Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-18

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lorSefs get at Delmonco's, is an abomi-
nation and should be trOwned upon. AL
Iaough am not able to place before YOU
3us caYlare, yet l can give you what
ftgaDd as equally q good appetizer-and
II Is dish of shrimps. Try onew and he
broke its sheIl In an artistic manner and
presented il to me.
III certainly was an appetizing mouth
tul, and | appreciated it. 1t requires a
certain knack, however, to successfully
ana cleanly extract the meat from
shrlmps; but with care and attention
the ieat Is not very difficult of perform
ance.
Served with the shrimps were water.
crosses and radishes, and a slice of brown
bread, without butter.
Following these came the prince of all
nsh, pompanO-when salmon, the king of
hsh, perishes, the former may succeed to
the Title, but until then he must be con.
tented TO rank as prince. The pOmpano
mas rival, however in the Spanish mack
erel-a delicious fish, delicate, and DOS
sessing ali the engaging qualities OF its
cOmpeer. Between the two, eplcures kiss
thelr myers and thumbs, and then make
thelr choice. give my allegiance to the
pOmpano. 1t 10 a fiat, silYerv fish, and.
more nearly than any other caught in our
waters, resembles the John Dory. 1t is
only within few years, however, that it
mas been Obtainable IN Northern markets A;
but with other sO-called Southern fish it is
now found, to some extent, In the waters
above Mason and DlXon's fShjng line.
In Charleston, 5. c., where / afterwards
Toasted upon it, il is called caudIl0--a
name evidently of Spanish origin. When
the pompanO is in season-and it now is
New Workers can always find itOu Black
fO!d's marble slabs at Fulton market.
IL my readers have never yet partaken
OF pOmpanO-0r think that the shad Of
the Schuylkill, Delaware, Hudson and
Connecticut river are its equal, they have
much to learn, and should hasten to COM
plete their education. There is no better
Northern fish. however, than the shad
spring brings us; and, though we rail at
its many bones, it would not be the fine
fish 1t is without them, but weak, flabby
and inferior.
But to return to our luncheon. There,
before us, was presented an Oval-shaped
fish, cooked a delicate brown, and tinted,
here and there, with dashes of yellow but
ter that gradually disappeared, sinking
into and seasoning it. A few sprigs of
parsley garnished it, and when the Colo
mel, with his silver tish-knife, divided it
through the back, the savory steam which
oiNeS AlNAll II W az busEGbbtNC VI DtIlulliGS
from Araby the blest-more or less. Ac-
companYing the pOmpano was a dish of
frozen cucumbers, cut thin, with shaw
ings OF youthful onions, dressed with oil,
vinegar and pepper.
One would naturally think that, for a
"little luncheon" the abOve-described bill
of fare was all-sufticient; but when, after
the fish was removed, cast my napkin
negligently upon the table, Mai. Jones,
with an inimitable twinkle stealing
through his spectacles, whispered, ''if
you are in no haste, wait for the next
dish"
And | waited.
Not long, however, for 1t came in a few
seconds.
Now, if there is one dish superior to
another, that our Southern friends can
get up, it is fried chicken. A dish which
no NOrtherner-cOujure over the range as
he will-can equal. He may have the
best ofrecipes to follow; every movement
he makes may be in accord with the cooks
advice; but unless he be possessed with
the divine aiilatus of cookery, he is no
more than the cOmmOnest of solutions.
l have forgotten the B1Odus Operdndi en-
plOyed in cooking this particular chicken
but, years afterwards, the late John Il.
Thompson, of Richmond, gave me this re-
cipe for the proper preparation of the dish.
1 noted it down while waiting to be served
with Brunswick stew, at a restaurant
kept by one "JOnas," in New street. New
York. Here let me remark that a Bruins
wick stew is one Of the astronomical in
situations Of Virginia, dish which it is
folly for anyone except born cook of the
Old Dominion to attempt to c0ncOct.
Jonas was to the manner born, and John
r. Endorsed him and his cookery.
The fried chicken recipe reads as fol-
lows: Fry a dozen slices, cut thin of fat
sailed pork, add thereto a medium-sized
onion, also cut in slices. which, when
cooked a delicate brown, remove. Cut
into six or seven pieces a young chicken,
which season with pepper and salt, and
dredge with flour. Fry them in the hot fat
until they attain rich brown tint. Then,
if done, take them up, drain and place
them on dish which can be kept hot.
Add to the pork fat, if any remains, a cup
Of rich milk thIckened with flour, a piece
of butter size Of an egg, and the fried
onions. Let it come to boil, and when
done pour it over the chicken. Some per-
sons prefer parsley instead Of onions in
the gravy. The cream gravy is the max
ing OF this dish.
When Major Jones and l had put pol
ish on the bones Of the chicken I fully
expected TO ''retlre In good order on two
columns" asJudge Requier used, shortly
after the war, 10 say when leaving the
dinner table, but my friend had another
new dish in store for me. Nothing less
than scallOped prawns, prepared in the
same way as we at the North make the
dish of oysters-with bread or cracker
crumbs, butter, pepper and salt, and
moistened with as much Of the water in
which they were boiled as is sufficient. A
wine glass Of sherry poured over it, five
minutes before serving, improves it. 1t
was very excellent, aud when the little
dish-for it scarcely held more than two
good mouthfuls- borne, empty, away
from the table. ] found myself regretting
It's brevity, and whispering, almost in the
words Of the little 24-hour-old baby, who
died:
II so soon that it was done for,
/ wonder what il was begun for,
wishing it had come earlier and lasted
longer: and, I still think il should have
been in larger dish and served at diff
ferent stage Of the entertainment.
+ limited as much az this 10 the Major;
but he only winked his left eye, and said
"Lot US be contente1 with what is set be-
for us, and thankful as 10 the moment we
got it.V More than once since then l
have had occasion TO accept the philoso-
ply my friend promulgated on that ocoa-
sion.
A howl Of Strawberries and ice cream
concluded our ropast, and then followed
some prime cigars, during the smoking Of
which the Major told me his well-known
story Of the wooden Indian chief at the
tobaec0nist's stand ard the drunken man
4 hnd raud IL In Dfiut hut 10 needed tho