No. 2590 — Royal-Style Marinated Sterlet
English historical translation of Molokhovets recipe No. 2590 from the 1901 Russian cookbook, retaining original methods and measures.
Boil sterlet in lightly salted water. Drain in a sieve, let cool and cut into pieces. In the meantime boil vinegar with bay leaf, pepper, cloves, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of prepared mustard.
Strain this spiced vinegar into another saucepan already containing some figs, dates, raisins, peeled and seeded slices of lemon and orange, strips of citrus zest, and 2–3 small Crimean apples each cut into quarters. Bring to the boil twice, then cool.
Arrange pieces of sterlet in a jar, layering them with the cooked fruit. Cover with the almost cold vinegar and pour a tablespoon of olive oil on top. The historical text directs covering the jar with waxed paper and ordinary paper after four hours, then storing in a cool place.