridge.