# Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management/Chapter XII

RECIPES FOR COOKING FISH.
416.—ANCHOVIES, FRIED. (Fr.—Anchois Frits.)
Ingredients.—12 anchovies. For the batter: 3 ozs. of flour, ¼ of a pint of tepid water, 1 tablespoonful of salad-oil, or clarified butter, the white of 1 egg, frying-fat.
Method.—Wipe the anchovies with a dry cloth. Sieve the flour, and mix it into a smooth batter with the water and salad oil. Whip the white of egg stiffly, and stir it lightly into the batter. Have ready a deep pan of hot frying-fat; dip the anchovies carefully into the batter, drop them into the hot fat, and fry until they acquire a golden-brown colour. This dish is more suitable for a breakfast dish, HORS D'OEUVRE, or savoury, than a dish to be served in the fish course of a dinner.
Time.—½ an hour. Average Cost, for this quantity, 10d. Sufficient for 2 or 3 if treated as a fish course, but enough for 6 or 7 if served as HORS D'OEUVRE, or savoury. Seasonable all the year.
The Anchovy (Fr. anchois) is a small fish belonging to the Clupeidae or herring family. It frequents the Mediterranean, the waters of the French and Dutch coasts, and the English Channel. It was known to the Greeks and Romans, and esteemed by them as a delicacy. The anchovy fishery is carried on during the months of May, June and July, the spawning season. Various sauces and condiments are made from this fish.
417.—BARBEL. (Fr.—Barbeau.)
Ingredients.—1 or 2 barbel, according to size, 2 anchovies, 2 onions (sliced), 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, 1 tablespoonful of salt, the juice of a lemon, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), mace and nutmeg to taste.
Method.—Soak the fish in slightly salted water for 2 or 3 hours. Put into a fish-kettle with warm water and the salt, and boil gently until done. Take 1 pint of the water, and add to it the other ingredients enumerated above. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes, then strain, and return to the saucepan. Put in the fish, and let it heat gradually in the sauce, but it must not boil again.
Time.—Altogether, 1 hour. Sufficient for 4 persons. Seasonable from September to February.
The Barbel (Fr. barbeau).—This fish takes its name from the four filaments or barbules which fringe its mouth, and serve as the organ of touch. In form and habits it much resembles the pike. The body which is rounded and elongated on its upper part, is olive-coloured and bluish on the sides; the tail is of a purple tint. By means of its upper jaw, which is much longer than the lower, the barbel is enabled to burrow in the mud for worms and other food. It is common to most rivers, and is abundant in the upper reaches of the Thames. The texture of its flesh is coarser than that of the carp. Barbel and other fish inhabiting muddy waters should always be soaked in water, slightly salted, for some time before cooking. If kept alive in clear water and fed with a little bran or oatmeal the flavour is greatly improved.
418.—BLOATERS, BROILED.
Ingredients.—Bloaters.
Method.—Break off the head, split the back, remove the roe, and take out the backbone. Place the fish, inside down, on a gridiron, cook until they are nicely browned, then turn them over, and cook the back. Or, if preferred, place 2 bloaters, the insides together, on a gridiron, and broil over a clear fire. The roes should be cooked and served with the bloaters.
Time.—7 minutes. Average Cost, 1½d. each. Seasonable from September to February.
419.—BREAM, BROILED. (Fr.—Brême Grillé.)
Ingredients.—Bream, anchovy or other fish sauce.
Method.—Empty, wash and thoroughly dry the fish, but do not scale it. Broil over a clear fire until thoroughly cooked and nicely browned, then serve with anchovy, or other fish sauce.
Time.—To broil, about ½ an hour. Average Cost, 8d. to 1s. per lb. Allow 6 to 8 oz. per head. Seasonable all the year.
The Char (Fr. umble).—This is a fresh-water fish of the same genus as the salmon, and is much esteemed. It is plentiful in the deeper lakes of England, Wales and Ireland. It also occurs in European lakes, the Lake of Geneva being especially celebrated for its char, called the ombre chevalier. The char, which somewhat resembles the trout, but is longer more slender, has a dark olive-coloured back, with sides of a lighter hue, and is coloured with crimson and white spots, the colours varying with the season. When spawning in the autumn or winter, it ascends the rivers.
420.—BREAM, BAKED. (Fr.—Brême cuit au four.)
Ingredients.—Bream, fish forcemeat, No. 415, fat for basting, anchovy or other fish sauce.
Method.—Empty, wash and dry the fish, but do not scale it. Make the forcemeat as directed, stuff the inside of the fish, and sew up the opening neatly. Bake in a moderate oven from 40 to 50 minutes, basting occasionally with sweet dripping. Serve with anchovy or other fish sauce. If preferred, the forcemeat may be omitted, and the fish wrapped in buttered paper and baked slowly for about ½ an hour.
Time.—From 40 to 50 minutes. Average Cost, from 8d. to 1s. per lb. Allow 6 to 8 ozs. per head. Seasonable all the year.
421.—BRILL À LA CONTE. (Fr—Barbue à la Conte.)
Ingredients.—A brill weighing about 2½ lb., 1½ pints of stock, 1 glass of Burgundy, a teaspoonful of finely chopped parsley, salt and pepper.
​Method.—Clean and skin the fish, and cut some slits down the back. Add the wine, salt and pepper to the stock; when warm put in the fish, and simmer gently until done. Take up the fish and keep it hot; boil the stock rapidly until reduced to half its original quantity, then add the parsley, and pour over the fish.
Time.—15 minutes. Average Cost.—2s. 6d. Sufficient for 6 persons. Seasonable from August to April.
To Choose Brill.—The flesh of this fish, like that of turbot, should be of a yellowish tint, and should be chosen on account of its thickness. If the flesh has a bluish tint, it is not good.
422.—BRILL. (Fr.—Barbue.)
Ingredients.—1 brill, salt and vinegar to taste.
Method.—Clean the brill, cut off the fins, and rub it over with a little lemon-juice to preserve its whiteness. Barely cover the fish with warm water, add salt and vinegar, and simmer gently until done (about 10 or 15 minutes for a small fish). Garnish with cut lemon and parsley, and serve with one of the following sauces: lobster sauce, shrimp sauce, Hollandaise sauce, or melted butter.
Time.—From 10 to 20 minutes, according to size. Average Cost, from 8d. to 10d. per lb. Seasonable at any time, but best from August to April.
The Brill (Fr. barbue) is a species of "flat-fish," belonging to the same genus as the turbot, which it resembles, but distinguished from it by the perfect smoothness of its skin and its less breadth. It is sandy-coloured or reddish-brown on its upper side, with yellowish or reddish spots. The brill averages about 7 lb. in weight, and is esteemed as a table-fish.
423.—CARP, BAKED. (Fr.—Carpe Farcie.)
Ingredients.—1 carp. For the forcemeat: 8 sauce oysters, 3 anchovies boned, 2 tablespoonfuls of breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, 1 shallot finely-chopped, yolk of 1 egg, cayenne, salt. For coating the fish: 1 egg and breadcrumbs. For the sauce: ¾ of a pint of good stock, 1 oz. of butter, 1 tablespoonful of flour, half a tablespoonful of Worcester sauce, a tablespoonful of lemon-juice, a teaspoonful of made mustard. Butter for basting.
Method.—Clean and scale the fish; remove the beards of the oysters, and simmer them for 15 minutes in a little fish stock or water. Cut the oysters into small pieces, but do not cook them; also cut the anchovies into very small pieces. Mix breadcrumbs, oysters, anchovies, parsley, shallot and seasoning, add the yolk of egg, the liquor of the oysters, and the stock in which the oyster-beards were simmered. Put the forcemeat inside the fish, and sew up the opening; brush over with egg, and cover with breadcrumbs. Place in a baking-dish and cook gently for about 1 hour, basting frequently with hot butter. Melt the butter, stir in the flour, add the stock, and stir until the sauce boils. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the mustard, lemon-juice, Worcester sauce, and the gravy (strained) from the tin in which the fish cooked. Garnish the fish with cut lemon and parsley, and serve the sauce in a tureen.
​Time.—From 1¼ to 1½ hours. Average Cost, 2s. 3d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable from November to March.
Note.—The fish may also be stuffed with ordinary veal forcemeat.
The Carp (Fr. carpe).—This species of fresh water fish, which forms the special type of the family Cyprinidae to which the barbels, tenches and breams belong, occurs throughout Europe, and frequents fresh and quiet waters and slow-running rivers. It feeds chiefly on worms and aquatic plants. During the winter it buries in the mud. The mouth of the carp is small, the jaws toothless, the body smooth and of an olive-green and yellowish colour, and arched and compressed, the scales large; the gills are formed of three flat rays, and there is but one dorsal fin. The carp is one of the earliest known fish in England. It was much preserved in ponds by the monks, for table use. The carp is very prolific and attains to a great age—to 100 years and even longer. The flavour of the carp is influenced by the character of its habitat. The well-known gold fish (Cyprinus auratus), supposed to be a native of China, is allied to the common carp.
424.—CARP, BAKED. (Another Method.)
Ingredients.—1 carp, 3 tablespoonfuls of salad-oil, or clarified butter, 1 tablespoonful of Worcester sauce, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice, 1 tablespoonful of finely-chopped parsley, 1 dessertspoonful of finely-chopped onion, salt, cayenne. For the sauce: ¾ of a pint of milk, 1½ ozs. of flour, 1½ ozs. of butter, 2 tablespoonfuls of coarsely-chopped gherkins, salt and pepper.
Method.—Wash, scale, and clean the fish, and place it in an earthenware baking-dish. Mix together the salad-oil, Worcester sauce, lemon-juice, parsley, onion, season well with salt and cayenne, pour this mixture over the fish, and let it remain in it for at least 2 hours, basting at frequent intervals. Cover with a greased paper; bake gently for about 1 hour, and baste well. When it is nearly done, melt the butter in a stewpan, stir in the flour, add the milk, bring to the boil, and simmer for 5 or 6 minutes. Place the fish on a hot dish, strain the gravy in the tin into the sauce, add the gherkins, season to taste, and pour over the fish.
Time.—To bake, 1 hour. Average Cost, 2s. to 2s. 3d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable from November to March.
425.—CARP, FRIED. (Fr.—Carpe Frite.)
Ingredients.—1 carp of medium size, butter or fat for frying, vinegar salt and pepper, flour.
Method.—Soak the fish 1 hour in salt and water, then split it open, lay it flat, and REMOVE THE GALL-STONE FROM THE HEAD. Dry well, sprinkle with salt and cayenne, dredge with flour, and fry in hot butter or fat until nicely browned. Garnish with cut lemon and the roe fried, and serve with anchovy sauce, No. 288.
Time.—To cook, from 20 to 30 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. to 1s. 6d. Sufficient for 2 or 3 persons. Seasonable from November to March.
426.—CARP, FRIED. (Fr.—Carpe Frite.) (Another Method.)
Ingredients.—1 carp, 2 ozs. of butter, 1 tablespoonful of finely-chopped ​onion, 1 dessertspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ½ a teaspoonful of powdered mixed herbs, 1 good pinch of ground mace, salt and pepper, 2 lemons, flour, frying-fat.
Method.—Wash and clean the fish, and cut it into fillets of convenient size for serving. Melt the butter in a stewpan, add the onion, parsley, herbs, mace, the juice of ½ lemon, and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Have the fillets of fish as dry as possible, put them into the stewpan 2 or 3 at a time, and fry them very gently for 10 or 15 minutes. Drain well, and when cool dredge with flour mixed with a little salt and pepper, and fry in hot fat or butter until nicely browned. Garnish with slices of lemon, and serve with cut lemon.
Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 2s. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable from November to March.
427.—CARP, Stewed. (Fr.—Carpe en Râgout.)
Ingredients.—1 large carp, 1 pint of stock, 1 glass of claret, 1 tablespoonful of flour, 12 small button mushrooms, 2 ozs. butter, 2 or 3 small onions, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), a good pinch of grated nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Method.—Wash the fish in vinegar and water, and cut it into thick slices. Slice the onions, fry them until brown in about 2 ozs. of hot butter, then put in the stock, wine, mushrooms, herbs, nutmeg and seasoning, and, when warm, add the fish, and simmer gently for 30 or 40 minutes. Take out the fish and keep it hot. Have ready the flour and the remainder of the butter kneaded to a smooth paste, add it to the contents of the stewpan, and simmer and stir until the sauce is cooked smoothly. Place the fish on a hot dish, strain the sauce over, and garnish with the mushrooms (heated in sauce), fried roe, and sippets of toast.
Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 2s. 3d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable from November to March.
Note.—This fish can be boiled plain, and served with parsley and butter sauce. Chub, char, dace and roach may be cooked in the same manner as the above.
The Chub (Fr. chabot) resembles the carp, but is somewhat longer. It is found in most English rivers; the body is oblong and nearly round, bluish-black on the upper parts, and silvery white beneath, the head and gill-covers are yellow. The flesh is somewhat coarse, and is not much esteemed as a table-fish; the head and throat are the best parts. There are allied American species of the same name. The scales of the chub were formerly used in in-laying work.
428.—COD. (Fr.—Cabillaud.)
Cod may be boiled whole; but a large head and shoulders are quite sufficient for a dish, and contain all that is usually served, because, when the thick part is done, the tail is insipid and overdone. The latter, however, cut in slices, makes a very good dish for frying, or it may be salted and served with egg sauce and parsnips. Cod, when ​boiled quite fresh, is watery; salted a little, it is rendered firmer. The liver is considered a delicacy, and a piece should, if possible, be bought and cooked with the fish.
429.—COD, CURRIED. (Fr.—Cabillaud au Kari.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of cod, 1 pint of white stock (fish or meat), 2 ozs. of butter, 1 tablespoonful of flour, 1 dessertspoonful of curry-powder, 1 medium-sized onion, salt and pepper, cayenne, a tablespoonful of lemon-juice.
Method.—Wash and dry the cod, and cut it into pieces about 1½ inches square. Melt the butter in a stewpan, fry the cod slightly, then take out and set aside. Add the sliced onion, flour, and curry-powder to the butter in the stewpan. and fry 15 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent the onion becoming too brown, then pour in the stock, stir until it boils, and afterwards simmer gently for 20 minutes. Strain and return to the saucepan, add lemon-juice and seasoning to taste, bring nearly to boiling point, then put in the fish, cover closely, and draw aside for about ½ an hour, or until the fish becomes thoroughly impregnated with the flavour of the sauce. An occasional stir must be given to prevent the fish sticking to the bottom of the stewpan. The remains of cold fish may be used in which case the preliminary frying may be omitted.
Time.—1½ hours. Average Cost, from 1s. 9d. to 2s. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable from November to March.
Cod to Choose.—The cod should be chosen for the table when it is plump and round near the tail, the hollow behind the head deep, and the sides undulated as if they were ribbed. The glutinous parts of the head lose their delicate flavour after the fish has been 24 hours out of the water. The great point by which the cod should be judged is the firmness of its flesh; if this rise immediately after pressure the fish is good; if not, it is stale. Another sign of its goodness is the bronze appearance of the fish, when it is cut, resembling the silver-side of a round of beef. If this is visible, the flesh will be firm when cooked. Stiffness in a cod, or in any other fish, is a sure sign of freshness, though not always of quality.
430.—COD, HASHED. (Fr.—Rechauffé de Cabillaud.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of cooked cod, 2 ozs. of butter, 1½ ozs. flour, 1 pint milk, ¼ pint picked shrimps, pepper and salt, mashed potatoes, chopped parsley.
Method.—Blend the butter and flour in a stewpan and fry for a few minutes without allowing them to colour. Add the milk, and stir until boiling. Put in the cod, flaked into small pieces, and the shrimps. Cook these together until thoroughly hot, and season carefully. Make a deep border of mashed potatoes on a hot dish. Pour the hash in the centre, and sprinkle a little chopped parsley over the top.
Time.—½ an hour. Average Cost 1s. 10d. to 2s. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable from November to March.
​431.—COD'S HEAD AND SHOULDERS. (Fr.—Hûre de Cabillaud.)
Ingredients.—Cod's head and shoulders, salt, lemon.
Method.—Cleanse the fish thoroughly, and rub a little salt over the thick part and inside the fish 1 or 2 hours before dressing it, as this very much improves the flavour. Lay it in the fish-kettle, with sufficient hot water to cover it. Be very particular not to pour the water on the fish as it is liable to break, and keep it only just simmering. If the water should boil away, add a little, pouring it in at the side of the kettle, and not on the fish. Skim very carefully, draw it to the side of the fire, and let it gently simmer till done. Garnish with cut lemon, and serve with either oyster or caper sauce.
Time.—20 to 35 minutes, according to size. Average Cost, from 4d. to 9d. per lb. Allow 3 lb. for 6 persons. Seasonable from November to March.
The Cod (Fr. cabillaud) is a member of the family Gadidae, to which the haddocks, whitings and ling belong, characterized by long gills, seven rayed ventral fins attached beneath the throat, large median fins, and a cirrhus, or small beard, at the tip of the lower jaw. The body is oblong, smooth, and covered with small soft scales. The fins are enclosed in skin, and their rays are unarmed; the ventral fins are slender and terminate in a point; the median fins are large. The cod has three dorsal and two anal fins. It is a gregarious fish, and abounds in the colder waters of the seas of Europe and Newfoundland. The cod is caught by hand lines and hooks, baited with cuttle fish and shell-fish of various kinds, chiefly on the great banks of Newfoundland. The sounds of the codfish (Fr. nau de morue), or the swim-bladders, by means of which the fish ascend or descend in the water, are taken out of the fish, washed, and salted for exportation. The tongues are also cured, while from the liver considerable quantities of oil are obtained. This, the well-known cod liver oil, under its designation of "white," "pale," and "brown," is largely used in cases of consumption, its easily assimilated and nutritive qualities rendering it valuable in wasting diseases. Its chief constituents are olein, palmitin, stearin, acetic, butyric, and other acids.
432.—COD'S LIVER MINCED AND BAKED. (Fr.—Foie de Cabillaud au Gratin.)
Ingredients.—A cod's liver, 12 sauce oysters, ¼ of a pint of white sauce, butter, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.
Method.—Parboil the liver and cut it into small pieces. Blanch the oysters in their own liquor, which afterwards strain and add to the white sauce. Halve or quarter the oysters, mix them with the prepared liver, and season to taste. Place the mixture in buttered scallop shells, add a little sauce, cover lightly with breadcrumbs, and on the top place 2 or 3 small pieces of butter. Bake in a moderately hot oven for 10 or 15 minutes, then serve.
Time—To bake, about 10 minutes. Average Cost 1s. 6d. to 1s. 9d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 scallops. Seasonable from November to March.
433.—COD'S LIVER, QUENELLES OF. (Fr.—Quenelles de Foie de Cabillaud.)
Ingredients. ½ a lb. of cod's liver, 2 tablespoonfuls of bread​crumbs, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, the yolks of 2 or 3 eggs, salt and pepper.
Method.—Wash and dry the liver, chop it finely, and mix with it the breadcrumbs and parsley. Add sufficient yolk of egg to bind the whole together, taking care not to make the mixture too moist. Season to taste, shape into quenelles (see "Quenelles of Veal"), poach until firm, and serve with a suitable sauce.
Time.—To poach, from 10 to 15 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable from November till March.
434.—COD PIE. (Fr.—Pâté de Cabillaud.)
Ingredients.—1½ lb. of cold cod, 1 doz. oysters (tinned may be used) ½ a pint of melted butter sauce, ½ a lb. of short paste, or mashed potatoes, salt and pepper, nutmeg.
Method.—Take off the beards of the oysters, simmer them for a few minutes in a little water, then strain and mix with the oyster liquor (from fresh oysters). Cut the oysters into 2 or 4 pieces, according to size; divide the fish into large flakes, put half of it into the dish, lay the oysters on the top, season with salt and pepper, grate on a little nutmeg, add the melted butter sauce, and cover with the rest of the fish. Make the short crust paste according to directions given for short crust paste. Or, when a potato covering is preferred, season the potato with salt and pepper, and warm and stir in a saucepan, with a small piece of butter, and 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls of milk. Bake about ½ an hour in a moderate oven.
Time.—From 1 to 1¼ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 9d. to 2s. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable from November to March.
435.—COD, PROVENÇALE STYLE. (Fr.—Cabillaud à la Provençale.)
Ingredients.—About 2 lb. of cod-fish (middle cut), ½ a pint of Velouté sauce, 1 gill white wine, 2 small shallots (chopped fine), 1 gill white stock, 2 ozs. butter, yolks of 2 eggs, 1 teaspoonful of anchovy-paste, 2 teaspoonfuls of capers, 1 teaspoonful of chopped parsley, a small bunch of parsley and herbs (bouquet-garni).
Method.—Wash and wipe the fish well, place it in a stewpan, season with pepper and salt, and add Velouté sauce, white wine, stock, chopped shallots, and bouquet-garni. Set it to simmer slowly until the fish is done, basting occasionally. Put the fish on a dish, and keep warm. Reduce the sauce until the desired consistency is obtained. Remove the herbs, add the yolks of eggs, work in the butter, and pass the ​ingredients through a tammy cloth or strainer. Return to a smaller stewpan, add the anchovy-paste, chopped parsley and capers, stir a few minutes over the fire, and pour over the fish.
Average Cost.—2s. 6d. to 3s. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable from November to March.
436.—COD RÉCHAUFFÉ. (Fr.—Cabillaud.)
Ingredients.—1 lb. of cooked cod, ½ a pint of white sauce, No. 222, 1 teaspoonful of mushroom sauce, ½ a teaspoonful of anchovy-essence, ½ a teaspoonful of mixed mustard, butter, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.
Method.—Free the fish from skin and bones, and separate it into large flakes. Make the sauce as directed, add the mushroom sauce, anchovy-essence, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste, put in the fish, mix well together, then turn the whole into a well-buttered fireproof baking-dish. Cover the surface lightly with breadcrumbs, add a few pieces of butter, bake in the oven until well browned, then serve in the dish.
Time.—To bake, about 15 minutes. Average Cost, 8d. to 10d., exclusive of the fish. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable from November to March.
437.—COD'S ROE. (Fr.—Laitance de Cabillaud.)
Ingredients.—Cod's roe, melted butter (No. 202), or white sauce No. 222, cream, brown breadcrumbs, salt, vinegar.
Method.—Wash and wipe the cod's roe, and boil for 10 minutes in water with a little salt and vinegar. Cut into dice, and put into some melted butter made with cream or white sauce. Butter a scallop tin, put in the roe, cover with brown breadcrumbs, and brown in the oven, or serve it on hot buttered toast. It is often used as garnish to other fish.
Time.—½ an hour. Average Cost, 1s. Seasonable in the Winter. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
438.—COD'S ROE. (Fr.—Laitance de Cabillaud.)
Ingredients.—1 lb. of cod's roe, 1 egg, breadcrumbs, frying-fat.
Method.—Boil the roe for 15 minutes, then drain and cut it into slices. When cold, brush over with egg, roll in breadcrumbs, and fry, until nicely browned, in hot fat.
Time.—From 35 to 40 minutes. Average Cost, 8d. to 10d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable from November to March.
FISH.
1. Boiled Cod with French Sauce. 2. Whitebait. 3. Savoury Haddock in Rice Border.
FISH.
1. Cod Steak. 2. Fish Pie. 3. Crab Salad.
​439.—COD SOUNDS. (Fr.—Nau de Morue.)
Method.—These, salted, as they are generally bought, should be soaked in milk and water for several hours, and then boiled in milk and water until tender, when they should be drained and served with egg sauce. When suitably dressed, they may be served as an entrée or breakfast dish.
Average Cost.—6d. Seasonable from November to March.
440.—COD SOUNDS WITH FRENCH SAUCE. (Fr.—Nau de Morue, Sauce Française.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of cod sounds. For the batter: ¾ of a pint of milk, 3 tablespoonfuls of flour, 1 egg, ½ a teaspoonful of salt. For the marinade (or brine): 2 tablespoonfuls each of salad-oil and vinegar, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped shallot or onion, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, a good sprinkling of pepper, frying-fat.
Method.—Soak and boil the sounds as directed in the preceding recipe, and cut them into pieces about 2 inches square. Mix the oil, vinegar, parsley, onion and pepper, pour over the sounds, and let them remain in the marinade for 1 hour, turning the pieces of sound at the end of ½ an hour in order that both sides may absorb the flavour of the marinade. Make a batter of the milk, flour, egg and salt, dip each piece of sound into it, take out on the point of a skewer, drop into hot fat, and fry until nicely browned.
Time.—1½ to 2 hours. Average Cost, about 1s. 6d. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons. Seasonable from November to March.
441.—COD SOUNDS À LA MAÎTRE D'HÔTEL. (Fr.—Nau de Morue à la Maitre d'Hôtel.)
Ingredients.—2 lbs's. of cod sounds, 4 ozs. of butter, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice, 1 dessertspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped onion, pepper.
Method.—Soak and boil the sounds, and cut them into small pieces. Melt the butter, fry the onion for 2 or 3 minutes without browning, then put in the lemon-juice, parsley, a good sprinkling of pepper, and the fish. Make hot, and serve.
Time.—About 1 hour, after soaking. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons. Seasonable from November to March.
442.—COD SOUNDS WITH PIQUANTE SAUCE. (Fr.—Nau de Morue, Sauce Piquante.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of cod sounds, ¾ of a pint of piquante sauce, No.
​Method.—Soak and boil the sounds, and cut them into small pieces. Make the sauce as directed, put in the pieces of sound, make hot, and serve.
Time.—About 1 hour, after soaking. Average Cost, from 1s. 3d. to 1s. 6d. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons. Seasonable from November to March.
443.—COD STEAKS. (Fr.—Tranche de Cabillaud.)
Ingredients.—¾-inch slices cut from a medium or small cod, flour, salt and pepper, frying-fat, parsley.
Method.—Make a rather thin batter of flour and water, and season it well with salt and pepper. Melt sufficient clarified fat or dripping in a frying-pan to form a layer about ½ an inch in depth. Wash and dry the fish, dip each piece separately in the batter, place these at once in the hot fat, and fry them until of a light-brown, turning once during the process. Drain well, and serve garnished with crisply-fried parsley. If preferred, the fish may be coated with egg and breadcrumbs, and fried in deep fat. Anchovy, tomato, or any other fish sauce would form a suitable accompaniment.
Time.—To fry, from 10 to 15 minutes. Average Cost, from 4d. to 8d. per lb. Seasonable from November to March.
444.—COD WITH CREAM. (Fr.—Cabillaud à la Crême.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of cod, 3 ozs. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, ½ a pint of white stock (or milk), 2 tablespoonfuls of cream, 1 teaspoonful of lemon-juice, salt and pepper.
Method.—Wash, and dry the fish thoroughly. Melt 2 ozs. of the butter in a stewpan, put in the cod, and fry quickly on both sides without browning. Add the stock, cover closely, and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, then place on a hot dish. Melt the remaining oz. of butter, stir in the flour, add the stock in which the fish was cooked, and enough milk to make up the original quantity (½ a pint), boil up, and simmer for about 10 minutes to cook the flour. Add the cream and lemon-juice, season to taste, and strain over the fish.
Time.—About 40 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable from November to March.
445.—COD WITH CREAM. (Fr.—Cabillaud à la Crême.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of cod, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1½ ozs. of flour, ¾ of a pint of white stock or milk, 3 tablespoonfuls of cream, 1 teaspoonful of lemon-juice, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped onion, salt and pepper.
​Method.—Wash the cod and boil it in a very small quantity of water, which afterwards may be used for the sauce. Melt the butter, fry the onion a few minutes without browning, add the flour, cook for ten minutes, then pour in the stock and stir until it boils. Simmer for a few minutes, then add the lemon-juice, parsley, seasoning, cream, and when well mixed put in the fish. Draw the saucepan to the side of the stove for about 10 minutes, then dish, and serve.
Time.—About 30 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable from November to March.
446.—COD WITH PARSLEY BUTTER. (Fr.—Cabillaud à la Maître d'Hôtel.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of cod (cold remains will serve), 4 ozs. of butter 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped onion, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, the juice of ½ a lemon, pepper.
Method.—Boil the cod, and afterwards separate into large flakes. Melt the butter in a stewpan, add the onion, and fry for 2 or 3 minutes without browning; then put in the parsley, lemon-juice, a good pinch of pepper, and the fish. Shake gently over the fire until quite hot, then serve.
Time.—30 to 40 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable from November to March.
447.—COD WITH ITALIAN SAUCE. (Fr.—Cabillaud à l'Italienne.)
Ingredients.—2 slices of crimped cod, ¾ of a pint of Italian sauce (No. 252).
Method.—Boil the cod, take out the middle bone, remove the skin, and place on a hot dish. Make the sauce according to directions given, strain over the fish, and serve.
Time.—From 1 to 1¼ hours. Average Cost, 2s. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable from November to March.
448.—CRAB SALAD. (Fr.—Salade de Crabe.)
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized crab, 1 hard-boiled egg, 3 tablespoonfuls of salad-oil, 1 tablespoonful of vinegar, 1 good lettuce, 1 bunch of watercress, a few slices of pickled beetroot, a tomato, pepper and salt.
Method.—Pick the meat from the shell and shred it finely. Wash and dry the lettuce, and either break or cut it into small pieces; wash and pick the cress, and break it into small pieces; cut the tomato into thin slices. Mix the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, put in the salad, stir lightly until thoroughly mixed, then add the crab, mix well, and garnish with the slices of beetroot and tomato, rings of white of egg, and the yolk, previously rubbed through a wire sieve.
​Average Cost.—1s. 6d. to 2s. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable from April to October.
449.—CRAB, SCALLOPED. (Fr.—Crabe en Coquille.)
Ingredients.—1 or 2 crabs, cream, vinegar, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, mustard.
Method.—Remove the meat from the claws and body, taking care to leave the unwholesome part near the head. Add about ½ its bulk in fine breadcrumbs, season to taste with salt, pepper and mustard, and stir in a few drops of vinegar. Add cream until the right consistency is obtained, then turn into buttered scallop shells, and sprinkle the surface lightly with breadcrumbs. Place small pieces of butter on the top, and bake in a moderate oven until nicely browned.
Time.—To bake, about 20 minutes. Average Cost, 2s. to 3s. Sufficient, 2 crabs for 8 or 9 scallops. Seasonable from April to October.
The Crab (Fr. crabe).—The popular name for many genera of the Crustacea, constituting the sub-order Brachyura, "short-tailed," which includes the true crabs, order Decapoda, "ten-limbed," and distinguished from the lobster by the shortness of the tail, which is folded under the broadened-out body, the latter being covered with a strong carapace or shell. The gills are placed in the sides of the body, and are popularly known as "dead men's fingers." The liver is composed of a soft rich yellow substance, called the "fat." The mouth has several pairs of powerful jaws, and the stomach is furnished with hard projections by means of which the crab grinds its food, consisting chiefly of vegetable matter and molluscae. The front pair of legs form nipping claws, which are renewed when injured or lost. The eyes are compound and movable. The majority of crabs live in the sea, but there are some fresh-water species, and others which live on land, but go to the sea to spawn. After hatching, the young of the crab passes through two stages. In the first, it is free-swimming and possesses a tail; in the second stage, it is also tailed, but after moulting it loses its tail and becomes the perfect crab. A remarkable feature in the life-history of the crab is the changing of its shell, to permit its growth, and the reproduction, as noticed above, of injured claws. Annually, usually during the winter, the crab retires to a cavity in the rocks or beneath a great stone, and conceals itself until the new shell, which at first is very soft, becomes hardened. The Hermit Crab derives its name from its habit of taking possession of the deserted shell of some mollusc, the hermit crab having no shell of its own. The crab is much esteemed, and forms an important fishery on the British coasts.
450.—CRAB, TO DRESS. (Fr.—Crabe or Écrevisse de Mer.)
Ingredients.—1 medium sized crab, 1 hard-boiled egg, 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, 2 tablespoonfuls of salad-oil, salt and pepper, cayenne.
Method.—Empty the shells, mix the meat with the vinegar and oil, and season well. Clean the large shell, put in the mixture and garnish with slices of lemon, parsley, and egg, the yolk rubbed through a wire sieve and the white coarsely-chopped.
Average Cost.—10d. to 1s. 6d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable from April to October.
To Choose Crabs.—Crabs of medium size are the best, and like lobsters, should be judged by their weight.
451.—CRAB, DRESSED. (Another Method.)
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized crab, 3 tablespoonfuls of salad-oil, 2 ​tablespoonfuls of vinegar, breadcrumbs, pepper and salt. For garnishing: lobster coral, butter, hard-boiled egg, or parsley.
Method.—Pick the meat from the shell, flake it into small shreds, and add to it the same proportion of finely-grated breadcrumbs. Season to taste with pepper and salt, then mix well with the oil, and lastly the vinegar. Carefully wash and dry the shell and put in the mixture, garnishing with lobster coral, butter, or hard-boiled egg and parsley.
Average Cost.—1s. 6d. to 2s. Sufficient for 4 persons. Seasonable from April to October.
452.—CRAB, DEVILLED. (Fr.—Crabe à la Diable.)
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized crab, ¼ of a pint of thick white sauce, 1 dessertspoonful of anchovy-essence, 1 dessertspoonful of chutney, 1 teaspoonful of vinegar (preferably chilli), 1 teaspoonful of made mustard, 1 dessertspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, cayenne, salt and pepper, brown breadcrumbs.
Method.—Pick the meat from the shells, and put one claw aside. Mix together the white sauce, anchovy-essence, chutney, vinegar, and mustard, season well with salt, pepper and cayenne, then add the crab, except the one claw. Clean the shell, put in the mixture, cover lightly with browned breadcrumbs, and bake in a moderately hot oven for about 15 minutes. In the meantime separate the meat of the remaining claw into fine flakes, and warm between two plates either in the oven or over a saucepan of boiling water. Remove the crab from the oven, and garnish with the flaked claw and the chopped parsley.
Time.—1 hour. Average Cost, from 1s. to 2s. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable from April to October.
453.—CRAB, HOT. (Fr.—Crabe au Gratin.)
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized crab, 2 ozs. of butter, 2 ozs. of breadcrumbs, 3 tablespoonfuls of white sauce, 1 tablespoonful of vinegar, nutmeg, salt and pepper, browned breadcrumbs.
Method.—Pick the meat from the shell, season well with salt and pepper, add a little nutmeg, the butter slightly warmed, the white sauce, vinegar, and breadcrumbs, and mix these well together. Have ready the shell, washed and dry, put in the mixture, cover with a thin layer of browned breadcrumbs, add 3 or 4 small pieces of butter, and bake for 10 or 15 minutes in a brisk oven.
Time.—1 hour. Average Cost, 1s. to 1s. 9d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable from April to October.
454.—CRAB OR LOBSTER, POTTED.
Ingredients.—2 crabs or lobsters, ¼ of a pint of cream, 2 ozs. of butter, 3 yolks of eggs, salt and pepper, cayenne, clarified butter.
​Method.—Pick the meat from the shells, chop it finely, and then put it into a stewpan with the butter and seasoning, and cook slowly for 20 minutes. Add the cream and yolks of eggs, stir, cook by the side of the fire until the mixture has the consistency of thick paste, then rub through a fine sieve, press into pots, and when cold cover with clarified butter.
Time.—From 40 to 60 minutes. Average Cost, 2s. to 3s. Seasonable at any time.
455.—CRAB, POTTED. (Another Method.)
Ingredients.—2 crabs, salt, cayenne, mace, clarified butter (from 4 to 5 ozs.).
Method.—Pick the meat from the shells, pound it in a mortar with the seasoning, rub through a fine sieve, press it into small pots, cover with melted butter, and bake in a moderately hot oven for ½ an hour. When cold, cover each pot with clarified butter.
Time.—From 40 to 60 minutes. Average Cost,—1s. 6d. to 2s. Sufficient for 2 or 3 pots. Seasonable at any time.
456.—CRAYFISH, POTTED. (Fr.—Écrevisses en Terrine.)
Ingredients.—4 doz. live crayfish, ½ a lb. of butter, ground mace, salt and pepper.
Method.—Put the crayfish into boiling water to which has been added a good seasoning of salt and a little vinegar, cook from 15 to 20 minutes, then drain and dry. Pick the meat from the shells, and pound it in a mortar to a fine paste, adding gradually the butter, and mace, salt and pepper to taste. Press into small pots, cover with clarified butter, and when cold, use.
Average Cost.—1s. to 1s. 3d. per dozen. Seasonable all the year.
The Dace (Fr. vandoise) called also the Dart, is found usually in the dull, clear, slowly-running streams of England and Europe. It is allied to the chub, barbel and roach, and resembles the last but is longer and thinner in the body, and its scales are smaller. In colour it is dullish blue on the upper, and white on the under, parts; the gill-covers and sides of the head are silvery white. The dace is gregarious and swims in shoals. The flesh is rather coarse in quality.
457.—DORY, JOHN. (Fr.—Dorée or St. Pierre.)
Method.—This fish, which is esteemed by most people a great delicacy, is dressed in the same way as a turbot, which it resembles in firmness, but not in richness. Cleanse it thoroughly, cut off the fins but not the head, which is considered a delicacy, lay it in a fish-kettle, cover with warm water, and add salt to taste. Bring it gradually to near boiling point, and simmer gently for 15 minutes, or rather longer, should the fish be very large. Serve on a hot napkin, and garnish with cut lemon and parsley. Lobster, anchovy, or shrimp sauce, and plain melted butter, should be sent to table with it.
​Time.—After the water boils, ¼ to ½ an hour, according to size.
Average Cost, 1s. to 3s. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons. Seasonable all the year, but best from September to January.
Note.—Small John Dorys are excellent baked.
458.—DORY, JOHN. (Fr.—Dorée à la Génoise.)
Ingredients.—1 dory, 1 gill of picked shrimps, 2 smelts, 1 teaspoonful of anchovy-essence, 1 egg, about 2 ozs. of panada, 1 oz. of butter, pepper and salt, 1 tablespoonful of Chablis or Sauterne, Génoise sauce (No. 301).
Method.—Wash the fish, wipe it and remove the fillets (the bones, etc., may be used for the Génoise sauce). Pare the fillets neatly, and cut them into oblong pieces. Remove the bones and heads from the smelts, pound them together with the shrimps in a mortar until they are quite smooth, then add the panada and anchovy-essence, and moisten with the egg. Mix thoroughly, season to taste, and rub the whole through a sieve. Spread each piece of fillet with this farce, fold over, and place them on a well buttered sauté-pan. Season, lightly moisten with the wine and a few drops of lemon-juice, cover with a buttered paper, and cook in the oven for about 15 minutes, or longer, according to the thickness of the fillets. Take up carefully, and dish up on a hot dish. Pour some previously prepared Génoise sauce into the pan in which the fish was cooked, boil up, and strain over the fillets. Serve hot.
Time.—To cook, about 15 minutes. Average Cost, 2s. to 3s. Sufficient for 5 persons. Seasonable all the year, but best from September to January.
The Dory (Fr. dorée), called also John Dory, is a yellowish golden-coloured fish, belonging to the mackerel family, distinguished, as a genus, by its divided dorsal fin, the spinous part of which is less developed than the soft portion. The head is curiously shaped, and the body compressed. Its name is supposed to be a corruption of the French, jaune dorée ("golden-yellow."). The dory is highly esteemed as a table-fish, and its flesh when dressed is of a beautiful clear white. A popular superstition ascribes the peculiar black mark on each side of the fish to St. Peter's finger and thumb, the dory being, so runs the legend, the fish from which the apostle took the tribute money. The dory is found in the Mediterranean and other seas of Europe.
459.—EELS BOILED. (Fr.—Anguilles Bouillies.)
Ingredients.—4 small eels, a small bunch of parsley, ¾ of a pint of parsley sauce (No. 311), a little salt.
Method.—Clean and skin the eels, put them into a stewpan with the parsley, a little salt, and warm water to barely cover them. Simmer gently for ½ an hour, or until they are tender, then serve with the sauce poured over them.
Time.—About ½ an hour. Average Cost, 8d. to 1s. per lb. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable from June to March.
The Eel (Fr. anguille).—This name is applied generally to fish with elongated bodies, but is scientifically restricted to certain genera of the Apodta, fish without ventral fins, belonging to the sub-order Malacopteri, or "soft-finned." The eel has a smooth head and a serpentine body, covered with ​minute detached scales which are frequently concealed by the skin, the absence of scales being compensated for by a mucous secretion, which renders the eel proverbially slippery. The lower jaw projects beyond the upper, the teeth are sharp, and a swim-bladder is present. Some species of eel are marine, others fresh-water, while some, as the Anguilla, live in both elements. The conger-eel is exclusively marine, and is the largest of the eels. The eel lives in the mud. among weeds, roots or stumps of trees, or holes in the banks, or the bottoms of rivers, where they often grow to an enormous size, weighing as much as 15 lb. or 16 lb. It seldom emerges from its hiding-place except in the night; and in winter, on account of its great susceptibility to cold, it buries itself in the mud. The eel is noted for its voracity and tenacity of life, and also for its remarkable fecundity, the young of the eels which spawn in the estuaries of rivers passing up the streams in vast numbers; such a passage is called the "eel-fare." The eel frequently migrates from one habitat to another, crossing over the intervening marshy land. Various methods are employed for capturing the eel, river eels being usually caught in wicker baskets with funnel-shaped mouths, into which they enter, but cannot get out. Eels are also taken by means of a kind of trident, called an eel-spear, and by hooks and lines. Large quantities of eels are caught in Holland, from whence they are brought alive to the London market by boats fitted with wells. As an article of food, they are largely eaten in England, but seldom in Scotland; the flesh is somewhat fatty and insipid. The eel-like fish, Gymnotus electricus of South America, has the property of communicating an electric shock when touched.
Holland is very famous for its eels, and sends large quantities to London; but those caught in the Thames are more silvery in appearance, and are considered by epicures to be of a better flavour.
460.—EEL, CONGER. (Fr.—Congre. Anguille de Mer.)
This is much esteemed by many persons. It forms the basis of the well-known soup of the Channel Islands, and is made into pies in the West of England. Like a tough steak, it always needs long stewing or cooking, as the flesh is remarkably firm and hard. It can be cooked like a fresh-water eel.
The Conger Eel (Fr. anguille de mer), a genus of marine eels, having a long dorsal fin beginning near the nape of the neck, a long eel-like body destitute of scales, and the upper jaw extending over the lower, both furnished with sharp rows of teeth. The conger eel is a muscular and voracious fish. The most familiar species is the Conger vulgaris, abundant on the English coasts, especially off Cornwall, which sometimes attains to a length of 10 feet, and over 100 lb. in weight. Its colour, which varies with its habitat, is a pale brown above and greyish-white underneath. The flesh of the conger eel is coarse, but its gelatinous qualities are medicinally valuable.
461.—EEL, CONGER, BAKED. (Fr.—Congre rôti.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of conger eel, suet-force: see Sauces, No. 407, butter or fat, flour.
Method.—Wash and dry the fish thoroughly, stuff it with the prepared forcemeat, and bind it with tape. Melt the butter or fat in a baking-dish or tin, put in the fish, and baste it well. Bake gently for 1 hour, meanwhile basting occasionally with fat, and dredging the surface with flour. Serve with the gravy poured round, or, if preferred, with tomato, brown caper, or a suitable fish sauce.
Time.—To bake, 1 hour. Average Cost, 4d. to 6d. per lb. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable September and November.
462.—EEL, CONGER, BOILED. (Fr.—Congre Bouilli.)
Ingredients.—Conger eel, vinegar, salt.
FISH.
1.—Oyster Patties. 2.—Whiting. 3.—Turbot. 4.—Whitebait. 5.—Mackerel. 6.—Mayonnaise Salmon. 7.—Lobster. 8.—Crab.
​easily from the bone. Drain well, serve garnished with lemon and parsley, and send parsley and butter sauce, or any fish sauce preferred, to table in a tureen.
Time.—To boil, about ½ an hour. Average Cost, 4d. to 6d. per lb.
463.—EEL, CONGER, FRIED. (Fr.—Congre frit.)
Ingredients.—Conger eel, egg, breadcrumbs, frying-fat, flour, salt and pepper.
Method.—Wash and dry the fish thoroughly, and cut it into slices about ¾ of an inch in thickness. Roll lightly in flour seasoned with salt and pepper, coat carefully with egg and breadcrumbs, and fry in hot fat until lightly browned. Drain well, and serve with tomato anchovy, or any suitable fish sauce.
Time.—To fry, about 20 minutes. Average Cost, from 4d. to 6d. per lb.
464.—EEL, CONGER, PIE. (Fr.—Pâté de Congre.)
Ingredients.—1 small conger eel, rough puff paste, or puff, 1 tablespoonful of vinegar, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, 1 teaspoonful of powdered mixed herbs, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped onion, salt and pepper.
Method.—Wash and dry the fish thoroughly, remove all skin and bones, and cut it into neat pieces. Place these in layers in a pie-dish, sprinkling each layer with salt, pepper, onion, herbs and parsley, add water to three-quarters fill the dish, and mix with it the vinegar. Cover the fish with paste, bake in a moderate oven for about 1 hour, and serve either hot or cold.
Time.—To bake, about 1 hour. Average Cost, Fish, from 4d. to 6d. per lb. Sufficient for 6 or 8 persons.
465.—EEL, CONGER, STEWED. (Fr.—Ragoût de Congre.)
Ingredients.—3 slices off a medium-sized conger, 1 onion sliced, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), 2 cloves, 1 blade of mace, 1 oz. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, ¼ of a pint of milk, ½ a pint of water, salt and pepper.
Method.—Heat the water, put in the fish, onion, herbs, mace, cloves, and a little salt and pepper, and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Meanwhile melt the butter in a stewpan, add the flour, and stir and cook slowly for 10 minutes without browning. Strain the liquor from the fish on to the prepared butter and flour, stir until boiling, then add the milk. Season to taste, boil up, pour over the fish, and serve.
Time.—About ½ an hour. Average Cost, fish from 4d. to 6d. per lb. Sufficient for 3 persons.
​466.—EEL, COLLARED. (Fr.—Anguille en Galantine.)
Ingredients.—1 large eel, 3 or 4 ozs. of veal forcemeat (No. 412), a good pinch each of ground cloves, mace, allspice, mixed herbs, sage, salt and pepper, fish stock, and vinegar.
Method.—Cut off the head and tail of the eel, and remove the skin and backbone. Mix all the ingredients enumerated above with the forcemeat, spread the eel flat on the table, and cover its inner side with the mixture. Roll up the eel, beginning with the broad end, and bind it in shape with a strong tape. Have ready some fish stock, made by simmering the backbone, head, and tail of the eel while the forcemeat was being prepared. See that it is well seasoned with salt, add a tablespoonful of vinegar, put in the eel, and simmer gently for about 40 minutes, then press the eel between two dishes or boards until cold. Meanwhile add allspice and a little more vinegar to the liquor in which the eel was cooked, simmer gently for ½ an hour, then strain. When the eel is cold, put it into the liquor and let it remain until required for use. The eel should be glazed before serving.
Time.—About 1¼ hours, to prepare and cook. Average Cost, from 9d. to 1s. per lb. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable all the year round, but best from June to March.
467.—EELS FRIED. (Fr.—Anguilles Frites.)
Ingredients.—1 or 2 medium-sized eels, 1 tablespoonful of flour, ½ a teaspoonful of salt, ⅛ of a teaspoonful of pepper, 1 egg, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt and pepper, frying-fat.
Method.—Wash, skin, and dry the eels thoroughly, and divide them into pieces from 2½ to 3 inches long. Mix the flour, salt and pepper together, and roll the pieces of eel separately in the mixture. Coat carefully with egg and breadcrumbs, fry in hot fat until crisp and lightly-browned, then drain well, and serve garnished with crisply-fried parsley.
Time.—About 20 minutes. Average Cost, eels, 8d. to 1s. per lb. Allow 2 lb. for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable from June to March.
468.—EEL PIE. (Fr.—Pâté aux Anguilles.)
Ingredients.—1½ lb. of eels, ½ a pint of meat stock, 1 tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup, 1 dessertspoonful of lemon-juice, pepper and salt, rough puff paste, or puff.
Method.—Clean and skin the eels, and cut them into pieces about 2 inches long. Put the heads, tails, and fins into a stewpan with the stock, simmer for ½ an hour, then strain, and skim well. Place the eels in a pie-dish, with a good seasoning of salt and pepper between the layers. Add the lemon-juice and ketchup to the stock, pour about ​half of it into the pie-dish, cover with paste, and bake in a fairly-hot oven for 1 hour. Warm the remainder of the stock, and pour it into the pie through a funnel as soon as it is taken from the oven.
Time. 1 hour to bake. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 5 persons. Seasonable all the year, but best from June to March.
469.—EEL PIE. (Fr.—Pâté aux Anguilles.) (Another Method.)
Ingredients.—1 lb. of eels, a little chopped parsley, 1 shallot, grated nutmeg, pepper and salt to taste, the juice of ½ a lemon, a small quantity of forcemeat, ¼ of a pint of Béchamel (see Sauces), puff paste.
Method.—Skin and wash the eels, cut them into pieces, 2 inches long, bone them; line the bottom of the pie-dish with forcemeat. Put in the eels, sprinkle them with the parsley, shallot, nutmeg, seasoning and lemon-juice, cover them with puff-paste, ornament the top with fancifully cut strips of paste, brush over with egg yolk and bake in a fairly hot oven for about 1 hour. Make the Béchamel sauce hot, and pour it into the pie before serving.
Time.—From 1¼ to 1½ hours. Average Cost, 2s. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable all the year, but best from June to March.
470.—EELS WITH MATELOTE SAUCE. (Fr.—Anguilles à la Matelote.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of eels, ¾ of a pint of good stock, ¼ of a pint of claret 12 preserved mushrooms, 2½ ozs. of butter, 1½ ozs. of flour, salt and pepper.
Method.—Wash and dry the eels, cut them into three-inch lengths, and roll them in flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Melt 1 oz. of butter in a stewpan, fry the eels until lightly browned, then drain off any butter that remains. Put in the stock and wine, bring to the boil, and simmer gently for ½ an hour. Meanwhile melt the remaining butter in another stewpan, stir in the flour, cook it gently until it acquires a nut-brown colour, then put it aside. Drain the pieces of eel from the stock, and keep them hot, strain the stock, add to the browned flour, and stir until boiling. Have ready the mushrooms cooked, heat them up in a little stock, and add them to the sauce, season to taste, and boil gently for 3 or 4 minutes. Pour the sauce over the fish, and serve.
Time.—About 45 minutes. Average Cost, 3s. to 3. 6d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
471.—EELS WITH TARTAR SAUCE. (Fr.—Anguilles à la Tartare.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of eels, ½ a pint of good stock, a glass of sherry, 1 egg, breadcrumbs, frying-fat, 1½ ozs. of butter. Tartar sauce (No. 213).
​Method.—Wash, skin, dry, and cut the eels into pieces 2½ inches long. Melt the butter in a stewpan, put in the eels and fry until brown, then add the stock (which must be highly seasoned) and sherry, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Drain well, and when cool brush over with egg, roll in breadcrumbs, and fry until nicely browned in hot fat. Garnish with fried parsley, and serve with a tureen of tartar sauce.
Time.—From 1 to 1¼ hours. Average Cost, 2s. to 2s. 6d., exclusive of the sauce. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable all the year, but best from June to March.
472.—EEL, FRIED, RÉMOULADE SAUCE. (Fr.—Fritote d'Anguille à la Rémoulade.)
Ingredients.—1 good-sized eel, yolks of 3 eggs, 1 tablespoonful oiled butter, breadcrumbs, a few sprigs of parsley, ½ a teaspoonful of sweet herbs, pepper and salt, fat for frying, ½ a lemon, Rémoulade sauce (No. 271)
Method.—Wash, skin and clean the eel, cut off the tail and head, split it open, and take out the bone. Cut into neat pieces about 1½ inches long, dry well on a cloth, and dip these in a little flour previously mixed with sufficient salt and pepper to season. Beat the yolks of 3 eggs, add the oiled butter, sweet herbs, and finely-chopped parsley. Coat the pieces well in this, then roll in breadcrumbs. Fry them in hot fat to a golden colour, drain well, dish up on a hot dish covered with a folded napkin. Garnish with slices of lemon and fried parsley and serve with a boat of Rémoulade sauce.
Fried eels are more palatable if served with an acid sauce. Lemon-juice squeezed over the fish just before serving will greatly improve the flavour.
Time.—To fry, 7 or 8 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 9d. to 2s. 3d., exclusive of the sauce. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable all the year, but best from June to March.
473.—EELS STEWED. (Fr.—Anguilles à l'Anglaise.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of eels, 2 ozs. of butter, 1 medium-sized onion, 1 dessertspoonful of chopped parsley, salt and pepper.
Method.—Skin and clean the eels, cut them into pieces about 2 inches long, and place them in a jar. Add the butter, the onion cut into slices, parsley, salt and pepper, cover closely, and place the jar in a saucepan of cold water, which must be brought slowly to the boil. Cook until the eels are tender; this will take about 1½ hours from the time the water boils. When done, place on a hot dish, and strain the gravy over.
Time.—From 2 to 2½ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 9d. to 2s. 3d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable from June to March, but obtainable all the year.
​474.—EELS STEWED. (Fr.—Anguilles à la Crême.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of eels, 1 pint of good stock, 2 tablespoonfuls of cream, 1 glass of port wine, 1 teaspoonful of lemon-juice, a strip of lemon-rind, 2 oz. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, 1 onion, 2 cloves, salt, cayenne.
Method.—Wash and skin the eels, cut them into pieces about 3 inches long, put them into a stewpan, add the stock, wine, onion, cloves, rind, and seasoning. Simmer gently for ½ an hour, or until tender, then lift them carefully on to a hot dish. Have ready the butter and flour kneaded together, add it to the stock in small portions, stir until smoothly mixed with the stock, and boil for 10 minutes, then put in the cream and lemon-juice. Season to taste, and strain over the fish.
Time.—¾ of an hour. Average Cost, from 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable from June to March, but obtainable all the year.
475.—EELS STEWED. (Fr.—Anguilles au Vin-Rouge.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of eels, 1 pint of brown sauce, ¼ of a pint of port wine, 1 dessertspoonful of lemon-juice, 1 teaspoonful of anchovy, essence, 1½ ozs. of butter, cayenne, salt.
Method.—Wash, skin and dry the eels, and cut them into pieces about 3 inches long. Melt the butter in a stewpan, put in the eels, and fry until nicely browned. Then add the sauce, wine, anchovy-essence and seasoning, and simmer very gently for about 20 minutes. Lift the eels carefully on to a hot dish, add the lemon-juice to the sauce, season to taste, strain over the fish, and serve.
Time.—From 30 to 40 minutes. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. to 3s. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable, obtainable all the year, but best from June to March.
476.—FISH CAKES.
Ingredients.—The remains of any cold fish; to each lb. allow ½ a lb. of mashed potatoes, 1 oz. of butter, 2 eggs, breadcrumbs, milk, salt and pepper.
Method.—Heat the butter in a saucepan, add the fish (coarsely-chopped), potatoes, the yolk of 1 egg, salt, pepper, and sufficient milk to moisten thoroughly. Stir the ingredients over the fire for a few minutes, then turn on to a plate. When cold shape into round flat cakes, brush them over with egg, cover with breadcrumbs, and fry in hot fat. The fish may be made into one large cake instead of several small ones, in which case, grease a flat tin, and shape the mixture as much like a fish as possible. Brush it over with egg, cover with slightly browned breadcrumbs, and bake for about 20 minutes in a fairly hot oven.
​This dish may be varied by the addition of forcemeat, made of 2 tablespoonfuls of finely-chopped suet, 2 tablespoonfuls breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, salt, pepper, grated lemon-rind, or other flavouring, and moistened with egg or milk. Or the forcemeat may be made of 1 tablespoonful of picked and coarsely-chopped shrimps, breadcrumbs, a teaspoonful of anchovy-essence, 1 tablespoonful of melted butter, salt, pepper, cayenne, and a little milk. When using forcemeat, spread one half of the fish-cake mixture on the tin in the form of a sole, spread the forcemeat in the centre, leaving bare a narrow margin at the sides, cover with the remainder of the mixture, brush over with egg, sprinkle with browned breadcrumbs, and bake in a moderate oven for 35 or 40 minutes.
Time.—About ¾ hour. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. for 12 small cakes. Sufficient.—1 lb. fish, etc., for 6 or 7 persons. Seasonable at any time.
477.—FISH CAKES FROM TINNED SALMON.
Ingredients.—1 tin of salmon, 1 lb. of mashed potato, milk, 1 egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, frying-fat, parsley.
Method.—When using cold potato stir it over the fire with a little milk until quite hot and smooth. Chop the fish coarsely, add it to the potato, season to taste, and stir over the fire until thoroughly mixed, adding a little milk if too dry. Let the mixture cool on a plate, then shape into small round cakes, coat carefully with egg and breadcrumbs, and fry in hot fat until lightly browned. Drain well, and serve garnished with crisply-fried parsley.
Time.—Altogether, 1½ hours. Average Cost, 9d. to 1s.
478.—FISH CHOWDER.
Ingredients.—1 lb. of cod, haddock or whiting, 3 or 4 potatoes peeled and sliced, ¼ of a lb. of pickled pork cut into dice, 1 small onion finely-chopped, 3 water biscuits, ½ a pint of milk, 1 pint of water, ½ a teaspoonful of powdered mixed herbs, salt, pepper.
Method.—Wash and dry the fish, and cut it into small pieces. Place the fish, potatoes and pork in a stewpan in alternate layers, sprinkling each layer with onion, herbs, salt and pepper. Add the water, cover closely, and cook gently for 40 minutes. Meanwhile soak the biscuits in the milk, beat out all the lumps with a fork, and stir the preparation into the stew about 10 minutes before serving. Add seasoning to taste, and serve hot.
Time.—To cook the chowder, about 40 minutes. Average Cost, about 1s. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.
479.—FISH, CROQUETTES OF. (Fr.—Croquettes de Poisson.)
Ingredients.—Cooked fish; to ½ a lb. of which allow ¼ of a lb. of mashed ​potatoes, ½ an oz. of butter, 1 yolk of egg, 1 whole egg, breadcrumbs, milk, salt and pepper, frying-fat.
Method.—Remove all skin and bone from the fish, then chop it coarsely. Heat the butter in a stewpan, add the fish, potatoes, yolk of egg, salt and pepper to taste, and sufficient milk to moisten it thoroughly. Stir the preparation over the fire until well mixed, then turn it on to a plate. When cold, form it into cork-shaped pieces, brush over with egg, coat with breadcrumbs, and fry in hot fat. Drain well, and serve garnished with crisply-fried parsley.
Time.—To fry, about 5 minutes. Average Cost, 3d. to 4d., in addition to ½ lb. of fish.
480.—FISH, FRICASSÉE OF. (Fr.—Fricassée de Poisson.)
Ingredients.—1 lb. of white fish, ½ a pint of milk, ¼ of a pint of water, 1 oz. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, 1 bay-leaf, 1 blade of mace, 1 pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper, lemon-juice to taste.
Method.—Divide the fish into pieces about 1½ inches square. Put the milk, water, salt and pepper, bay-leaf, mace and nutmeg into a stewpan, and when warm add the fish. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes, then take out the bay-leaf and the mace. Have ready the butter and flour kneaded together, add it in small portions to the contents of the stewpan, and stir gently. When the flour is mixed smoothly with the liquor, add lemon-juice and seasoning to taste, and serve.
Time.—About 30 minutes. Average Cost, 10d. Sufficient for 2 or 3 persons. Seasonable at any time.
481.—FISH AND MACARONI. (Fr.—Poisson aux Macaroni.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of fish (cooked), ½ a lb. of macaroni, 3 ozs, of grated cheese, 1 oz. of butter, pepper and salt.
Method.—Remove all skin and bone from the fish, and separate it into large flakes. Break the macaroni into pieces about 1 inch in length, put it into boiling salted water, and boil rapidly until tender. Have ready a well-greased pie-dish, put in a layer of fish, season well with salt and pepper, cover with macaroni, and add a good sprinkling of cheese and seasoning. Repeat until the dish is full. Put the butter in small pieces on the top, and bake for about 20 minutes in a quick oven.
Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. to 2s. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
​482.—FISH AND MACARONI. (Fr.—Poisson aux Macaroni.) (Another Method.)
Ingredients.—1 lb. of cooked fish, ¼ of a lb. of macaroni, 1½ ozs. of grated cheese, ½ an oz. of butter, pepper and salt, ¼ of a pint of white sauce (see sauces, No. 222).
Method.—Remove all skin and bones, and separate the fish into small flakes. Put the macaroni into salted boiling water, and boil rapidly for about 20 minutes, or until tender, then cut it into small pieces. Heat the white sauce, add 1 oz. of cheese, the fish and macaroni, season to taste, and mix well together. Turn the preparation into a buttered pie-dish, sprinkle the remaining cheese on the top, and add the butter in small pieces. Brown in a hot oven, and serve in the dish.
Time.—To bake, about 10 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable at any time.
483.—FISH AND OYSTER PIE. (Fr.—Pâté de Poisson aux Huîtres.)
Ingredients.—1 lb. of any cold fish, such as cod or haddock, 1 dozen oysters, pepper and salt to taste, breadcrumbs or puff-paste, sufficient for the quantity of fish, ½ a teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, melted butter or white sauce.
Method.—Clear the fish from the bones, put a layer of it in a pie-dish, add a few oysters, with nutmeg and chopped parsley. Repeat this till the dish is quite full. A covering may be formed either of bread-crumbs, which should be browned, or puff-paste, which should be cut into long strips, and laid in cross-bars over the fish, with a line of paste first laid round the edge. Pour in some sauce No. 202, melted butter, or a little thin white sauce, and the oyster-liquor, then bake.
Time.—If made of cooked fish, ¼ of an hour; if made of fresh fish and puff-paste, ¾ of an hour. Average Cost, 2s. Sufficient for 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
484.—FISH PIE. (Fr.—Pâté de Poisson.)
Ingredients.—1 lb. each of cold fish and mashed potatoes, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoonful of breadcrumbs, and 4 ozs. of finely-chopped suet, enough milk to reduce the mixture to the consistency of very thick batter, salt and pepper.
Method.—Chop the fish coarsely, mix it with the potatoes and suet, add a liberal seasoning of salt and pepper, the eggs and milk, and beat well. Turn into a greased pie-dish, and cook in a moderate oven for 1¼ to 1½ hours. Serve in the dish in which it is baked.
Time.—About 2 hours. Average Cost, 1s. to 1s. 6d., exclusive of the fish. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons. Seasonable at any time.
FISH.
1. Eels in Jelly. 2. Lobster Curry. 3. Halibut with White Sauce.
FISH.
1. Fish Cakes. 2. Fish Quenelles. 3. Cold Fish Timbales.
​485.—FISH PIE. (Another Method.)
Ingredients.—1 lb. of any cold fish, 2 ozs. of oiled butter, some mashed potatoes, 2 teaspoonfuls of anchovy-sauce, cayenne to taste.
Method.—Flake the fish, and season with the anchovy-sauce and cayenne. Put it in a well-buttered pie-dish, lay a little oiled butter over the top, fill up with the potatoes, and bake for 15 minutes.
Time.—20 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. to 1s. 3d. Sufficient for 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.
486.—FISH PUDDING. (Fr.—Pouding de Poisson.)
Ingredients.—1 lb. of any kind of white fish, 4 ozs. of finely-chopped suet, 2 ozs. of breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ¼ of a pint of milk, or stock made from fish bones, 2 eggs, a few drops of anchovy-essence, salt and pepper.
Method.—Free the fish from skin and bones, and pound it well with the suet (when making it without the aid of a mortar, chop the fish finely, and rub it through a fine sieve); add the breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, pepper, anchovy-essence, and mix well; beat the eggs slightly, add the milk or fish stock, and stir into the mixture. Have ready a well-greased plain mould or basin, put in the mixture, cover with a greased paper, and steam gently for nearly 1½ hours. Serve with anchovy, egg, or melted butter sauce.
Time.—Altogether 2 hours. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable at any time.
487.—FISH SALAD. (Fr.—Salade de Poisson.)
Ingredients.—1 lb of cooked fish, celery, lettuce, Mayonnaise sauce, hard-boiled egg, salt, pepper.
Method.—Skin, bone, and shred some cold fish (almost any kind of white fish or salmon will do), put this in a large mixing bowl, add to it one-fourth its quantity of lettuce, washed and shredded, also one-fourth of white cleaned celery (if in season). Cut the celery into shreds or strips, mix all carefully, adding salt and pepper to taste. Arrange neatly in a salad bowl, and pour over some Mayonnaise dressing. Garnish tastefully with hard-boiled egg, cut into slices. When celery is not obtainable, use shredded chicory, endive or sliced tomatoes.
Time.—20 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. to 1s. 6d. Sufficient for 5 and 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
488.—FISH STEW. (Fr.—Ragoût de Poisson.)
Ingredients.—3 or 4 small flounders, plaice or other white fish, 2 tablespoonfuls of breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ⅛ of a teaspoonful of finely grated lemon-rind, 2 eggs, ½ an oz. of butter, 1 small onion chopped, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice, mace, ginger, cayenne, pepper, and salt.
​Method.—Clean, wash and dry the fish, and cut it into neat fillets. Remove the skin and bones from some of the smaller pieces, and coarsely chop the fish, which should fill 2 tablespoons. To this add the breadcrumbs, parsley, lemon-rind; season with salt and pepper, bind with a little beaten egg, and shape into small balls. Melt the butter, fry the onion slightly, add a pinch each of ginger, mace and cayenne, and a little salt and pepper. Put in the filleted fish, barely cover it with hot water, bring to the boil, then lay the forcemeat balls on the top of the fish. Cover with a greased paper, to keep in the steam, simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, then transfer to a hot dish. Strain the liquor over the remainder of the beaten eggs, replace in the stewpan, season to taste, and add the lemon-juice. Stir by the side of the fire until the sauce begins to thicken, taking care that it does not boil, or it may curdle, then pour over the fish, and serve.
Time.—Altogether, about 1 hour. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. to 1s. 6d. Sufficient for 3 persons. Seasonable at any time.
489.—FLOUNDERS. (Fr.—Carrelets en Souchet.)
Ingredients.—3 or 4 flounders, ½ a carrot, ½ a turnip, 1 slice of parsnip, 6 peppercorns, 1 small onion, 1 small bunch of herbs, parsley, salt.
Method.—Cut the carrot, turnip and parsnip into very fine strips and cook them till tender in slightly-salted water or fish stock. Trim the fish, and place it in a deep sauté-pan, with the onion cut up in slices, the bunch of herbs and peppercorns, add a little salt, and pour on sufficient water to well cover the fish. Allow it to come to the boil, and cook gently for about 10 minutes. Take up the fish and place it on a deep entrée dish, sprinkle over the shredded cooked vegetables and some finely-chopped parsley, add a little of the fish liquor, and serve.
Time.—To cook 10 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable all the year, most plentiful from August to November.
490.—FLOUNDERS, BOILED. (Fr.—Carrelets bouillis.)
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized flounder, salt, vinegar.
Method.—Wash the fish, put it into a fish-kettle with just sufficient water to cover it, add salt and vinegar to taste, bring gently to the boiling point, and simmer for 5 or 10 minutes, according to the thickness of the fish. Serve with a suitable sauce.
Time.—After the water boils, 5 to 10 minutes. Average Cost, from 6d. to 1s. 6d. Sufficient, 6 ozs. to 8 ozs. per head, with bone. Seasonable all the year; most plentiful from August to November.
Flounder (Fr. carrelet [m], limande [f]).—A flat-fish found in abundance on the British coasts, and near the mouths of large rivers. It also thrives in ponds. The flounder is brown on one side of its body and white on the other; its eyes are situated on the right side. The dab is closely allied to the flounder. The flounder is one of the commonest of fishes, and large quantities are sent to the London market. The flesh of the flounder is easily digested.
​491.—FLOUNDERS, BROILED. (Fr.—Carrelets Grillés.)
Flounders, when sufficiently large, are very nice broiled on a gridiron over or in front of the fire, with a little butter rubbed over. Small plaice cooked in the same manner are excellent.
492.—FLOUNDERS, FRIED. (Fr.—Carrelets Frites.)
Ingredients.—Flounders, egg and breadcrumbs, boiling fat, fried parsley.
Method.—Cleanse the fish, and, 2 hours before they are required, rub them inside and out with salt, to render them firm. Wash and wipe them very dry, dip them into egg, and sprinkle over with breacrumbs, fry them in boiling fat, dish on a folded napkin or fish paper, garnish with fried parsley.
Time.—To fry, from 10 to 15 minutes, according to size. Average Cost, 3d. to 1s. each, according to size and season. Allow from 6 to 8 ozs. per head for breakfast; rather less when served in the course of a dinner. Seasonable all the year; most plentiful from August to November.
493.—FROGS, STEWED. (Fr.—Ragoût de Grenouilles.)
Ingredients.—6 or 8 frogs, salad-oil, ¼ of a pint of white wine, 2 tablespoonfuls of truffle liquor, 8 fresh button mushrooms, ¼ of a pint of brown sauce, salt and pepper.
Method.—The hind-quarters of the frogs alone are used, and they should be carefully separated from the rest of the body. Cover the bottom of a sauté-pan with a thin layer of salad-oil, and when thoroughly hot place in it the frogs' legs. Fry quickly for 2 or 3 minutes, turning the legs once during the process, but most carefully so as to avoid tearing the skin and flesh. Drain, place in a casserole, add the truffle liquor, mushrooms previously well-washed to free them from grit, and season to taste. Stew very gently for about 30 minutes, then transfer carefully to a hot dish, and strain the wine into a small stewpan. Boil quickly until well reduced, then add the brown sauce. Season to taste, make thoroughly hot, pour over the cooked frog, and serve.
494.—GARFISH, STEWED. (Fr.—Brochet à l'Anglaise.)
Ingredients.—2 medium-sized garfish, 1 onion sliced, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), 2 cloves, 1 blade of mace, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1½ oz. of flour, 1 pint of stock or water, salt and pepper.
​Method.—Remove the skin, which would otherwise impart a disagreeable oily taste to the dish, and cut the fish into pieces 1½ inches long. Bring the stock or water to simmering point, put in the fish, onion, herbs, mace, cloves, and a little salt and pepper, and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Meanwhile melt the butter in a stewpan, add the flour, and stir and cook slowly for 10 minutes without browning. Strain the liquor from the fish on to the prepared butter and flour, stir until boiling, then season to taste, strain over the fish, and serve.
Time.—About ½ an hour. Average Cost, uncertain. Sufficient for 4 persons.
Note.—Garfish may also be boiled, broiled or baked, according to the recipes given for cooking eels and conger eels.
495.—GRAYLING, BAKED. (Fr.—Ombre rôti.)
Ingredients.—2 medium-sized grayling, ⅓ of a pint of melted butter, No. 202, butter for basting.
Method.—Empty, wash and scale the fish. Dry it well, place it in a baking-dish in which a little butter has been previously melted, and baste well. Season with salt and pepper, cover with a greased paper, and bake gently from 25 to 35 minutes, basting occasionally. Make the melted butter as directed, taking care that it is very thick, and a few minutes before serving strain and add the liquor from the fish. Place the fish on a hot dish, strain the sauce over, then serve.
Time.—From 25 to 35 minutes. Average Cost, uncertain. Sufficient for 4 persons. Seasonable in July and August.
496.—GRAYLING, BROILED. (Fr.—Ombre à la Diable.)
Ingredients.—4 small grayling, lemon-juice, salad-oil, salt and pepper.
Method.—Empty, scale, wash and thoroughly dry the fish. Brush it over with salad-oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and broil over a clear fire until sufficiently cooked and nicely browned. Serve garnished with quarters of lemon.
Time.—About 10 minutes. Average Cost, uncertain. Sufficient for 4 persons. Seasonable in July and August.
497.—GRAYLING, FRIED. (Fr.—Ombre frit.)
Ingredients.—4 small grayling, parsley sauce, No. 311, egg, breadcrumbs, frying-fat, flour, salt and pepper.
Method.—Empty, scale, wash and dry the fish, remove the gills and fins, but leave the heads. Roll in flour seasoned with salt and pepper, coat carefully with egg and breadcrumbs, and fry in hot fat until nicely browned. Serve with parsley and butter sauce, or any other sauce preferred.
Time.—To fry, 8 or 9 minutes. Average Cost, uncertain. Sufficient for 4 persons. Seasonable in July and August.
The Roach (Fr. gardon).—This well known fish is a member of the carp family, and is found throughout Europe and the Western parts of Asia. It usually swims in shoals, and inhabits deep, still rivers. In colour it is greyish-green tinted with blue, with a silvery-white belly, and bright red fins. It is in season from March to September.
498.—GUDGEONS. (Fr.—Goujons Panés et Frits.)
Ingredients.—Gudgeons, egg, breadcrumbs, frying-fat.
Method.—Clean the fish and remove the gills, but do not scrape off the scales. Dry well, dip them in egg and breadcrumbs, and fry them in hot fat until nicely browned.
Time.—From 4 to 6 minutes to fry. Average Cost, 6d. per lb. Allow 2 or 3 per head. Seasonable from June to November.
The Gudgeon (Fr. goujon), a member of the carp family, is found in gently flowing streams and ponds. Its back is olive-brown with black spots, the abdomen white. The fins of the gudgeon are short and without spines; its tail is forked, its scales are large, and there is a small barbule or filament on either side of the mouth. The flesh of the gudgeon is firm and delicate, and very digestable. This fish was esteemed by both the Greeks and the Romans. It is abundant in France and Germany.
499.—GURNET, OR GURNARD. (Fr.—Gournal.)
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized gurnet, salt.
Method.—Clean and wash the fish and cut off the fins and gills. Have ready just enough warm water to cover it, add salt to taste, put in the fish, bring slowly to near boiling point, and cook gently for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with anchovy or parsley sauce.
Time.—To boil, from 25 to 30 minutes. Average Cost, from 1s. to 2s 6d. Sufficient for 2 or 3 persons. Seasonable from October to March, but in perfection in October.
500.—GURNET, BAKED. (Fr.—Gournal au Four.)
Ingredients.—1 medium sized gurnet, veal forcemeat (No. 413), 2 or 3 slices of bacon, butter, or fat for basting.
Method.—Empty and wash the fish, and cut off the fins and gills. Prepare the forcmeat as directed, put it inside the fish, and sew up the opening. Fasten the tail in the mouth of the fish, place it in a pie-dish or baking dish, baste well with hot fat or butter, cover with the slices of bacon, and bake in a moderate oven from 35 to 45 minutes. It may be served with either parsley or anchovy sauce.
Time.—Altogether, about 1 hour. Average Cost, from 1s. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 2 or 3 persons. Seasonable from October to March.
The Gurnet or Gurnard (Fr. gournal).—This sea-water fish is remarkable for its curiously angular shaped head, which is covered with bony plates, and armed with spines. The colour of the fins which varies in different species, is blue or red. The jaws are furnished with numerous small teeth. The grey and the red gurnet are the species most common to our British coasts. The flying gurnet is a denizen of the Indian seas, and is also found in the Mediterranean. The gurnet is an excellent table-fish.
501.—HADDOCK, BAKED. (Fr.—Eglefin au Four.)
Ingredients.—1 large fresh haddock, veal forcemeat (No. 412), 1 egg, brown breadcrumbs, fat for basting.
​Method.—Wash, clean, and scale the fish. Make the forcemeat as directed, put it inside the haddock, and sew up the opening. Truss in the shape of the letter S. by means of a string securely fastened to the head of the fish, the trussing needle being passed through the body of the fish while held in the required shape, and the string afterwards secured to the tail. Brush over with egg, cover lightly with brown breadcrumbs, and bake in a moderate oven from 30 to 40 minutes, basting occasionally with hot fat. Serve with anchovy or melted butter sauce.
Time.—To prepare and cook, from 1 to 1¼ hours. Average Cost, from 1s. 2d. to 1s. 6d. Sufficient for 4 persons. Seasonable from August to February.
502.—HADDOCK, BOILED. (Fr.—Eglefin bouilli.)
Ingredients.—1 large fresh haddock, salt.
Method.—Clean and wash the fish, cover it with warm water, add salt to taste, bring to the boil, and cook gently from 20 to 30 minutes. Serve with anchovy, parsley, or melted butter sauce.
Time.—From 20 to 30 minutes. Average Cost, large haddocks, 8d. to 1s. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable from August to February.
503.—HADDOCK, DRIED, AND TOMATOES. (Fr.—Merluche fumé aux Tomates.)
Ingredients.—1 small dried haddock, 1 oz. of butter, 2 or 3 small tomatoes, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped onion, ½ a teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, salt and pepper, boiled rice.
Method.—Lay the haddock in a tin with a little water, and bake it for 10 minutes, then take away the skin and bones, and separate the fish into large flakes. Melt the butter in a stewpan, fry the onion slightly, add the tomatoes sliced, and cook until soft. Now put in the fish and parsley, season to taste, and stir gently by the side of the fire until the fish is thoroughly hot. Arrange the boiled rice in a circle on a hot dish, and serve the fish in the centre of it.
Time.—25 to 30 minutes. Average Cost, 6d. Sufficient for 3 persons. Seasonable at any time.
504.—HADDOCKS, DRIED. (Fr.—Merluche fumé.)
Dried haddocks are best cooked either in the oven or on the top of the stove in a tin surrounded by a little water to create steam, which prevents the surface of the fish becoming hardened. Medium-sized ones should be cooked whole, and before sending to table an incision should be made from head to tail, and the backbone removed. The fish should be plentifully spread with butter, sprinkled with pepper, and served as hot as possible.
​505.—HADDOCK, FRIED. (Fr.—Eglefin frit.)
Wash and dry a fresh haddock, cut down the back, separate the flesh from the bone, and cut into nice fillets. Brush over with egg, cover lightly with breadcrumbs, and fry until golden-brown in hot fat. Garnish with fried parsley.
The Haddock (Fr. eglefin).—This well-known fish belongs to the same family (Gadidae) as the cod, which it much resembles in its general conformation. The lower jaw is furnished with a barbule, and the dark lateral line of the back is very conspicuous. A similar superstitution ascribes the dark spot on either side of the body, behind the pectoral fins, to the impression of the thumb and finger of St. Peter, as in the case of the marks on the John Dory. The haddock abounds on the north-east coast of Britain, and some parts of the coasts of Ireland. It is a popular article of food, and is eaten fresh, or dried and cured. The Finnan haddock is the common haddock cured and dried, and takes its name from the fishing village of Findhorn, near Aberdeen, which has obtained a high reputation for its method of curing haddocks.
506.—HAKE, BAKED.
Ingredients.—4 slices off a medium-sized hake, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped onion, butter, salt and pepper, flour.
Method.—Wash and dry the fish, and place the slices side by side in a baking-dish. Dredge well with flour, season liberally with salt and pepper, spread over on the parsley and butter, and add about 1 oz. of butter in small pieces. Bake gently for ½ an hour, basting occasionally, then place the fish on a hot dish, strain the liquor over it, and serve.
Time.—About ½ an hour. Average Cost, 4d. per lb. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable, April to August.
Note.—Any of the methods given for cooking cod and halibut may be applied to hake, but baking will be found the most palatable and satisfactory.
507.—HALIBUT, BAKED. (Fr.—Halibute rôtie.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of halibut, cut in one thick slice, 1 oz. of butter or dripping, flour, salt and pepper.
Method.—Wash and dry the fish thoroughly, sprinkle it liberally with salt and pepper, and dredge well with flour. Place it in an earthenware baking-dish or pie-dish, add the butter in small pieces, and bake gently for about 1 hour. Serve on a hot dish with the liquid from the fish strained and poured round.
Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 6d. to 1s. 6d. per lb. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable at any time.
The Halibut (Fr. flétan), Hippoglossus vulgaris, also called the holibut, is the largest of the flat fish, and sometimes weighs over 400 lb. It is more elongated in shape than the turbot, to which it is inferior in quality, its flesh being dry and of less flavour, although it is much esteemed as a table-fish. Halibut is caught on both sides of the Atlantic on the coasts in northern latitudes, and is abundant off the Orkney Islands. The inhabitants of Greenland preserve it for use in the winter by cutting the fish into long strips and drying these in the air. The Halibut is brownish in colour, with darker markings, and is white on the under surface. An oil is obtained from this fish, chiefly from the bones.
​508.—HALIBUT, BAKED. (Fr.—Halibute au lard.)
Ingredients.—1 slice of halibut, about 2 inches thick, ham or bacon, butter, flour, salt and pepper.
Method.—Wipe the fish carefully, place it in a baking-dish in which a little butter has been melted, and season with salt and pepper. Dredge it liberally with flour, bake it in a moderate oven for 30 minutes, basting frequently, and occasionally dredging with flour, then cover the entire surface with rashers of bacon or ham. Continue to cook slowly for ½ an hour longer, then serve on a hot dish with the liquor strained over, and the ham or bacon arranged neatly round the base.
Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 6d. to 1s. 6d. per lb. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable all the year.
509.—HALIBUT, BOILED. (Fr.—Halibute bouilli.)
Ingredients.—3 or 4 lb. of halibut, ½ a pint of anchovy, No. 288, or shrimp sauce, or No. 314, 1 lemon, parsley, salt.
Method.—Add salt to hot water in the proportion of 1 oz to 1 quart, put in the fish, bring slowly to boiling point, and simmer very gently from 25 to 30 minutes, or until the fish will part easily from the bone. Drain well, arrange on a hot serviette, garnished with slices of lemon and parsley, and serve the sauce separately.
Time.—To boil, from 25 to 30 minutes. Average Cost, 6d. to 1s. per lb. Sufficient for 8 or 9 persons. Seasonable at any time.
510.—HALIBUT, COQUILLES OR SCALLOPS OF. (Fr.—Coquilles de Haibute.)
Ingredients.—Cooked halibut, white sauce, No. 222, grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, browned breadcrumbs, butter.
Method.—Flavour the sauce to taste with Parmesan cheese. Divide the fish into large flakes, put these into buttered scallop shells, cover with sauce, and sprinkle thickly with browned breadcrumbs. To each add 1 or 2 small pieces of butter, cook from 15 to 20 minutes in a moderate oven, and serve.
Time.—To prepare and cook, from 30 to 40 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. for 6 coquilles. Allow 1 for each person. Seasonable at any time.
511.—HALIBUT, FRIED. (Fr.—Halibute frite.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of halibut, anchovy or shrimp sauce, No. 288 or 314, 1 egg, breadcrumbs, frying-fat, 1 tablespoonful of flour, ½ a teaspoonful of salt, ⅛ of a teaspoonful of pepper, parsley.
Method.—Divide the fish into small thin slices. Mix the flour, salt and pepper together, coat the pieces of fish lightly with the mixture, and afterwards brush them over with egg, and toss them in ​breadcrumbs. Fry them in a deep pan of fat until crisp and lightly browned, or, if more convenient, in a smaller amount of hot fat in a frying-pan. Serve garnished with crisply-fried parsley. Send the sauce to table in a tureen.
Time.—To fry, 6 or 7 minutes. Average Cost, 6d. to 1s. 6d. per lb. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable at any time.
512.—HALIBUT, GRILLED. (Fr.—Halibute grillé.)
Ingredients.—Halibut, oiled butter, salt and pepper.
Method.—Divide the fish into slices not more than ¾ of an inch in thickness, brush them over with oiled butter, and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Place the slices on a clean oiled gridiron, and cook over a clear fire for 10 or 12 minutes, turning them 2 or 3 times during the process. Serve with lemon, or any fish sauce that may be preferred.
Time.—From 10 to 12 minutes. Average Cost, 6d. to 1s. 2d. per lb. Allow 6 or 7 oz. per head. Seasonable at any time.
513.—HALIBUT PIE. (Fr.—Pâté de Halibute.)
Ingredients.—3 lb. of halibut, ⅓ of a pint of white sauce (see sauces), No. 222, or 223, 1 teaspoonful of anchovy-essence, puff-paste, or rough puff paste, salt and pepper.
Method.—Make the sauce as directed, and add the anchovy-essence. Wash and skin the fish, remove all the bones, and divide it into 2-inch square pieces. Place these in a piedish with a good sprinkling of salt and pepper, and a little white sauce between each layer. Cover with paste, bake in a fairly hot oven for about 1 hour, then serve hot.
Time.—To bake, about 1 hour. Average Cost, 6d. to 1s. 2d. per lb. Sufficient for 8 persons. Seasonable at any time.
514.—HALIBUT PIE. (Fr.—Pâté de Halibute.) (Another Method.)
Ingredients.—3 lb. of halibut, 2 ozs. of butter, ½ a pint of melted butter, No. 202, 1 teaspoonful of anchovy-essence, salt and pepper, rough puff-paste.
Method.—Remove all the skin and bone, and divide the fish into small thick slices. Place these in a piedish in layers, sprinkling each layer with salt and pepper, and intersperse small pieces of butter. Make the melted butter as directed, add the anchovy-essence, and season to taste. Pour the sauce over the fish, cover it with paste, and bake for about 1 hour in a moderately hot oven.
Time.—To bake, about 1 hour. Average Cost, 6d. to 1s. 2d. per lb. Sufficient for 6 to 8 persons. Seasonable all the year.
​515.—HALIBUT, STEWED.
Ingredients.—3 or 4 lb. of halibut, beer, 1 oz. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, 1 small onion stuck with 2 cloves, 1 bay-leaf, 1 teaspoonful of lemon-juice, salt and pepper.
Method.—This cooking process is particularly adapted for the head and shoulders. Wash and dry the fish thoroughly, put it into a stewpan, and barely cover it with beer. Add the onion, bay-leaf, and a little salt and pepper, and bring gently to boiling point. Knead the butter and flour smoothly together, add the mixture in small pieces to the contents of the stewpan when boiling, and simmer gently until the fish separates readily from the bone. Transfer the fish carefully to a hot dish, add the lemon-juice to the liquor, season to taste, strain and pour a little round the fish, and serve the rest separately.
Time.—To stew, about ½ an hour. Average Cost, 9d. to 1s. 2d. per lb. Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons. Seasonable all the year.
Note.—Halibut may also be cooked according to the numerous methods given for dressing cod.
516.—HERRINGS, BAKED, FRESH. (Fr.—Harengs Frais.)
Ingredients.—12 herrings, 2 bay-leaves, 12 allspice, 6 cloves, a good pinch of ground mace, salt and pepper, vinegar.
Method.—Wash the herrings in 3 or 4 waters, cut off the heads, and remove the gut. Place them in a pie-dish, heads and tails alternately, sprinkle each layer with salt and pepper, and and the flavouring ingredients. Cover the fish with vinegar, or, when vinegar is not much liked, with equal quantities of vinegar and water, and bake for 1½ hours in a very slow oven. Serve cold.
Time.—About 2 hours. Average Cost, 6d. to 1s. per dozen. Sufficient for 9 persons. Seasonable, May to November.
517.—HERRINGS, BAKED, FRESH.
Ingredients.—12 fresh herrings, salt and pepper, vinegar, 1 or 2 Spanish onions.
Method.—Wash the herrings in 3 or 4 waters, cut off the heads, split them open, and remove the gut and backbone. Season well with salt and pepper, and roll them up tightly, beginning with the neck of the fish. Pack the herrings closely in a pie-dish, cover them with thin slices of onion, half fill the dish with equal quantities of vinegar and water, and bake in a very slow oven for 2 hours. When done, remove the onion, but let the fish remain in the dish in which they were cooked until ready to serve.
​518.—HERRINGS, FRESH, STUFFED AND BAKED.
Ingredients.—6 herrings, 2 tablespoonfuls of breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoonful of finely-chopped suet, 1 teaspoonful of chopped parsley, ¼ of a teaspoonful of grated lemon-rind, salt and pepper, milk.
Method.—Wash and split the herrings and remove the backbone. Mix the above ingredients to make a forcemeat; season each herring with salt and pepper, spread on a thin layer of the forcemeat and roll up tightly, beginning with the neck. Pack closely in a greased pie-dish, cover with greased paper, and bake from 1 to 1¼ hours in a moderate oven. Serve hot.
Time.—1½ to 1¾ hours. Average Cost, 5d. to 6d. Sufficient for 5 persons. Seasonable, May to November.
The Herring (Fr. hareng) is widely distributed in the North Atlantic. During the greater part of the year this fish inhabits deep water, but in the summer and autumn it frequents in vast shoals the warmer waters of the coasts of Scotland and the eastern coasts of England for the purpose of spawning. The herring is one of the most prolific of fish, and notwithstanding the devastation caused to the shoals by the dog-fish, hake and gulls, and by the vast quantities of herring captured, the fecundity of this fish is such that no sensible decrease of its number is apparent. The herring fishery, especially that of the Scotch coasts and the eastern coasts of England, constitutes a most important industry. The flavour of the flesh of the herring varies in quality according to the different localities; those caught in the neighbourhood of Loch Fyne, on the west coast of Scotland, having the highest reputation for delicacy of flavour.
519.—HERRINGS, RED, OR YARMOUTH BLOATERS.
Method.—The best way to cook these is to make incisions in the skin across the fish, because they do not then require to be so long on the fire, and will be far better than when cut open. Place them on a buttered gridiron, broil over or before a clear fire for 5 minutes turning frequently. The hard roe makes a nice relish if pounded in a mortar, with a little anchovy, and spread on toast. If very dry, soak the bloaters in warm water 1 hour before dressing.
Time.—5 minutes. Average Cost, 1½d. each. Seasonable, May to November.
520.—HERRINGS, POTTED.
Ingredients.—1 dozen large herrings, 1 pint of white vinegar, pepper and salt, 2 bay-leaves, clarified butter.
Method.—Remove the heads and tails from the herrings, wash, clean, and dry them, and sprinkle them inside and out with salt and pepper. Put the herrings in an earthenware dish, lay the roes beside them, and cover them with good white vinegar. Bake for 2 hours in a moderate oven, then take out the bones, strain off the vinegar, pound the flesh in a mortar, rub through a fine sieve, press into small pots, and pour clarified butter on the top.
Time.—2 hours. Average Cost, 6d. to 9d. per dozen. Sufficient for 4 pots. Seasonable from May to November.
​521.—KEDGEREE.
Ingredients.—Any cold fish (dried haddock is generally preferred); to 1 lb. of fish allow ¼ of a lb. of rice, 2 hard-boiled eggs, 2 ozs. of butter, salt and pepper, cayenne.
Method.—Boil and dry the rice, divide the fish into small flakes, cut the whites of the eggs into slices, and rub the yolks through a wire sieve. Melt the butter in a stewpan, add to it the fish, rice, whites of eggs, salt, pepper and cayenne, and stir the ingredients over the fire until hot. Turn the mixture on to a hot dish, press it into a pyramidical form with a fork, decorate with the yolk of egg, and serve as hot as possible.
Time.—From 40 to 50 minutes. Average Cost, 10d. to 1s. 2d. Allow 1 lb. fish for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
522.—LAMPREY, BAKED. (Fr.—Lamproie au Four.)
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized lamprey, suet farce, No. 407, 1 egg, breadcrumbs, fat for basting, anchovy sauce or any other fish sauce preferred, 1 lemon.
Method.—Rub the fish well with salt, wash it in warm water, and remove the cartilage and strings which run down the back. Fill the body with the prepared farce, sew it up securely, and fasten round 2 or 3 thicknesses of buttered or greased paper. Cover the fish with hot water, boil gently for 20 minutes, then drain and dry well. Put it into a baking-dish, in which a little butter or fat has been previously melted, and baste well. Bake gently for about ½ an hour, basting frequently, then strip off the skin, brush the fish over with beaten egg, and coat it lightly with breadcrumbs. Bake the fish for about 20 minutes longer, or until nicely-browned, then serve it garnished with sliced lemon, and send the sauce to table in a tureen.
Time.—About 1¼ hours. Average Cost, uncertain. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable at any time.
The Lamprey (Fr. lamproie) is an eel-like, scaleless fish, with gills in the form of a series of pouches on the side of the neck. Its mouth is circular, resembling a sucker, lined with a number of horny processes or teeth; it has no pectoral or ventral fins, but a median dorsal fin is continued backward to form a tail-fin. By its sucker-like mouth the lamprey attaches itself to its prey, from which it sucks the blood, respiration being carried on by the gills at the side of its neck. The lamprey was esteemed by the Romans, and during the Middle Ages it was regarded as a delicacy. Henry I. of England is said to have died from the effects of too free an indulgence in his favourite dish.
523.—LAMPREY, STEWED. (Fr.—Ragoût de Lamproie.)
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized lamprey, ¾ of a pint of stock or water, 1 glass of port or sherry, 1 oz. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, 1 lemon sliced, 1 teaspoonful of lemon-juice, 2 small onions sliced, 2 or 3 mushrooms or 6 button mushrooms, 1 bay-leaf, salt and pepper.
​Method.—Wash thoroughly in salted warm water, remove the head, tail and fins, and cut the fish across into 2-inch lengths. Bring the stock or water to boiling point, put in the fish with the bay-leaf and necessary seasoning and simmer gently for ¾ hour. Meanwhile melt the butter in another stewpan, fry the onion slightly, then add the flour, and fry slowly until well-browned. When the fish has stewed 1 hour, pour the liquor from it over the prepared butter and flour, stir until boiling, then put in the mushrooms, wine and lemon-juice. Place the fish in the prepared sauce, simmer gently for ½ an hour longer, serve with the sauce strained over, and garnish with slices of lemon.
Time.—To stew, about 1½ hours. Average Cost, uncertain. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable at any time.
524.—LING, BAKED. (Fr.—Lingue Rôtie.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of ling, 3 ozs. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, ¾ of a pint of milk, salt and pepper, ground mace.
Method.—Wash and dry the fish and cut it into slices ¾ of an inch thick. Put these into a baking-dish, add 2 ozs. of butter, a good pinch of mace, a liberal seasoning of salt and pepper, cover with a dish or greased paper, and cook gently for 1 hour, basting occasionally. When the fish is rather more than half cooked, melt the remaining oz. of butter in a saucepan, add the flour, cook for 2 or 3 minutes, put in the milk, and stir until it boils. Pour the sauce over the fish and continue to cook until done.
Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 5d. to 8d. per lb. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable from September to April.
The Ling (Fr. lingue).—This fish is captured in vast quantities off the Orkney, Shetland and Western Islands. It is also found off Flamborough Head and near the Scilly Islands. It is of the same species as the hake, and, like that fish, is both cheap and nourishing. It is highly esteemed in Yorkshire; and no doubt ling of medium size, when freshly caught, compare favourably with all cheaper kinds of fish. Large ling are coarse; but they are usually salted, dried, and exported to the southern parts of Europe, where the live fish are not met with. In form the ling is not unlike the cod, but it is more slender, and grows to the length of 6 to 7 feet. When boiled it is insipid, but when fried or baked is both palatable and wholesome.
525.—LING, FRIED. (Fr.—Lingue Frite.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of ling, 1 egg, breadcrumbs, frying-fat, salt and pepper, flour.
Method.—Wash and dry the fish, and cut it into slices, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, dredge well with flour, brush over with egg and cover with breadcrumbs (when well coated with flour the fish browns nicely without the addition of egg and breadcrumbs). Fry in hot fat, drain well, and serve with a suitable fish sauce.
Time.—About 20 minutes. Average Cost, 5d. to 8d. per lb. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
​526.—LOBSTER IN ASPIC. (Fr.—Homard en Aspic.)
Ingredients.—1 large or 2 small lobsters, 1 pint of aspic jelly, 3 hard-boiled eggs, a large lettuce, a few tarragon leaves, capers, olives stoned, and truffles; oil and vinegar, pepper and salt, Mayonnaise sauce (see Sauces).
Method.—Put into a quart border mould enough melted aspic jelly to thinly cover it, and when it begins to set, arrange in it the flesh of the body and claws of the lobster (which should be cut into neat pieces) with a few tarragon leaves and capers, filling up the mould with the jelly. Well wash, dry, and shred the lettuce, and mix with it the remainder of the lobster, the oil and vinegar, with pepper and salt. When the mould is firmly set, turn it out and pile the salad in the centre, and around it as a border, masking it smoothly with a thick Mayonnaise sauce. Lastly, garnish the whole with the eggs cut up, the coral and the little claws of the lobster, the capers and truffles, etc.
Time.—About 2 hours. Average Cost, 3s. 6d., exclusive of sauce. Sufficient for 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
The Lobster (Fr. homard) is found on most of the rocky coasts of Great Britain, many European shores, and on the coasts of North America. It is especially partial to clear water, and inhabits the crevices of the rocks at the bottom of the shore. The lobster belongs to the order Decapoda, to the section Macroura, or "long tailed," and is one of the "stalk-eyed" crustaceans. The body of the lobster is composed of twenty segments or joints, of which six belong to the head, eight to the thorax or chest, and six to the abdomen. Its tail is composed of several flat shell-like plates which, when spread out in the form of a fan, is used as an organ for swimming. The first pair of ambulatory limbs form the characteristic powerful claws, the pincers of which are furnished with knobs, and the lower part is serrated. By means of the former it is enabled to hold firmly the stalks of sub-marine plants, and with the latter it minces its food with great dexterity. The lobster is very prolific, and when in spawn the female is said to be "in berry," the developing eggs being attached to the tail. Unlike the crab, the young lobster does not undergo any metamorphosis in passing from the egg to the adult state. Like others of its tribe, the lobster casts its shell each year. It is usually caught by pots specially constructed, made of osiers, shaped somewhat like a wire mouse-trap, and baited with garbage. When the lobster enters the trap it cannot get out again. The traps are fastened to a cord and sunk in the sea, the place being marked by a buoy. In colour the lobster is of a deep bluish-black, mottled with markings of a lighter hue; on being boiled it changes to its familiar scarlet colour. Large quantities of lobsters are caught on the coasts of North America, and are exported in large quantities to this country. By the Fishery Act of 1877, no lobsters under 8 inches in length may be captured, and by some local bye-laws of the Sea Fisheries' Committee a close season is fixed.
527.—LOBSTER, BAKED. (Fr.—Homard au Gratin.)
Ingredients.—1 lobster, 1½ ozs. of butter, 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls of white sauce, 1 egg, the juice of ½ a lemon, 1 dessertspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ½ a teaspoonful of finely-chopped shallots, brown breadcrumbs, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Method.—Cut the lobster in two lengthwise, remove the meat from the shells, and mince it coarsely. Melt the butter in a stewpan, fry the shallots for 2 or 3 minutes without browning, then add the lobster, white sauce, parsley, lemon-juice, a pinch of nutmeg, as well as salt and pepper to taste; then stir over the fire until thoroughly hot. Beat the egg slightly, add it to the mixture, and cook until it begins to bind. Have ready the two halves of the large shell, put in the mixture, cover lightly with brown breadcrumbs, put 3 or 4 very small ​pieces of butter on the top, and bake for 10 or 15 minutes in a moderate oven. Garnish with fried parsley.
Time.—½ an hour. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable at any time.
528.—LOBSTERS, TO BOIL. (Fr.—Homards.)
Ingredients.—¼ of a lb. of salt to each gallon of water.
Method.—Buy the lobsters alive, and choose those that are heavy and full of motion, which is an indication of their freshness. When the shell is encrusted, it is a sign they are old: medium-sized lobsters are the best. Have ready a stewpan of boiling water, salted in the proportion mentioned above, put in the lobsters and keep them boiling quickly from 20 to 45 minutes, according to their size, and do not forget to skim well. If boiled too long, the meat becomes thready, and if not done enough, the spawn is not red. Rub the shells over with a little butter or sweet oil, which must be wiped off again.
Time.—Small lobster, 20 minutes to ½ an hour; large ditto, ½ to ¾ of an hour. Average Cost, medium size, 1s. to 3s. 6d. Seasonable all the year, but best from June to September.
To Choose Lobsters.—This shell-fish, if it has been cooked alive, as it ought to have been, will have a stiffness in the tail, which, if gently raised will return with a spring. Care, however, must be taken in thus proving it, for if the tail is pulled straight out, it will not return. In order to be good, lobsters should be weigthy for their bulk: if light, they will be watery; those of the medium size are always the best. They should be broad across the tail. The coral is red. The spawn is sometimes sold uncooked at 3d. per ounce, and is then dark green, but it becomes red on cooking. It should be rubbed through a sieve with a little butter. It is used to colour sauces for cutlets, etc. Small-sized lobsters are cheapest, and answer very well for sauces.
529.—LOBSTER, COQUILLES OF. (Fr.—Coquilles de Homard.)
Ingredients.—1 lobster, mushrooms, butter, white sauce (No. 222), salt, pepper, nutmeg, short crust paste, parsley.
Method.—Line some small shell-shaped moulds with light paste crust. After pricking the paste with a fork fill the lined moulds with uncooked rice or dried peas, and bake them in a moderate oven a golden-brown. When done, take out the rice or peas, and place the pastry shells on a sieve. Cut the meat of the lobster (preserved lobster of a reliable brand will do) into small dice, put it in a stewpan with some chopped mushrooms and butter, allowing 8 mushrooms and ½ an oz. of butter to every ½ lb. of lobster. Stir over the fire until thoroughly hot, then moisten with white sauce. Season with pepper, salt, a little grated nutmeg, and a pinch of cayenne. Keep the mixture hot in a bain-marie so that it is ready for use when required. Warm the baked shells in the oven, fill them with the mixture, strew over a little panurette (a preparation of grated rusks, used instead of lobster coral for decoration), or some fried breadcrumbs; the former, however, makes the shells more effective. Dish up on small plates, and garnish with a sprig or two of parsley. A little anchovy-essence added to the mixture will improve the flavour considerably.
​Time.—About 30 minutes. Average Cost, 2s. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 8 persons. Seasonable from April to October.
530.—LOBSTER CREAM (Hot). (Fr.—Crême de Homard, Chaude.)
Ingredients.—1 lobster, 1 oz. of butter, 2 ozs. of flour, ¼ of a pint of milk, ¼ of a pint of cream, the yolks of 2 eggs, salt and pepper, cayenne.
Method.—Melt the butter in a small stewpan, add the flour, pour in the milk, and stir over the fire until the panada (or culinary paste) leaves the sides of the stewpan clear, and forms a compact mass round the bowl of the spoon, then put aside to cool. Cut one claw of the lobster into small dice, and set aside until wanted; pound the rest of the lobster in a mortar with the panada, yolks of eggs, and seasoning. Rub the mixture through a wire sieve into a basin, add the dice of lobster, and the cream (stiffly-whipped), and mix all well, but lightly, together. Turn into a well-buttered mould, cover with a buttered paper, and steam very gently for 1 hour. The saucepan must have a close-fitting lid to keep in the steam. The water should reach about half-way up the mould. Serve with a suitable sauce.
Time.—About 1¾ hours, altogether. Average Cost, 2s. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
531.—LOBSTER CREAM (Cold). (Fr.— Mousse de Homard, à la Suprême.)
Ingredients.—1 small lobster, 2 whitings, 1 gill of cream, 2 ozs. of butter, 2 ozs. of flour, 1 gill of fish stock made from bones of the whitings, 4 eggs, salt, paprika pepper, cayenne.
Method.—Skin the whitings, remove the bones, and use the latter for the fish stock required. Split the lobster, take the meat from the shell, cut it into small pieces, pound it with the whitings together in a mortar, then pass through a wire sieve. Make a panada with 1 oz. of butter, 2 ozs. of flour, and the gill of fish stock, and work it thoroughly. Return the whiting purée to the mortar with the panada, mix well, and work in the yolks of 4 and the whites of 2 eggs. When well pounded pass all through a hair sieve, season with salt, paprika pepper, and a little cayenne. Whisk the 2 whites of eggs to a stiff froth, also whip the cream, and add to the mixture. Have ready a plain charlotte or soufflé mould, well buttered, three parts fill it with the above preparation, cover with buttered paper, place it in a stewpan containing some boiling water, and steam very gently for about ¾ of an hour. Serve very hot with Suprême sauce poured over the cream. A little more cream may be added to the mixture than the above given quantity if a richer dish is desired.
Time.—To steam about ¾ hour. Average Cost, 3s. to 3s. 6d. Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons. Seasonable at any time.
FISH.
1. Red Mullet. 2. Lobster Salad. 3. Salmon.
FISH.
1. Soused Mackerel. 2. Souchet of Flounders. 3. Scalloped Cod's Roe.
​532.—LOBSTER CURRY. (Fr.—Homard au Kari.)
Ingredients.—1 lobster (or tinned lobster of a reliable brand), ¾ of a pint of fish stock and milk mixed, or all milk may be used, 1 tablespoonful of grated cocoanut, 1 dessertspoonful of curry-powder, 1 teaspoonful of flour, 1 teaspoonful of curry-paste, 2 ozs. of butter, 1 large onion, 1 apple (green gooseberries or rhubarb may be substituted), salt, lemon-juice.
Method.—Melt the butter in a stewpan, put in the onion (coarsely chopped), the flour and curry-powder, and fry these gently for 10 minutes. Add the stock, milk, curry-paste, cocoanut, sliced apple, and salt, stir the mixture until it boils, then cover closely, and simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove the flesh from the lobster, and cut it into inch-square pieces. When the sauce is ready, rub it through a fine sieve or strainer, return it to the saucepan, add seasoning to taste, and re-heat. Just before it reaches boiling point, put in the pieces of lobster, cover closely, and draw the stewpan to the side of the stove for 15 to 20 minutes, to allow the lobster to become hot and impregnated with the flavour of the sauce, add lemon-juice to taste and serve with boiled rice.
Time.—About 2 hours. Average Cost, 2s. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable from April to October.
Note.—Crayfish, prawns and other fish may be curried according to the directions given above; in all cases the fish must be cooked before being added to the sauce.
533.—LOBSTER CUTLETS. (Fr.—Côtelettes de Homard.)
Ingredients.—1 hen lobster, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, ¼ of a pint of milk or water, 1 tablespoonful of cream, 1 egg, breadcrumbs, salt, cayenne, parsley, frying fat.
Method.—Remove the flesh from the lobster, and chop it into small pieces. Pound the spawn (if any) with ½ an oz. of butter, and pass it through a hair sieve. Melt 1 oz of butter in a small stewpan, stir in the flour, add the milk, and boil well. Then add to it the lobster, cream, spawn, cayenne and salt, mix well together, and turn onto a plate to cool. When the mixture is firm enough to mould, make it up into cutlets, cover them with egg and breadcrumb, and fry until nicely browned in hot fat. Dish in a circle, putting a piece of lobster feeler in each cutlet to represent a bone, and garnish with fried parsely.
Time.—About 2 or 2½ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 9d. 2s. 3d. Sufficient for 9 or 10 small cutlets. Seasonable from April to October.
​534.—LOBSTER CROQUETTES. (Fr.—Croquettes de Homard.)
For formula see Chicken Croquettes, or use recipe given in tinned food section.
535.—LOBSTER DEVILLED. (Fr.—Homard à la Diable.)
Ingredients.—1 good lobster, 3 tablespoonfuls of white breadcrumbs, a few browned breadcrumbs, 1½ ozs. of butter, 2 tablespoonfuls of white sauce or cream, cayenne.
Method.—Cut the lobster in two lengthwise, remove the meat carefully, as the large shell must be kept whole, and chop the meat finely. Melt the butter, pour it on to the lobster, add the breadcrumbs, and white sauce, season rather highly with cayenne, and mix well. Press the mixture lightly into the lobster shell, cover with browned breadcrumbs, put 3 or 4 pieces of butter on the top, and bake for about 20 minutes in a moderate oven. Serve hot or cold.
Time.—From 35 to 45 minutes. Average Cost, 2s. to 3s. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable at any time.
536.—LOBSTERS, TO DRESS.
Wash the lobster well before boiling, tie the claws securely, and throw the lobster, head first, into a saucepan of salted boiling water: this method instantly destroys life. Then boil the lobster gently from 20 to 40 minutes, according to its size, but avoid overcooking, which causes the flesh to become hard. When cool enough to handle, rub over with a little salad-oil to brighten the colour. When quite cold, break off the claws and tail, and divide the latter lengthwise by the line running from head to tail. Place the body upright in the centre of a dish, with one-half of the tail on either side, and at the ends arrange the claws, which should previously be cracked with a hammer without injuring the flesh. The dish should be garnished tastefully with parsley.
Time.—From 20 to 40 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. to 3s. 6d. each, according to size.
537.—LOBSTER, BAKED, FRENCH STYLE. (Fr.—Homard au Gratin.)
Ingredients.—1 lobster, 4 tablespoonfuls of white stock, 2 tablespoonfuls of cream, pounded mace and cayenne to taste, bread-crumbs, puff paste.
Method.—Pick the meat from the shell, and cut it up into small square pieces, put the stock, cream and seasoning into a stewpan, add the lobster, and let it simmer gently for 6 minutes. Serve it in ​the shell, which must be nicely cleaned, and have a border of puff-paste. Cover it with breadcrumbs, place small pieces of butter over, and brown before the fire, or with a salamander. If tinned lobster is used, a shallow pie-dish replaces the shell.
Time.—¼ of an hour. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.
538.—LOBSTER MAYONNAISE. (Fr.—Mayonnaise de Homard.)
Ingredients.—1 large lobster, 4 filleted Gorgona anchovies, 1 hard-boiled egg, 6 stoned olives, 4 gherkins, a few slices of pickled beetroot, a tablespoonful of capers, 1 large or 2 small lettuces, Mayonnaise sauce.
Method.—Cut the lobster in two lengthwise, break the claws carefully, remove the meat intact, if possible, and cut the remainder of the lobster into small pieces. Wash and dry the lettuce, tear it into small pieces, put it into a bowl with the small pieces of lobster, and add gradually sufficient Mayonnaise to moisten the whole. Arrange this in the centre of a round dish in the form of a dome, mask it with very stiff Mayonnaise sauce, and surround it with pieces of hard-boiled egg. Garnish tastefully with strips of anchovy, strips or slices of gherkin, fancifully-cut pieces of beetroot, olives, and capers. Keep until required, and serve as cool as possible.
Time.—Half an hour. Average Cost, 3s. 6d. to 4s. Sufficient for 6 to 8 persons. Seasonable from April to October.
539.—LOBSTER PATTIES. (Fr.—Petits Pâtés de Homard.)}
Ingredients.—1 lb. of puff-paste, 1 small lobster, 1½ ozs. of butter, ½ of an oz. of flour, the yolks of 3 eggs, ¼ of a pint of fish stock or milk (about), ½ a gill of cream, ½ a teaspoonful of lemon-juice, a few drops of anchovy-essence, cayenne, salt, parsley.
Method.—When giving the paste its last turn, roll it out to a thickness of ½ an inch, and with a hot wet cutter of 2½ inches diameter stamp out 8 or 9 rounds of paste. Brush them over with a beaten egg, then make an inner ring to about ½ the depth of the paste with a 1-inch diameter cutter, previously dipped in hot water. Bake them in a hot oven from 20 to 25 minutes, then remove and take care of the tops, scoop out the soft inside, and keep the patty-cases warm. Melt the butter in a stewpan, add the flour, and cook a few minutes, then pour in the fish stock or milk, and stir until the sauce boils. Simmer for 10 minutes, add the cream, yolks of eggs, lemon-juice, anchovy-essence, and seasoning to taste, simmer gently until the yolks of the eggs thicken, then pass through a cloth or fine sieve. Return to the stewpan, put in the lobster (cut into dice); when thoroughly hot put into the cases, put on the covers, garnish with parsley, and serve.
​Time.—½ hour after the paste is made. Average Cost, 1s. 8d., exclusive of the paste. Sufficient for 8 or 9 patties. Seasonable from April to October.
540.—LOBSTER, POTTED. (Fr.—Terrine de Homard.)
Ingredients.—2 lobsters, 6 ozs. of butter, ground mace, grated nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Method.—Remove the meat carefully from the shell, keeping the pieces as large as possible. Put them into a baking-dish with ½ of the butter, add a sprinkling of mace and nutmeg, season well with salt and pepper, cover with a dish or 2 or 3 folds of well-greased paper, and bake in a gentle oven for about 1 hour. Lift the pieces of lobster carefully into small pots, and pack them as close together as possible, otherwise a large amount of butter will be required. Strain the butter over them, and when cold cover with clarified butter.
Time.—1¼ to 1½ hours. Average Cost, for this quantity, 3s. 6d. to 4s. 6d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 small pots.
541.—LOBSTER, RAGOÛT OF. (Fr.—Ragoût de Homard.)
Ingredients.—1 large lobster, 1 gill of white sauce, No. 222, ½ a gill of fish stock or water, 2 yolks of eggs, 1 oz. of butter, mace, pepper and salt.
Method.—Remove the flesh from the shell, keeping it as whole as possible, and divide into pieces 1 inch square. Pound the spawn in a mortar with the butter, add a pinch of mace and salt and pepper to taste, and pass the mixture through a fine sieve. Put the sauce and stock into a stewpan, boil up, season to taste, and add the yolks of eggs, spawn, butter and lobster. Cook gently for a few minutes to remove the raw taste of the eggs, then serve.
Time.—About ½ an hour. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. to 3s. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable, from April to October.
542.—LOBSTER RISSOLES. (Fr.—Rissoles de Homard.)
Ingredients.—1 small lobster, puff-paste trimmings, 1 yolk of egg 1 or 2 tablespoonfuls of white sauce or fish sauce, ½ a teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, cayenne, egg and breadcrumbs, frying-fat.
Method.—Remove the flesh of the lobster from the shell, and chop it finely. Put it into a saucepan with the yolk of egg, white sauce, parsley, and a pinch of cayenne, and stir over the fire until thoroughly hot. Season to taste, turn it on to a plate, and put aside until cold. Roll the paste out as thinly as possible, stamp out into rounds about 2 inches in diameter, and place a little of the lobster preparation in the ​centre of each. Moisten the edge of the paste with cold water, fold over in a half-moon shape, and coat carefully with egg and breadcrumbs, or, if preferred, egg and crushed vermicelli. Have ready a deep pan of hot fat, fry the rissoles to a golden-brown colour, then drain well, dish up and serve.
Time.—About 2 hours. 'Average Cost, 1s. 3d to 1s. 10d. Sufficient for about 10 rissoles. Seasonable at any time.
543.—LOBSTER SALAD. (Fr.—Salade de Homard.)
Ingredients.—1 hen lobster, lettuces, endive, small salad (whatever is in season), a little chopped beetroot, 2 hard-boiled eggs, a few slices of cucumber. For dressing: 4 tablespoonfuls of oil, 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, 1 teaspoonful of made mustard, the yolks of 2 eggs, cayenne and salt to taste, ¼ of a teaspoonful of anchovy sauce. These ingredients should be mixed perfectly smooth, and form a creamy sauce.
Method.—Wash the salad, and thoroughly dry it by shaking it in a cloth. Cut up the lettuces and endive, pour the dressing on them, and lightly mix in the small salad. Blend all well together with the meat of the lobster. Pick the meat from the claws, cut it up into nice square pieces, put half in the salad, and reserve the other half for garnishing. Seperate the yolks from the whites of 2 hard-boiled eggs, chop the whites finely, and rub the yolks through a sieve. Arrange the salad lightly on a glass dish, and garnish, first with cucumber, then with the pieces of lobster, the yolks and whites of the eggs, coral and beetroot placed alternately, and arrange in small separate groups, so that the colours contrast nicely. Tinned lobsters may be used.
Time.—About 20 minutes. Average Cost, 3s. 6d. Sufficient for 6 persons. Seasonable from April to October.
Note.—A few crayfish make an effective garnish to lobster salad.
544.—MACKEREL, BAKED. (Fr.—Maquereau Farci à la Maître d'Hôtel.)
Ingredients.—2 mackerel of medium size, veal forcemeat (see Forcemeats), 1 oz. of butter or sweet dripping, pepper and salt, flour.
Method.—Clean the fish, take out the roes, put in the forcemeat, and sew up the opening. Put them with the roes into a baking-dish, add the butter or dripping, dredge with flour, sprinkle well with salt and pepper, and bake from 30 to 40 minutes, basting occasionally. Serve with parsley sauce, or melted butter sharpened by the addition of lemon-juice, and finely chopped parsley.
Time.—About 1 hour altogether. Average Cost, 6d. to 9d. each. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable from April to July.
​545.—MACKEREL, BOILED, WITH PARSLEY SAUCE. (Fr.—Maquereau Bouilli.)
Ingredients.—2 mackerel, water, salt, parsley sauce (No. 311).
Method.—Remove the roes, wash the fish, put them into the fish-kettle, with just sufficient hot water to cover them, and add salt to taste. Bring the water gently to near boiling point, then draw the kettle aside, and cook very gently for about 10 minutes. If cooked too quickly, or too long, the skin is liable to crack, and spoil the appearance of the fish. It is a sure indication that the fish is sufficiently cooked when the skin becomes loose from the flesh. Drain well, place the mackerel on a hot dish, pour over them a little parsley sauce, and serve the remainder separately in a tureen. Fennel and anchovy sauces may also be served with boiled mackerel.
Time.—From 10 to 15 minutes. Average Cost, 6d. to 9d. each. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable from April to July.
The Mackerel (Fr. maquereau) is not only one of the most elegantly shaped, but one of the most beautifully coloured of the fish that frequent our coasts. The characteristic metallic lustre of its body is familiar to all. The mackerel is a migratory fish, and visits in enormous shoals the coasts of England in May and June, and those of Scotland in July and August. It is captured by means of drift-nets, in which it is caught by entangling its head in the meshes. The mackerel spawns in May and June. The Romans were acquainted with this fish, and made from its fat the celebrated "sarum," or "relish." The mackerel rarely exceeds the weight of 2 lb.; its ordinary length is between 14 and 20 inches. When taken out of the water it dies immediately, and for a short time emits a phosphorescent light.
546.—MACKEREL, BROILED. (Fr.—Maquereau Grillé.)
Ingredients.—1 large mackerel, a little salad-oil, or butter, salt and pepper.
Method.—Do not wash the fish, but wipe it clean and dry. Split it down the back, sprinkle it well with seasoning, and brush lightly over with salad-oil or warm butter. The fish has a more delicate flavour if wrapped in a well-buttered paper, but it may be broiled without it. The fire must be clear, and the fish should be turned frequently. Allow 15 to 20 minutes for a mackerel of medium-size, and a few minutes longer when broiled in paper. Serve with Maître-d'Hôtel butter or Maître d'Hôtel sauce (No. 200).
Time.—15 to 25 minutes. Average Cost, from 6d. to 10d. Sufficient for 2 or 3 persons. Seasonable from April to July.
547.—MACKEREL, FILLETS OF. (Fr.—Filets de Maquereau à la Béchamel.)
Ingredients.—2 medium-sized mackerel, ¾ of a pint of Béchamel sauce, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1 teaspoonful of lemon-juice, salt and pepper.
Method.—Wash, dry, and fillet the fish. Melt the butter in a sauté-pan, and fry the fillets without browning them. Remove the fish and keep it hot, put in the Béchamel sauce, and bring nearly to boiling point; then return the fish to the stewpan, cover closely, and simmer ​gently for 10 minutes. Remove the fish carefully to a hot dish, add the lemon-juice to the sauce, season if necessary, and strain over the fish.
Time.—About ½ an hour. Average Cost, 6d. to 1s. Sufficient for 4 persons. Seasonable from April to July.
548.—MACKEREL, PICKLED. (Fr.—Maquereau Mariné.)
Ingredients.—2 or 3 mackerel, ½ a pint of vinegar, water, 12 peppercorns, 2 bay-leaves, allspice, salt and pepper.
Method.—Clean and wash the fish and take out the roes. Place the mackerel in an earthenware baking-dish with the roes (mackerel are best in that part of the season when the roes are not full grown), sprinkle them well with salt and pepper, add the bay-leaves, allspice, peppercorns, vinegar, and about ¼ of a pint of water, cover with a greased paper, and bake in a cool oven for nearly 1 hour. Let them remain in the liquor until required.
Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 6d. to 1s. each. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable from April to July.
549.—MACKEREL, SMOKED. (Fr.—Maquereau fumé.)
Ingredients.—Mackerel, common salt, to each 8 ozs. of which add 1 oz. of saltpetre.
Method.—Clean and open the fish, empty the inside and dry thoroughly. Cover thickly with salt and saltpetre, let them remain 24 to 36 hours, according to size, then drain well. Hang the mackerel in a row by means of a stick pushed through the sockets of the eye, and dry them in the sun or expose them to the heat of the fire for a day or two. If the ordinary means of smoking in the chimney are available they should be employed; if not, half fill an old cask, open at both ends, with sawdust, put a red-hot iron in the middle of it, and suspend the fish across the cask, which must be covered to keep in the smoke. In about 30 hours the fish will be ready.
550.—MULLET, GREY. (Fr.—Surmulet.)
Ingredients.—4 grey mullet.
Method.—Clean the fish, and, if very large, place them in warm salted water; if small, they may be put into hot water, and cooked gently for 15 or 20 minutes. Serve with anchovy or melted butter sauce.
Time.—From 15 to 20 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 9d. to 2s. Allow 1 small mullet to each person. Seasonable all the year, but best from July to October.
The Grey Mullet (Fr. surmulet) is quit a different fish from the red mullet, which belongs to the family of Mullidae. The grey, or true mullet, of the family Mugilidae, is found round the English coasts, and attains to the length of 18 to 20 inches.
​551.—MULLET RED, GRILLED, MAÎTRE D'HÔTEL STYLE. (Fr—Rougets grillés à la Maître d'Hôtel.)
Ingredients.—3 or 4 fish, salad-oil, maître d'hôtel or parsley butter, salt and pepper.
Method.—Procure 3 or 4 fresh red mullet, wipe them with a damp cloth, and make 3 or 4 incisions across each fish with a sharp knife. Put the fish on a dish, pour over them 3 or 4 tablespoonfuls of salad-oil, season with salt and pepper, and let them stand thus for about 1 hour. Meanwhile, prepare some Maître d'Hôtel butter, made with 1 oz. of butter, chopped parsley, and lemon juice. See that the gridiron is perfectly clean, and the fire suitable for grilling. Grease the gridiron, place the red mullet on it, and cook them slowly over, or in front of, a bright fire, turning frequently. When done put some Maître d'Hôtel butter on a dish, place the red mullets upon this, spread a little more Maître d'Hôtel butter on top of each fish, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve hot.
Time.—To grill, from 10 to 12 minutes. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. to 3s. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons. Seasonable at any time, but best in the in summer.
552.—MULLET RED, GRILLED. (Fr.—Rougets Grillés.)
Ingredients.—3 moderate-sized fish, 2 ozs. of butter, 1 dessertspoonful finely-chopped parsley, pepper and salt, the juice of a lemon.
Method.—After cleaning the fish, replace the livers with some finely-chopped parsley and seasoning, mixed with butter. Wrap each fish in an oiled paper, sprinkling over them some of the seasoning, and grill them over a red fire, holding a salamander above so as to avoid turning them. When done, squeeze the juice of the lemon over them, and serve.
Time.—To grill, from 10 to 12 minutes. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable at any time, but most plentiful in summer.
553.—MULLET RED, IN CASES. (Fr.—Rougets en Papillottes.)
Ingredients.—4 small red mullet, ½ an oz. of butter, ½ an oz. of flour, ½ a teaspoonful of anchovy sauce, a glass of sherry, salt, cayenne, oiled paper.
FISH.
1.—Scallops au Gratin. 2.—Red Mullet. 3.—Turbot. 4.—Cod Steak. 5.—Fried Sole. 6.—Mayonnaise of Salmon. 7.—Salmon au Naturel. 8.—Brown Trout. 9.—Smelts.
​season to taste, and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve the fish without the paper, and the sauce in a sauce boat.
Time.—About 35 minutes, altogether. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. to 3s. Sufficient for 4 persons. Seasonable at any time, but more plentiful in summer.
554.—MULLET, RED, WITH TARTAR SAUCE. (Fr.—Rougets Sauce Tartare.)
Method.—Prepare and cook the fish as in the preceeding recipe, but without the paper cases, or grill them, and serve with Tartar sauce (see Sauces, No. 213).
555.—MUSSELS. (Fr.—Moules.)
Ingredients.—1 quart of mussels, 1 oz. of butter, ½ an oz. of flour, the yolks of 2 eggs, 1 tablespoonful of vinegar, 1 teaspoonful of chopped parsley, salt and pepper.
Method.—Brush the shells thoroughly, and wash the mussels in several waters. Put them into an iron saucepan without water (or into a steamer). Sprinkle with a little salt, spread a clean wet cloth over them, cover and let them cook in the steam until the shells open a little. Take them out of the shells, and strain the liquor into a basin. Carefully remove the little weed which is found under the black tongue. Melt the butter, add the flour, and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, then pour in the mussel liquor, and stir until it boils. Cool slightly, then add the yolks of the eggs, vinegar and parsley, season to taste, and stir by the side of the fire until the eggs thicken. Put in the mussels to re-heat, and serve in the sauce.
Time.—About ½ an hour. Average Cost, 8d. to 10d. Sufficient for 2 or 3 persons. Seasonable all the year, but best in winter.
556.—OYSTERS DEVILLED. (Fr.—Huîtres à la Diable.)
Ingredients.—1 dozen oysters, 1 oz. of butter, cayenne, salt, lemon, brown bread, butter.
Method.—Open the oysters carefully so as to preserve as much of the liquor as possible, and leave them in their shells. Sprinkle them lightly with salt, and more liberally with cayenne, and to each one add a small piece of butter. Place the oysters on a gridiron over a clear slow fire until thoroughly heated, then serve with sliced lemon and thin brown bread and butter.
Time.—4 minutes, to cook. Average Cost, 2s. per dozen. Seasonable from September to April.
557.—OYSTERS, FRICASSEED. (Fr.—Fricassée aux Huitres.)
Ingredients.—18 large oysters, 2½ ozs. of butter, ¾ of an oz. of flour, ​1 gill of white stock, ¼ of a gill of cream, the yolks of 3 eggs, 1 teaspoonful of lemon-juice, salt, nutmeg, white pepper, 10 small heart-shaped slices of fried bread.
Method.—Open the oysters, preserve the liquor, remove the beards, put the oysters in a stewpan with 1 oz. of butter and a little oyster liquor. Season with a pinch of salt, a grating of nutmeg, and a pinch of pepper. Stir over the fire for 2 minutes and strain. Melt the remaining 1½ ozs. of the butter in a stewpan, stir in the flour, cook slightly without browning and dilute with the liquor from the oysters, the remainder of the oyster liquor, and the stock. Stir until it boils, simmer for about 10 minutes, then add the cream, the yolks of the eggs, and the lemon-juice, and stir the mixture over the fire a few seconds longer to bind the yolks. Pass the sauce through a fine strainer or tammy-cloth, put it in a saucepan with the oysters, heat thoroughly, but on no account allow it to boil. Serve on a hot dish, garnished with croûtes of fried bread and a few sprigs of parsley.
Time.—About 15 minutes. Average Cost, 3s. 6d. Sufficient for 6 persons. Seasonable from September to April.
558.—OYSTERS, FRIED. (Fr.—Huîtres frites.)
Ingredients.—1 dozen oysters, fritter batter, ½ a teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ¼ of a saltspoonful of grated lemon rind, frying-fat.
Method.—Blanch the oysters in their own liquor, strain just before boiling point is reached, drain and dry them well. Make the batter as directed, and add the parsley and lemon-rind. Dip each oyster separately in the batter, fry in hot fat until crisp and lightly browned, then drain well and serve.
Time.—To fry, about 4 minutes. Average Cost, 2s. per dozen. Seasonable from September to April.
559.—OYSTER FRITTERS. (Fr.—Beignets aux Huîtres.) (Another Method.)
Ingredients.—12 large oysters, 3 ozs. of flour, ¼ of a pint of tepid water, 1 tablespoonful of salad-oil or oiled butter, the whites of 2 eggs, salt, frying-fat.
Method.—Make a batter by stirring the water and salad-oil, gradually into the flour; when perfectly smooth add the salt, and lastly the stiffly whipped whites of eggs. Beard the oysters, dip them in the batter, and fry them in hot fat until they acquire a golden-brown colour.
Time.—½ an hour. Average Cost, 1s. 9d. to 2s. 3d. Sufficient for 6 persons. Seasonable from September to April.
The Oyster (Fr. huître).—This delicious mollusc is the type of the family Otsraeidae, the members of which are characterized by their inequivalve shells, i.e., one half or valve being larger than the other. The valves are connected with a bundle of strong nerves in the body of the oyster, and by their means the bivalve is able to hold its shells tightly together. The oyster is most prolific, its fertilized ​eggs are known as spat, and enormous quantities of ova are produced from May to September. The spat on becoming free consists of a tiny body enclosed within a minute shell, and is furnished with filaments by which it first swims freely about, and then fixes itself to some substance. The oyster, which possesses a complete digestive system, consisting of a mouth, stomach, intestine and liver, obtains its food from the minute organisms or particles of matter which flow into its mouth by the currents of water which pass through its gills. From the time of the Romans, who highly appreciated the oysters of Britain, this shell-fish has been a favourite delicacy, not only for its rich flavour, which depends upon its feeding ground, but also for the nutritive qualities it possess, making it especially useful for invalids. Oysters attain their full growth in about three years, and in their attached state from "oyster-beds"; the most celebrated of those in England are the Whitstable and Colchester beds. Oysters are largely cultivated in France, Denmark, Portugal, and America, and large quantities are imported into Great Britain from the Continent and the United States. Owing to over-dredging, the oyster-beds of England and France have become seriously impaired. Special laws relating to the capture and preservation of oysters are in force, and the oyster fishery is under the control of Fishery Boards, subject to the Board of Trade. The close time for deep-sea oysters is from June 15 to August 4, and for other kinds from May 14 to August 4.
560.—OYSTER FRITTERS. (Fr.—Beignets aux Huîtres.) (Another Method.)
Ingredients.—12 oysters, 12 small thin slices of bacon, ½ a lemon parsley, frying-fat, frying-batter.
Method.—Sprinkle the oysters with lemon-juice, and roll each one in a slice of bacon just large enough to enclose it. Make the batter as directed, No. 559, put in the prepared oysters one or two at a time, take them out on the point of a skewer, drain slightly, and at once drop them into hot fat. Fry a pale golden-brown colour, drain well, and serve garnished with crisply-fried parsley.
Time.—To fry, about 4 minutes. Average Cost, 2s. per dozen.
561.—OYSTERS, TO KEEP.
Place them in a tub or other suitable vessel, cover with salt and water, let the oysters remain undisturbed for 12 hours, then drain off the water. Allow them to stand another 12 hours without water, then repeat the process until required for use.
562.—OYSTERS, MARGUERITE STYLE. (Fr.—Huîtres à la Marguerite.)
Ingredients.—1 dozen large oysters, ½ a stick of celery (white part only), 1½ ozs. of butter, 1 glass of sherry, 1 teaspoonful of cornflour, 24 large picked shrimps, a little stock, lemon-juice, seasoning, and chopped parsley.
Method.—Beard the oysters, cut them in halves, and blanch them in their own liquor, which should be preserved. Wash and trim the celery, using only the white portions, chop it up rather finely, and drain well on a cloth. Melt 1 oz. of butter in the chafing-dish or small stew-pan, add the celery, and fry for about 10 minutes. Then add the wine, the oysters, and their liquor, and season with salt and pepper. Mix the cornflour with a little cold stock, and incorporate this with the oysters, etc. Stir until it boils, adding a little more stock to moisten. Flavour with a few drops of lemon-juice, and add the shrimps. Put in the remainder of the butter, and cook very gently for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve from the chafing-dish.
​Time.—20 minutes. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. to 3s. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable from September to April.
563.—OYSTERS, MARINER'S FASHION. (Fr.—Papillons d'Huîtres, à lá Marinière.)
Ingredients.—18 sauce oysters, ½ glass Chablis, 1 tablespoonful of chopped parsley, 1 tablespoonful of chopped shallots, 1 oz. of fresh breadcrumbs, 1 oz. of butter, ½ a lemon, salt and pepper.
Method.—Beard the oysters, and put them with their liquor in a pie-dish; pour the white wine over them, and let it stand for about an hour. Mix the parsley, chopped shallots, and breadcrumbs, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Range the oysters in a buttered fireproof baking-dish, pour over a little of the liquor and wine, and cover with the mixture of breadcrumbs, etc. Divide the remainder of the butter into small pieces, and place them on top. Bake in a fairly hot oven for about 15 minutes. Squeeze a little lemon-juice on top, and send to table in the baking-dish.
Time.—To bake, about 15 minutes. Average Cost, 2s. 9d. to 3s. 6d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable from September to April.
564.—OYSTER OMELET. (Fr.—Omelette aux Huîtres.)
Ingredients.—6 eggs, 6 oysters, 1 tablespoonful of white sauce or fish sauce, 1 tablespoonful of milk, salt and pepper, 1 oz. of butter.
Method.—Blanch the oysters in their own liquor without allowing them to boil, then divide them in halves or quarters, and mix with them the sauce, and seasoning to taste. Beat the eggs well, add the milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Melt the butter in an omelet pan, when hot pour in the eggs, stir until the mixture begins to set, then place the oyster preparation in the centre, fold the sides in, finish cooking, and serve.
Time.—Altogether, 20 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. to 2s. 6d.
565.—OYSTER PATTIES. (Fr.—Petites Bouchées aux Huîtres.)
Ingredients.—1 lb. of puff-paste, 24 oysters, 2 ozs. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, the yolks of 3 eggs, ¼ of a pint of fish stock or milk (about), ½ a gill of cream, ½ a teaspoonful of lemon-juice, salt and pepper, parsley.
Method.—When the paste has had the necessary number of turns, roll it out to a thickness of about ½ an inch, and with a hot wet cutter of 2½ inches diameter stamp out 8 or 9 rounds of paste. Brush these over with beaten egg, then make an inner ring to about half the depth of the paste with a cutter 1 inch in diameter, previously dipped in hot ​water. Bake them in a hot oven for 20 or 25 minutes, then remove and take care of the tops, scoop out the soft inside, and keep the patties warm until required. Meanwhile put the oysters and their liquor into a saucepan, let them come to the boil, drain them, put the liquor aside, remove the beards, and cut each oyster in two. Melt the butter in a stewpan, add the flour, and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, add the oyster liquor with enough milk to make half a pint, and stir until the sauce boils. Simmer for 10 minutes, add the cream, the yolks of the eggs, lemon-juice, and seasoning to taste; simmer again gently until the yolks of the eggs thicken, then pass through a tammy-cloth or fine sieve. Re-heat, add the oysters, and when thoroughly hot, place in the puff-paste cases, put on the covers, garnish with parsley and serve.
Time.—½ an hour after the paste is made. Average Cost, about 2s. 6d., exclusive of the paste. Sufficient for 8 or 9 patties. Seasonable from September to April.
566.—OYSTER SAUSAGES.
Ingredients.—12 sauce oysters, 1 lb. of veal, ¼ of a lb. of suet finely-chopped, 1 thick slice of bread, 1 egg, butter or dripping for frying, salt and pepper.
Method.—Open the oysters, preserve the liquor, remove the beards, and cut the oysters into very small pieces. Strain the liquor over the bread, let it soak until soft, then drain off any unabsorbed liquor, and beat the bread with a fork until no lumps remain. Pass the veal 2 or 3 times through a mincing-machine, add the suet, bread, salt and pepper to taste, and lastly the oysters and egg. The preparation may be improved by being well pounded in a mortar, but it is not absolutely necessary. When ready, press into skins, or shape in the form of small sausages, roll lightly in flour seasoned with salt and pepper, and fry in hot butter or fat.
Time.—Altogether, 1½ hours. Average Cost, 2s. 3d.
567.—OYSTERS, SCALLOPED. (Fr.—Escalopes aux Huîtres.)
Ingredients.—24 oysters, 1 oz. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, ¼ pint of white stock, 2 tablespoonfuls of cream, pepper, salt, breadcrumbs, butter.
Method.—Remove the beards of the oysters and simmer them about 10 minutes in the oyster liquor. Have the oysters ready in a small basin, strain the liquor on to them, and cover the basin to keep in the steam. Melt the butter in a stewpan, add the flour, cook for 2 or 3 minutes, then pour in the stock and the oyster liquor, and stir until the sauce boils. Simmer for 2 or 3 minutes, to ensure the flour being thoroughly cooked, then add the cream and the oysters, and season to taste. Have ready some well-buttered scallop-shells, in which the ​oysters should be served, fill them with the oysters and the sauce, cover with breadcrumbs, pour on a little melted butter, and bake in a quick oven just long enough to brown the surface.
Time.—Altogether, 30 to 35 minutes. Average Cost, 3s. 3d. to 3s. 9d. Sufficient for 6 persons. Seasonable from September to April.
568.—OYSTER SOUFFLÉ (Fr.—Soufflé aux Huîtres.)
Ingredients.—2 small whitings, 6 large sauce oysters, 1½ ozs. of flour, 2 ozs. of butter, about ½ pint of milk, ½ gill of cream, ½ a teaspoonful of anchovy-essence, 3 eggs, seasoning.
Method.—Skin the whitings, remove all the meat from the bones, and pound it in a mortar. Melt the butter in a stewpan, add the flour, and cook a little without browning; moisten with the milk and oyster liquor, stir briskly until quite smooth, then add the cream. Cook a little longer, but stir all the while. Remove the beards from the oysters, cut the latter into dice, and put them into the mixture; season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg, work in the yolks of the eggs, the anchovy-essence, and the pounded fish. Whisk the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and mingle them carefully with the mixture. Three parts fill a well-buttered soufflé tin or Charlotte mould, steam for about 45 minutes. Remove from the mould, and serve with a white sauce.
Time.—To steam, about 45 minutes. Average Cost, 2s. Sufficient for 6 persons. Seasonable from September to April.
569.—OYSTER SOUFFLÉS, Small. (Fr.—Petits Soufflés aux Huîtres.)
Ingredients.—6 large sauce oysters, 2 eggs, ¼ pint of milk (about) 1 oz. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, salt, pepper.
Method.—Remove the beards of the oysters, simmer them in the oyster liquor for 10 minutes, and cut the oysters into small pieces. Melt the butter in a stewpan, stir in the flour, add the milk, boil well, then let it slightly cool. Separate the whites of the eggs from the yolks, and whisk them to a stiff froth; add the yolks one at a time to the contents of the saucepan, and beat well. When thoroughly mixed put in the oysters, oyster liquor, add seasoning to taste, and lastly the whites of the eggs, which must be added as lightly as possible to the mixture. Have ready some well-buttered china cases, half fill them with the mixture, and bake for about 15 minutes in a moderately hot oven, or steam them over a saucepan of boiling water for 20 minutes. The soufflés may be baked in paper cases, but the latter must previously be well buttered or oiled.
Time.—Altogether, about 40 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. Allow 8 soufflés for 6 persons. Seasonable from September to April.
​570.—OYSTER VOL-AU-VENT. (Fr.—Vol-au-Vent aux Huîtres.)
Ingredients.—1 lb. of puff-paste, 24 oysters, 2 ozs. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, the yolks of 3 eggs, ¼ of a pint of fish stock or milk (about), ½ a gill of cream, ½ a teaspoonful of lemon juice, salt and pepper, parsley.
Method.—Roll out the paste as directed in the preceding recipe. Take a large, fluted oval cutter, dip it into hot water, and stamp out 2 pieces of paste. Remove the centre of one piece of paste with a hot wet smaller cutter. Wet the edge of the piece of paste which is intact, place the ring of paste on the top of it, and brush the surface with yolk of egg. Bake in a hot oven; when done, scoop out a little of the inside, fill with the oyster mixture (see oyster patties), and decorate with a little lobster coral and parsley.
Time.—To bake, about 20 minutes. Average Cost, 3s. to 3s. 6d., exclusive of the paste. Sufficient for one vol-au-vent. Seasonable from September to April.
571.—PERCH, BOILED. (Fr.—Perche bouilli.)
Ingredients.—4 perch, salt.
Method.—The peculiarity of the perch is the difficulty experienced in removing its scales. Sometimes it is boiled and the scales removed afterwards, but a better plan is to plunge the fish for 2 or 3 minutes into boiling water, and then scale it. Before boiling, the fish must be washed in warm water, cleaned, and the gills and fins removed. Have ready boiling water to cover the fish, add salt to taste, and boil them gently from 10 to 20 minutes, according to their size. Serve with Hollandaise or melted butter sauce.
Time.—10 to 20 minutes. Average Cost, 6d. to 1s. each. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable from May to February.
Note.—Tench may be boiled the same way. and served with the same suaces.
The Perch (Fr. perche).—This is one of the best and most common of fresh-water fish found in nearly all the rivers and lakes of Britain and Ireland, and the whole of Europe within the temperate zone. It is extremely voracious, and has, contrary to the usual nature of fresh-water fish of prey, the peculiarity of being gregarious. The teeth of the perch are numerous and large: its scales are ctenoid, or comb-shaped; the gill-cover and dorsal fin are furnished with spines; the tail and pectoral fins are of a bright red colour. May to the middle of July to the best season for angling for perch. Large numbers of this fish are bred and preserved in the ponds of Hampton Court and Bushey Park. The perch possesses great vitality, and will live for a considerable time out of water if its gills be kept moist. The bass is frequently called the sea-perch. The Climbing Perch of India, by a remarkable arrangement of the cells of the pharyngeal bones, which retain moisture in the gills for a considerable period, is able to migrate overland in search of a fresh supply of water when the pools in which it has been living are dried up. It progresses by means of its stiff spiny fins. The name "climbing perch" has been given to the fish from the supposition that it climbs the rough stems of the palm-trees.
572.—PERCH, FRIED. (Fr.—Perche frite.)
Ingredients.—4 perch, egg, breadcrumbs, frying-fat, salt, pepper, flour.
​Method.—Scale, clean, wash, and dry the fish thoroughly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, dredge well with flour, brush over with beaten egg, and cover them with breadcrumbs. Have ready some hot fat, fry the fish until nicely browned, drain well, and serve with anchovy, shrimp, or melted butter sauce.
Time.—About 20 minutes. Average Cost, from 6d. to 1s. each. Allow 1 medium-sized fish to each person. Seasonable from May to February.
573.—PERCH, STEWED. (Fr.—Perche au Vin Blanc.)
Ingredients.—4 perch, ½ a pint of good stock, ¼ of a pint of white wine, 2 ozs. of butter, 1 oz of flour, 1 dessertspooonful of finely-chopped parsley, 1 dessertspoonful of finely-chopped onion, ½ a teaspoonful of anchovy-essence, 1 bay-leaf, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), 1 clove, salt and pepper, lemon-juice.
Method.—Scale, clean, and wash the fish, and remove the fins and gills. Melt half the butter in a stewpan, fry the onion without browning, then add the stock, wine, anchovy-essence, bay-leaf, bouquet-garni, and clove, and simmer for 10 minutes. Put in the fish, and let them cook gently for about 10 minutes, then lift them out carefully on to a hot dish, and keep them warm. Melt the remaining oz. of butter in a stewpan, stir in the flour, and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, then add the liquor (strained), in which the fish was cooked, and stir until it boils. Add the parsley and lemon-juice, season to taste, and pour over the fish.
Time.—About 30 minutes. Average Cost, 6d. to 1s. each. Allow 1 medium-sized fish to each person. Seasonable from May to February.
574.—PIKE, BAKED. (Fr.—Brochet Farci.)
Ingredients.—1 small pike (about 4 lb.), 4 ozs. of veal forcemeat (No. 412), 1 egg, brown breadcrumbs, butter, or fat for basting.
Method.—Wash, clean, and scale the fish, and remove the fins and gills. Fill the inside with forcemeat, sew up the opening, brush over with beaten egg, and cover with breadcrumbs. Sometimes the fish is trussed in a round shape, the tail being fastened in the mouth by means of a skewer. Before putting the fish in the oven it should be well basted with hot fat or butter, and as this fish is naturally dry it must be frequently basted, and kept covered with a greased paper while cooking. Bake gently from 40 to 45 minutes, and serve with a suitable sauce.
Time.—Altogether, about 1 hour. Average Cost, about 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 8 to 10 persons. Seasonable from September to February.
FISH.
1. Salmon Cutlets. 2. Fried Oysters. 3. Skate with Butter.
FISH.
1. Savoury Haddock Timbales. 2. Whiting Soufflé. 3. Lobster Cutlets.
​575.—PIKE, BOILED. (Fr.—Brochet Bouilli.)
Ingredients.—1 pike, salt, vinegar.
Method.—Pour boiling water over the fish until the scales look dull, then plunge it into cold water, and remove the scales at once with the back of a knife. Empty the fish, remove the gills and fins, and wash well. Have ready a fish-kettle of warm water, add salt and vinegar to taste, put in the fish, and boil gently until the fish separates easily from the bone (one weighing 4 lb. would require about 25 or 30 minutes). Serve with Hollandaise, anchovy, or melted butter sauce.
Time.—According to size, from ½ to 1 hour. Average Cost, 3d. to 6d. per lb. Sufficient for 8 persons. Seasonable from September to February.
The Pike (Fr. brochet).—On account of its voracity, the pike is frequently called the "fresh-water shark." The common pike occurs in the rivers and lakes of Europe, especially in the northern parts and North America. In Russia and Lapland it attains to large dimensions. The body of the pike is long, of an olive-brown colour, tinted with green above and silvery-white below; the lower jaw projects, and is furnished with numerous strong teeth. The pike spawns in the spring; its young are called "jack" and "luce". The fishing season for pike is from May to February, the fish being caught by nets, lines, and "trimmer" lines. Owing to its extreme voracity the pike commits great depredation among other fish, and is especially harmful to trout. It is a very long-lived fish, and frequently attains to a great age. In Scotland, the pike is called the "gedd." The flesh of the pike is considered to be very wholesome, but it is somewhat dry.
576.—PIKE, CRIMPED AND FRIED. (Fr.—Brochet recrépi.)
Ingredients.—Pike, egg, breadcrumbs, frying-fat, salt, piquant, anchovy or brown caper sauces.
Method.—Pike for this purpose should be fairly large and quite fresh. Scale and clean the fish thoroughly, cut it into ½-inch slices, and cover these with very cold water. Let them remain until the flesh becomes sufficiently firm, then dry well, and rub lightly with flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Brush over with beaten egg, coat carefully with breadcrumbs, and afterwards fry in hot fat until lightly browned. Drain well, garnish with crisply-fried parsley, and serve the sauce separately.
Time.—½ hour. Average Cost, 3d. to 6d. per lb. Seasonable at its best, from September to March.
577.—PIKE, FILLETS OF, ITALIAN STYLE. (Fr.—Filets de Brochet à l'Italienne.)
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized pike, 1½ ozs. of butter, ⅓ of a pint of brown sauce No. 233, 2 tablespoonfuls of tomato purée, 2 tablespoonfuls of sherry, salt and pepper.
Method.—Clean, skin and cut the fish into neat fillets. Melt the butter in a baking dish, put in the fish, baste it well, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Cover with a greased paper, cook gently for 15 minutes, then add the sauce, purée and sherry. Continue to cook slowly about 20 minutes, then transfer the fish very ​carefully to a hot dish, and strain the sauce over. If liked, the baking-dish may be rubbed over with a cut clove of garlic before putting in the fish.
Time.—About 40 minutes. Average Cost, 3d. to 6d, per lb. Seasonable from September to March.
578.—PIKE, STEWED. (Fr.—Brochet en compôte.)
Ingredients.—1 small pike, slices of bacon, 1 oz. of butter, ½ a pint of stock or water, 1 glass of sherry, salt and pepper.
Method.—Wash, clean and dry the pike, place it in a stewpan, in which the butter has been previously melted, and cover with slices of bacon. Put on a close-fitting lid, let the fish cook in the steam for 15 minutes, then add the stock and wine, and season to taste. Simmer very gently for about ½ an hour, then serve on a hot dish with the gravy strained round.
Time.—To stew, about ½ an hour. Average Cost, 3d. to 6d. per lb. Seasonable from September to March.
579.—PILCHARDS.
Pilchards are rarely found on the British shores, except at St. Ives, Mount's Bay, Mevagissy, and one or two other places on the coast of Cornwall and Devon. The pilchard may be distinguished from the herring by the fin, which is exactly in the middle of the back, while in the herring it is nearer to the tail. The taste of the pilchard is similar to that of the herring, but it is more oily. Pilchards quickly lose their freshness, and therefore are not often sent uncured to any great distance from the places where they are caught. In a cured condition they are largely exported. Pilchards may be dressed according to the directions given for cooking herrings.
580.—PLAICE, BAKED. (Fr.—Plie Farcie.)
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized plaice, 2 tablespoonfuls of white breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoonful of finely-chopped suet, 1 dessertspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ¼ of a teaspoonful of mixed herbs, a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper, 1 egg, pale browned breadcrumbs, a little fat or butter, milk.
Method.—Mix the white breadcrumbs, suet, parsley, herbs and nutmeg together, season well with salt and pepper, add ½ the egg, and enough milk to thoroughly moisten the whole. Make an incision down the centre of the fish as for filleting, raise the flesh each side as far as possible, and fill with the forcemeat. Instead of drawing the sides of the fish close together, fill up the gap with forcemeat, and, with a knife, flatten the surface to the level of the fish. Brush over with the remaining half of the egg, cover lightly with the pale browned breadcrumbs, place a few small pieces of butter on the top, and bake from 20 to 30 minutes in a moderate oven. Serve with a suitable sauce.
​Time.—To prepare and cook, from 35 to 40 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. to 1s. 6d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable all the year.
Note.—The forcemeat may be varied by using shrimps or oysters (see' Fish Cakes).
The Plaice (Fr. plie) is one of the commonest species of the Pleuronectidae, or flat-fishes, and is found in large quantities on the coasts of England, and the Baltic and Mediterranean seas. Its upper side is brown with red or orange spots. The plaice feeds near the bottom of the sea, and is caught by trawl nets. Although less delicate in flavour than the sole, the plaice is a favourite fish food.
581.—PLAICE, FILLETS OF, WITH WINE SAUCE. (Fr.—Filets de Plie au Vin Blanc.)
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized plaice, a glass of Chablis or Sauterne wine, 6 mushrooms, 1 blade of mace, 2 ozs. of butter, 2 shallots, ¾ oz. of flour, 1 gill fish stock, the yolk of 1 egg, pepper and salt.
Method.—Take the black skin off the fish, remove the fillets, trim these as neatly as possible, and cut each into 2 or 3 fillets of an even size. Place these in a buttered sauté-pan, season with pepper and salt, moisten with the wine and about a tablespoonful of mushroom liquor; add also the blade of mace, and the shallots, peeled and cut in two. Cover the fillets with a piece of buttered paper, and cook in a moderately heated oven for about 15 minutes, or less, according to the thickness of the fish. In the meantime, prepare a white roux or, thickening, with the remaining butter and the flour, moisten with a gill of fish stock, a little hot milk, and the liquor from the fillets, stir the roux until it boils, and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Cut the mushrooms into slices. Season and strain the sauce, add the yolk of the egg, heat up long enough to bind the ingredients together, then add the mushrooms. Dish up the fish, pour the sauce over the fillets, garnish and serve.
Time.—About ½ an hour. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. to 1s. 9d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable all the year round.
582.—PLAICE, FRIED. (Fr.—Plie Frite.)
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized plaice, egg, breadcrumbs, frying-fat, flour, salt and pepper, parsley.
Method.—Wash, dry, and fillet the fish, and cut it into pieces convenient for serving. Season a good tablespoonful of flour rather highly with salt and pepper, and in it dip each piece of fish, then brush over with egg, cover with breadcrumbs, and fry in hot fat until nicely browned. Garnish with fried parsley, and serve with anchovy, shrimp, or melted butter sauce.
Time.—To prepare and cook, about ½ an hour. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. to 1s. 6d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable all the year round.
​583.—PLAICE, FRIED. (Another Method.)
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized plaice, flour, salt and pepper, frying-fat or oil.
Method.—Prepare the fish as in the preceding recipe, but instead of coating the fish with egg and breadcrumbs, slip each piece into a thick smooth batter made of flour and water.
Time.—To fry, about 10 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. to 1s. 4d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable all the year round.
584.—PLAICE, OR SOLES, ROLLED. (Fr.—Paupiettes de Plie.)
Ingredients.—1 plaice or 2 soles, lemon-juice, pepper and salt, ½ a shallot, 1 bay-leaf, parsley, 2 cloves, 1 oz. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, ½ a pint of fish stock, (1 gill of milk, 1 gill of water, 1 tablespoonful of cream).
Method.—Fillet the plaice, season the fillets with salt, pepper, and lemon-juice. Roll them, and put them on a greased baking-sheet with a greased paper over them. Put the bones into a stewpan with the milk and water, bay-leaf, parsley stalks, cloves, and shallot, and simmer for 20 minutes. Melt the butter, add the flour, and cook for a few minutes, then add the fish stock, and stir the ingredients until they boil. Bake the rolled fillets for about 10 minutes or until cooked sufficiently, and season to taste. Dish them neatly on a hot dish, strain the sauce over, sprinkle a little chopped parsley on the top, and serve very hot.
Time.—To bake, from 5 to 10 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. to 1s. 6d., when plaice is used. Sufficient for 5 to 6 persons. Seasonable all the year round.
585.—TO BOIL PRAWNS, OR SHRIMPS. (Fr.—Crevettes.)
Method.—Prawns should be very red, and have no spawn when cooked; much depends on their freshness, and the way in which they are cooked. Throw them into boiling water, salted, and keep them boiling for about 7 or 8 minutes. Shrimps should be done in the same way, but less time must be allowed. It may easily be known when they are done by their changing colour. Care should be taken that they are not over-boiled, as they then become tasteless and indigestible.
Time.—Prawns, about 8 minutes; shrimps, about 5 minutes. Average Cost, prawns, 9d. to 1s. 6d. per dozen; shrimps, 4d. to 6d. a pint. Seasonable all the year.
The Prawn (Fr. crevette) is a crustacean allied to the lobsters and crabs, and resembles the shrimp in its appearance, but it is much larger and more delicate in flavour. Its colour is light orange-grey and the body is almost transparent; it changes to red when boiled, and becomes opaque. The prawn abounds in various parts of the English coast, especially in the south and south-west.
​586.—PRAWNS, CURRY OF. (Fr.—Crevettes à l'Indienne.)
Ingredients.—2 dozen prawns, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1 dessertspoonful of curry powder, 1 dessertspoonful of flour, 1 sour apple coarsely-chopped, 1 small onion sliced, 1 tablespoonful of cocoanut grated, 1 teaspoonful of lemon-juice, ½ a pint of stock, salt.
Method.—Shell the prawns and put them aside. Melt the butter in a stewpan, fry the onion without browning, then add the curry-powder and flour, and fry slowly for at least 20 minutes. Add the stock, apple, cocoanut, and a little salt, simmer gently for ½ an hour, then strain and return to the stewpan. Season to taste, add the lemon-juice put in the prawns, and when thoroughly hot serve with well-boiled rice.
Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. to 6s., according to the size of the prawns. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
587.—PRAWNS, TO SERVE.
In the centre of a dish place a dariol mould, or a small basin when a large base is required, and cover it with a small serviette. Arrange the prawns around in the form of a pyramid, garnish with tufts of parsley, and serve.
588.—PRAWNS, OR SHRIMPS, POTTED. (Fr.—Terrine de Crevettes.)
Ingredients.—1 quart of fresh prawns or shrimps, ¼ of a lb. of fresh butter, cayenne, pounded mace or nutmeg, a little salt.
Method.—The fish should be perfectly fresh and as large as possible. Boil, then shell them and divide them slightly, and pound to a paste in a mortar with the butter and seasoning. Rub through a fine sieve press into small pots, cover with clarified butter, and when cold tie down closely.
Time.—8 minutes, to boil the prawns. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. to 2s. Seasonable at any time.
589.—SALMON BAKED, ITALIAN STYLE. (Fr.—Saumon étufé à l'Italienne.)
Ingredients.—About 2 lb. of salmon (middle), 2 small shallots (peeled and chopped), 1 teaspoonful of chopped parsley, salt and pepper, grated nutmeg, 1 small glass of claret, Génoise or tomato sauce.
Method.—Cut the fish into 2 or 3 even-sized slices, place these on a well-buttered baking-tin or sauté-pan. Season with salt, pepper, and a little grated nutmeg, sprinkle over the chopped shallots and ​parsley, and place the remainder of the butter on top of the fish. Moisten with the wine, and bake for about 15 minutes, basting the fish frequently. When done, dish up, and pour some Génoise or tomato sauce over the slices of salmon. The essence left in the pan in which the fish was baked must be utilized for flavouring the sauce.
Time.—To cook, about 15 minutes. Average Cost, 3s. 6d. Sufficient for 8 persons. Seasonable from April to August.
590.—SALMON, BOILED. (Fr.—Saumon bouilli.)
Ingredients.—Salmon. For the court-bouillon (or highly-seasoned fish stock), allow to each quart of water 1 dessertspoonful of salt, 1 small turnip, 1 small onion, ½ a leek, 1 strip of celery, 6 pepper-corns, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf).
Method.—Put into the fish-kettle just enough water to cover the fish, and when boiling add the prepared vegetables, and cook gently for 30 minutes. In the meantime, wash, clean, and scale the fish, and tie it loosely in a piece of muslin. Remove any scum there may be on the court-bouillon, then put in the fish and boil gently until sufficiently cooked (the time required depends more on the thickness of the fish than the weight; allow 10 minutes for each lb. when cooking a thick piece, and 7 minutes for the tail end), then drain well, dish on a folded napkin, garnish with parsley, and serve with sliced cucumber, and Hollandaise, or other suitable sauce.
Time.—From 7 to 10 minutes per lb. Average Cost, from 1s. 3d. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient, allow from 4 to 6 ozs. per head. Seasonable from April to August.
591.—SALMON, BOILED. (Fr.—Saumon bouilli.) (Another Method.)
Ingredients.—Salmon, salt, boiling water.
Method.—Scale and clean the fish, and put it into the fish-kettle with sufficient boiling water to just cover it, adding salt to taste. The boiling water is necessary to preserve the colour of the fish. Simmer gently until the fish can be easily separated from the bone, thus ensuring its being thoroughly cooked, otherwise it will be unwholesome, but on the other hand, if over-cooked it will be dry and insipid. Drain well, dish on a folded napkin, garnish with cut-lemon and parsley, and serve with lobster, shrimp, or other suitable sauce, and a dish of thinly-sliced cucumber.
Time.—According to size. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. to 2s. 6d. per lb. Sufficient—Allow 4 oz. per head, when served in the fish course of a dinner. Seasonable from February to September, but most plentiful in July and August.
To Choose Salmon.—To be good, the belly should be firm and thick, and this may readily be ascertained by feeling it with the thumb and finger The circumstance of this fish having red gills, though given as a standing rule in most cookery books, as a sign of its goodness, is not at all to be relied on, for this appearance can be produced artificially.
​592.—SALMON BAKED WITH CAPER SAUCE. (Fr.—Saumon, Sauce aux Câpres.)
Ingredients.—2 slices of salmon, ¼ of a lb. of butter, ½ a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, 1 shallot, salt and pepper, and grated nutmeg to taste. (Caper sauce No. 132.)
Method.—Lay the salmon in a baking-dish, place the pieces of butter over it, and add the other ingredients, rubbing a little of the seasoning into the fish. Baste frequently and when done place the salmon on a dish, pour caper sauce over it, and serve. Salmon dressed in this with tomato sauce is very delicious.
Time.—About ¾ of an hour. Average Cost, 3s. 6d. Seasonable from April to August. Sufficient for 6 persons.
593.—SALMON, COLLARED. (Fr.—Saumon au Four.)
Ingredients.—1 small salmon, vinegar, salt and pepper, mace, cayenne, peppercorns, allspice, bay-leaves, cloves.
Method.—Cut off the head and tail, wash and scale the fish, and cut it in two lengthwise. Only 1 half is required for a roll, therefore either 2 rolls must be made, or the other half dressed in another way. Mix together ½ a teaspoonful of salt, ¼ of a teaspoonful of pepper, a good pinch each of mace and cayenne. Remove the bones and skin from the fish, spread it flat on the table, and rub the inside well with the seasoning. Roll up the fish, and bind it firmly with string. Have ready a stewpan, just large enough to hold the fish, containing boiling water and vinegar, in the proportion of ¼ of a pint of vinegar to 1 pint of water, and add 12 peppercorns, ½ a teaspoonful of allspice, 2 cloves, 2 bay-leaves, and salt to taste. Put in the fish, and simmer gently for about 1 hour. When done, place in a deep earthenware vessel, and when the liquor is cold pour it over the salmon, and let it remain until required for use.
Time.—To prepare and cook, about 1½ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. to 2s. 6d. per lb. Sufficient for 1 dish. Seasonable from April to August.
594.—SALMON, CRIMPED. (Fr.—Saumon recrépi.)
Salmon should be crimped as soon as possible after being caught. Deep gashes about 2 inches apart should be made on both side of the fish, which should at once be plunged into cold water and allowed to remain for 2 hours, changing the water 3 times at least.
595.—SALMON, CURED OR SALTED.
Ingredients.—Salmon, saltpetre, salt.
Method.—Split the fish in halves, remove the bone, dry well with a soft cloth, sprinkle liberally with salt. let it remain thus for 24 hours, then drain and dry thoroughly, and divide the fish into pieces ​to pack conveniently in a large jar. Add 1 oz. of saltpetre to 12 ozs. of salt, rub the mixture well into the fish, and pack closely in a jar with salt between the layers. If the salt, when dissolved, does not cover the fish, make a little strong brine, and add it, when quite cold, to the contents of the jar.
596.—SALMON, CURRY OF. (Fr.—Saumon à l'Indienne.)
Ingredients.—1½ lb. of cooked salmon, 1 oz. of butter, 1 dessertspoonful of curry-powder, 1 dessertspoonful of flour, 1 sour apple (or a corresponding amount of rhubarb or green gooseberries) coarsely-chopped, 1 small onion sliced, 1 teaspoonful of lemon-juice, ½ a teaspoonful of anchovy-essence, ½ a pint of fish stock or water, salt.
Method.—Melt the butter, fry the onion without browning, then add the curry-powder and flour, and fry slowly for about 20 minutes. Add the fish stock or water, apple, onion, and salt to taste, simmer gently for ½ an hour, then strain, replace in the stewpan, and add the anchovy-essence, lemon-juice, and seasoning, if necessary. Have the fish ready freed from skin and bones, and separated into large flakes, put it into the prepared curry sauce, make thoroughly hot, and serve with well-boiled rice.
Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. to 3s. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable from April to August.
597.—SALMON CUTLETS. (Fr.—Côtelettes de Saumon en Papillotes.)
Ingredients.—Slices of salmon, butter, pepper and salt, anchovy or caper sauce.
Method.—Cut the slices 1 inch thick, and season them with pepper and salt. Butter some sheets of white paper, enclose each slice of fish separately, and secure the ends of the paper case by twisting tightly, broil gently over a clear fire, and serve with anchovy or caper sauce.
Time.—From 10 to 15 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. to 2s. 6d. per lb. Seasonable from April to August.
598.—SALMON DARIOLES. (Fr.—Darioles de Saumon à la Moscovienne.)
Ingredients.—About 1 lb. of cooked salmon, 6 large oysters, 1 large truffle, 1 hard-boiled egg, ½ an oz. of anchovy-paste, a teaspoonful of tarragon vinegar, ¼ of a gill of cream, about ½ a pint of aspic jelly, 4 filletted anchovies, a few slices of cucumber, red chilies, a pinch of cayenne, salt and pepper, grated nutmeg, ice.
Method.—Flake the salmon, line 6 to 8 small dariole, bouche, or ​timbale moulds with a thin layer of aspic jelly, decorate with a few thin slices of truffles, some nice flakes of salmon, and a few strips of red chilies. Set the garnish will with a little aspic, and put it aside to cool. Pound the remainder of the fish in a mortar together with 6 cooked oysters, the hard-boiled egg, and the anchovy-paste; season with a pinch of cayenne pepper, salt, and a little grated nutmeg. Rub through a fine sieve, add the tarragon vinegar, the cream, and about 1 gill of aspic jelly, mix the ingredients well together, and then fill the moulds. Put the anchovy fillets and a few slices of truffles between the farce, or stuffing, in filling. If the mixture does not quite fill the moulds, supply the deficiency with aspic jelly, and stand the moulds on the ice until required. For serving, immerse the moulds in tepid water, turn out the contents quickly, and place them on a round dish, garnish round the sides with chopped aspic and a few fancifully-cut slices of cucumber.
Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 3s. to 3s. 6d. Sufficient for 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
599.—SALMON, FILLETS OF, MORNY STYLE. (Fr.—Filets de Saumon à la Mornay.)
Ingredients.—2 slices of salmon, from ¾ to 1 inch in thickness, 2½ ozs. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, ¾ of a pint of fish stock, ¼ of a pint of cream, 1 onion coarsely-chopped, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), 1 tablespoonful of grated Parmesan cheese, 1 dessertspoonful of lemon-juice, salt and pepper.
Method.—Melt half the butter in a shallow stewpan or sauté-pan, fry the onion and the salmon quickly on both sides, then add the stock (boiling), the bouquet-garni, salt and pepper, cover closely, and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the remainder of the butter in a stewpan, add the flour, and cook for 5 minutes. When the fish is done, take it out on to a hot dish and keep it warm. Strain the stock on to the flour and butter, and stir until it boils. Simmer for 5 minutes, add the cream, cheese, lemon-juice, season to taste, pour the mixture over the fish, and serve.
Time.—About 40 minutes. Average Cost, from 1s. 3d. to 1s. 9d. per lb. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable from April to August.
600.—SALMON, FRIED. (Fr.—Saumon Frit.) (Jewish Recipe.)
Ingredients.—1½ lb. of salmon, a small flask of olive-oil.
Method.—Pour the oil into a small but deep pan, set over a clear fire, and when it ceases to bubble, put in the salmon, previously cleaned and dried with a cloth, and fry it gently until it is completely cooked through. It should be only a golden brown, and when the salmon ​has acquired this colour, the pan should be placed where the fish will cook slowly, so as to prevent it becoming darker. When thoroughly done, drain and leave it to get cold, and serve it upon a fish paper, garnished with parsley.
Time.—About ½ hour to cook the fish. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 4 persons. Seasonable from April to August.
The Salmon (Fr. saumon) is the type of the family Salmonidæ, which forms the first sub-order, the Malacopteri of the third order of fishes, the Teleostei, or fish possessing a bony skeleton, and having the skull composed of distinct bones. The ventral fins are abdominal, the second dorsal fin is soft and without rays, and the swim-bladder is developed. The head of the salmon is smooth; its teeth are placed in the upper and lower jaws, palate, and roof of the mouth; the edges of the tongue are notched. The colour of the salmon is steel-blue on the head and back, and silver-white on its lower parts. The salmon lives in both salt and fresh-water, and is found distributed over the north of Europe and Asia, and in the great rivers of North America. It spawns in the late autumn or the beginning of winter, and ascends the rivers, often to a great distance, for that purpose. The spawn is deposited in a shallow groove in the sand or gravel, and covered over by the action of the tail and fins of the fish. Salmon after spawning are known as kelts. The young are hatched about March, and pass through three stages before attaining full maturity. When first hatched the young are called parr, and remain under that designation some fifteen months to two years, living in the shallows of their native stream. The second stage is that of the smolt, or salmon-fry, when the fins become darker and the body more silvery, and the young fish in shoals migrate to the sea. On returning from the sea, where it has rapidly increased in growth, to the rivers, it is known as the grilse, or salmon-peel, and weighs on the average from 4 lb. to 6 lb. The grilse on its return to the rivers spawns for the first time. Again going back to the sea the grilse gradually increases in size, and becomes the salmon. The salmon is the finest of food fishes, characterized by its orange-coloured flesh, and is called by Isaac Walton the "King of fresh-water fish." It is esteemed of so much importance, that special Acts of Parliament have been passed to regulate the salmon fishery and preserve the fish. A close-time for salmon fishing in England and Wales, including also the Esk in Dumfries, is fixed for nets from September 1 to February 1, and for rods from November 2 to February 1. In Scotland it is for nets from August 27 to February 10, for rods, from November 1 to February 10, with certain local exceptions. In Ireland there are many variations of the close-time, but the netting close-time must not be less than 168 days. It is illegal to sell fresh salmon between September 3 and February 1, except salmon imported from foreign countries. There are also special penalties for capturing or selling "unclean" salmon, i.e., salmon recently spawned or full of spawn. The salmon is caught by the rod or by specially constructed nets. The principal salmon fisheries in England and Scotland are those of the Tweed, North Esk, Dee, Tay, Severn, Avon and Spey. Salmon is very abundant in the rivers of North America, and large quantities of tinned salmon are exported thence to Great Britain.
601.—SALMON WITH GENEVESE SAUCE. (Fr.—Saumon Sauce Génévoise.)
Ingredients.—2 slices of salmon, ½ a pint of good stock, ¼ of a pint of Madeira or other white wine, 2 ozs. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, 1 dessertspoonful each of chopped-onion and parsley, 1 carrot sliced, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), a blade of mace, the juice of a lemon, a teaspoonful of anchovy-essence, cayenne, salt and pepper.
Method.—Melt 1 oz. of butter in a stewpan and fry the onion until slightly browned, add the stock, wine, parsley, carrot, bouquet-garni, mace, anchovy-essence and seasoning, and boil gently for 30 minutes, then strain, and return to the stewpan. Bring the sauce to boiling point, put in the slices of fish, and let them simmer gently about 20 minutes, or until the fish separates easily from the bone. Meanwhile melt the remaining oz. of butter in another stewpan, add to it the flour, stir and cook over the fire for 4 or 5 minutes. When the fish is done, remove it carefully to a hot dish, pour the liquor on to the butter and flour, stir until smooth, then simmer for 5 or 6 minutes. Add the lemon-juice to the sauce, season to taste, strain over the fish, and serve.
​Time.—From 1 to 1¼ hours. Average Cost, 3s. to 3s. 6d. Sufficient for 6 persons. Seasonable from April to August.
602.—SALMON JELLY. (Fr.—Gelée de Saumon.)
Ingredients.—1 tin of salmon, 1 pint of clear stock, 1 oz. of French gelatine, 2 whites of eggs.
Method.—Dissolve the gelatine in the stock and season to taste. Cook the whites of eggs in a dariol mould or small cup until firm, and when cold cut into thin slices and stamp out into fancy shapes. Drain the oil from the salmon, and remove all skin and bones. Cover the bottom of a mould with jelly, let it set, and then decorate with white of egg. Set the garnish with a little jelly, add a layer of salmon, cover with jelly, and put aside until set. Repeat until the mould is full. Keep on ice or in a cool place until wanted, then turn out, and serve.
Time.—About 2 hours. Average Cost, 1s. to 1s. 3d., in addition to the stock.
603.—SALMON, MAYONNAISE OF. (Fr.—Saumon en Mayonnaise.)
Ingredients.—Cold boiled salmon, lettuce, cucumber, beetroot, gherkins, capers, boned anchovies, hard-boiled eggs, Mayonnaise sauce (No. 201).
Method.—A Mayonnaise of salmon may consist of a large centre-cut, a thick slice, or the remains of cold salmon cut into pieces convenient for serving. In all cases the skin and bone must be removed, and the fish completely masked with thick Mayonnaise sauce, the stiffening properties of which are greatly increased by the addition of a little liquid, but nearly cold, aspic jelly. When procurable, a little endive should be mixed with the lettuce, for although the somewhat bitter flavour of this salad plant is disliked by many people, its delicate, feathery leaves greatly improve the appearance of any dish of which it forms a part. Many other garnishings, in addition to those enumerated above, may be used; the leaves of the tarragon and chervil plants, and fancifully-cut thin slices of truffle, being particularly effective when used to decorate the surface of Mayonnaise sauce (see Lobster Mayonnaise, No. 201).
Average Cost.—Salmon, 1s. 3d. to 2s. 6d. per lb.
604.—SALMON MOULDED IN JELLY.
Ingredients.—1¼ lb. of cooked salmon, 1 pint of clear stock, 1 oz. of French gelatine, 1 white of egg, 1 tablespoonful of sherry or water, 1 tablespoonful of vinegar.
Method.—Soak the gelatine in the cold stock for ½ an hour, then stir the mixture over the fire until dissolved, and draw it aside to cool slightly. Whisk the white of egg with the sherry or water, and the vinegar, and add it to the stock when considerably below boiling ​point. Whisk briskly until boiling, let the preparation stand undisturbed for 10 minutes, then strain through a jelly bag, and when quite cold and on the point of setting, pour a little into a mould. Divide the salmon into large flakes, and as soon as the jelly in the mould hardens, cover lightly with pieces of salmon. Add a layer of jelly, let it set, and cover with salmon, repeating the process until the mould is full. Keep on ice until ready to serve.
Time.—About 4 hours. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. to 3s., exclusive of the stock.
605.—SALMON, PAUPIETTES OF, REGENCE STYLE. (Fr.—Paupiettes de Saumon à la Régence.)
Ingredients.—About 2½ lb. of salmon (jowl), 1 large whiting, 3 ozs. of panada, 2 ozs. of butter, the yolks of 2 eggs, 1 tablespoonful of Béchamel sauce, seasoning, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, preserved mushroom heads for garnish, Régence sauce (No. 270).
Method.—Remove the fillets of salmon from the bone, cut off the skin, divide each fillet in half lengthwise, and cut them into rather thin long slices of even size, trimming them neatly. Skin and bone the whiting, pound it in a mortar until smooth, add the panada, mix well, then add the egg yolks, about 1 oz. of butter, the Béchamel sauce, and the chopped parsley. Season to taste with salt, pepper, cayenne and nutmeg, and rub through a fine sieve. Spread each slice of salmon with a layer of this farce or forcemeat, roll up into paupiette shapes, and tie each with string or skewer them together in twos or threes. Place them in a sauté-pan containing 1 oz. of melted butter, divide the remainder of the butter into little bits, placing these on the top of the paupiettes, cover with a buttered paper, and cook in a moderate oven from 20 to 25 minutes, basting frequently. When done, take up, remove the skewers or string, and dress the paupiettes on a hot dish. Have the Régence sauce nicely heated, add the mushroom heads, allowing 1 large head for each paupiette; place the mushrooms on the paupiettes, sauce over carefully, and serve hot.
Time.—To cook, from 20 to 25 minutes. Average Cost, 5s. to 6s. Sufficient for 10 persons. Seasonable from April to August.
606.—SALMON, PICKLED. (Fr.—Saumon Mariné.)
Ingredients.—Salmon, ½ an oz. of whole pepper, ½ an oz. of whole all-spice, 1 teaspoonful of salt, 2 bay-leaves, equal quantities of vinegar and the liquor in which the fish was boiled.
Method.—After the fish comes from table, and the bones have been removed lay it in a clean deep dish. Boil the liquor and vinegar with the other ingredients for 10 minutes, let them stand to get cold, then pour them over the salmon, and in 12 hours it will be ready for use
​Time.—10 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. to 2s. 6d. per lb. Seasonable from April to August.
607.—SALMON, POTTED. (Fr.—Terrine de Saumon.)
Ingredients.—Cold salmon, clarified butter, anchovy-essence, powderd mace, salt and pepper, cayenne.
Method.—Free the fish from skin and bone, then pound it thoroughly in a mortar. Add by degrees the seasoning, and the anchovy-essence and clarified butter a few drops at a time, until the right consistency and flavour is obtained, then rub the ingredients through a fine sieve, press into small pots, and cover with a good layer of clarified butter. Fresh salmon may also be potted (see Potted Lobster, No. 540).
Average Cost.—Salmon, from 1s. 6d. to 2s. 6d. per lb
608.—SALMON, SMOKED OR KIPPERED.
Ingredients.—Salmon, equal quantities of common salt and Jamaica pepper mixed together, also a mixture composed of 1 lb. of salt, 3 ozs. of coarse sugar, 1 oz. of saltpetre.
Method.—Scale the fish, split it down the back, remove the head and all the backbone except 3 inches at the tail. Clean and dry the inside thoroughly, then rub well with salt and Jamaica pepper, and let it remain for 24 hours. Drain well, rub the fish 2 or 3 times with the mixture of salt, sugar and saltpetre, let it stand for 2 days, and then rub it again with the mixture. Now stretch the fish on sticks, hang it by the tail, exposed to the rays of the sun or the heat of the fire, for 3 or 4 days, and afterwards suspend it in the smoke of a wood or turf fire until dry—usually from 15 to 20 days. Sometimes salt and Jamaica pepper alone are used, but the process is exactly the same. The peculiar flavour possessed by some varieties is due to juniper bushes being used as fuel instead of wood or turf.
609.—SALMON, SMOKED TO COOK. (Fr.—Saumon Fumé)
Ingredients.—Smoked slamon, salad-oil.
Method.—Cut the fish into small thin slices, brush them over with salad-oil, and enclose them in oiled papers. Grill the slices over a slow, clear fire for 7 or 8 minutes, turning them 2 or 3 times during the process. Serve with oiled butter, or any fish sauce that may be liked.
Time.—7 or 8 minutes. Average Cost, 3s. 6d. per lb. for smoked salmon.
610.—SALMON SMOKED, DEVILLED. (Fr.—Saumon fumé à la Diable.)
Ingredients.—Smoked salmon, wheat triscuits, salad-oil, devilled butter, No. 159, salt and pepper, cayenne.
​Method.—Cut the triscuits across in halves, soak them for 3 or 4 minutes in salad-oil, then drain well, and sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper and cayenne. Toast the triscuits on both sides, cover them with thin slices of smoked salmon, and add a layer of devilled butter. Place them in a hot oven for a few minutes, then serve.
Time.—About 15 minutes. Average Cost, for smoked salmon, 3s. 6d. per lb.
611.—SALMON STEAKS. (Fr.—Tranche de Saumon.)
These may be enclosed in an oiled or buttered paper, and either grilled or fried in hot butter in a sauté-pan. Or they may be coated with egg and breadbcrumbs and fried. Serve with sliced cucumber and a suitable sauce.
612.—SALMON, TIMBALES OF. (Fr.—Petites timbales de Saumon.)
Ingredients.—¾ of a lb. of cooked salmon, ½ a pint of Mayonnaise sauce, stiffened with ¾ of a gill of well-reduced aspic, 1 gill of plain aspic jelly for lining, tarragon and chervil leaves, 1 large truffle, ice.
Method.—Line 6 to 8 small oblong or square moulds (timbale or zéphire [oval] shape) with dissolved aspic jelly, decorate with the herb leaves and truffle, and, when set, coat with a layer of prepared Mayonnaise. Flake the fish, season with Mayonnaise, and add the remainder of the truffles, chopped coarsely. Fill up the moulds 3 parts full with dressed salmon, finish filling with some Mayonnaise and aspic. Put the moulds to set upon the ice, turn out, dish up, garnish with small green salad and chopped aspic, then serve.
Time.—¼ hour. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. to 3s. Sufficient for 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
613.—SALT FISH WITH CREAM. (Fr.—Morue à la Crême.)
Ingredients.—3 or 4 lb. of salt cod-fish of average size, 1 pint of water, 1 pint of milk, 1½ ozs. of flour, 1½ ozs. of butter, pepper.
Method.—Divide the fish into very small fillets, put them into a stewpan with the water and milk, and simmer for ½ an hour. Knead the flour and butter to a smooth paste, put it into the saucepan in very small pieces, and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the liaison (or thickening) of butter and flour becomes smoothly mixed with the liquid. Add pepper to taste, and serve.
Time.—40 minutes. Average Cost, sauce, 3½d.; cod from 4d. to 1s per lb. Sufficient for 8 or 10 persons. Seasonable during Lent.
​614.—SALT FISH AND PARSNIPS. (Fr.—Morue aux Panais.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of salt cod, 12 young parsnips, egg sauce. No. 297.
Method.—Wash the fish, and soak it in cold water for 12 hours, or longer if very salt, changing the water every 3 or 4 hours. Cover the fish with cold water, and bring slowly to simmering point, then draw to the side of the stove and cook very gently for 20 minutes, or until the fish leaves the bones. Meanwhile prepare the sauce according to the directions given. Boil the parsnips, if small cut them lengthwise into 2, or, if large into 4 pieces. Drain the fish well, then place it on a hot dish, pour the sauce over, and garnish with the parsnips.
Time.—About 40 minutes. Average Cost, cod, 4d. to 1s. per lb. Sufficient, for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable during Lent.
615.—SCALLOPS OF FISH. (Fr.—Escalopes de Poisson au Gratin.)
Ingredients.—The remains of cold fish of any kind, to each ½ lb. of which allow 1½ ozs. of butter, 2 ozs. of flour, ½ a pint of milk, 1 teaspoonful of anchovy-essence, 1 teaspoonful of walnut ketchup, ½ a teaspoonful of made mustard, salt and pepper, cayenne, bread crumbs.
Method.—Melt the butter in a stewpan, add the flour, and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, then pour in the milk, stir until it boils, and let it simmer slowly for 10 minutes. Meanwhile separate the fish into large flakes, and when the sauce is ready put them into the stewpan with the anchovy-essence, ketchup, mustard, and a liberal seasoning of salt and pepper, and a small pinch of cayenne. Stir over the fire until the mixture is thoroughly hot, then fill the scallop-shells (previously well-buttered), cover lightly with breadcrumbs, place on the top of each small pieces of butter, and bake in a hot oven until nicely browned, or brown the surface with a hot salamander.
Time.—½ an hour. Average Cost, 1s. 6d.
616.—SCALLOPS, FRIED. (Fr.—Pétoncles Frits.)
Ingredients.—18 scallops, 1 egg, ½ oz. butter, 2 ozs. of flour, 1 gill of milk, salt, pepper and cayenne, frying-fat, parsley.
Method.—Drain the scallops on a cloth. Sift the flour into a basin, add a pinch of salt. Melt the butter, beat up the egg, stir both into the flour, add the milk, and work until quite smooth. If too thick, a little more melted butter or milk may be added. Let the batter stand for an hour, then stir in a dessertspoonful of chopped parsley. Season the scallops with a little salt, a good pinch of white pepper, ​and a small pinch of cayenne. Dip them into the batter, drop them one by one into hot fat, fry to a golden-brown, drain on a cloth, pile up on a hot dish, garnish with fried parsley, and serve with lobster or tomato sauce (No 281)
Time.—To fry, from 5 to 6 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. Sufficient for 8 or 9 persons. Seasonable from January to June.
The Scallop (Fr. pétoncle) is allied to the oyster, and is highly esteemed for the table. The shells of the scallop were worn in their hats by pilgrims in the Middle Ages, to show that they had made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
617.—SCALLOPS AND MUSHROOMS. (Fr.—Pétoncles aux Champignons.)
Ingredients.—6 scallops, 6 large flap mushrooms, 1 oz. of butter, 1 or 2 tablespoonfuls of white sauce, milk, salt and pepper.
Method.—Remove the scallops from their shells, and wash well in cold water. Put them into a stewpan with just sufficient milk to cover, add a little salt and pepper and simmer gently for about 50 minutes. Drain well, chop the yellow and white parts separately, moisten with a little white sauce, and season to taste. While the scallops are cooking remove the stalks of the mushrooms, peel them and fry them in hot butter. Place an equal portion of the white part of the scallops on each mushroom, pile the red part on the top, make thoroughly hot in the oven, and serve.
Time.—About 1¼ hours. Average Cost, 1s. to 1s. 6d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable from January to June.
618.—SCALLOPS, SCALLOPED. (Fr.—Pétoncles en coquilles.)
Ingredients.—12 scallops, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, breadcrumbs, butter, salt and pepper.
Method.—Wash and drain the scallops, chop them finely, and mix with them an equal quantity of breadcrumbs. Season liberally with salt and pepper, and add the parsley. Wash and dry the deeper shells, butter them thickly, and sprinkle lightly with breadcrumbs. Fill the shells with the preparation, cover the surface lightly with breadcrumbs, and add two or three bits of butter. Bake in a moderate oven until well-browned, and serve in the shells.
Time.—30 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 2d. to 2s. Sufficient for 5 or 6 shells. Seasonable from January to June.
619.—SCALLOPS IN SHELLS. (Fr.—Pétoncles en coquilles.)
FISH.
1. Boiled Turbot. 2. Dressed Crab. 3. Boiled Salmon (Curled).
FISH ENTRÉES.
1. Cold Border of Salmon. 2. Mayonnaise Fish. 3. Timbale of Turbot.
​of butter, 1 gill white sauce, cayenne, and salt, a little chopped parsley, and a squeeze of lemon.
Method.—Trim the scallops by cutting off the beards and black parts, cleanse 6 shells, butter them, and strew in a few bread crumbs. Put 3 scallops in each, season them with the cayenne and chopped parsley, and a drop or two of lemon-juice. Put a little pepper and salt with the breadcrumbs, cover the scallops with white sauce, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, place little pieces of butter on the top. and bake for about 20 minutes.
Time.—20 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. to 2s. Sufficient for 6 persons. Seasonable from January to June.
620.—SCALLOPS, STEWED. (Fr.—Ragoût de pétoncles.)
Ingredients.—12 scallops, 1 oz. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, lemon-juice or vinegar, salt and pepper.
Method.—Open the shells like an oyster, remove the scallops, and trim away the beard and black parts. Wash well in 2 or 3 waters, then cover them with warm water, and boil gently from 50 to 60 minutes. Meanwhile knead the flour and butter well together, mix in a little salt and popper, separate into small pieces, and add them to the contents of the stewpan 20 minutes before serving. When ready, place the scallops on a hot dish, season to taste, add the lemon-juice or vinegar, and pour over the fish.
Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. to 2s. Sufficient for 4 persons. Seasonable from January to June.
621.—SCALLOPS IN WHITE WINE SAUCE. (Fr.—Petoncles au Vin Blanc.)
Ingredients.—18 scallops, milk, butter, 1 small onion, 1 clove, ½ bay leaf, white sauce (No. 223).
Method.—Wash the scallops, or escallops, as these shell-fish are often called; the washing being absolutely necessary, as they are always more or less gritty. Put the scallops in a stewpan with sufficient milk and water to cover them, add a small onion, peeled and stuck with a clove, also ½ a bay-leaf and a pinch of salt, and boil for 15 minutes. Take up, drain, and finish cooking in white sauce, an extra piece of fresh butter or a tablespoonful of cream being added at the finish. For the seasoning, a tiny pinch of cayenne and a grate of nutmeg is recommended.
Time.—½ an hour. Average Cost, 2s. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 8 or 9 persons. Seasonable from January to June.
​622.—SEA-BREAM, BAKED. (Fr.—Brême de Mer rotie, au four.)
Ingredients.—1 bream, seasoning to taste of salt, pepper and cayenne, ¼ of a lb. of butter.
Method.—Well wash the bream, but do not remove the scales, and wipe away all moisture with a dry cloth. Season it inside and out with salt, pepper, and cayenne, and lay it in a baking-dish. Place the butter, in small pieces, upon the fish, and bake for rather more than 30 minutes. It will be found a great improvement to stuff the fish before baking.
Time.—Rather more than 30 minutes. Average Cost, 4d. to 6d. per lb. Seasonable in summer, but may be procured all the year round.
Note.—This fish may be broiled over a nice clear fire, and served with a good brown gravy or white sauce, or it may be stewed in wine.
The Sea-Bream (Fr. brême de mer).—A popular name given to fish of the genus Brama—the true bream, a fresh-water fish, belongs to the carp family. The sea-bream is abundant round the coast of Cornwall. It is not held in very high estimation.
Mr. Yarrell's Recipe.—"When thoroughly cleansed the fish should be wiped dry, but none of the scales should be taken off. In this state it should be broiled, turning it often, and if the skin cracks, flour it a little to keep the outer case entire. When on table, the whole skin and scales turn off without difficulty, and the muscle beneath saturated in its own natural juices which the outside covering has retained, will be of good flavour."
623.—SHAD, BAKED. (Fr.—Alose roti, au four.)
Ingredients.—1 shad, 2 or 3 slices of bacon, 3 or 4 ozs. of veal forcemeat (see Forcemeats).
Method.—Wash, clean, scale, and dry the fish. Make the forcemeat as directed, put it inside the fish, and sew up the opening. Place the fish in a baking-dish or tin, lay the slices of bacon on the top of it, and bake gently from ¾ to 1 hour. Serve with a suitable fish sauce, or a tureen of good beef gravy.
Time.—About 1¼ hours, altogether. Average Cost, 2s. 3d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable from April to June.
624.—SHAD, BOILED, WITH DUTCH SAUCE. (Fr.—Alose à la Hollandaise.)
Ingredients.—Shad, salt and water, Hollandaise sauce (No. 304).
Method.—Clean the fish, but do not scale it, boil in salt and water, and serve garnished with fresh parsley and cut lemon. Send a boat of the sauce to table with the fish.
Time.—From 30 to 40 minutes. Average Cost. 2s. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 8 persons. Seasonable from April to June.
625.—SHAD, BROILED. (Fr.—Alose Grillé.)
Ingredients.—1 shad, oil, pepper and salt.
​Method.—Scale, empty and wash the fish carefully, and make 2 or 3 incisions across the back. Season it with pepper and salt, and let it remain in oil for 30 minutes. Broil it on both sides over a clear fire, and serve with caper sauce. The fish is much esteemed by the French.
Time.—Nearly 1 hour. Average Cost, from 6d. per lb. Seasonable from April to June.
The Shad (Fr. alose)—The two best known species of the shad, which belongs to the herring family, are the common or Allice shad, and the Twaite shad. The shad is a salt-water fish, frequenting the mouths of large rivers, which it ascends in the spawning season. In shape it resembles the herring, but is of a larger size and is called in Scotland the "herring king." Its colour is dark blue, with hints of brown and green, and white beneath. The Allice shad abounds in the Severn. The Twaite shad is smaller than the Allice, and is common in the Thames.
626.—SHAD, BROILED. (Fr.—Alose grillé.)
Ingredients.—1 shad weighing about 2 lb., 4 tablespoonfuls of salad-oil, 1 dessertspoonful of finely-chopped onion, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, salt and pepper, sorrel, caper or piquant sauce.
Method.—Wash, empty and thoroughly dry the fish, place it in a deep dish, and add the salad-oil, onion, parsley and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Baste frequently, let the fish remain in the marinade for 2 hours, then drain and dry it well. Broil over a clear fire for about ½ an hour, according to size, turn the fish frequently, and brush occasionally with some of the oil in which the fish was soaked. Serve the sauce separately in a tureen.
Time.—To broil, about ½ an hour. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. to 2s. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable from February to September.
627.—SHAD, FRIED. (Fr.—Alose frit.)
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized shad, flour, salt and pepper, egg and breadcrumbs, frying-fat, anchovy, tomato or piquant sauce.
Method.—Wash and scale the fish, separate it from the backbone, and divide into neat fillets. Add a little salt and pepper to 1 tablespoonful of flour, dip the fillets in the mixture, and afterwards coat the fillets carefully with egg and breadcrumbs. Have ready a deep pan of hot fat, fry the fish until lightly browned, then drain well. Garnish with crisply-fried parsley, and the roe, previously fried. Serve the sauce separately in a tureen.
Time.—To fry, about 10 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable from February to September.
628.—SHRIMPS, POTTED. (Fr.—Terrine de Crevettes.)
Ingredients.—1 pint of shelled shrimps, ¼ of a lb. of fresh butter, 1 blade of pounded mace, cayenne to taste, and, if liked, a little nutmeg.
​Method.—Have ready 1 pint of picked shrimps, put them, with the other ingredients, into a stewpan, let them heat gradually in the butter, but do not let it boil. Pour into small pots, and, when cold, cover with melted butter, and carefully exclude the air.
Time.—¼ of an hour, to soak in the butter. Average Cost, 1s. 6d.
The Shrimp (Fr. crevette).—This familiar crustacean, belonging to the order Decapoda'', or ten-footed crustacea, is allied to the lobsters and crawfishes. It inhabits the sandy shores of the coasts of Britain and Ireland, and is captured in nets, which are pushed before the shrimpers through the sand. In colour it resembles the sand in which it lives, and is semi-transparent, but after being boiled it becomes opaque, and changes to the well-known brown hue. The red variety lives in deeper water, and is caught chiefly on the east and south coasts of England. Its colour before boiling is reddish-grey. The bulk of the London supply of shrimps comes from Holland from January to the end of June; but the Dutch are inferior in quality to the English shrimps, which are abundant from July to the end of the year.
629.—SHRIMPS AND PRAWNS, TO SHELL.
There is a slight difference in the shape of shrimps and prawns, the tail of the former being rounded at the bend, like that of a lobster, but the tail of the prawn presents a sort of knee or angle. To shell a shrimp, take the head between the right thumb and forefinger, and with the left forefinger and thumb-nail raise on each side the shell of the tail, pinch the tail, and the shell will at once separate. To shell prawns, take the head between the right hand thumb and second finger, take the tip of the tail between the left thumb and forefinger; with the nail of the right forefinger raise the shell at the knee or angle, pinch the tail, and the shell will come apart, leaving the prawn attached to the head.
630.—SKATE, BOILED. (Fr.—Raie au Naturel.)
Ingredients.—1 skate, salt.
Method.—Clean and skin the skate, put it into a fish-kettle containing sufficient salted warm water to just cover it, and simmer gently for about 30 minutes, or until the fish separates readily from the bone. Drain well, dish on a folded napkin, and serve with shrimp, lobster or caper sauce.
Time.—From 30 to 50 minutes, according to size. Average Cost, from 4d. to 6d. per lb. Seasonable from August to April.
To Choose Skate.—This fish should be chosen for its firmness, breadth and thickness, and should have a creamy appearance. It should not be kept longer than a day or two.
The Skate (Fr. raie), a member of the Ray family, is rhomboidal in shape, and has a cartilaginous skeleton. The body is much depressed; the teeth are flat, and form a mosaic-like pattern in the mouth; the tail is long and slender and heterocercal, having the upper lobe longer than the lower; the mouth is pointed with a prominent ridge. The Thornback differs from the common skate by having spines on the upper surface of the tail. It is inferior in quality to the true skate, The flesh of the skate is white, palatable, and easily digested. It is improved by crimping, and is usually sold in that form.
631.—SKATE WITH BROWN BUTTER. (Fr.—Raie au beurre-noir.)
Proceed as directed in the foregoing recipe, and serve on a hot dish ​without the napkin. Meanwhile heat an oz. of fresh butter until it becomes nut-brown in colour, then add a teaspoonful of vinegar and a little chopped parsley. Pour this hot over the fish, garnish with sprigs of parsley and serve.
632.—SKATE WITH CAPER SAUCE. (Fr.—Raie, Sauce aux Câpres.)
Ingredients.—2 or 3 slices of skate, ½ a pint of vinegar, 2 ozs. of salt, ½ a teaspoonful of pepper, 1 sliced onion, a small bunch of parsley, 2 bay-leaves, 2 or 3 sprigs of thyme, sufficient warm water to cover the fish, caper sauce (No. 182).
Method.—Put all the above ingredients into a fish-kettle, and simmer the skate in them until tender. When it is done, skin the skate neatly, and pour over it some of the liquor in which it has cooked. Drain well, put it on a hot dish, pour over it a little caper sauce, and send the remainder to a table in a tureen.
Time.—½ an hour. Average Cost, 2s. Sufficient for 4 persons. Seasonable from August to April.
Note.—Skate may be served with onion sauce, or parsley and butter.
633.—SKATE, SMALL, FRIED. (Fr.—Raitons Frits.)
Ingredients.—Skate, sufficient vinegar to cover them, salt and pepper to taste, 1 sliced onion, a small bunch of parsley, the juice of ½ lemon, frying-fat.
Method.—Cleanse the skate, lay them in a dish, with vinegar to cover them, add the salt, pepper, onion, parsley, and lemon-juice, and let the fish remain in this pickle for 1½ hours. Drain them well, flour them or cover them with egg and breadcrumbs, and fry in hot fat until nicely browned. They may be served either with or without sauce. Skate is not good if dressed too fresh, unless it is crimped, and it should, therefore, be kept for a day.
Time.—10 minutes. Average Cost, from 4d. per lb. Seasonable from August to April.
634.—SMELTS, TO BAKE. (Fr.—Eperlans au Gratin.)
Ingredients.—12 smelts, breadcrumbs, 2 ozs. of fresh butter, salt and cayenne to taste.
Method.—Wash and dry the fish thoroughly in a cloth, and arrange them nicely in a flat baking-dish. Cover them with fine breadcrumbs, and place over them little pieces of butter. Season and bake for 15 minutes. Just before serving, add a squeeze of lemon-juice, and garnish with fried parsley and cut lemon.
Time.—15 minutes. Average Cost, from 1s to 2s. per dozen. Sufficient for 4 persons. Seasonable from October to May.
​635.—SMELTS, TO FRY. (Fr.—Éperlans Frits.)
Ingredients.—Smelts, egg and breadcrumbs, a little flour, boiling fat or oil.
Method.—Smelts should be very fresh, and not washed more than is necessary to cleanse them. Dry them in a cloth, flour lightly, dip them in egg, cover with very fine breadcrumbs, and put them into boiling fat or oil. Fry a nice pale brown, then drain the smelts before the fire on a piece of paper, and serve with plain melted butter. This fish is often used as a garnish.
Time.—5 minutes. Average Cost, from 1s. to 2s. per dozen. Seasonable from October to May.
To Choose Smelts.—When good, this fish is of a fine silvery appearance, and when alive the back is of a dark-brown shade, which, after death, fades to a light fawn. Smelts should have a refreshing fragrance, resembling that of a cucumber.
636.—SMELTS, POTTED. (Fr.—Terrine d' Éperlans.)
Ingredients.—Fresh smelts, mace, pepper and salt, butter.
Method.—Wash the fish carefully, draw out the insides, and sprinkle the seasoning over them. Put them into a baking-tin with pieces of butter, and bake for 20 minutes. Allow the smelts to get nearly cold, then place them on a clean cloth to drain, and put into pots. Clarify the butter in which they were baked, adding more if necessary, and pour it over the fish.
Time.—20 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. to 2s. per dozen. Seasonable from October to May.
The Smelt (Fr. eperlan) is a small but very delicate fish, and is highly esteemed. It is allied to the salmon, and inhabits the sea about the mouths of rivers. The body is long and compressed, silvery-white in colour, and semi-transparent; the eyes are large. From August to May it frequents fresh water and spawns; afterwards it returns to the sea. A violet-like odour is exhaled from the smelt. The Atharine, or "sand-smelt," is an inferior fish, sometimes sold for the true variety. It is allied to the mullets, and is of a pale pink, spotted with black.
637.—SNAILS, BAKED. (Fr.—Escargots rôtis.)
Ingredients.—2 dozen snails, 1 oz. of butter, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, 1 shallot finely-chopped, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.
Method.—Soak the snails in salt and water for 12 hours, then drain them well. Sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper, shallot and parsley, cover with breadcrumbs, and add a small piece of butter. Bake in a moderate oven for 20 minutes, and serve hot.
Time.—To bake, about 20 minutes. Average Cost, from 6d. to 1s. per dozen.
638.—SNAILS WITH PIQUANT SAUCE. (Fr.—Escargots, sauce piquante.)
Ingredients.—2 dozen snails, ½ an oz. of butter, 2 shallots ​finely-chopped, 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls of piquant sauce, salt and pepper, maître d'hôtel butter as directed in recipe No. 551.
Method.—Cover the snails with salt and water, let them remain in it for 12 hours, then wash and drain well. Put the snails into a saucepan containing sufficient boiling water to cover them, cook gently for about 20 minutes, then drain, and when cool, remove them from their shells. Meanwhile, melt the butter, fry the shallots without browning, add the piquant sauce and snails, and season to taste. Make thoroughly hot, replace the snails in their shells, cover maître d'hôtel butter, and serve.
Time.—Altogether, about 35 minutes. Average Cost, 6d. to 1s. per dozen.
639.—SOLE, BAKED WITH SHRIMPS. (Fr.—Sole aux Crevettes.)
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized sole, ¼ of a pint of picked shrimps, 1 dessertspoonful of white breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoonful of anchovy-essence, 1 egg, a little white sauce or milk, cayenne, salt, brown breadcrumbs, a little butter.
Method.—Remove the skin, make an incision down the centre as for filleting, and raise as far as possible the flesh on each side. Chop the shrimps coarsely, add the breadcrumbs, cayenne, salt (if necessary), anchovy-essence, ½ the egg, and sufficient white sauce or milk to moisten the whole. Press the mixture lightly inside the fish, and instead of drawing the 2 sides together, fill the gap between them with the forcemeat, and flatten the surface of it to the level of the fish. Brush over with the remainder of the egg, cover with pale brown breadcrumbs, and bake for about 20 minutes in a moderate oven.
Time.—About 40 minutes. Average Cost, from 1s. 9d. to 2s. 9d. Sufficient for 2 to 3 persons. Seasonable at any time.
The Sole (Fr. sole).—Next to the turbot, the sole is the most excellent among flat fish. Its flesh is white and delicate and easily digested, and is highly esteemed, not only as a table-fish, but also for invalids. It is captured on the British coasts, but those caught on the western coast are usually superior in size. The sole spawns during February and March and during that season its flesh is less palatable. Allied to the sole is the Lemon Sole, which is less delicate in flavour. The flavour of the sole depends greatly upon the ground and the bait upon which the fresh fish feeds. Soles are usally caught by means of the trawl-net, an instrument shaped like a great triangular pocket from 60 to 80 feet in length and open at the mouth from 32 to 40 feet. The net is kept extended by means of a large wooden beam 36 to 60 feet long, and fixed at its ends by iron frames, which raise it from the ground. It is dragged along the bottom of the sea by the movement of the trawling vessel.
640.—SOLE, BOILED. (Fr.—Sole bouillie.)
Ingredients.—1 large sole, salt.
Method.—Wash and clean the fish, but do not skin it, and cut off the fins. Have ready a fish-kettle with sufficient warm water to cover the fish, add salt to taste, put in the sole, and cook gently from 10 to 12 ​minutes, according to its size. Drain well, dish on a folded napkin, garnish with parsley and cut lemon, and serve with shrimp, lobster, or plain melted butter sauce.
Time.—After the water boils, 10 to 12 minutes for a large sole. Average Cost, 1s. 9d. to 2s. 3d. Sufficient for 4 persons.
To Choose Soles.—The fish should be both thick and firm. If the skin is removed with difficulty and the flesh looks grey, it is good.
641.—SOLE, BAKED FILLETS OF, WITH FORCEMEAT. (Fr.—Filets de Sole Farcis.)
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized sole, 2 tablespoonfuls of breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoonful of finely-chopped suet, 1 dessertspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ¼ of a teaspoonful of mixed herbs, 1 egg, salt and pepper, butter, pale-brown breadcrumbs.
Method.—Wash, skin, and fillet the sole. Mix the above ingredients together with as much of the egg as is necessary to moisten the whole. Spread a thin layer of forcemeat on each fillet, and fold in two. Arrange the fillets in a fireproof baking-dish, and fill up the spaces between them with the rest of the forcemeat. Sprinkle lightly with pale-brown breadcrumbs, add a few small pieces of butter, and bake for about 30 minutes in a moderate oven. Serve in the dish in which they are cooked.
Time.—To bake, 30 minutes. Average Cost, from 1s. 9d. to 2s. 3d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.
642.—SOLE WITH CREAM SAUCE. (Fr.—Sole à la Crème.)
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized sole, 1 pint of milk (or milk and fish stock), 2 ozs. of butter, 1½ ozs. of flour, a blade of mace, a small piece of onion, salt and pepper, lemon-juice.
Method.—Wash, skin, and fillet the sole, and divide each fillet lengthwise into two. Tie each strip loosely into a knot, or fold the ends over each other; place on a greased tin, season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with lemon-juice, cover with a greased paper, and bake from 10 to 15 minutes in a moderate oven. To make the stock, simmer the bones of the fish, the onion, and mace in the milk for about 15 minutes, then strain and season to taste. Melt the butter in a stewpan, add the flour, cook for 3 or 4 minutes, then pour in the milk, and stir until it boils. Let the sauce simmer 10 minutes at least; then arrange the fish nicely on a hot dish, either in a circle or forming two rows, and strain the sauce over, taking care to coat the fish evenly. Decorate with a little chopped parsley or lobster coral.
Time.—To bake, from 10 to 15 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 9d. to 2s. 9d. Sufficient for 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.
​643.—SOLE À L'EPICURIENNE.
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized sole, ¾ of a pint of good brown sauce, No. 233, 1 tablespoonful of sherry, 1 tomato, 12 button mushrooms, 1 egg, breadcrumbs.
Method.—Wash and skin the sole, and cut into 4 or 5 pieces. Brush each piece over with egg, coat with breadcrumbs, and fry in hot fat. Have ready the brown sauce in a stewpan, put in the pieces of fish, tomato and mushrooms, cover closely, and cook very gently for 20 minutes. Remove the fish carefully, and arrange it on a hot dish in the form of a whole sole. Add the sherry to the sauce, season to taste, strain over the fish, garnish with the mushrooms, and serve.
Time.—½ hour. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. to 2s. 9d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.
644.—SOLE, FILLETS OF, IN CASES. (Fr.—Filets de Sole en Surprise.)
Ingredients.—2 medium-sized soles, 1 small carrot (sliced), 1 bay-leaf, 1 glass of Chablis, 1½ ozs. of butter, ½ a pint of milk, 2 ozs. of grated Parmesan cheese, 2 ozs. of flour (sifted), 3 eggs, salt and pepper to taste, soufflé cases.
Method.—Skin and fillet the soles. Cut up the bones, and cook in the milk with the sliced carrot and bay-leaf. Cut the fillets in halves, roll up, and place them in a buttered sauté-pan. Season with pepper and salt, moisten with the wine, cover with buttered paper, and poach in the oven for about 8 minutes. Prepare a soufflé mixture in the following manner: Strain the milk into a clean stewpan, add the remainder of butter, and bring to the boil, stir in the flour whilst boiling, and work vigorously with a wooden spoon or spatula until the panada leaves the sides of the pan, then add the grated cheese, and season with cayenne. Let the ingredients cool a little, and stir in the yolks of the 3 eggs and the whites of two, previously whisked to a stiff froth. Butter some small china or paper soufflé cases, put a dessertspoonful of the mixture in each, and upon this place ½ a fillet of sole with a little of the liquor of the fish. Fill up each case with the soufflé mixture, and bake in a moderate oven for about 15 minutes. Dish up and serve hot.
Note.—If preferred, this dish may be baked in one soufflé dish, sufficently large to hold the above quantity.
Time.—¾ of an hour. Average Cost, 4s 3d. Sufficient for 8 persons, allowing 2 small soufflés for each. Seasonable at any time.
645.—SOLE, À LA COLBERT, FILLETS OF.
Ingredients.—2 rather small soles, 1 oz, of butter, 1 teaspoonful of ​finely-chopped parsley, 1 teaspoonful of lemon-juice, cayenne, pepper and salt, browned breadcrumbs.
Method.—Mix the butter, parsley, lemon-juice and cayenne together on a plate, smooth the mixture into a pat, and set it aside to become firm. Wash, skin and fillet the sole, sprinkle each fillet with salt, pepper and lemon-juice, and roll up, making the outer side of the sole the inside of the roll; the outside skin contracts under the influence of heat, and keeps the rolls in shape. Place on a buttered tin, cover with a greased paper, and bake for about 15 minutes. When done, roll quickly in the browned breadcrumbs, place a small round pat of the Maître d'Hôtel on the top of each, and pour round anchovy or some other sauce.
Time.—About 15 minutes. Average Cost, 2s. 3d. to 2s. 9d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
646.—SOLE À L'HORLY, FILLETS OF.
Ingredients.—1 fairly-large sole. For the marinade, or brine: 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice (or the same quantity of mixed tarragon and chili vinegar), 1 tablespoonful of salad-oil, a teaspoonful each of finely-chopped parsley and onion or shallots, salt and pepper. For the batter: 2 ozs. of flour, ½ gill of tepid water, 1 tablespoonful of salad-oil or melted butter, the white of 1 egg, salt.
Method.—Wash, skin and fillet the sole, and divide each fillet lengthwise and across into two. Place the fillets in a deep dish with the marinade, and let them soak for 1 hour, then drain well. Have ready the batter, made by mixing the flour and salt smoothly with the water and oil, and lastly adding the stiffly-whipped white of egg. Dip the fillets of fish in the batter, take them out on the point of a skewer, drop them carefully into a deep pan of hot fat, and fry until golden-brown. Dish on a folded serviette or fish paper, and garnish with fried parsley.
Time.—Altogether, 1½ to 1¾ hours. Average Cost, 2s. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
647.—SOLES, FILLETS OF, NORMANDY STYLE. (Fr.—Filets de Sole à la Normande.)
Ingredients.—2 soles, white wine, 1 finely-chopped shallot, butter, cooked oysters, mussels, mushrooms, Normande sauce (No. 204).
Method.—Clean, skin, and trim the soles, remove the fillets, fold them in two, and place them in a buttered sauté-pan, season with pepper and salt, moisten with 1 gill of white wine, sprinkle with a finely-chopped shallot, place a few pieces of butter here and there, and cook in the oven for about 10 minutes. Have ready a garniture of prepared oysters, mussels, button mushrooms, and croûtes or fleurons ​(little half-moon shapes of puff-paste). Put the fillets on a dish, arrange the garnish neatly, and sauce over with the Normande sauce in which the garniture was cooked. Garnish the sides vith croûtes of bread made from rasped French dinner rolls (buttered slices browned in the oven) or with fleurons. Serve the remaining sauce separately in a boat.
Note.—If smelts are in season this dish should be garnished with a few dried smelts in addition to the other garniture.
Time.—To cook, 10 minutes. Average Cost, 4s. 3d. to 4s. 9. Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons. Seasonable at any time.
648.—SOLES, FILLETS OF, POLISH STYLE. (Fr.—Filets de Soles, à la Polonaise.)
Ingredients.—Soles, white wine, truffle, whiting forcemeat (No. 415), prawns or crayfish, Tomato Sauce (No. 281.)
Method.—Skin and fillet the soles, flatten them a little, fold and pare neatly, and put them in a buttered sauté-pan. Season with pepper and salt, add a wineglassful of white wine, cover with buttered paper, and cook in the oven for about 10 minutes. Have ready a buttered border mould, decorate the sides with a few fancifully-cut slices of truffles, fill up with "whiting forcemeat," poach in a bain-marie, turn out on a dish, dress the fillets on top of the border in a circular row, and place a prawn or crayfish tail on top of each fillet. Fill the centre with a salpicon of truffles, mushrooms, olives, and crayfish tails. Sauce over carefully with a well-prepared Tomato sauce, and serve.
Time.—To cook, about 10 minutes. Seasonable all the year.
649.—SOLE, ROLLED FILLETS OF, CARDINAL STYLE. (Fr.—Paupiettes de Sole à la Cardinale.)
Ingredients.—2 large or 3 small soles, chopped truffles, light fish forcemeat (No. 415), 1 glass of Chablis, ¼ of a pint of fish stock, 1 gill of Cardinal sauce (No. 292), ½ a teaspoonful of Krona seasoning, lobster spawn, salt and pepper.
Method.—Skin and fillet the soles, flatten each fillet, trim, and season them with salt and pepper. Spread the cut side with a light fish forcemeat, sprinkle over some chopped truffles, and roll up the fillets in the form of olives. Place them, folded side downwards, in a buttered earthenware casserole, moisten with a glass of Chablis wine, and the fish stock. Sprinkle with ½ a teaspoonful of Krona seasoning, cover with buttered paper, and cook in a hot oven for about 15 minutes. Pour off some of the liquor, and add to it the Cardinal sauce, highly-coloured with lobster spawn, and reduce a little. Strain this over the fillets. Place a slice of truffle on each fillet of sole. Re-heat, and send to table in the casserole.
​Time.—About 15 minutes. Average Cost, 3s. 6d. to 4s. Sufficient for 8 or 10 persons. Seasonable all the year.
650.—SOLE, FRIED. (Fr.—Sole frite.)
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized sole, oil or clarified fat, egg, breadcrumbs, flour, salt and pepper.
Method.—Wash and skin the sole, cut off the fins, and dry well. Add a liberal seasoning of salt and pepper to a teaspoonful of flour, rub it well into the sole, then brush it over with egg, and cover with fine breadcrumbs. Lift it carefully on to the wire drainer, lower it into the hot oil or fat, and fry until it acquires a pale golden-brown colour. Soles may also be fried, though less easily, and sometimes less satisfactorily, in a large frying-pan. The oval form is preferable for the purpose; and in frying, care should be taken to first cook the side of the sole intended to be served uppermost, otherwise breadcrumbs that have become detached from the side first fried may adhere to the side next cooked, and spoil its appearance. Drain well on kitchen paper, and serve garnished with fried parsley.
Time.—About 10 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 9d. to 2s. Sufficient for 2 or 3 persons. Seasonable all the year.
651.—SOLES, TO FILLET.
Soles for filleting should be large, as the flesh can be more easily separated from the bones, and there is less waste. To skin any fish, it must be kept wet. It is easier to skin if it is stale.
Method.—With flat-fish begin at the tail, cut the skin across, but do not cut into the flesh, and loosen the skin along the fins on either side with a skewer or finger. Then tear off the skin with the left hand, keeping the thumb of the right hand well pressed over the backbone to prevent the removal of the flesh with the skin. Use a sharp knife for filleting; keep it pressed to the bone, raise the flesh carefully, remove the fillets, and divide them, into pieces suitable for serving. Fillets of a small sole are not divided; they are rolled, tied, or folded according to requirements.
652.—SOLES, FRICASSÉE OF. (Fr.—Fricassée de Soles.)
Ingredients.—2 medium-sized soles, 1 small sole, 1 yolk of egg, 1 tablespoonful of breadcrumbs, ½ a teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, a little finely-grated lemon-rind, salt and pepper. Butter or fat for frying, egg and breadcrumbs, ¾ of a pint of brown sauce, No. 233, 1 tablespoonful of sherry, ½ a teaspoonful of lemon-juice.
Method.—Remove the skin and bones from the small sole, and chop the flesh finely. Mix with it the breadcrumbs, parsley, lemon-rind, and a little salt and pepper, and bind with a little of the yolk of egg. ​Shape into small balls, fry in hot butter or fat until crisp and lightly browned, and drain well. Skin and trim the soles, coat them carefully with egg and breadcrumbs, and fry them brown in hot fat. Drain well, place the soles in a sauté-pan, pour over them the hot sauce, add the forcemeat balls and lemon-juice, and season to taste. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, then serve the fish with the sauce strained over, and garnished with the balls.
Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 3s. 9d. to 4s. 3d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
653.—SOLE AU GRATIN.
In France there is but one way of doing Sole au Gratin, but in England there are several ways. There is, however, no better method than the French; and a sole cooked "au gratin" after the French manner in an exceedingly tasty dish, and once introduced will be preferred to all others.
Ingredients.—1 large sole, ½ a glass of white wine, preserved mushrooms sliced, Italian sauce (No. 252), mushroom liquor, chopped parsley. brown breadcrumbs, butter, salt and pepper, lemon-juice.
Method.—Take the sole, skin both sides, cut off the head and fins, and make several incisions with a knife across one side of the fish. Place, cut side upwards, on a well-buttered silver-plated "gratin dish," season with pepper and salt, add half a small glass of white wine, few drops of lemon-juice, a little mushroom liquor, and some chopped parsley. Place a row of sliced preserved mushrooms down the centre of the fish, and cover with a rich Italian sauce. Sprinkle with brown breadcrumbs, put a few tiny bits of butter here and there on top of the fish, and bake in a moderate oven from 20 to 30 minutes, according to the size of the sole. Place the dish as it leaves the oven on another (larger) dish, and send to table.
Time.—From 20 to 30 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 9d. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 2 or 3 persons. Seasonable all the year.
654.—SOLE WITH FINE HERBS. (Fr.—Sole aux Fines Herbes.)
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized sole, 1 oz. of butter, ¼ of a pint of good stock, 1 glass of sherry, 2 finely-chopped shallots, 1 tablespoonful of finely-chopped parsley; ½ a teaspoonful each of anchovy and Harvey's sauce, salt and pepper.
Method.—Melt the butter in a sauté-pan, add the rest of the ingredients, except the anchovy and Harvey's sauce, and warm gradually, Wash and skin the sole, put it into the pan as soon as the contents are hot, cover closely, and cook in a moderate oven for ½ an hour. Just before the serving add the anchovy and Harvey's sauce; then place the sole on a hot dish, and strain the sauce over.
​Time.—About 40 minutes. Average Cost, 2s. 3d. Sufficient for 2 or 3 persons. Seasonable at any time.
655.—SOLE WITH MAÎTRE D'HÔTEL SAUCE. (Fr.—Sole à la Maître d'Hôtel.)
Sole à la Maître d'Hôtel is dressed and served in precisely the same way as Sole à la Crême, with the addition of a dessertspoonful of finely-chopped parsley and a teaspoonful of lemon-juice, both of which must be stirred into the sauce just before serving.
656.—SOLES, PAUPIETTES OF, RICHELIEU STYLE. (Fr.—Paupiettes de Soles à la Richelieu.)
Ingredients.—2 large soles, 1 whiting, 3 ozs. of breadcrumbs, 3 ozs. of butter, the yolks of 4 eggs, 2 ozs. of lobster-meat, 1 oz. of lobster butter, 2 tablespoonfuls of cream, 1 finely-chopped shallot, 1 gill of white wine, 1 dessertspoonful of chopped parsley, lemon-juice, pepper and salt, 8 small croûtes of fine bread, 8 mushroom heads, 1 truffle, ½ an oz. of flour, ½ a pint of white stock.
Method.—Skin the soles, remove the fillets, flatten them a little. Put the bones in a stewpan with ½ a pint of water and the stock, reduce to half the quantity, and strain. Skin and bone the whiting, pound in a mortar till smooth. Moisten the breadcrumbs with the cream, add these to the pounded fish with the shallot and lobster-meat, pound and mix thoroughly. Now add 1½ ozs. of butter and yolks of 3 eggs, season with pepper and salt, mix in a teaspoonful of chopped parsley and rub through a sieve. Spread one side of each fillet with the forcemeat, roll up, trim a little, and wrap each fillet in a piece of buttered paper. Place them closely in a buttered sauté-pan, sprinkle with a few drops of lemon-juice, cook for 5 minutes in the oven, then add the wine, baste well, and cook for another 10 minutes, or longer if required. Spread one side of each croûte with the remaining forcemeat, and bake for a few minutes. Take up the fillets, remove the paper, place upright on the croûtes, put a mushroom head on each, and keep hot. In the meantime, knead 1 oz. of butter with the flour, stir over the fire for a few minutes, add the liquor of the fillets and the reduced stock, stir until it boils, and simmer for 15 minutes. Bind with the yolk of egg, strain, work in the lobster-butter, and season to taste. Dish up the paupiettes, sauce over, sprinkle with chopped parsley, place a star of truffle in the centre of each, and serve.
Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 5s. to 5s. 6d. Sufficient for 8 persons. Seasonable at any time.
​657.—SOLES WITH MUSHROOMS. (Fr.—Soles aux Champignons.)
Ingredients.—2 medium-sized soles, ½ a pint of mushroom sauce, No. 257, milk, salt and pepper.
Method.—Skin and trim the soles, place them in an earthenware baking-dish, sufficiently large to allow the fish to lie flat, but one above the other if more convenient. Sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper, barely cover with milk, and put over all a greased paper, to keep in the steam. Cook in a moderate oven for 10 or 15 minutes, then drain well, and place the soles on a hot dish. Make the sauce as directed, but before adding the mushrooms, boil well to reduce, in order that some or all of the liquor from the dish may be mixed with it, otherwise the sauce would be too thin. Season to taste, pour over the fish, and serve.
Time.—To cook the soles, from 10 to 15 minutes. Average Cost, 2s. to 2s. 6d., exclusive of the sauce. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.
658.—SOLE, PORTUGUESE STYLE. (Fr.—Sole à la Portugaise.)
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized sole, 1 oz. of butter, 2 or 3 tomatoes sliced, 1 onion sliced, 1 finely-chopped shallot, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ½ a teaspoonful of anchovy-essence, brown breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
Method.—Skin the sole and make an incision down the centre as for filleting, and raise the flesh from the bone on each side as far as possible. Mix the butter, onion, parsley, and anchovy-essence well together, and put the mixture inside the sole. Arrange the slices of onion and tomato alternately, and overlapping each other on the top of the fish; or if less onion is preferred, surround each slice of tomato by a single ring of onion. Mix together a dessertspoonful of grated Parmesan cheese, and a dessertspoonful of brown breadcrumbs, and sprinkle these over the fish. Place small pieces of butter on the top, cover with a greased paper, and bake for about 20 minutes in a moderate oven. Serve with tomato or brown sauce.
Time.—To bake, about 20 minutes. Average Cost, 2s. 3d. Sufficient for 3 persons. Seasonable at any time.
659.—SPRATS, DRIED. (Fr.—Melettes fumés.)
Dried sprats should be put into a basin, and boiling water poured over them; they may then be skinned and served, and this will be found a much better way than boiling them. They can also be broiled.
​660.—SPRATS. (Fr.—Melettes or Harenguets.)
Sprats should be cooked very fresh. Their condition can be ascertained by their eyes, which should be bright. Wipe them dry; fasten them in rows by a skewer run through the eyes; dredge with flour, and broil them on a gridiron over a nice clear fire. The gridiron should be rubbed with suet. Serve very hot, with cut lemons and brown bread and butter.
Time.—3 or 4 minutes. Average Cost, 1d. to 3d. per lb. Allow 1 lb. for 3 persons. Seasonable from November to March.
The Sprat (Fr. melette).—This well-known migratory little fish is allied to the herring, and was formerly supposed to be the young of that fish. There are, however, specifically distinct characteristics which distinguish the sprat on close examination from the herring, the chief being the serrated or notched edge of the abdomen, the greater prominence of the ventral fins, and differences in the structure of the teeth. The sprat abounds in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Seas, and on many parts of the British coasts, where in the winter and spring they appear in immense shoals, and are captured in vast quantities. The flesh of the sprat is wholesome and well-flavoured. Large quantities of sprats are used by the farmers near the coasts for manure. Sprats are also dried and cured in a similar manner to red herrings. In Scotland the sprat is called the Garvie.
661.—SPRATS, TO PRESERVE.
Ingredients.—½ a peck of sprats, 1 lb. of salt, 2 ozs. of baysalt, 2 ozs. of saltpetre, 1 oz. of sal-prunella, a little cochineal.
Method.—Pound all the ingredients, except the sprats, in a mortar, then put the sprats in a pan in layers with the seasoning, press them tightly down, and cover close. They will be ready for use in 5 or 6 months.
To Choose Sprats.—Choose those with a silvery appearance, brightness being a sign of freshness.
662.—SPRAT PASTE.
Method.—To make sprat-paste, which is similar to anchovy-paste, bake the sprats with a little butter in an earthenware dish, remove the heads, tails, backbone and skin, pound the fish well in a mortar, and rub through a fine sieve. Season well with salt, cayenne and pepper, add a good pinch of ground mace, and anchovy-essence to taste. Press into small pots, and cover with clarified butter.
Time.—5 or 6 minutes. Seasonable from November to March.
663.—STURGEON, BAKED. (Fr.—Esturgeon rôti au Vin Blanc.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of sturgeon, salt and pepper to taste, 1 small bunch of herbs, the juice of ½ a lemon, ¼ of a lb. of butter, ½ a pint of white wine.
Method.—Cleanse the fish thoroughly, skin it, and remove the inside. Have ready a large baking-dish, lay the fish in it, sprinkle over the seasoning and herbs very finely minced, and moisten it with the ​lemon-juice and wine. Place the butter in small pieces over the whole of the fish, put it in the oven, and baste frequently; brown it nicely, and serve with its own gravy.
Time.—From 1 to 1¼ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. to 3s. 6d. per lb. Seasonable from April to September.
The Sturgeon (Fr. esturgeon) was highly esteemed by the Romans, and in the time of the Emperor Severus it was regarded as one of the most important delicacies of the table. Its virtues are celebrated by the poet Martial. The sturgeon is an inhabitant of the Baltic, the Mediterranean, the Caspian, and the Black Seas, and of the Danube, the Volga, the Don, and other large rivers. It abounds in the rivers of North America, and is occasionally taken in the Thames, in the Esk, and in the Eden. When caught in the Thames, within the jurisdiction of the Lord Mayor, it may be claimed by him; formerly it belonged by hereditary right to the King. The avenge length of the common sturgeon is about 6 feet, but other species, as the great or white sturgeon frequently attain to large dimensions. The Sterlet, a smaller species about 3 feet in length, found in the Caspian Sea and some Russian rivers, is the most delicate in flavour, and its roe is the most highly esteemed for making caviare. In general form the sturgeon is somewhat slender; the body is covered with bony plates in longitudinal rows; the mouth, destitute of teeth, is situated on the upper surface of the head at the extremity of a proboscis. Its tail is heterocercal, or unequally lobed. The sturgeon, besides its excellent flesh, is valuable for its roe, from which caviare is prepared, and also for its air-bladder, which furnishes the finest isinglass; both these products constituting important articles of commerce.
664.—STURGEON, BAKED OR ROASTED.
Ingredients.—The tail-end of a sturgeon, veal forcemeat (No. 412), butter or fat for basting.
'Method.—Wash and skin the fish, split it down the inner side, carefully remove the backbone, and fill the cavity with the forcemeat. Replace the fish in its original form, and tie a buttered paper over the cut side. Have ready some hot butter or fat in a baking-dish or tin, put in the fish, baste well, and bake from 1 to 1¼ hours in a moderate oven, basting frequently. Serve with good brown gravy or a suitable fish sauce.
Time.—Altogether, 1½ to 1¾ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. to 3s. 6d. per lb. Seasonable from April to September.
Note.—Stugeon may be plainly-boiled, and served with Dutch sauce. The fish is very firm, and requires long boiling.
665.—STURGEON CUTLETS. (Fr.—Côtelettes d'Esturgeon.)
Ingredients.—1½ lb. of sturgeon, ½ a teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ¼ teaspoonful of finely-grated lemon-rind, egg and breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, fat for frying, piquant or tomato sauce (No. 281).
Ingredients.—Cut the fish into thin slices, flatten them with a cutlet-bat or heavy knife, and trim them into shape. Add the parsley and lemon-rind to the breadcrumbs, and season with salt and pepper. Brush over with beaten egg, coat carefully with the seasoned breadcrumbs, and fry in hot fat until lightly browned on both sided. Drain free from fat, and serve with piquant or tomato sauce poured round.
Time.—To fry, about 10 minutes. Average Cost, from 1s 6d. per lb. Sufficient for 6 or 8 persons. Seasonable, April to September.
​666.—STURGEON, MARINADED. (Fr.—Esturgeon mariné.)
Ingredients.—2 or 3 lb. of sturgeon, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1 Spanish onion chopped, 1 small carrot sliced, ¼ of a turnip coarsely-chopped, 1 strip of celery chopped, 2 bay-leaves, 1 dessertspoonful of chopped parsley, ½ a pint of vinegar, 1 pint of fish stock or water, 1 blade of mace, 6 peppercorns, a teaspoonful of salt.
Method.—Cold remains may be used for this dish instead of raw fish, which, when used, must be gently stewed for 1 hour in a little stock or water. This stock is employed to form the basis of the marinade. Melt the butter in a stewpan, add the onion, carrot, turnip, celery, bay-leaves and parsley, cover closely, cook gently for about 20 minutes, then add the vinegar, fish stock or water, mace, peppercorns and salt. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, then turn the preparation into an earthenware vessel, and as soon as it is quite cold put in the fish. Let it remain for about 12 hours, then serve with a little of the liquor strained round.
Time.—About 2 hours, when using raw fish. Average Cost, sturgeon, from 1s. 6d. per lb. Sufficient for 8 or 12 persons. Seasonable, April to September.
667.—STURGEON, PROVENÇALE STYLE. (Fr.—Esturgeon à la Provençale.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of sturgeon in one slice, stock, 1½ ozs. of butter, slices of ham or bacon, ½ a clove of garlic, ¼ of a teaspoonful of powdered mixed herbs, salt and pepper, flour.
Method.—Wash and dry the fish thoroughly, and coat it lightly with flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a stewpan, fry the fish on both sides, and when nicely browned cover it with strips of ham or bacon. Pour a little stock round to about half the depth of the fish, add a little salt and pepper, and the garlic and herbs. Cover closely, and simmer gently from 40 to 60 minutes, according to size and the age of the fish from which the piece was taken. Serve the fish with the gravy strained round, or, if preferred, send it to table simply garnished with sliced lemon and parsley. Serve brown sauce or anchovy sauce separately.
Time.—From 1 to 1¼ hours. Average Cost, from 1s. 6d. per lb. Sufficient for 6 or 8 persons. Seasonable, April to September.
668.—STURGEON, STEWED. (Fr.—Ragoût d'ésturgeon.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of sturgeon, white stock, 1 glass of sherry or Madeira, 1 tablespoonful of capers, 1½ ozs. of butter or fat, vinegar, flour, salt and pepper, 1 lemon.
​Method.—Wash and dry the fish thoroughly, and cut it into slices, from ¾ to 1 inch in thickness. Cover these with vinegar, let them soak for 5 or 6 minutes, then drain and dry them, and coat them lightly with flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Melt the butter or fat, fry the fish on both sides until lightly browned, and drain them free from fat. Place the fish in a stewpan, add the wine, and as much stock as will barely cover them, and a seasoning of salt and pepper. Cover closely, stew gently for about 1 hour, then remove to a hot dish, strain the gravy, and return it to the stewpan. Season the gravy to taste, add the capers and a little lemon-juice or vinegar, make it thoroughly hot, and pour it over the fish. Garnish with sliced lemon, and serve.
Time.—About 1¼ hours. Average Cost, from 1s. 6d. per lb. Sufficient for 6 or 8 persons. Seasonable, April to September.
669.—TENCH, BAKED. (Fr.—Tanche rôti.)
Ingredients.—1 tench, 3 ozs. of butter or fat, 2 shallots finely-chopped, 2 lemons, ½ a pint of white sauce, 1 tablespoonful of coarsely-chopped gherkin, salt and pepper.
Method.—Scale and clean the fish thoroughly, remove the gills, which are always muddy, then sprinkle the fish liberally with lemon-juice and put it aside for 1 hour. Melt the butter in a baking-dish, put in the fish, and baste it well, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add the shallots. Cover the fish with a greased paper, and bake gently from 25 to 35 minutes, according to size. Make the sauce as directed, add the gherkin and a tablespoonful of lemon-juice, and season to taste. Serve the fish with the sauce poured over.
Time.—About ½ an hour. Average Cost, uncertain, tench being seldom offered for sale. Sufficient for 2 or 3 persons. Seasonable from November to March.
670.—TENCH, BOILED. (Fr.—Tanche Bouilli.)
Ingredients.—1 tench, ½ a pint of anchovy, parsley or piquant sauce (No. 265), lemon, parsley, salt and pepper.
Method.—Scale and clean the fish thoroughly, and remove the gills. Rub the inside of the fish with salt, applying it liberally under the backbone, which should be raised for the purpose. Let it stand for 2 hours, and afterwards rinse the fish well in cold water. Put it into a saucepan containing just sufficient hot, but not quite boiling, salted water to cover it, and simmer gently from 15 to 25 minutes, according to size. Drain well, and serve garnished with sliced lemon and parsley.
Time.—From 15 to 25 minutes, to boil. Average Cost, uncertain, tench being seldom offered for sale. Sufficient for 2 or 3 persons.
​671.—TENCH, MARINADED AND BROILED. (Fr.—Tanche grillé.)
Ingredients.—Small tench; to 2 or 3 allow 1 small onion finely-chopped, 2 shallots finely-chopped, 1 dessertspoonful of parsley finely-chopped, of a teaspoonful of powdered mixed herbs, 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls of salad-oil, salt and pepper, piquant sauce.
Method.—Wash and clean the fish thoroughly, remove the gills, and completely cover the fish with boiling water. Let them remain for 5 minutes, then dry and scale them carefully. Place them in a deep dish, add a good seasoning of salt and pepper, and the onion, shallot, parsley, herbs and salad-oil. Allow the tench to lie for 2 hours, meanwhile basting frequently with the marinade, and then drain well. Have ready some pieces of well-oiled foolscap of suitable size, enclose each fish separately, and broil it over a clear fire for 10 or 15 minutes, according to size. When done, remove the papers and serve the fish with the piquant sauce poured over.
Time.—About 2½ hours. Average Cost, uncertain, tench being seldom offered for sale. Allow 1 for each person.
The Tench (Fr. tanche).—This fish generally inhabits stagnant and weedy waters, and rivers and ponds abounding in rushes. It thrives best in standing waters, and is found more frequently in pools and ponds, where it feeds on refuse vegetable matter, than in running streams. Tench taken from the latter are preferable for the table, the flavour being superior; those captured where the mud is foul have usually a bad taste if cooked immediately, but this may be obviated by placing the fish when caught in clear water. The tench is very tenacious of life, and may be preserved or carried for a long distance covered in damp weeds. In colour this fish is a greenish-olive above, and of a light tint below. It spawns in May and June. The flesh of the tench is somewhat coarse and insipid. The tench is a member of the carp family, and is frequently placed in ponds with carp.
672.—TENCH, MATELOT OF. (Fr.—Tanche en Matelote.)
Ingredients.—3 tench, 12 sauce oysters, 1 pint of good stock, ¼ of a pint of port wine or claret, 1 oz. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, 1 tablespoonful of finely-chopped onion, 12 button mushrooms, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), 2 cloves, 1 blade of mace, 1 teaspoonful of anchovy-essence, 1 dessertspoonful of lemon-juice, salt and pepper, cayenne.
Method.—Wash, clean and scale the fish, and cut each into 2 or 3 pieces. Put the stock, onion, bouquet-garni, mushrooms, cloves, mace, with a good pinch of cayenne, into a shallow stewpan. Simmer gently for 20 minutes, then put in the fish, cover closely, and simmer gently for ½ an hour. Meanwhile blanch the oysters in their own liquor, remove the beards, cut each oyster in two, and strain the liquor into the stewpan. Melt the butter in another stewpan, add the flour, and cook it for 4 or 5 minutes. When the fish is ready, remove it carefully to a hot dish, strain the sauce over the flour and butter, and ​stir until smooth. Add to it the mushrooms, lemon-juice, and wine, season to taste, simmer for 2 or 3 minutes, then put in the oysters, and pour the sauce over the fish.
Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, uncertain. Sufficient for 6 or 7 Seasonable from November to March.
Note.—Tench may also be plainly boiled or baked.
673.—TROUT, BAKED. (Fr.—Truite rôtie au four.)
Ingredients.—2 trout, veal forcemeat (see forcemeats), 3 ozs. of butler, 1 oz. of flour, 1 dessertspoonful of capers, 1 teaspoonful of lemon-juice, ½ a teaspoonful of anchovy-essence, pepper and salt.
Method.—Clean, scale, empty and dry the fish. Make the forcemeat as directed, put it inside the trout and sew up the openings. Place the fish in a baking-tin or dish with 2 ozs. of butter, and bake in a moderate oven for about ½ an hour, basting frequently. Fry the flour and the rest of the butter together; and when the fish is ready remove it to a hot dish, and strain the liquor in the baking-dish on to the flour and butter. Stir until it boils and becomes smooth, then add the capers, lemon-juice, anchovy-essence, and season to taste. Simmer for 2 or 3 minutes, then pour over the fish, and serve.
Time.—1 hour, altogether. Average Cost, 1s. to 2s. per lb. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable from February to September.
674.—TROUT, BOILED. (Fr.—Truite bouillie.)
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized trout, ½ of a pint of melted butter, (No. 202), 1 tablespoonful of coarsely-chopped gherkin, salt and pepper.
Method.—Empty and wash the trout, barely cover them with hot, but not quite boiling, salted water, and simmer gently from 10 to 12 minutes, according to size. Have the sauce ready, add the gherkin, season to taste, pour over the fish, and serve.
Time.—From 10 to 12 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. to 2s. per lb. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
675.—TROUT, FILLETED AND FRIED. (Fr.—Filets de Truite frites.)
Ingredients.—2 medium-sized trout, 1 level tablespoonful of flour, ½ a teaspoonful of salt, ½ a saltspoonful of pepper, egg and breadcrumbs, frying-fat, lemon and parsley for garnish, anchovy, shrimp or tomato sauce (see Sauces).
Method.—Wash, clean and thoroughly dry the fish, split them down the back, and remove the bone. Mix the flour, salt and pepper together, cover each piece of fish lightly with the mixture, and afterwards brush it over with egg and coat carefully with ​breadcrumbs. Have ready a deep pan of fat, and fry the fish until lightly browned and crisp. Drain well, garnish with sliced lemon and parsley, and serve the sauce separately.
Time.—To fry, 5 or 6 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. to 2s. per lb. Seasonable from February to September. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
676.—TROUT, FILLETS OF, WITH TOMATO SAUCE. (Fr.—Filets de Truite à la Tomate.)
Ingredients.—1 or 2 trout, 1½ ozs. of butter, 2 shallots finely-chopped, ½ a teaspoonful of parsley finely-chopped, ¼ of a teaspoonful of powdered mixed herbs, salt and pepper, ⅓ of a pint of hot tomato sauce, No. 281.
Method.—Prepare the trout as directed in the preceding recipe, and place the fillets in a baking-dish, in which the butter has been previously melted. Season liberally with salt and pepper, add the shallots, parsley and herbs, and cover closely with a greased paper. Cook gently for about 20 minutes, then transfer the fish to a hot dish, pour the prepared sauce over, and serve.
Time.—About 20 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. to 2s. per lb. Seasonable from February to September.
677.—TROUT, STEWED. (Fr.—Truite au Vin Rouge.)
Ingredients.—2 good-sized trout, ½ an onion thinly sliced, a little parsley, 2 cloves, 1 blade of mace, 2 bay-leaves, a little thyme, salt and pepper to taste, 1 pint of stock, No. 5 or 7, 1 glass of claret or port wine, 1 oz. each of butter and flour.
Method.—Wash the fish very clean, and wipe it quite dry. Lay it in a stewpan, with all the ingredients but the butter and flour, and simmer gently for ½ an hour. While the fish is cooking, melt the butter in a stewpan, stir in the flour, and cook for 4 or 5 minutes. When ready, place the fish on a hot dish, strain the liquor over the flour and butter, and stir until it boils and becomes smooth. Season to taste, pour over the fish, and serve.
Time.—40 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. to 2s. per lb. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable from February to September, but in the best condition in August.
The Trout (Fr. truite), the name given to various species of the Salmonidae, or salmon family especially to the common trout (Salmo fario), which abounds in many of the rivers, lakes and clear running streams of Britain and northern Europe. The colour of the trout is yellowish-brown above varied with reddish-brown, and crimson spots on the lateral line; the abdomen is silvery-white, while a rich, golden-yellow extends along the under part of the sides. The flesh and tint of the trout vary in different localities. In weight, the common trout averages about 1 lb. Towards the end of September trout quit the deep water to which they have retired in the hot weather—the trout is very partial to shady nooks—for the purpose of spawning on the gravelly bottoms of rivers or streams. During the spawning season trout become soft and unwholesome as food. Other species of trout are the Lochleven trout peculiar to that loch, of larger dimensions than the common trout, and forming a distinct species; the Great Lake trout, common in some of the large lakes of England and Ireland, sometimes attaining to a considerable size and weight—in colour it is dark-brown, with a purple tint; and the salmon trout, which, like the salmon, migrates to the sea and returns to spawn in the rivers.
​678.—TURBOT WITH AUBERGINES. (Fr.—Turbot aux Aubergines.)
Ingredients.—2 lb. of turbot (middle cut), 2 ozs. of butter, the juice of ½ a lemon, 1 tablespoonful finely-chopped parsley, 1 dessertspoonful of meat glaze, 3 aubergines, salt and pepper, flour, milk, olive-oil, and clarified butter.
Method.—Remove the dark skin from the fish, free it from bones, and cut it into 6 or 8 even-sized slices. Trim these neatly, season with salt and pepper, dip them into milk, and then into flour. Melt about 1½ ozs. of butter in a sauté-pan, place in the fillets of turbot, cover with a buttered paper, and cook in the oven for 15 minutes, or longer if needed, basting the fish frequently. Remove the skin from the aubergines, cut them into slices, dip them in flour, and fry a golden-brown in a frying-pan containing olive-oil and clarified butter in equal proportions. Drain them and season with salt. Dress the turbot on an oblong dish, sprinkle over the lemon-juice, then the parsley, and lastly some nut-brown clarified butter. Garnish with the fried aubergines. Just before serving sprinkle the previously heated meat glaze over the fish.
Time.—About ½ hour. Average Cost, 3s. 6d. to 4s. 6d. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons. Seasonable at any time.
679.—TURBOT, BAKED FILLETS OF. (Fr.—Filets de Turbot au Gratin.)
Ingredients.—The remains of cold turbot, lobster sauce left from the preceding day, egg and breadcrumbs, cayenne and salt to taste, minced parsley, nutmeg, lemon-juice.
Method.—After having cleared the fish from all skin and bone, divide into square pieces of an equal size; brush them over with egg, sprinkle with breadcrumbs mixed with a little minced parsley and seasoning. Lay the fillets in a baking-dish, with sufficient butter to baste them with. Bake for 15 minutes, and keep the fillets well moistened with butter, add a little lemon-juice and grated nutmeg to the cold lobster sauce; make it hot, and pour over the fish, which must be well drained from the butter. Garnish with parsley and cut lemon.
Time.—From 30 to 40 minutes. Seasonable at any time.
Note.—Cold turbot thus warmed in the remains of lobster sauce will be found much nicer than if the fish were put again in water.
680.—TURBOT, BOILED. (Fr.—Turbot bouilli.)
Ingredients.—1 medium-sized turbot, salt and pepper.
Method.—Empty and wash the fish, trim the fins, but do not cut them off, as the gelatinous parts about them are esteemed a great delicacy. Make an incision down the middle of the back, to lessen ​the possibility of the skin on the white side cracking; and rub the white side of the fish with a cut lemon to increase its whiteness. Have ready the turbot-kettle, with as much hot water as will cover the fish, add salt to taste, put in the fish, bring gradually to near boiling point, then simmer very gently from 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with lobster coral, parsley, and cut lemon, and serve with Hollandaise, anchovy, shrimp or lobster sauce.
Time.—15 to 20 minutes, after the water boils. Average Cost, 7s. 6d. to 15s. Sufficient for 8 or 10 persons. Seasonable at any time.
The Turbot (Fr. turbot) is the most highly-esteemed, and, next to the halibut, the largest of the flat-fish found on the British coasts. It frequently attains a very large size weighing from 50 lb. to 90 lb. The North Sea and the south-eastern coasts of England are the principal fishery grounds for turbot. The flesh of the turbot is firm, white, and gelatinous, and is improved by being kept a day or two before being cooked. Halibut is frequently sold for turbot; the two fish are, however, sufficiently distinct, the upper parts of the former being quite smooth and covered with oblong soft scales, which firmly adhere to the body, while those of the turbot are marked with large, unequal, and obtuse tubercles.
681.—TURBOT WITH CREAM SAUCE. (Fr.—Turbot à la Crême.)
Ingredients.—The remains of cold turbot, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, ½ a pint of milk, 3 tablespoonfuls of cream, 1 teaspoonful of lemon-juice, a pinch of ground mace, salt and pepper, cayenne.
Method.—Remove the bones and skin from the fish, and separate it into large flakes. Melt the butter in a stewpan,add the flour, and cook for 5 minutes; then pour in the milk, stir until it boils, and let it afterwards simmer gently for 10 minutes. Strain and return to the stewpan, put in the fish, and let it become thoroughly hot, then add the lemon-juice, cream, and seasoning to taste, and serve.
Time.—About 20 minutes. Average Cost, 5d. or 6d., exclusive of the fish. Seasonable at any time.
682.—TURBOT WITH ITALIAN SAUCE, FILLETS OF. (Fr.—Filets de Turbot à l'Italienne.)
Ingredients.—The remains of cold turbot, Italian sauce (No. 252).
Method.—Clear the fish carefully from the bone, and take away all the skin, which gives an unpleasant flavour to the sauce. Make the sauce hot, lay in the fish to warm through, but do not let it boil. Garnish with croûtons.
Time.—5 minutes. Seasonable all the year.
683.—TURBOT AU GRATIN.
Ingredients.—Remains of cold turbot, Béchamel (see Sauces), or any good white sauce, breadcrumbs, butter.
Method.—Cut the flesh of the turbot into small dice, carefully freeing it from all skin and bone. Put the dice into a stewpan, and moisten with 4 or 5 tablespoonfuls of Béchamel sauce. Let it get thoroughly ​hot, but do not allow it to boil. Spread the mixture on a dish, cover with finely-grated browned breadcrumbs, and place small pieces of butter on the top. Brown it in the oven or with a salamander.
Time.—Altogether, ½ an hour. Seasonable at any time.
684.—TURBOT WITH WINE, PAUPIETTES OF. (Fr.—Paupiettes de Turbot au Vin Blanc.)
Ingredients.—2 to 3 lb. of turbot, ½ a lb. of whiting forcemeat, (No. 415), 1 shallot, a sprig of parsley, 6 preserved mushrooms, 3 to 4 ozs. of butter, 2 small glasses of Chablis or Sauterne, 1½ gills of stock, ½ a pint of Velouté Allemande sauce, ½ a gill of double cream, ½ a lemon, pepper and salt.
Method.—Remove the fillets from the bones of the fish, pare off the white and the black skin, flatten each piece with a wet cutlet-bat, and cut into convenient and even-sized fillets about the same size as fillets of soles. Flatten each fillet again, trim neatly and season with pepper and salt. Chop very finely the peeled shallot, the parsley and the mushrooms, and mix these with the forcemeat; spread the mixture on one side of each prepared fillet, and roll up neatly. Butter some strips of white paper, and roll up each fillet in paper. Arrange the fillets in an upright position in a deep sauté-pan, containing about 3 ozs. of melted butter; place the lid on the pan, cook for a few minutes in the oven; then add the wine and the stock, and finish cooking in the oven until done. Baste occasionally with the liquor. As soon as the fillets are done take them up, remove the paper bands, dish up in a pyramidal form. and keep them hot. Add the white sauce to reduce well, strain, and finish with cream. Add a few drops of lemon-juice, pour over the fish, and serve hot.
Time.—To cook, about 20 minutes. Average Cost, 5s. 6d. to 6s. 6d. Sufficient for 8 or 9 persons. Seasonable at any time.
685.—WATER SOUCHET.
Ingredients.—Flounders, plaice, soles, perch or tench, parsley, salt, pepper.
Method.—Any of the above-named fish will be found suitable. Wash and clean the fish into a stewpan with just sufficient cold water to cover it, add a small bunch of parsley and salt to taste. Cook gently until done, then transfer the fish carefully to a deep dish or tureen, sprinkle over it 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, strain and add the liquor, then serve. Brown bread and butter should be handed round.
​686.—WATER SOUCHET. (Another Method.)
Ingredients.—Plaice, flounders or perch, parsley and parsley-roots, salt.
Method.—Wash and trim the fish, put the trimmings and 2 or 3 fish into a stewpan with 1 quart of water, a little salt, parsley, and a few parsley-roots. Simmer until all is quite tender, then pass through a sieve and return to the stewpan. Cook the remaining fish slowly in the liquor, and when done, lift out carefully into a deep dish, add 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, strain the liquor over, then serve.
687.—WHITEBAIT. (Fr.—Blanchailles.)
Ingredients.—Whitebait, ice, flour, cayenne, salt, frying fat.
Method.—The frying of whitebait is a most difficult task for cooks with little experience. The following is a well-tried method which, if carefully followed, never fails to produce satisfactory results: Put the whitebait with a piece of ice in a basin, which must be kept on the ice. When required for cooking, spread the fish on a cloth to drain, then sprinkle a clean cloth with flour, put a small quantity of whitebait on this, sprinkle over some more flour, fold the cloth and shake it well, holding the ends of the cloth with both hands. Turn the contents into a wire drying basket, and shake it so as to get rid of the superfluous flour. Plunge the basket into a pan of clean, very hot lard, and fry rapidly over a bright fire for 3 or 4 minutes. Keep moving the basket all the time the frying goes on. Take up the basket, shake it so as to strain off the fat, and turn the fish on to a cloth or paper. Repeat this until all the whitebait are fried. Season with cayenne or black pepper, and fine salt. Dish up on a folded napkin or lace paper, and send the fish to table accompanied with quarters of lemon and thin slices of brown bread and butter.
Time.—From 3 to 4 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. per quart. Seasonable from January to September.
Whitebait (Fr. blanchaille). This diminutive fish, considered a great delicacy on account of the tenderness and sweetness of its flesh, is allied to the herring, and was formerly thought to be the young of that fish, but the shape of its body is more compressed. It is of a pale silvery hue, and greenish on the back, and varies in length from 2 ins. to 5 ins. The whitebait is caught during the spring and summer in the estuary of the Thames, in the Clyde, and other rivers. The "Whitebait Dinner" of the members of the Cabinet, just before the prorogation of Parliament, at the Trafalgar, Greenwich, was an annual custom of some standing, but it is now discontinued.
688.—WHITING, BAKED. (Fr.—Merlan au Gratin.)
(See Sole au Gratin, No. 653, use skimmed whiting, and proceed in the same manner.)
689.—WHITING WITH SWEET HERBS, BAKED. (Fr.—Merlan aux Fines Herbes.)
(See Sole with Fine Herbs, No. 654.)
​690.—WHITING, BOILED. (Fr.—Merlan bouilli.)
Ingredients.—Whiting, salt.
Method.—Clean the fish, but do not skin them. Have ready sufficient warm water to cover them, salt it slightly, put in the fish, bring gently to the boil, and simmer for 7 or 8 minutes (if small). Drain well, serve on a folded napkin, garnish with parsley, and serve with a suitable sauce.
Time.—7 or 8 minutes for small whiting. Average Cost, 3d. to 9d. each. Allow 1 small whiting for each person. Seasonable all the year, but from October to March.
The Whiting (Fr. merlan).—This well-known fish belongs to the cod family, but is destitute of the barbule seen in the cod and haddock. Its flesh is the most delicate and palatable of any fish of its tribe. The body of the whiting is compressed, and the upper jaw projects beyond the lower. It is a smaller fish, and of a more elegant shape than the haddock; its average weight is 1½lb. The whiting is caught in abundance on the British coasts and in the northern European seas.
691.—WHITING, BROILED. (Fr.—Merlan Grillé.)
Ingredients.—Whiting, a little oil or butter.
Method.—Wash, and thoroughly dry the fish. Brush them over with a little oil or melted butter, and broil over a clear fire.
Time.—From 6 to 8 minutes, for a small whiting. Average Cost, 3d. to 9d. each. Allow, 1 small whiting for each person. Seasonable all the year.
To Choose Whiting.—Choose for the firmness of its flesh, and the silvery hue of its apperance.
The Pollack (Fr. Merlan).—Like the pout, the pollack bears a strong resemblance to the whiting. It is a gregarious fish and swims in shoals, and is caught off the coasts of Britain, chiefly around the northern parts. The flesh of the pollack is good eating. It is also known as the "coal-fish," and in Scotland it bears the local name of "Lythe."
692.—WHITING, FRIED. (Fr.—Merlan Frit.)
Ingredients.—2 whiting, 1 egg, breadcrumbs, flour, salt, pepper, frying-fat or oil.
Method.—Wash, clean, and dry the fish, and remove their skins, and fasten the tail in the mouth by means of a small skewer. Mix a teaspoonful of flour with salt and pepper, and rub it well into the fish; then brush them over with egg, coat them with breadcrumbs, and fry until nicely browned in hot fat. Serve on a fish paper, garnished with crisply-fried parsley.
Time.—To fry, 6 or 7 minutes. Average Cost, 3d. to 9d. each. Sufficient, 1 small whiting for each person. Seasonable all the year, but best from October to March.
The Pout. (Fr. Lamproie), also known as the Bib is found about the mouth of the Thames, and generally around the British coasts, as well as in the northern seas. It bears a striking resemblance to the whiting, and is frequently called the Whiting Pout. The pout is esteemed as an excellent table-fish.