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Kent Coast Sea Fishing Compendium
Cookery for every Household
"Cookery for every Household" (1914) Florence B. Jack
at pages v, vi, vii, 75 to 125, 328, 330 & 383 to 390Click here to read the whole text online.
Preface at pages v and vi
In offering yet another book of Cookery to the public, I feel that I may seem to be doing what has often been adequately done before. This, however, is not the case. As an active teacher and constant student of Cookery both at home and abroad, I have found that even the best books frequently assume in readers a knowledge which they do not in fact possess. The details which are omitted from the instructions are generally simple; but if a simple precaution be unknown, it is as vital as if it were most complicated. Having encountered many difficulties myself, I can well appreciate and sympathise with the difficulties of others. In giving most complete, clear, and accurate directions as simply as possible, I have done my best to smooth away difficulties for those who have little or no proficiency in the subject, and this book represents the results of many years of hard work.
The book is not merely a recipe book. It will be evident, from what has been said, that many trifling but necessary details are included; and guidance is given as to the best ways of economising time and money. My aim is to furnish at the same time a good, and an economical cuisine. While the greater number of the recipes are for simple home dishes, there are also more elaborate ones for other grades of housekeeping, and there are plain, old-fashioned dishes as well as recent and elegant novelties.
I think cooks of every standard of proficiency will find the book of value. The young housekeeper, who has her experience to gain, will by its use gain her experience at the expense of a minimum of failure, with little or no waste of good material, and with a minimum expenditure of nerve force. The book should also appeal to the skilled cook who wishes to learn new dishes, or to improve those she already knows. Even the novice, provided she brings an average amount of intelligence and care to bear upon her work, should be able to achieve a fair degree of success by following the instructions given.
Wherever possible, exact weights and measures have been given. The resources of the ordinary kitchen have been borne in mind, and simple substitutes are suggested for the more elaborate appliances. At the head of each section are given some general rules for the making of the dishes included therein. Much care has been taken to give a complete index, so that, even where the ordinary classification is not understood, anything in the book may be quickly found. As the majority of my readers may stand in need of some assistance in the compilation of their menus, a few specimens have been given at the end of the book.
As attractively prepared food is so important to the health of everyone, and as it is so easy to rest upon one's achievements and fall into a groove, I strongly urge all who are charged with the cooking for a household to try new dishes, so as to introduce more variety into the daily bill of fare.
F. B. J.
May 1914.Contents at page vii
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FISH Part I Various Preliminaries On Choosing Fish 77 General Rules for Cleaning Fish 77 To Skin and Fillet Fish 78 Fish Stock from Trimmings 78 General Rules for Cooking Fish 78 Part II Saltwater Fish 81 Part III Freshwater Fish 101 Part IV Shellfish 105 Part V Fish Redressed, etc 113 Part VI Some more Elaborate Fish Dishes 119 Stocks and Soups
Part III
(2) White Soups and Vegetable Cream Soups
…
176. Clear Fish Soup (Consommé Poissonière) at pages 75 & 76
- 1 quart good fish stock
- 2 whites and shells of eggs
- 6 oz raw white fish
- fish quenelles
- 1 glass of white wine
The fish stock used must be good and well flavoured. Put into a lined saucepan with the wine, the raw fish finely shred and the whites and shells of eggs. Whisk over the fire until a good froth rises, allow the soup to boil well up, then draw the saucepan to the side of the fire and let it stand for 10 minutes. Strain through muslin or a soup cloth, see Consommé, Recipe 117. When all has passed through return the soup to the saucepan to reheat, season to taste and add a garnish of small fish quenelles, see Recipe 1300. If liked, half the quenelles may be coloured pink with a little lobster butter. Quantity, 2 pints.
177. Lobster Soup or Bisque (Bisque de Homard)
- 1 lobster
- 3 pints fish stock
- 1½ oz. butter
- 1½ oz. flour
- 1½ carrot
- 1½ turnip
- 1 onion
- 1 stick celery
- a small bunch of herbs
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy essence
- pepper, salt
- 2 table-spoons cream
- 1 glass white wine
- a squeeze of lemon juice
Melt the butter in a saucepan, and when smoking hot put in the vegetables, cut in small pieces, and fry them a few minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and fry a pale brown colour. Then add the stock and stir until boiling. Meantime have the lobster broken in pieces, remove the green part from the throat, throwing it away, cut the meat from the big claws into neat pieces, and reserve them for serving in the soup. Put the shell and the rest of the lobster into a mortar and pound well. Add this to the soup with the bunch of herbs and boil all together for one hour. Rub through a fine sieve, rinse out the saucepan, and return the soup to it. Let it boil up and skim well. Add the cream, pieces of lobster, wine, and other seasonings; make all very hot and serve with toast.
Notes: If the fish stock is well flavoured some of the above vegetables may be omitted. The wine and cream may also be omitted and a little milk added. If a hen lobster is used and there is spawn, pound this in a mortar with a little butter, rub it through a hair sieve and add it to the soup at the last to give colour. A few fish quenelles (see p. 311) are sometimes served in this soup. Time to cook, ½ hours. Quantity, 2 pints.
178. Oyster Soup (Potage aux Huîtres)
- 2 dozen fresh oysters or 3 dozen tinned oysters
- 2 pints white or fish stock
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 oz. flour
- a pinch of cayenne
- 2 yolks of eggs
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy essence
- 1 gill of cream
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- white pepper and salt
Put the oysters into a small saucepan with their own liquor, bring them almost to the boil, then strain, saving the liquor. Beard the oysters (that is, remove the piece like a fringe that encircles them), cut them in two, and put them aside for serving in the soup. Put the beards into a saucepan with the liquor and the stock, and let them simmer for half an hour, to extract all the flavour from them. If the stock is not previously well flavoured, small pieces of the different flavouring vegetables should also be cooked in it. Strain through a fine hair sieve or piece of muslin, and rinse out the saucepan ready for use. First melt in it the butter being careful it does not brown, add to it the flour, and mix together until quite smooth. Pour on the stock, and stir constantly over the fire until boiling. Skim if necessary. Season to taste with a little white pepper, salt, anchovy essence, and a pinch of cayenne. Beat up the yolks of eggs in a basin with the cream, draw the pan with the soup in it to the side of the fire, and strain them into it, stirring all the time. Reheat, but do not boil again. Add a squeeze of lemon juice. Put the oysters into the soup tureen, pour the soup over them, and serve.
Note: The cream may be omitted if considered too rich. Time to cook, 1 hour. Quantity, 2 pints.
179. Shrimp Soup (Bisque de Crevettes)
- 1 pint boiled shrimps
- 2 pints white or fish stock
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 oz. flour
- a pinch of cayenne
- 1 or 2 yolks of eggs
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy or shrimp essence
- 1 gill of cream
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- white pepper and salt
Wash the shrimps and peel them. Put the shells into a saucepan with the stock, and simmer them slowly for 15 minutes to extract the flavour. Strain through muslin and throw the shells away. Melt the butter in the pan, being careful it does not brown, add the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until smooth. Pour on the strained stock, stir over the fire until boding and skim if necessary. Season to taste, add the picked shrimps and simmer 5 minutes longer. Draw the pan to the side of the fire, strain in the yolks of egg and cream mixed together, and stir over the fire a minute or two, being careful the soup does not boil again. Add a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving.
Note: This soup may be made plainer by omitting the egg and cream and using rather more butter and flour for thickening. A little milk, too, may be used instead of some of the stock to make the soup a white colour. Time to cook, about 1 hour. Quantity, 2 pints.
Fish at page 77
Perhaps there is nothing so difficult to cook well as fish, its delicate flavour is so easily lost, and its light, creamy flakiness so quickly destroyed. Many an otherwise successful cook has failed to acquire the art of cooking it properly. In most cases this failure may be ascribed to ignorance of, or neglect to follow the simple and elementary rules for the preparation, and various methods of cooking, this important and delicious article of diet. Patience, care, and attention to detail are all required in its preparation. Full directions in regard to choosing, cleaning, and the various methods of preparing and cooking the different kinds of fish are given here.
Part I
Various Preliminaries
On Choosing Fish
General Hints: Fish to be good ought to be in season and very fresh.
Moderate-sized fish are usually best, especially those which are thick and plump in proportion to their size. Small fish are inclined to be tasteless and very large ones coarse in texture.
The quality of fish is very much influenced by the kind of food on which they have been living. They are supposed also to be at their best just before spawning, but during spawning they are poor in quality.
As a general rule fish cannot be too fresh, the oily kinds of fish and freshwater fish especially should be cooked as soon as possible after being taken from the water.
There are several signs by which the freshness of fish can be judged - the fish should be firm and stiff, the gills red, the eyes bright and not sunken, and there should be no unpleasant smell.
A flat fish should never be bought without looking at both sides, and especially the grey side, as this betrays any want of freshness more quickly than the white. A plaice, for instance, can always be judged by its spots; when fresh they are bright red, and after it has been kept some time they take a brownish hue. In choosing cut fish, such as cod, halibut, salmon, &c., the flesh should have a firm appearance with a close grain; if it looks fibrous and watery it is not good. Never choose fish that is bruised or has the skin broken, as it will not keep well.
For special points as to the choosing of fish see under the various kinds.
Frozen Fish: Fish that is frozen by being kept on ice should be thawed by letting it lie in cold water before it is used. Do not allow it to remain in the water longer than is necessary.
General rules for cleaning fish
The thorough cleansing of fish is essential to its wholesomeness. Although in towns fish is usually bought ready cleaned by the fishmonger, it is always as well to know how it ought to be done, as sometimes in country districts, and very often at the seaside, the knowledge is necessary.
First empty the fish. Some fish require to be cut open before being emptied, others have the insides drawn out by the gills. Flat fish, such as plaice, flounders, soles, and the like are emptied by making a small cut on the dark side of the fish across the round cavity, which lies close below the gills. The inside can then be easily withdrawn and the gills removed. Other fish, which swim with the back upwards, such as haddock, whiting, codling, &c., are cleaned by making a slit down the length of the abdomen, from the head about halfway to the tail. Again, there are some small and delicate fish which are not opened at all, but merely drawn through the gills (see Smelts and Red Mullet). When drawing the inside from the fish, be careful not to disfigure it, handle it as lightly as possible. If there is a roe in the fish, this may be replaced in the case of small fish and cooked with them, if they are being cooked whole, but the roe of large fish requires to be cooked separately, otherwise it would not be sufficiently done. The liver may also be replaced, if it is liked. The sounds, which consist of a white skinny substance lying close to the back bone, are sometimes left, but as a rule it is better to remove them. The sounds of a cod are generally served as a separate dish (see Recipe 192).
When the inside has been removed wash the fish well in cold water, using a little salt if it is slimy. Be careful to remove any black skin lining the cavity of the fish, rubbing it off with salt if necessary. If this were left it would give a bitter taste to the fish. Also remove any blood from the back bone.
If there are scales on the fish, they should be scraped ofi from tail to head with a small knife. Hold the knife slanting against the fish and scrape slowly to prevent the scales from flying about. If the scales are found very difficult to remove, as is sometimes the case, especially with freshwater fish, it is a good plan to plunge the fish into boiling water for a minute or two, until the scales turn dull. This will be found to loosen them considerably.
If the fish is to be served whole, cut off the fins with a pair of scissors, cutting from the tail to the head, and then trim the tail. Also remove the eyes. If the skin covering these is tough, cut through it first with a pair of scissors and then the eyes can easily be pulled out, or pushed out from the inside.
As a rule, fish should not be allowed to soak too much in water, it is better to wash them at a tap of running water and just to rinse them under the water. Some freshwater fish are an exception to this rule, they have such a strong muddy flavour, that they require to be soaked for some time before they are cooked.
To skin and fillet fish
A Haddock and other Round Fish. These are skinned from the head downwards. First wash the fish in cold water and make a cut through the skin on both sides and close to the fins. Also make a cut across the skin just below the head and commence at the flap part. Loosen the skin there, keeping down the flesh with the knife; begin very carefully and then pull gradually downwards towards the tail. Turn and do the other side in the same way. The fingers may be dipped in a little salt to keep them from slipping, or the skin may be held with a cloth.
To Fillet the Fish. Remove the flesh cleanly from the bones on both sides. Commence at the open side of the fish and at the head end. Lay the flesh backwards, but do not separate it from the other side. Turn and do the other side in the same way, commencing at the tail end this time. A filleted haddock should be in one piece.
A Sole and other Flat Fish. These are skinned from the tail upwards. First wash the fish and cut off the fins. Lay it on a board with the tail end nearest you, and the dark side uppermost. Make a cut across the skin just above the tail, slip a knife under it and raise the skin slightly from the flesh. Then with the right thumb loosen the skin all the way up the right side. Loosen up the other side in the same way, this time using the thumb of the left hand. Then hold the tail of the fish firmly down on the board; take hold of the loosened skin with a cloth, and pull it off quickly, drawing it upwards towards the head.
The white skin may be removed in the same way, but this is frequently left on. If the skin adheres very closely, a knife must be used to help the process.
To Fillet the Fish. Make a cut straight down the middle of the back to the back bone. Then remove the flesh first from one side and then from the other. Two fillets are taken from each side.
It will be found easiest to raise the first fillet from the left-hand side of the fish, working from the head towards the tail; and then to turn the fish round, and to raise the second fillet, working from the tail towards the head. Turn the fish right over, and do the other side in the same way.
Note: Filleting is really best learnt by watching a fishmonger or other competent person at work.
Fish Stock from Trimmings
One advantage in filleting fish at home is that stock can be made from the trimmings, and this stock used for cooking the fish, or for making a sauce to accompany it. There is no comparison between sauce made with good fish stock and that in which milk or water forms the liquid part - the latter is entirely lacking in character. If time does not permit of the filleting being done at home, some fish trimmings should be ordered along with the fish if a sauce is required. Care must, however, be taken that these trimmings are perfectly fresh.
To Make the Stock. Wash the trimmings, discarding any black-looking skin, and break the bones in pieces. Put them into a lined saucepan with water or milk and water to cover them, and add a few parsley stalks, a small piece of onion, a few white peppercorns, and a little salt. Simmer by the side of the fire at least ½ hour and then strain ready for use. White wine may be used instead of the milk.
General Rules for Cooking Fish
Boiling
This method of cooking is best suited to large uncut fish or to thick pieces of fish, such as salmon, halibut, cod, ling, hake, turbot, &c. Boiling is not to be recommended for small fish, nor for thin slices of fish. Fish should never be skinned for boiling, and when whole the head should be left on, with the eyes taken out.
All fish, with the exception of salt fish, should be put into water that is very hot, but not bubbling hard, and salted in the proportion of 1 oz salt to 1 gallon of water, and 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice to the same quantity. The acid is added to make the flesh of the fish white and firm. If the fish about to be cooked is dry and tasteless, fish stock or court bouillon should be used instead of water, in fact it is always preferable to use one of these if they can be obtained. A simple court bouillon (quickly made stock) can be made by adding a bunch of herbs, a little cut-up carrot, onion and celery, and a few flavouring spices tied in muslin, to the water in which the fish is to be cooked. White wine is sometimes added instead of vinegar, or half white wine and half French vinegar may be used. What is known as court bouillon au bleu is made by substituting claret for the white wine. This is supposed to give the fish a bluish tinge. Again, there is the court bouillon à la Nantaise, which is composed of equal quantities of milk and water. This gives fish a very soft and mellow flavour and is especially suited to fish that is being cooked for an invalid.
A fish kettle is the best utensil to use for boiling fish, where there is a drainer, which enables the fish to be lifted out easily without being broken. It should be just large enough to hold the fish comfortably. If a kettle too large for the fish has unavoidably to be used, the fish should be strapped on to the strainer with a piece of tape to prevent its being knocked about in the water. If no fish kettle is available a stew pan may be used. An old plate should be placed inside and the fish tied in a piece of butter muslin or cheese cloth. If the ends of the muslin are allowed to hang over the sides of the stew pan the fish can be easily raised out of the water without danger of breaking it.
Always weigh the fish before boiling, so as to judge the time it will require to cook. From 8 to 10 minutes to the lb. and 8 to 10 minutes oven is an average allowance, but this must be modified according to the shape and thickness of the fish. No hard and fast rule can be laid down; a thick cut of fish will take longer to cook than a thin flat piece of equal weight.
Have sufficient water or court bouillon in the fish kettle to cover the fish by 2 inches and no more. If too much liquid is used the skin of the fish will in all probability be broken. Allow the liquid to boil up again after the fish is put in and then draw the kettle to the side of the fire and allow the contents to simmer only, for the required time. If cooked too quickly, the outside will become cracked and broken before the inside is ready. All scum that rises must be carefully removed, if allowed to remain it would spoil the appearance of the fish entirely.
The readiness of the fish must be tested before it is lifted from the water. The flesh ought to have lost its clear appearance and to have become white and opaque. The flesh should also come away from the bone easily, and a wooden skewer may be gently pushed in to try this. Fish should always be sufficiently cooked or it will be unwholesome, and at the same time not overcooked or it will be flavourless.
As soon as the fish is ready, lift it out of the liquid in which it has been cooking and drain it well. If it cannot be served at once, keep it warm on the drainer placed across the fish kettle and covered over with a hot, clean cloth. Serve the fish on a dish with a drainer, and if liked a folded fish napkin or paper doyley under it. The custom of using a fish napkin is not altogether a desirable one unless the fish is very well drained previously, as it absorbs the moisture and is inclined to make the fish sodden.
Garnish the fish with fresh parsley and cut lemon or any other suitable decoration and serve sauce separately. Boiled or steamed potatoes are usually served with boiled fish.
Note: For exceptions to the above rules see the various recipes for boiling special kinds of fish.
Broiling or Grilling
This is cooking fish on a grill, either in front of or over a nice clear fire, or under the grill of a gas stove. It is one of the best methods of cooking small fish, as the flavour is retained better than by any other way. Herring, mackerel, trout, haddock, red mullet, &c., may all be cooked in this manner, also slices or steaks of the larger kinds of fish. They may be prepared in one of the following ways:
- Wash and clean the fish, cutting off the heads and fins, and dry them lightly in a cloth. Then score the skin across diagonally on both sides to prevent it cracking during the process of cooking. Season the fish with pepper and salt, and brush it over with oil or melted butter, or allow it to soak for an hour in a mixture of oil and vinegar with a little chopped parsley and shallot; or
- The fish may be split open, the bone removed and then lightly coated with flour or fine oatmeal. The latter is most suitable for herring, mackerel, or trout. A coating of egg and bread-crumbs may also be used if liked.
Thoroughly heat the gridiron, grease it well, and lay the fish on it. Keep the fish rather near the fire while cooking or it will become flabby. Cook it from seven to ten minutes according to the thickness of the fish, and turn it once at least during the process. If a gas stove is used, place the fish on the grid tin and make the grill red hot before placing the fish under it. See also Grilling of Meat, p. 208. When finished it should be nicely browned on both sides and show the marks of the grill.
Serve grilled fish at once with cut lemon and small pats of maître d'hôtel or any other savoury butter. If there are any roes belonging to the fish, these may be cooked on a tin in the oven and used as a garnish. Some sharp sauce, such as tartare, cucumber, or tomato, may be served separately, and parsley or watercress used as a garnish.
Grilling in Paper: Fillets of fish, such as salmon, turbot, or sole, are sometimes wrapped in a heart-shaped piece of greased paper with a spoonful of any good sauce and grilled thus. They may also be soaked or marinaded in a mixture of oil, &c., as above, previous to being wrapped up. They should be served in the paper (en papillottes). See Recipe 290.
Baking
The simplest method of baking fish is to place it on a well-greased baking tin or fireproof dish with a little fat on butter) round, and a seasoning of pepper and salt; to cover it with greased paper and cook in a moderate oven until ready. The fish may be served with or without sauce. See Recipe 269.
Or, the fish may be stuffed with one of the various stuffings given on p. 307 and then cooked in the oven with some butter or dripping to baste it. Sauce may be served round the fish if wished. See Recipe 207.
Or, again, the fish may be baked au gratin, that is, with a seasoning of chopped parsley, mushrooms, and shallot, or grated cheese, sprinkled with bread-crumbs with butter on the top. (See Sole au Gratin, Recipe 252.) A little white wine or sauce may be poured round the fish before it is put in the oven.
As baking is a very dry method of cooking, some butter or other fat must always be put along with the fish.
Steaming
Fish may be cooked by steam instead of boiling it. It is a slower process, but the flavour of the fish is retained better than by boiling, especially in smaller pieces of fish. The fish is placed in a steamer which fits on to a saucepan and success depends upon keeping plenty of water boiling under it.
Slices of fish, small skinned whiting, or fillets of fish can be cooked to perfection both as to flavour and substance by steaming, whereas boiling would render them woolly and tasteless. If it is only a small quantity of fish which requires cooking it may be steamed on a plate. Grease the plate with butter and lay the fish neatly on it. Season to taste and squeeze a little lemon juice over the top. Put a piece of well-greased paper on the top and cover with a second plate, or the saucepan lid. Place this on the top of a saucepan of boiling water and allow it to remain from twenty to thirty minutes, or until the fish is sufficiently cooked. The liquid on the plate should be served with the fish or made into a sauce with a little flour and butter, and then poured over the fish.
Note: This is an excellent way of serving fish for an invalid.
Frying
This is one of the most popular ways of cooking fish, and small fish are perhaps more palatable prepared in this way than by any other method. Unfortunately frying is badly understood in many households, and the productions called fried fish are not only greasy and unsightly, but unpalatable and indigestible as well. Fish properly fried should be of a pretty brown colour, dry and crisp, and as free from grease as if it had never been touched by fat. Even the paper on which it is served should show little or no sign of grease.
All kinds of fish may be fried in one way or another. Small fish are better fried whole, larger ones should be filleted or cut in slices.
Before fish is fried it must be made very dry, and the outside must be coated with some preparation, which will prevent the fat entering. There are several different ways of coating the fish. The first and simplest method is to dip it into flour, seasoned with pepper and salt. The flour used should be fine and dry, and if at all lumpy should be sieved before using. Fine oatmeal is sometimes used instead of flour. Another way is to dip the fish in milk after the first coating of flour and then in flour again. Then, again, the fish may be dipped in frying batter (see Recipe 1861) to coat the outside. This is only suitable for small pieces of fish, and it makes them look like a fritter. Perhaps the most satisfactory method of all is to egg and bread-crumb the fish, and this certainly has the best appearance when finished.
Whichever method is adopted the fish itself must always be neatly trimmed, and then the coating on the outside complete so that there is no opening left for the fat to enter. If flour, or flour and milk are used as a coating, this must be applied just before the fish is to be cooked, otherwise the flour becomes moist and the fish does not fry well. Batter also can only be used at the last minute. Egging and bread-crumbing may, on the other hand, be done sometime before the fish is to be fried, and even the night before if the fish is to be served for breakfast.
There are two different methods of frying fish, wet frying and dry frying. The former is the most suitable for small fish or fillets of fish, the latter for larger fish or pieces of fish, which require a slower process of cooking.
Wet Frying or French Frying: This is cooking in a large quantity of fat sufficient to cover the fish. For full directions see p. 248.
Do not put too many pieces of fish into the fat at one time, or the fat will be cooled down so much that it will soak into them. If a frying basket is used the pieces must not overlap each other. Let the fish fry a nice brown colour, then lift it out and drain on kitchen paper. If a frying basket is not used a perforated spoon or skimmer should be taken to lift out the fish, so that the fat is not wasted.
Always allow the fat to reheat before a fresh lot of fish is put in, and try to make each lot the same shade of brown.
Fried fish must be served very hot, and should be dished with a dish paper under it. Garnish with cut lemon and fresh or fried parsley, or small bunches of cress.
Dry Frying or Sauteing: This means frying in a sauté or frying pan with a small quantity of fat. There should only be sufficient fat to cover the foot of the pan about ⅛ of an inch. The fat must be made smoking hot before the fish is placed in it, so that the outside is sealed up, and the juice and flavour retained.
The fish must be prepared in the same way as for wet frying. Then place it in the hot fat and brown it first on one side and then on the other, turning it with a broad-bladed knife or fish slice. When cooked, lift out and drain on paper. Serve in the same way as above.
Poaching
This is one of the most delicate ways of cooking small fillets of fish.
Take a very clean baking tin or shallow saucepan, grease it and lay in the fillets of fish, seasoning them with pepper, salt, and a little lemon juice. Barely cover them with fish stock (see p. 78) or with fish stock and white wine mixed. Lay a piece of greased paper over and cook in the oven or on the top of the stove until the fish is ready. A few minutes will be sufficient. Lift the fish carefully, draining it well, and use the liquid to make a sauce for covering it. In this way the flavour of the fish is retained, and the most delicate kind of fish need not be overcooked.
Stewing
This is one of the most tasty ways of preparing fish, and especially small fish. The fish may either be filleted and rolled or cut in pieces, or, if small, it may be stewed whole.
The liquid part of the stew should be fish stock made from the bones and trimmings of the fish, or a mixture of wine and stock, or milk and water may be used if a very delicate stew is wanted.
The fish is simmered in enough liquid to cover it until cooked, then lifted carefully out and kept warm, while the liquid in which it has been cooked is thickened and seasoned to make a sauce. This is then strained over the fish.
Fish should always be stewed in an enamelled or earthenware saucepan, and especially if wine is being used.
By this means of cooking none of the goodness of the fish is lost.
Price of Fish
It is impossible to give the exact price of any kind of fish, so much tends to make it vary; all that can be done is to give a fair average. The following prices are taken from London Store lists:
Name of Fish Average Price Bream 6d to 8d per lb Brill 8d to 1s 6d Carp from 1s each Cod 4d to 10d per lb Crab 4d to 8d small Dory 6d to 9d per lb Eels 6d to 1s per lb Flounders 4d to 8d per lb Grey mullet 8d to 10d per lb Gurnet 6d to 8d per lb Haddock 3d to 1s each Hake 4d to 8d per lb Halibut 8d to 1s 6d per lb Herring ½d to 2d each Kippers and bloaters 1d to 2d each Ling 4d to 8d per lb Lobster from 1s each Mackerel from 3d each Mussels from 4d per quart Oysters from 1s per dozen Perch 6d to 1s each Pike 6d per lb Plaice from 4d each Prawns 1d to 3d each Red mullet from 10d per lb Salmon 1s to 3s per lb Scallops 9d to 2s per dozen Sea-bream 4d to 6d per lb Skate 4d to 6d per lb Snrimps from 4d per pint Smelts 1d to 2d each Sole from 1s 6d per lb Sole (lemon) 10d to 1s per lb Sprats 2d per lb Trout 1s each Turbot 1s per lb Whitebait from 1s per quart Whiting 2d to 6d each Calendar of Fish in Season. See pages 26-29.
Part II at page 81
Saltwater Fish
Bass (Bar)
This is a fish of which there are several different varieties. It is to be found both in fresh and in salt water, and its flesh is very much esteemed. Besides the recipes given below the larger fish may be cooked according to any of the recipes given for cooking salmon and the smaller ones like perch or trout.
180. Baked Bass
- 1 or 2 bass
- dripping or butter
- seasoning
- potatoes
- chopped parsley
- mustard sauce
Choose small or medium-sized bass, and wash and clean them carefully (see p. 77). Put a little butter or good dripping inside the fish and season them with pepper and salt. Lay them on a greased baking tin and put some more fat or butter on the top. Bake in a good oven from 20 to 30 minutes according to the size of the fish, and baste now and again with the fat. A fish weighing 2 lbs. will require 20 minutes and a larger one longer in proportion. Have ready some potatoes (a quantity suited to the size of the fish), cut in neat pieces and parboiled, put these into the baking tin and cook them along with the fish for the last 10 or 12 minutes. When ready, lift the fish carefully on to a hot dish, arrange the potatoes neatly round, and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley. Serve mustard sauce (see Recipe 697) separately.
181. Stuffed Bass (Bar farci)
- 1 bass
- seasoning
- bacon fat or butter
- oyster forcemeat
- lemon juice
Take a bass weighing about 3 lbs., and wash and clean it carefully (see p. 77). Season it inside with pepper, salt, and a little lemon juice, and then prepare some oyster forcemeat, according to Recipe 1275. Put this into the fish and sew it up. Lay it on a greased baking tin, squeeze over some more lemon juice, and put some thin slices of fat bacon on the top. Bake in a hot oven, basting occasionally with the bacon fat. When ready, remove the fish carefully to a hot dish and draw out the trussing thread. Garnish with cut lemon and parsley, and serve egg, tomato, or any other suitable sauce separately. Time to cook, about 30 minutes. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.
Brill (Barbue)
A well-known fish of good quality and flavour, similar in appearance to the turbot, but the skin is smoother and of a pale yellowish brown colour with reddish spots. When fresh the flesh has a yellowish tinge; if bluish in colour it is not good.
Brill may be boiled like turbot and served with a good sauce, or it is very good filleted and served according to any of the directions given for filleted sole.
182. Fillets of Brill au Pêcheur (Barbue au Pêcheur)
- 2 lbs. brill
- a little flour
- 2 oz. butter
- chopped parsley
- garnish
- 3 or 4 potatoes
- ½ lb. mushrooms
- 2 oz. butter
- seasoning
To Prepare the Garnish: parboil the potatoes and cut them in small square pieces. Prepare the mushrooms and cut them also in small pieces. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the potatoes, and let them cook slowly with the lid on the pan until nearly ready. Then add the mushrooms, season to taste, and let the two cook together until ready.
To Prepare the Fish: Have the brill cut in slices, remove the bone and skin and cut the fish in neat pieces or fillets. Season these with pepper and salt and coat them lightly with flour. Melt 2 oz. of butter in a frying or sauté pan, when quite hot put in the fish and fry it a light brown on both sides, cooking it thoroughly.
To Serve: Arrange the pieces of fish on a hot dish, and put the potato and mushroom garnish in little heaps round the sides. Add a little lemon juice to the butter in which the fish was cooked, let it become brown, strain over the fish, and sprinkle with some very finely chopped parsley.
Time to cook, about ½ hour. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
Cod (Cabillaud)
This is one of our best known and most useful kinds of fish. It is generally moderate in price, and is obtainable all the year round, although it is best from October to May. A short, plump cod is best, with the head and tail small in proportion to the size of the body.
Almost every part of the cod seems to be of use. The roe is generally sold separately, and it makes a very light and easily digested dish. The liver supplies us with the famous cod liver oil. The tongue, either fresh or salted, is considered quite a delicacy by epicures. The sounds are generally salted, and they make a nice appetiser.
The flesh of the cod is also salted in large quantities, and is much used during Lent.
Cod is a fish which lends itself to many different ways of cooking: the following recipes will serve as a guide to a few, and perhaps suggest many others.
183. Cod, To Boil or Steam
A thick middle cut, or the head and shoulders, are the best parts of cod for boiling and steaming. The tail end is too insipid, and is best cut in slices and cooked some other way. It is almost impossible to cook a cod whole, as the tail would become overcooked before the rest of the fish was ready.
Wash and cleanse the fish thoroughly, rub it all over with salt and lemon juice, and, if time permits, let it lie an hour or two before cooking, as this will improve the flavour. Then boil or steam according to general directions given on pp. 78-80. When ready, drain well and serve on a hot dish, with a folded serviette or dish paper and a fish drainer under it. Garnish with cut lemon and parsley.
Hard-boiled eggs cut in quarters, scraped horseradish, capers, lobster coral, &c., are also suitable for garnishing. Serve parsley, anchovy, egg, oyster, or any other suitable sauce separately, also boiled potatoes if wished.
Note: A small piece of cod may be served with the sauce poured over it, and in this case as much as possible of the skin should be removed after cooking. Decorate with some hard-boiled yolk of egg rubbed through a sieve, chopped parsley, picked shrimps, or lobster coral.
Time to cook, 10 minutes to the lb. and 10 minutes over. Allow 6 to 8 oz. per person.
184. Fillets of Cod with Parmesan (Cabillaud au Parmesan)
- 1½ lbs. cod
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 oz. flour
- 1 pint fish stock
- 2 oz. grated parmesan
- cayenne pepper
- salt
- 2 table-spoons cream
- a squeeze of lemon juice
Remove all skin and bone from the fish, and wash the trimmings in cold water. Put these latter into a saucepan with equal parts of milk and water to cover them, a bay leaf, a few parsley stalks, and a small onion. Allow this to simmer by the side of the fire from 20 to 30 minutes, then strain this stock, and use half a pint to make the sauce. Meanwhile cut the fish into neat pieces, and lay them on a greased tin, sprinkle with pepper, salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Cover with greased paper, and cook the fish in a moderate oven until quite tender. Make a sauce with the butter, flour, and fish stock, and cook it well. Add to it the cream and most of the cheese and season to taste. Arrange the pieces of fish neatly on a hot dish, pouring any liquid from the tin into the sauce. Coat the fish with the sauce, and sprinkle the remainder of the cheese over the top. Wipe the edges of the dish, and brown in the oven or in front of the fire before serving.
Notes: A few fried or baked slices of tomato may be used as a garnish. The fish may be basted with white wine if desired. Time to bake, 15 to 20 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
185. Cod's Head, Stuffed
- 1 cod's head
- stuffing
- 1 glass white wine or fish stock
- 2 table-spoons butter or oil
- 1 gill brown sauce
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy essence
- 1 tea-spoon lemon juice
- 2 table-spoons browned bread-crumbs
Take a cod's head with part of the shoulders and wash and clean it carefully, removing the eyes and gills and any black skin lining the inside. Prepare some fish stuffing according to Recipe 1266, put it into the head, and sew it up. Now place the head on a well-greased baking dish or tin, pour over it the wine or stock, and add the butter or oil. Bake in a good oven, basting frequently with the liquid. When nearly ready, sprinkle the head with browned bread-crumbs and return to the oven for a few minutes longer. Then lift the head on to a hot dish, remove the thread with which it was sewn, and keep it warm whilst finishing the sauce. Add the brown sauce, anchovy essence and lemon juice to the liquid in the tin, bring to the boil, skim if necessary, and then strain round the head. Serve garnished with parsley.
Time to cook, about ½ hour. Sufficient for 2 or 3 persons.
186. Cod Steaks, To Fry (Tranches de Cabillaud Frites)
- slices of cod
- seasoning
- a little flour
- egg and bread-crumbs
Take as many slices of cod as required. These are best cut from the tail end of the fish, and should be about ¾ in. in thickness. If cut from the open end of the fish where there is a flap, fold over the ends and fix them with a tiny wooden skewer or piece of match. Wash the fish lightly, scraping the skin with a knife, then dry with a cloth, and rub over with a half lemon. Mix a little flour, pepper, and salt on a plate, dip the pieces of fish into this, coating them lightly on both sides. This dries the fish thoroughly and makes it fry better. Then egg and bread-crumb the slices (see p. 249) and fry them in a sauté or frying pan with a small quantity of fat. See Dry Frying, p. 80. When thoroughly cooked and nicely browned on both sides, drain them well on paper, remove the skewers if any have been used, and serve on a hot dish with a dish paper under them. Garnish with parsley or watercress and quarters of cut lemon. Tomato, shrimp, anchovy or any other suitable sauce may be served separately, also baked or boiled potatoes.
Notes: A little melted butter may be mixed with the egg if the fish is considered too dry. Cod steaks can be prepared in a simpler way by dipping them in milk after flouring them and then in flour again, instead of egging and bread-crumbing.
Time to cook, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow 6 to 8 oz. per person.
187, Cod Steak à la Flamande (Tranche de Cabillaud à la Flamande)
- 1 slice of cod
- 1 table-spoon chopped
- onion
- 1 table-spoon lemon juice
- 1 yolk of egg
- 1 oz. butter
- salt
- pepper
- 1 gill brown sauce
Choose a nice thick slice of cod and wash and dry it carefully. Well grease a baking tin with a little butter, and sprinkle the chopped onion over the bottom. Lay the fish on the top. Beat up the yolk of egg with the lemon juice and a little pepper and salt. Pour this on the top of the fish and lay on the remainder of the butter in small pieces. Bake in a good oven until the fish is cooked and nicely browned on the top. When ready, lift the fish on to a hot dish, pour the brown sauce into the baking tin, bring it to the boil and pour it round. Garnish with parsley and cut lemon.
Note: Other kinds of fish such as halibut, hake, ling, &c., may be prepared in the same way.
Time to bake, 20 to 30 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
188. Cod Steaks with Tomato Sauce (Tranches de Cabillaud au Sauce Tomate)
- 3 slices of cod
- ½ pint tomato sauce
- a little butter
- 1 hard-boiled egg
- seasoning
Slices from the tail end of cod are best for this dish, and they should not be cut too thick. Wipe them with a damp cloth and season with pepper, salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Melt the butter in a baking tin, lay the fish on it, cover with greased paper, and bake in a moderate oven until cooked. When the fish is ready, lift it carefully with a fish slice on to a hot dish. Heat ½ pint well-made tomato sauce (Recipe 705) in a saucepan, add any liquid left on the baking tin to it, and strain over the fish, coating it veil. Decorate with hard-boiled egg, either cut in pieces, or the white chopped separately and the yolk rubbed through a sieve.
Time to bake, 15 to 20 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
189. Cod, Stuffed and Baked (Cabillaud Farci au Four)
- 1½ to 2 lbs. cod
- stuffing
- 2 oz. butter or dripping
- 1 table-spoon browned bread-crumbs
A piece from the thick end of cod is best for this dish, where there is the flap to enclose the stuffing. If a piece nearer the tail is used, the bone must be removed in order to make an opening. Cleanse and dry the fish and make the stuffing according to directions given in Recipe 1266. Melt the butter or dripping in a deep baking tin, and place the fish on this. Then put in the stuffing, folding the flaps round it and fixing them in position with a skewer, or if it is a piece without the flap, fill up the hole in the centre with the stuffing. Brush the fish over with some of the melted fat, and sprinkle the browned bread-crumbs over the top. Bake in a moderate oven, basting the fish occasionally to prevent it becoming dry. When ready, lift it carefully with a fish slice on to a hot dish, and remove the skewer and also the skin, if this can be done without spoiling the appearance of the fish.
Garnish with parsley and cut lemon. Parsley, anchovy, tomato, or any other suitable sauce may be poured round or served separately.
Time to bake, ½ to ¾ hour. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
190. Cod's Roe with Parsley Sauce (Laitance de Cabillaud à la Maître d'Hôtel)
- 1 small cod's roe
- 2 or 3 gills parsley sauce
- salt
- vinegar
Wash the roe in cold water, but do not let it soak, then tie it up in a piece of muslin to prevent it breaking. Put it into a fish kettle of slowly boiling water, salted in the proportion of 1 desert-spoonful to 1 quart of water, and add a few drops of vinegar. If no fish kettle is available the roe may be put into an ordinary stewpan with a plate at the bottom. The water should just cover the roe. Simmer slowly from ½ to ¾ of an hour according to size and thickness. When ready, lift the roe out, let the water drain well from it, and cool slightly. Then remove the skin and cut the roe in slices.
Arrange these neatly on a greased fireproof dish, and pour sufficient parsley sauce over to completely cover the roe. Place the dish in the oven for a few minutes until the contents are well heated, and serve in the same dish garnished with croutons of fried bread or sippets of toast.
Note: Tomato, anchovy, oyster, shrimp, or any other suitable sauce may be used instead of parsley sauce.
Time to cook, about 1 hour. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
191. Cod's Roe, Fried (Laitances de Cabillaud Frites)
- 1 cod's roe
- a little flour
- egg and bread-crumbs
- salt
- pepper
Boil the roe according to directions given in Recipe 190, and let it become quite cold. Then cut it in slices about ½ inch thick, using a very sharp knife. Dip these in a little flour seasoned with pepper and salt, then egg and bread-crumb them, and fry in boiling fat until a nice brown colour. Serve garnished with parsley and cut lemon. A little tomato sauce may be served separately, also thin brown bread and butter.
Notes: A simpler method of preparing the roe is to flour it only, and to fry in a small quantity of fat in a frying pan. The roe may be made neater by removing the skin and cutting the slices into shape with a cutter before egging and bread-crumbing them. The trimmings can be scalloped, or used up for a savoury.
192. Cod Sounds with Parsley Sauce (Nau de Morue Sauce Maître d'Hôtel)
- 1 lb. cod sounds
- ½ pint parsley sauce
- milk and water
- croutons fried bread
Cod sounds, which are the air or swimming bladders of the fish, are generally bought salted. They should be soaked for several hours before being used. Rinse them in fresh cold water and put them into a saucepan with milk and water to cover. Simmer slowly till tender, from ½ to ¾ of an houn. Then drain and cut the sounds in pieces about 2 inches square. Arrange these neatly on a fireproof dish, and cover completely with the sauce. Put in the oven a few minutes until thoroughly hot, garnish with some fried croutons of bread and serve at once.
Notes: Any other suitable sauce may be used instead of parsley sauce, such as egg, tomato, béchamel, piquante sauce, &c.
Time to cook, about 1 hour. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
193. Salt Cod, To Prepare and Boil (Morue Salée)
Salt cod requires to be well soaked and very carefully boiled to make it really palatable. In this country it is served specially during Lent and on Good Friday in particular. Wash the fish and let it soak for 12 hours at least in lukewarm water, changing the water once or twice. When sufficiently fresh, put it into a saucepan with warm water, or preferably milk and water, to cover it, bring slowly to the boil, skim if necessary, and then simmer slowly about 1 hour. If cooked too quickly the fish will become tough and leathery. The milk will help to mellow it. When the fish is ready, lift it out and drain, remove the skin and large bones, and use as directed.
Time to cook, about 1 hour. Allow 4 to 6 oz. per person.
194. Salt Cod with Egg Sauce (Morue Salée à la Sauce aux (Œufs)
- 1 lb. salt cod
- ½ pint egg sauce
Prepare and boil the cod according to directions given above, break it into neat pieces or flakes, and arrange it on a hot dish. Cover with a good egg sauce (Recipe 687), and decorate with sippets of toast and a little finely chopped parsley. Or, a little of the hard-boiled yolk of egg may be rubbed through a sieve over the top.
Notes: Boiled parsnips or boiled beetroots may be served separately or used as a garnish. Other sauces may be used in the same way, such as oyster, shrimp, tomato, onion, or parsley sauce.
Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
195. Salt Cod with Parsnip Purée (Morue à la Purée de Panais)
- 1 lb. salt cod
- 3 or 4 parsnips
- chopped parsley
- 2 or 3 table-spoons cream or milk
- 1 oz. butter
- pepper
- salt
Wash and brush the parsnips, cut off the tops, and scrape them from the thick end downwards until all black is removed. Cut them in pieces, throw them into a saucepan of boiling water slightly salted, and boil them gently until tender, about 1 hour. Then drain and rub them through a fine wire or hair sieve. Reheat this purée in a saucepan with the butter, seasoning, and a little cream or milk. Prepare and cook the fish as directed in Recipe 193, remove from it all skin and bone, break it in small pieces and put it on a hot dish. Cover with the parsnip puree, and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.
Note: Boiled or baked potatoes may be served separately.
Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
196. Salt Cod au Gratin (Morue au Gratin)
- 1 lb. salt cod
- ½ pint white sauce
- 1 table-spoon bread-crumbs
- 3 table-spoons grated cheese
- a little butter
Prepare and cook the cod as in Recipe 193, and break it in pieces. Put these on a greased fireproof dish and sprinkle half the cheese over. Cover with ½ pint good white sauce or béchamel sauce, and sprinkle the remainder of the cheese and the bread-crumbs on the top. Place on a few small pieces of butter and bake in the oven until nicely browned.
Time to bake, 20 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
197. Salt Cod à l'Americaine (Morue à l'Americaine)
- 1 lb. salt cod
- seasoning
- 5 or 6 potatoes
- 1 onion
- 1 oz. flour
- 1 or 2 oz. butter
- 2 eggs
- ½ pint milk
- 3 table-spoons grated cheese
Prepare and cook the cod as directed in Recipe 193, and break it in small pieces free from skin and bone. Cook and sieve the potatoes and chop the onion finely. Melt the butter in a saucepan, put in the onion, and cook it for 5 minutes without allowing it to brown. Add the flour and mix it in smoothly with a wooden spoon, then pour in the milk and stir until boiling. Now stir in the prepared potatoes and fish with the yolks of the two eggs and seasoning to taste, and mix all thoroughly. Whip up the whites of eggs to a stiff froth and mix them in lightly at the last. Pour the mixture into a greased pie-dish, sprinkle the cheese on the top, and bake in a good oven until well browned. A dish of baked tomatoes may be served separately.
Time to bake, 20 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
198. Smoked Cod à la Créole
- 1 lb. smoked cod
- 2 oz. butter or dripping
- ½ pint tomato purée
- ¼ lb. rice
- salt
- pepper
First wash the rice, put it into a saucepan with boiling water and a little salt, and let it cook 10 minutes, then strain. In another saucepan melt the butter or dripping, put in the chopped onion, and let it cook by the side of the fire for a few minutes without browning. Then add the strained rice, the fish cut in small pieces, and ½ pint tinned or fresh tomatoes rubbed through a fine sieve. Let all simmer slowly until the fish and rice are thoroughly cooked. Season with pepper, and salt if necessary. Serve hot. A few plainly boiled potatoes may be served separately.
Note: Any other smoked fish may be used instead of cod.
Time to cook, about ½ hour. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
Conger Eel (Congre)
This is a sea-fish of the same form as the fresh-water eel, but generally much larger. It sometimes grows to a very large size. The flesh is somewhat coarse and oily, but, if carefully prepared and well cooked, it will make quite a good dish. When small the conger eel may be cooked in the same way as ordinary eels, allowing longer time, but if large cook like cod. It also makes very good soup.
199. Baked Conger Eel (Congre Farci au Four)
- 3 lbs. conger eel
- ½ gill vinegar
- 1 dessert-spoon chopped onion
- pepper
- salt
- stuffing
- 2 or 3 anchovies
- 2 oz. butter or dripping
- a little flour
- 1 pint anchovy sauce
A middle cut from the conger eel is the best for stuffing. Wash and dry it well, then lay it in a dish with the vinegar, chopped onion, pepper and salt, and let it stand about one hour, turning the fish occasionally. Prepare a stuffing according to Recipe 1266, and add to it 2 or 3 anchovies, washed, boned, and cut in small pieces. Put this stuffing into the fish close to the bone, and bind it round with tape. Lay the fish on a well-greased baking tin, dredge it with flour, and place the remainder of the butter or dripping in small pieces on the top. Bake in a moderate oven, basting the fish occasionally. When ready, the flesh should leave the bone easily. Serve the fish on a hot dish, and remove the tape. Have ready about ½ pint anchovy sauce (see Recipe 675), make it thoroughly hot and strain round. Garnish with parsley and cut lemon.
Time to cook, 1 to l½ hours. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.
200. Stewed Conger Eel (Ragoût de Congre)
- 2 lbs. conger eel
- 1 pint stock
- 1 or 2 table-spoons sherry
- 1 oz. flour
- 1 oz. Butter
- seasoning
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
Cut the eel in slices, season it with pepper, salt, and a little lemon juice or vinegar, and let it lie for a short time. Put about 1 pint of well-flavoured stock into a saucepan and bring it to the boil. There should be sufficient stock to cover the fish, and if it is wanting in flavour a little sliced vegetable and a small bunch of herbs should be added. When boiling lay in the fish, cover, and simmer very slowly until tender. Then lift out the fish, arrange the slices neatly on a hot dish, and keep them warm. In a small saucepan melt the butter and let it brown slightly, stir in the flour and cook it a minute or two, then draw the pan to one side and strain in the stock from the other saucepan. Stir until boiling, add the sherry and other seasoning to taste, skim well and strain over fish. Decorate with the hard-boiled eggs cut in small sections, or, if preferred, with small forcemeat balls.
Time to cook, ½ hour. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
Flounder (Carrelet)
The flounder is a flat fish resembling the plaice, but inferior in quality. In some parts of the country it goes under the name of fluke. It is brownish in colour, mottled with a darker brown, but its appearance varies somewhat according to the nature of the ground from which it is taken. It is light and easily digested, but must be eaten very fresh, the day it is caught if possible.
Flounder may be cooked according to any of the recipes given for cooking plaice or sole.
Gurnet or Gurnard (Grondin)
This is an excellent little fish and generally moderate in price. It is not attractive looking, as it has a large head in proportion to the size of the body, but the flesh is white and firm and very pleasant in flavour. It is inclined to be dry, so a fair amount of fat must be used in its preparation.
There are different kinds of gurnet, but the red is generally considered the best.
Besides the recipes given below, it may be cooked according to any of the methods recommended for haddock.
201. Gurnets with Potatoes
- 3 or 4 small gurnets
- 3 or 4 potatoes
- a few slices bacon fat
- pepper
- salt
- a little flour
- lemon juice
- 1 dessert-spoon chopped parsley
Clean and wash the fish, cutting off the heads and fins. Score them across two or three times on each side with a knife, season them with pepper, salt, and a little lemon juice, and let them lie half an hour. Meanwhile prepare the potatoes, parboil them about 10 minutes, and then cut them in quarters. Then take a baking dish or tin and lay in it a few slices of fat bacon. Coat the fish lightly with flour, lay them on the top and put a small piece of fat bacon on the top of each. Put the potatoes round the fish, cover all with greased paper, and bake in a good oven until both are ready. The pieces of potato should be turned over once during the cooking. When ready, lift the fish carefully on to a hot dish, arrange the potatoes round them, and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.
Time to bake, 20 to 30 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
202. Fillets of Gurnet au Gratin (Filets de Grondin au Gratin)
- 3 or 4 gurnets
- 1 oz. butter
- pepper
- salt
- 6 or 8 small mushrooms
- 1 gill brown sauce
- lemon juice
- 2 table-spoons bread-crumbs
- 1 table-spoon grated cheese
Skin and fillet the fish (see p. 78), season the fillets with pepper, salt, and a little lemon juice. Fold them in two, and arrange them neatly in a greased fireproof dish. If fresh mushrooms are used, prepare and trim them as directed in Recipe 513, and place a head on the top of each fillet of fish; if preserved mushrooms, simply drain them from their liquor, and if small use a larger number. Warm about a gill of brown sauce and pour it over the fish. Then sprinkle the top with the bread-crumbs and grated cheese mixed together. Lay the butter in small pieces on the top, and bake in a moderate oven until the fish is cooked and the surface nicely-browned. Serve hot, garnished with a little parsley.
Note: Other kinds of fish may be prepared in the same way.
Time to cook, 20 to 30 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
Haddock (Aigrefin or Eglefin)
This is one of our most useful fish, as it is obtainable all the year round at a moderate price. The flesh is white and firm, with a delicate flavour, and is capable of treatment in a variety of ways. On each side of the body, just below the gills, there is a dark mark which superstition calls the finger and thumb mark of St. Peter. A medium-sized haddock is best, the flesh is inclined to be coarse when the fish grows to a large size.
203. Haddock, To Boil or Steam
Clean the fish and truss it with a skewer in the shape of the letter S. Then cook it according to directions given for boiling or steaming fish (pp. 79-80). Or, it may be boiled in a mixture of milk and water, the liquid afterwards being used to make the sauce. This latter method is an excellent one when cooking the fish for an invalid. When sufficiently cooked, drain the fish well, slide it on to a hot dish on which a doyley or dish paper has been placed, and remove the skewer. Garnish with parsley and cut lemon; melted butter, or any suitable fish sauce should be served separately.
Time to cook, 20 to 30 minutes for a large haddock.
204. Haddocks, To Fry (Eglefins Frits)
- Small haddocks
- a little milk
- flour
- lemon juice
- pepper
- salt
Haddocks, when small, may be fried whole. Wash and clean the fish, cutting off the heads, then skin and dry them thoroughly. Season them with pepper, salt, and a little lemon juice, and, if time permits, let them lie a short time before cooking. Then coat the fish lightly with flour, brush them over with milk, and coat again with flour. This must not be done until immediately before frying, otherwise the fish will become damp and sodden. Fry them in a small quantity of fat in a frying pan (see Dry Frying, p. 80), browning them first on one side and then on the other. The time will depend on the size and thickness of the fish. When ready, lift out with a broad-bladed knife or fish slice and drain for a few minutes on kitchen paper. Arrange the haddocks head to tail on a hot dish with a dish paper under them, and garnish with parsley and cut lemon. Serve tomato, mustard, béarnaise, caper, or any other suitable sauce separately.
Notes: The haddocks may be egged and bread-crumbed instead of being coated with flour and milk. Any other small fish may be cooked in the same way.
Time to fry, 7 to 10 minutes. Allow 1 fish per person.
205. Filleted and Fried Haddock (Filets d'Eglefin Frits)
- 1 filleted haddock
- 1 dessert-spoon flour
- lemon juice
- seasoning
- bread-crumbs
- 1 egg
Wipe the fish with a cloth, cut it across diagonally into neat-sized pieces, and rub them over with a little lemon juice. The advantage of cutting diagonally is that the fish will curl up in prettier forms when it is cooked. Mix the flour on a plate with a little pepper and salt. Dip the pieces of fish into this, coating them very thinly, and shaking all the loose flour off. Then egg and bread-crumb the pieces of fish (see p. 249), and as each piece is ready lay it on a plate or tin with a double piece of paper on it. Put a few pieces at a time into a frying basket and fry them in boiling fat (see p. 248) until a golden brown colour. Drain on kitchen paper. When all the fish is cooked, pile up the pieces very lightly on a hot dish with a dish paper under them, and garnish with parsley and cut lemon. Tomato or any suitable fish sauce may be served separately.
Note: Any other filleted fish may be prepared in the same way.
Time to fry, 3 or 4 minutes each lot.
206. Haddock Fried in Batter (Friture d'Eglefin)
- 1 filleted haddock
- salt
- pepper
- lemon juice
- frying batter
First make the frying batter according to directions given in Recipe 1861, and allow it to stand some time before it is used, keeping out the white of egg, to be added at the last moment. Wipe the fish with a cloth, and cut it across diagonally into small pieces. Lay these on a plate and season with pepper, salt, and a little lemon juice. Have ready on the fire a saucepan half full of boiling fat, and a tin with paper on it ready to drain the fish. Add the beaten white of egg to the batter, and dip the pieces of fish into it one at a time, coating them well. Lift them out with a skewer and drop them gently into the boiling fat. Do each piece in the same way. Let them fry a nice brown colour, then lift out with a perforated spoon, and drain on kitchen paper. Pile up lightly on a hot dish with a dish paper under them, and garnish with parsley and cut lemon. Any suitable fish sauce may be served separately.
Note: The pieces of fish may be marinaded before being dipped in the batter to give them more flavour. See Recipe 378.
Time to fry, 5 or 6 minutes each lot.
207. Stuffed and Baked Haddock (Eglefin Farci au Four)
- 1 haddock (medium sized)
- 2 oz. dripping or butter
- 2 table-spoons browned bread-crumbs
- fish stuffing
Wash and clean the haddock, scraping the skin well from the tail towards the head. Cut off the fins and tail and take out the eyes. Then dry in a cloth. Make some stuffing according to Recipe 1266, place it in the opening of the fish, and sew up with a needle and strong thread. When doing this, make an under and over stitch as indicated in illustration, always inserting the needle in the under side of the fish, and leaving a loose piece of thread at each end. In this way the thread can easily be withdrawn without disfiguring the fish. Melt the dripping or butter in a deep baking tin or dish, and lay the fish into this with the back uppermost and trussed with a skewer in the shape of the letter S. Brush it over with beaten egg or a little of the melted fat, and coat with browned bread-crumbs. Bake in a moderate oven, basting occasionally to prevent the fish becoming dry. When ready, lift with a fish slice on to a hot dish, remove the skewer, and draw the thread carefully out. Garnish with sprigs of parsley and cut lemon, and serve with anchovy, tomato, or any other suitable sauce poured round or served separately. The sauce is entirely a matter of taste.
Notes: Small codling or gurnets may be cooked in the same way. Basting is particularly necessary with the drier kinds of fish.
Time, 20 to 30 minutes to bake. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
208. Stuffed Fillets of Haddock (Filets d'Aigrefin Farcis)
- 2 small filleted haddocks
- lemon juice
- salt
- pepper
- browned bread-crumbs
- Maître d'hôtel butter
- anchovy or parsley sauce
- stuffing
Wipe the fish with a clean cloth, and cut them in half lengthwise. Lay them out on a board with the side which the skin was taken off uppermost, and season each piece with white pepper, salt, and a little lemon juice. Prepare the stuffing as directed in Recipe 307, lay a little on each fillet, and roll them up, commencing at the thick end, and rolling towards the tail. Stand them up on a greased tin, cover with a piece of greased paper, and bake in a moderate oven about 15 minutes, or until the fish has lost its clear appearance, and looks quite white. When ready, roll the pieces in some fine browned bread-crumbs, coating them well. Place them on a hot dish, pour some anchovy or parsley sauce round, and put a small pat of maître d'hôtel butter on the top of each.
Time, 15 to 20 minutes to bake. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
209. Fillets of Haddock à 1'Italienne (Eglefin à l'ltalienne)
- 1 lb. filleted haddock
- pepper and salt
- lemon juice
- 3 or 4 oz. spaghetti
- 2 table-spoons salad oil
- 2 table-spoons grated cheese
Sauce:
- 1 oz. butter or 1 table-spoon salad oil
- 1 onion
- 1 breakfast cupful tinned tomatoes
- 1 dessert-spoon chopped pickles
- pepper
- salt
- sugar
Wipe the fish, cut it in convenient-sized pieces, season with pepper, salt, and a little lemon juice and, if time permits, let it lie 1 hour. Then put the pieces into a well-greased fireproof dish, pour the salad oil over, cover with greased paper, and bake in a moderate oven until done.
To Make the Sauce: Heat the butter or oil in a saucepan, put in the onion and pickles, both finely chopped, and fry them a few minutes without browning. Sieve the tomatoes, and add the puree to the other ingredients, season to taste, and simmer all together for 20 minutes. Pour this sauce over the fish, and serve with boiled spaghetti sprinkled with grated cheese.
Time to cook, ½ hour. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
Smoked Haddock or Finnan
See under Breakfast Dishes, p. 387.
Hake (Merlus)
A large fish somewhat resembling the cod in appearance, but with a hook-shaped fin on the back of its head. The flesh is firm and rather solid, and should be eaten very fresh. Hake is a useful fish for made-up fish dishes, as the bones are so easily removed. It also goes under the name of rock salmon, and the French call it the sea-pike, on account of its great voracity. It is generally moderate in price. It may be cooked according to any of the recipes given for cooking cod or halibut, but is perhaps most satisfactory when baked or fried.
210. Hake Cutlets, Baked
- 1½ lbs. hake
- a little flour
- ¼ lb. bread-crumbs
- ½ pint fish stock
- 1 tea-spoon lemon juice
- 1 table-spoon chopped parsley
- 1 tea-spoon chopped shallot
- 1 oz. butter
- seasoning
Cut the hake in small slices about 1 inch thick and remove all skin and bone. Wipe the pieces and coat them lightly with flour. Then grease a pie dish or fireproof dish, and mix together the bread-crumbs, shallot, and parsley with a little pepper and salt. Sprinkle a little of the bread-crumb mixture into the dish first, then lay in a few pieces of fish on the top, and more bread-crumbs, &c., and continue until all is in, making the last layer bread-crumbs. Add the lemon juice to the fish stock, and porn? it round. Lay the butter in small pieces on the top, and bake in a moderate oven, basting the fish occasionally with the liquid.
Note: Milk and water may be used instead of the fish stock.
Time to bake, ½ hour. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
211. Hake with Piccalilli Sauce
- 3 small slices of hake
- ½ pint fish stock
- 2 table-spoons chopped onion
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 dessert-spoon rice flour
- 2 table-spoons piccalilli
Trim and wipe the fish, making it as dry as possible. Melt the butter in a stewpan, and when smoking hot put in the fish and fry the slices a minute or two on each side. Then lift them out. Put the chopped onion into the stewpan and fry it until lightly browned. Now add the rice flour and piccalilli, and mix them in until smooth. Pour in the fish stock, and stir until boiling. Then return the fish, cover the stewpan, and allow the contents to simmer slowly until the fish is quite tender. When ready, arrange the slices of fish neatly on a hot dish, pour the sauce over, and garnish with one or two sprigs of parsley.
Time to cook, about ½ hour. Sufficient for 3 persons.
Halibut (Flétan)
A large flat fish, resembling the turbot in appearance, but inferior in quality and flavour. It sometimes grows to an enormous size. It is obtainable all the year round, but is best during the autumn and winter months. As the flesh is inclined to be woolly and tasteless, halibut must be carefully cooked and served with a good sauce. Besides the recipes given below it may be cooked according to any of the recipes given for cod or turbot.
212. Halibut Baked with Vinegar
- 1½ lbs. halibut
- 1 table-spoon flour
- pepper
- salt
- 1 gill vinegar
- 1 gill water
- 1 oz. butter
Wash the halibut, dry it, and cut it into pieces about 2 inches square, and free from skin and bone. Put the flour, pepper, and salt on to a plate, mix them together, and dip each piece of fish into this, coating them well. Grease a pie-dish or fireproof dish with a little of the butter, and place the pieces of fish neatly into it. Pour over them the vinegar and water, and put the rest of the butter in small pieces on the top. Wipe round the edges of the dish with a cloth, and bake in a moderate oven until the fish is done. Garnish the dish with one or two sprigs of parsley, and serve either hot or cold.
Note: Other kinds of white fish, such as cod, ling, hake, &c., can be cooked in the same way.
Time, ½ to ¾ hour to bake. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
213. Halibut with Tomatoes (Flétan aux Tomates)
- 1½ lbs. halibut
- 3 or 4 fresh tomatoes
- 1 table-spoon flour
- pepper
- salt
- juice of ½ a lemon
- 2 table-spoons bread-crumbs
- 1 oz. butter
Wipe the halibut, and cut it into small neat pieces, free from skin and bone. Put the flour on to a plate, and coat each piece of fish lightly with it. Let the tomatoes soak in boiling water a minute or two, then lift them out, dry, and skin them. Put them on a plate and cut them in slices. Grease a fireproof dish with a little butter, lay in a few pieces of fish, and season with pepper, salt, and lemon juice. Over these put some of the sliced tomato, then more fish and seasoning, and so on until all is in, making the last layer tomato. Sprinkle the bread-crumbs over the top, and lay on the butter in small pieces. Bake in a moderate oven until the fish is thoroughly cooked and browned nicely on the top. When ready, remove from the oven, and wipe round the edges of the dish. Garnish with parsley and serve hot. A little finely chopped onion or shallot may be added, if liked.
Note: Any other white fish may be prepared in the same way.
Time, ¾ to 1 hour to bake. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
214. Halibut with Cream Sauce (Flétan à la Crème)
- 1½ lbs. halibut
- 1 oz. butter
- salt
- white pepper
- lemon juice
Sauce
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 oz. flour
- 4 pint seasoned milk or fish stock (see p. 78)
- 1 or 2 table-spoons cream
- seasoning
Wash the fish, and cut it in slices about half an inch in thickness. Grease a baking tin with some of the butter, and lay the fish on it. Sprinkle with pepper and salt, and squeeze over a little lemon juice. Put the remainder of the butter on the top, and cover with greased paper. Bake in a moderate oven from 15 to 20 minutes, or until the fish is cooked. Then lift it with a fish slice or broad-bladed knife on to a hot dish, and keep it warm while the sauce is being made. Make a sauce with the butter, flour, and seasoned milk. Strain into it the liquid left in the baking tin, add the cream, and season to taste with white pepper and salt. Allow the sauce to boil for two or three minutes longer, then pour over the fish, coating it well. Garnish with a little finely chopped parsley and thin slices of lemon. Serve hot.
Time, about 20 minutes to bake. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
215. Halibut, Mayonnaise of (Flétan à la Mayonnaise)
- 2 lbs. halibut
- ½ pint mayonnaise sauce
- salad to garnish
Boil or steam a nice middle cut of halibut, being careful not to overcook it, or it will lose its shape. Drain well and remove the skin. When quite cold, lift on to a clean dish and pour the mayonnaise sauce over it, coating it carefully. Arrange some pretty green salad round the sides, and decorate the top with finely chopped parsley and lobster coral, thinly sliced cucumber, sprigs of chervil, small pieces of tomato, or any other suitable decoration.
Another Way: The remains of cooked halibut can be very well utilised in this way. Remove all skin and bone from the fish, and break it in flakes. Then shred finely some lettuce or other fresh green salad, and arrange a layer at the bottom of a (fish. Put a layer of fish on the top, cover with mayonnaise and continue thus with the different layers until all is used. The last layer should be the sauce, and the ingredients should be shaped in the form of a dome. Decorate prettily in the same way as above, putting a nice bunch of salad on the top, such as the heart of a young lettuce opened out.
Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.
Herring (Harengs)
One of our most abundant fish, and generally exceedingly cheap. It is highly nutritious and rich in flavour, but, being of an oily nature, is not so easily digested as some of the white fish. When fresh the herring has a bright and silvery appearance, if red about the gills it has been dead some time. It ought to be well covered with scales and be plump in form.
The herring is dried and cured in a variety of ways. We have the kipper, the bloater, the salt and the red herring. Almost every country has its own method of curing.
216. Herring, To Broil, 1 (Harengs Grilles)
- herring
- salad oil or melted butter
- pepper
- salt
- Maître d'hôtel butter or mustard sauce
Choose herring with soft roes if possible. Cut the heads and fins off the fish, and clean without splitting them open. Scrape off the scales with a knife, and dry the fish in a cloth. Score the skin across diagonally with a knife three times on each side, brush the herring over with a little salad oil or melted butter, and season with pepper and salt. A little finely chopped parsley may also be sprinkled over them. Grease and heat a gridiron or hanging grill, and cook the fish on this, either over or in front of a nice clear fire, or under the grill of a gas stove. They will require from 7 to 10 minutes to cook, and must be turned once or twice. Serve on a very hot dish with a dish paper under them. Small pats of maître d'hôtel butter or mustard sauce (see Recipe 770) may be served separately.
Time to cook, 7 to 10 minutes.
217. Herring, To Broil, 2
- herring
- pepper
- salt
- egg and bread-crumbs
- a little flour
Prepare the fish in the same way as for Fried Herring (see below). Coat them lightly with flour, seasoning with pepper and salt. Then egg and bread-crumb the herring, and cook and serve according to preceding recipe.
218. Herring, To Fry, 1 (Harengs Frits)
- fresh herring
- oatmeal
- dripping or clarified fat
- pepper
- salt
- lemon juice
Wash and scrape the herring, cutting off the fins, tail, and head. Split them open and remove the back bone and as many of the small bones as possible. Then score the skin across two or three times to prevent it shrinking up the fish in the cooking. Season the fish with pepper, salt, and a little lemon juice, and, if time permits, let them lie one hour. Shortly before serving put some oatmeal on to a plate, and dip each fish into this, coating them well on both sides. Melt about 2 oz. dripping or clarified fat in a large frying pan. When it is smoking hot put in as many fish as the pan will hold, with the open side downwards. Brown on the one side, then turn with a fish slice and brown on the other. When ready, lift out and drain on kitchen paper. Keep these fish hot while frying the others. Add more fat to the pan when necessary, and see that it is always quite hot before the fish is put into it. Serve the herring on a hot dish, with a dish paper under them, and garnish with some nice sprigs of fresh parsley.
Notes: If the herring are very small they may be fried in deep fat (see p. 248). If there are roes, cook them with the herring, and use them as a garnish.
Time, 7 to 10 minutes to fry.
219. Herring, To Fry, 2 (Harengs Frits)
- herring
- a little flour
- pepper
- salt
- dripping or clarified fat
- parsley or fried onion to garnish
Wash and clean the fish thoroughly, but do not split them open. Cut off the head, tail, and fins, scrape the skin well with a knife, and then dry the herring in a cloth. With a sharp knife make three scores through the skin on each side of the fish, but do not cut too deep. Mix some flour on a plate with pepper and salt, dip the fish into this, coating them well. Fry according to directions given above and serve very hot, garnishing with parsley or fried onion.
Fried Onion: Skin the onions, and cut in very thin slices with a sharp knife. Melt a small piece of butter or dripping in a saucepan, and let it colour slightly. Put the sliced onion into this, and fry slowly for about 10 minutes until nicely browned.
220. Fillets of Herring, To Fry (Filets de Harengs Frits)
- 3 herring
- salt
- pepper
- lemon juice
- egg and bread-crumbs
- mustard sauce
- frying fat
- slices of lemon to garnish
Remove the flesh from the herring, taking one long fillet from each side. Wipe these fillets with a cloth, sprinkle them with pepper, salt, and a little lemon juice, and let them fie overnight. Next day egg and bread-crumb them, and fry in boiling fat until brown and crisp. Drain well and serve on a dish paper garnished with slices of cut lemon.
Time, about 10 minutes to fry. Sufficient for 3 persons.
221. Stuffed and Baked Herring, 1 (Harengs Farcis au Four)
- 6 herring
- 1 table-spoon flour
- pepper
- salt
- 3 table-spoons bread-crumbs
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- grated lemon rind
- a little milk
- butter or dripping
Prepare the fish as for Fried Herring (Recipe 218). If there are any hard roes put them on to a greased tin and bake them in the oven about 10 minutes. Dip each fish into the flour, coating it lightly, and score the skin across three times with a knife. To make the stuffing put the bread-crumbs, pepper, salt, parsley, and a little grated lemon rind into a basin, chop up the roes, add them to it, and moisten with milk. Spread a little of this stuffing on the open side of three of the herring, cover with the remaining three, keeping the skin side uppermost this time, and making a sandwich, as it were. Grease a baking tin with a little dripping, place the fish on this, and put some more dripping or butter in small pieces on the top. Bake in a moderate oven until the fish is cooked. Serve on a hot dish, garnishing with parsley and a few slices of cut lemon.
Note: If the herring contain soft roes these may be placed whole between the two fish, if they are liked, but should not be mixed with the stuffing.
Time to cook, about 20 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
222. Stuffed and Baked Herring, 2
Prepare the herring and make some stuffing as in last recipe. Lay a little of the stuffing on each herring, and roll them up, commencing at the thick end. Rub the fish over with a little dry flour and place them on a well-greased tin, fixing them together with one or two skewers. Put a small piece of butter on the top of each and bake in a moderate oven from 15 to 20 minutes, basting them occasionally. Serve hot, garnished with parsley. Mustard sauce may be served separately.
223. Herring au Gratin (Harengs au Gratin)
- 3 or 4 herring
- 3 table-spoons bread-crumbs
- 1 shallot
- grated lemon rind
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- pepper
- salt
- melted butter
Prepare the fish in the same way as for Fried Herring, No. 1, and cut them in two pieces. Chop the shallot very finely, and mix it with the bread-crumbs, chopped parsley, pepper, salt, and a little grated lemon rind. Well grease a flat fireproof dish with melted butter and sprinkle over the foot about half the bread-crumb mixture. Lay the fish on the top and cover them with the rest of the bread-crumbs, &c. Pour a little more melted butter over, and bake in a good oven from 15 to 20 minutes. The fish must be thoroughly cooked, and the bread-crumb surface nicely browned. If liked, 1 or 2 table-spoonfuls of thin tomato sauce may be poured round, or mustard sauce served separately in a sauce boat.
Time to cook, 15 to 20 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
224. Soused or Potted Herring
- 3 or 4 herring
- 1 table-spoon flour
- ¼ tea-spoon powdered mace
- 1 bay-leaf
- pepper
- salt
- 4 or 5 cloves
- 12 peppercorns
- brown vinegar
- 1 oz. butter or dripping
Wash and clean the herring, cutting off the head, tail and fins, and scraping the skin well with a knife. Dry them in a cloth, then split them open, and remove all the bones. Cut each herring in two lengthwise. Put the flour, pepper, salt, and mace on to a plate, and mix them well together. Dip each piece of herring into this, and roll them up from the thick end towards the tail. Pack them into a greased pie-dish or fireproof casserole, arranging them in two layers if necessary. If there are any roes, dip them in the same seasoning and lay them along the sides. Then pour in equal quantities of brown vinegar and water, enough to half fill the dish. Put in the cloves, peppercorns, and mace, place the dripping or butter in small pieces on the top, and bake in a moderate oven about 1 hour. Set aside to cool. Serve as many pieces of fish as will be required at one time on a clean dish, pour some of the liquid round, and garnish with parsley.
Notes: Herring done in this way will keep for several days, but more vinegar must be added if the fish becomes dry. A little thinly sliced onion may be cooked with the fish if liked. Potted herring are generally eaten cold, but they may be served hot if wished.
Time to bake, about 1 hour.
225. Red Herring, To Cook
Open and clean the fish carefully, pour boiling water over them, and let them soak for 5 minutes. Then dry them well, and fry or broil in the same way as kippers (Recipe 1687). If the herring are very salt it will be better to let them soak in cold water for a short time before pouring the boiling water over them.
John Dory (Doret or Dorade)
This is such an unsightly fish that it is seldom seen at the fishmonger's in its natural form. It is of a golden yellowish colour, with an ugly head. It is, however, very delicate in flavour, and the flesh is firm and white, somewhat resembling the meat of the lobster. It is one of the best fish for boiling, and the smaller ones are very good baked. When cold the flesh of this fish is very good served in salad or with mayonnaise. It may also be cut into fillets and prepared according to any of the directions given for fillets of fish.
226. Fillets of Dory à l'Indienne
- 1½ lbs. John Dory
- ½ pint curry sauce
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 table-spoon cream
- 1 table-spoon lemon juice
Cut the fish in neat fillets free from skin and bone, and lay it in a greased baking dish. Season with pepper, salt, and lemon juice, and lay the butter in small pieces on the top. Cook the fish in a good oven from 10 to 12 minutes, then pour over the curry sauce and cook from 10 to 15 minutes longer. When ready, arrange the pieces of fish neatly on a hot dish, add the cream to the sauce, bring to the boil, and then strain over the fish. Garnish with neat slices of lemon and sections of hard-boiled egg if wished. Boiled rice may be served separately.
Time to cook, about ½ hour. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
Kippers and Bloaters
See under Breakfast Dishes, p. 380.
Ling (Lingue)
A very useful fish, not unlike the cod in appearance, but more slender in form. It is generally very inexpensive. The flesh is firm and white, but rather lacking in flavour: it requires a good sauce to make it palatable. It may be cooked according to any of the directions given for cooking cod, and is very good in a fish pie and other made-up fish dishes.
The flesh of ling is often salted, it is then difficult to distinguish from salted cod. The tongues and sounds are considered very fine; they are generally pickled and sold separately. The roe is also very good, and the liver supplies us with a certain amount of oil.
Mackerel (Maquereau)
One of the prettiest and most elegant fish we have. It comes to our shores in large quantities during the summer months. Mackerel is not good except when perfectly fresh and in season. It spoils more quickly than any other fish, beginning to ferment within a short time after its being caught, and becoming in some cases absolutely poisonous. Medium-sized mackerel are the best. They should be white and pearly looking underneath and the markings ought to be very bright and distinct.
Besides the recipes given below it may be cooked in any of the ways directed for herring.
227. Mackerel, To Bake
Take as many mackerel as required, clean and wash them, cutting off the heads and fins. Wipe them dry, score the skin across several times, and season with pepper and salt equally distributed. Well grease a baking tin or dish, lay the mackerel on it, squeeze over a little lemon juice, place a slice of fat bacon or a small piece of dripping on the top of each, and bake in a moderate oven, basting once or twice with the fat. When the fish are ready, remove them carefully to a hot dish, and decorate them with parsley or fennel. Serve mustard, fennel, or gooseberry sauce separately.
Time to bake, 20 to 30 minutes.
228. Mackerel, To Boil
- 3 mackerel
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- a bunch of herbs
- cold water
- ½ tea-cupful vinegar
- 12 white peppercorns
- 1 bay-leaf
- salt
Clean and wash the mackerel, cutting off the heads and fins. Prepare and slice thinly the carrot and onion, put them into a small fish kettle with the herbs and spices, and lay the fish on the top. Pour over sufficient cold water to just cover them, and add the vinegar and salt. Bring this quickly to the boil, and simmer slowly until the mackerel are ready. Then remove and drain the fish, slide them on to a hot dish with a dish paper on it, and garnish with parsley or fennel. Serve parsley, fennel, or other suitable sauce separately.
Note: Contrary to the general rule for boiling fish (see p. 78), mackerel is put on to cook in cold water. This is on account of the skin being so tender. Boiling water would break it at once and disfigure the fish.
Time to boil, 15 to 20 minutes.
229. Mackerel, To Broil or Grill (Maquereaux Grillés)
- 2 mackerel
Marinade
- 1 table-spoon salad oil
- 1 table-spoon lemon juice
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- pepper
- salt
Clean the fish, cutting off the heads and fins. Then split them in two and remove the bones. Put the ingredients for the marinade on a plate, and soak the pieces of mackerel in this for 1 hour, turning them occasionally. Place them on a well-greased broiler, cook about 10 minutes on the split side, and then 3 to 4 minutes on the skin side. See Broiling, p. 79. When the fish is cooked sufficiently lay it on a very hot dish, garnish with watercress or parsley and lemon, and serve maître d'hôtel butter, or any other savoury butter separately.
230. Another Way
Prepare and cook the fish as directed for Broiled Herring. See Recipes 216, 217.
231. Mackerel, To Fry (Maquereaux Frits)
Prepare and cook in the same way as Fried Herring. See Recipes 218, 219.
232. Potted Mackerel
Prepare in the same way as Potted Herring, Recipe 224.
233. Mackerel, Stuffed and Baked (Maquereaux Farcis au Four)
- 2 medium-sized mackerel
- 4 or 5 button mushrooms
- a little grated lemon rind
- 2 oz. butter
- a little milk
- pepper
- salt
- 3 table-spoons bread-crumbs
- 1 dessert-spoon chopped parsley
- 1 dessert-spoon chopped pickles
Wash and clean the fish thoroughly. Cut off the heads and fins, and scrape the skin well with a knife. Then dry the fish in a cloth, and they are ready for stuffing. Put the bread-crumbs into a basin with the chopped parsley, chopped pickles and mushrooms, grated lemon rind, pepper and salt. If there are any roes, cook them on a tin in the oven for 10 minutes, then chop them, and add them to the stuffing. Melt the butter and add half of it, with enough milk to moisten. Put this stuffing into the openings of the two fish, and sew them up with a needle and strong cotton. Place the fish on a greased fireproof dish, putting one head at one end of the dish, and one at the other. Pour the rest of the butter over the top of them, cover with greased paper, and bake in a moderate oven for half an hour. When ready, remove from the oven, draw out the pieces of cotton carefully, and wipe round the edges of the dish. Serve hot, garnished with parsley.
Note: A little tomato or piquante sauce may be poured round the dish when the fish is taken from the oven.
Time to bake, about ½ hour. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
234. Mackerel à la Meunière (Maquereaux à la Meunière)
- 2 mackerel
- 2 oz. butter
- a little flour
- 1 lemon
- pepper
- salt
- 1 dessert-spoon chopped parsley
Clean and wash the mackerel, cutting off the heads and fins. Split them open, remove the bones carefully, and cut the fish into neat-sized pieces. Wipe these pieces with a dry cloth, season them with pepper and salt, and coat them lightly with flour. Melt the butter in a lined saucepan or earthenware casserole, when quite hot put in the fish and sauté it until thoroughly cooked, without allowing it to become too brown. Then lift the fish on to a hot dish, add the juice of half a lemon to the butter in the pan, make it quite hot and strain over the fish. Sprinkle with parsley and garnish with the other half lemon, cut in thin slices.
Time to cook, about 10 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
235. Soused Mackerel
- 3 mackerel
- 1 onion
- 2 or 3 cloves
- 1 bay-leaf
- 1 blade mace
- 12 white peppercorns
- a few parsley stalks
- a sprig of thyme
- brown vinegar
- salt
Clean and wash the mackerel, cutting off the heads and fins. Lay them in a baking dish with the onion finely chopped, the spices, herbs, and salt. Cover with vinegar and bake in a good oven until thoroughly cooked. Lift the fish carefully on to a long, deep dish, strain the vinegar over them, and serve cold.
Time to bake, 30 to 40 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
Plaice (Plie)
One of the commonest of our flat fish, and generally very moderate in price. The upper side is of a greyish brown colour, with bright orange spots. When these spots turn dark in colour it is a sign that the fish is no longer fresh. The flesh of the plaice is somewhat tasteless and watery, but as a rule it is a favourite. Choose one with a thick plump body. Besides the recipes given below it may be cooked according to any of the methods given for sole.
236. Plaice, To Stew
- 1 plaice
- 1 gill milk
- 1 gill water
- 1 oz. butter
- 2 table-spoons bread-crumbs
- 1 dessert-spoon chopped parsley
- salt
- pepper
- 1 bay-leaf
- 1 blade of mace
Wash and clean the fish thoroughly, scraping the skin well from the tail towards the head, and cutting off the fins and head. Then cut the plaice right through the bone into three or four pieces. Put the milk and water into a saucepan with the bay-leaf and blade of mace, warm these over the fire, and lay in the pieces of fish. There should be sufficient liquid to just cover the fish, so if the plaice is a large one, a larger proportion of milk and water may be necessary. Season the fish with white pepper and salt, put the lid on the pan and stew slowly about a quarter of an hour. When the fish comes away easily from the bone lift the pieces carefully on to a hot dish, arranging them in the form of the fish again. Remove the black skin, if this can be done without spoiling the appearance of the fish, and then keep hot over a pan of hot water. Remove the bay-leaf and mace from the liquid in the saucepan, add the bread-crumbs and butter, and stir over the fire until this boils and the sauce thickens. Sprinkle in the parsley at the last, and see that there is sufficient seasoning. Pour this sauce over the fish, garnish with sippets of toast [1] and a few small sprigs of parsley, and serve hot.
Time to cook, about ½ hour. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
[1] A sippet is a small piece of bread or toast, used to dip into soup or sauce or as a garnish.
237. Stuffed and Baked Plaice (Plie Farcie au Four)
- 1 plaice of medium size
- 1 table-spoon browned bread-crumbs
- stuffing
- 1 oz. dripping or butter
Wash and clean the fish thoroughly, scraping the skin well from tail to head. Cut off the fins and the head, and dry the fish in a cloth. Make the stuffing according to directions given under Recipe 1266. Make a slit down the centre of the fish on the black skin side, and right down to the bone. Slip in the knife close to the bone, and raise up the flesh on both sides, making pockets, so to speak. Put the stuffing into this, and pile it rather high in the centre. Melt the dripping or butter in a Yorkshire pudding tin, and lay the fish on to it. Brush over with the melted fat, and sprinkle with the browned bread-crumbs. Bake in a moderate oven from 20 to 30 minutes, basting occasionally to prevent the fish becoming dry. The fish will be ready when the skin begins to crack. Lift carefully on to a hot dish, and garnish with parsley and cut lemon. Tomato, anchovy, or any other suitable sauce may be served separately or poured round.
Time to bake, 20 to 30 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
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Forcemeats and Garnishes at page 307
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1266. Forcemeat or Stuffing for Fish, 1 at page 307
- 3 table-spoons bread-crumbs
- 1 dessert-spoon chopped parsley
- grated rind ½ lemon
- ¼ tea-spoon powdered herbs
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy essence
- 1 table-spoon chopped suet or melted butter
- salt
- pepper
- egg or milk to bind
Put the bread-crumbs and various seasonings into a basin, add the suet or melted butter, and bind all together with some beaten egg or a little milk. The seasoning may be varied to suit individual taste and according to the materials at command. The herbs may be omitted, and a few chopped shrimps or oysters added, or the stuffing may be flavoured with 1 or 2 chopped anchovies, or a little shrimp essence or paste. About 1 tea-spoonful of finely chopped onion may also be added.
1267. Forcemeat or Stuffing for Fish, 2 at page 307
- ¼ lb. uncooked fish
- 1 tea-cupful bread-crumbs
- 1 table-spoon cream
- grated lemon rind
- 1 egg
- 1 table-spoon melted butter
- pepper
- salt
Chop the fish very finely, mix it with the bread-crumbs, and add pepper, salt, and a little grated lemon rind to taste. Add the melted butter and the egg and cream beaten together. Mix well and allow the forcemeat to stand a short time before using.
1268. Fish Quenelle Meat or Farce at page 307
- ½ lb. whiting or other white fish
Panada
- 1 oz. butter
- 1½ oz. flour
- 1 gill milk or fish stock
- 1 egg
- salt
- pepper
- lemon juice
Weigh the fish free from skin and bone and scrape it down finely with a knife. Make a panada with the butter, flour, and milk or fish stock (see p. 78) [2]. Allow it to cool, then pound in a mortar with the fish. Season to taste, add the egg, and pound again. Then rub all through a fine wire sieve and the farce is ready for use. Sometimes the farce is coloured pink with a little lobster spawn or coral.
[2] The recipe for a 'panada' can be found in Recipe 1450 below:
1450. Choux Pastry (Pâte à Choux) at page 336
- ¼ lb. flour
- 2 oz. butter
- 1 gill of water
- 1 oz. sugar
- 3 or 4 eggs
- a pinch of salt
- a few drops of vanilla or other flavouring
Sieve the flour, which should be of the finest quality, and put it in a cool part of the oven to dry. Put the water, butter, sugar, and salt into a small stew-pan, and bring them to the boil, but do not let them reduce in quantity. Draw the saucepan to the side of the fire, and add the flour. Stir these well together over the fire with a wooden spoon until the paste is compact and dry, and does not adhere to the saucepan nor spoon. This is called a 'panada'. It should not be overcooked, or it will become oily. Remove the saucepan from the fire, and add the eggs, one at a time, beating each one in very thoroughly. Keep the paste at a medium thickness, not too soft, yet not too stiff, and only using the fourth egg if necessary. If the paste is too stiff, it will not rise properly; and if too soft, it will spread and lose its shape. Add a few drops of flavouring, and, if time permits, cool before using.
Suitable for éclaires, cream buns, and various fancy gateaux and fritters. Probable cost, 6d. or 7d.
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238. Fillets of Plaice with Green Peas
- 2 filleted plaice
- 1 oz. butter
- seasoning
- 2 or 3 table-spoons fish stock
- ½ pint good fish sauce
- ½ pint cooked green peas
- 1 hard-boiled yolk
Fold the fillets neatly as directed in Recipe 253, place them on a greased baking tin with the butter and 2 or 3 table-spoonfuls fish stock. Season with pepper, salt, and a little lemon juice, cover with greased paper and cook in the oven from 10 to 15 minutes. When ready, dish the pieces of fish in a circle, one leaning against the other. Have ready a good fish sauce, made with stock from the bones (see p. 78), and strain the liquor from the baking tin into it. Pour this sauce over and round the fish, serve the cooked green peas in the centre, and garnish with a little yolk of egg rubbed through a sieve.
Mullet, Red (Rouget)
This little fish is greatly esteemed: it is very elegant in form, and of a bright rose colour. It is called the woodcock of the sea; the flesh is firm and white, and of a very good flavour. The liver of the red mullet is considered a great delicacy, and is generally left in the fish. It is best baked or broiled, and must on no account be boiled.
239. Red Mullet, To Bake
- 1 or 2 red mullet
- 1 dessert-spoon chopped parsley
- 1 tea-spoon lemon juice
- pepper
- salt
- 1 or 2 table-spoons bread-crumbs
- 1 oz. butter
Choose one large or two small red mullets, clean and prepare them carefully and score the skin across on both sides. Grease a fireproof dish, sprinkle it with some of the parsley and bread-crumbs, and lay the fish on the top. Season with pepper, salt, and the lemon juice, and sprinkle with the rest of the parsley and bread-crumbs. Lay on the butter in small pieces, and bake the fish in a moderate oven until ready.
Time to bake, 12 to 15 minutes. Sufficient for 2 or 3 persons.
240. Red Mullets, To Grill (Rougets Grillés)
- 3 red mullets
- 1 table-spoon lemon juice
- 2 table-spoons salad oil or melted butter
- pepper
- salt
Prepare the fish carefully, wipe them dry in a cloth, and score the skin across on both sides, at about one inch intervals. Mix the oil, lemon juice, and seasoning on a plate, and let the fish lie in this about half an hour, turning them occasionally. Then grill them according to directions given on p. 79, and when ready put them on a very hot dish. Serve with a pat of maître d'hôtel butter on the top of each or with tartare or béarnaise sauce.
Note: Oiled straws are sometimes laid on the grill to prevent the fish from sticking, or the fish can be wrapped in a piece of well-oiled paper. The skin of this fish is so delicate, it is easily disfigured unless care is taken.
Time to grill, 8 to 10 minutes.
241. Red Mullet au Gratin (Rougets au Gratin)
- 2 red mullet
- ½ glass white wine
- 1 tea-spoon ketchup
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy sauce
- 6 button mushrooms
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- 1 shallot
- grated lemon rind
- 1 table-spoon browned bread-crumbs
- salt
- pepper
Choose fairly large fish. Wash and cleanse them, handling them as lightly as possible. As a rule they are not drawn, but this is really a matter of taste. When the gills are removed the small intestine part can be drawn away with them. The liver, which is a delicacy, should, in any case, be left in the fish. Chop the shallot and mushrooms, and mix them with the parsley, a little grated lemon rind, pepper and salt. Grease a fireproof dish and sprinkle over it half of these chopped ingredients. Score the fish across once or twice with a knife, and lay them on the top, placing them head to tail, sprinkle the remainder of the chopped ingredients over, and cover with browned bread-crumbs. Mix the wine, ketchup [3], and anchovy sauce together, and pour them round the sides. Lay on the remainder of the butter in small pieces, and bake in a moderate oven until the fish is ready. Wipe the dish, and garnish with parsley before serving.
Time to bake, about 20 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
[3] Editor's note: for ketchup, catsup and "tomato store sauce" recipes see pages 631, 632 and 633 below:
Ketchup or Catsup is a valuable condiment made usually from walnuts, tomatoes, or mushrooms by squeezing out their juice, boiling this juice down and adding various seasonings to it. It forms the foundation of a number of bottled sauces.
3056. Mushroom Ketchup
- 7 lbs. fresh mushrooms
- spices
- ½ lb. salt
Gather the mushrooms on a dry day, or the ketchup will not keep well. Cut off the ends of the stalks, wipe them carefully, but do not wash them. Then break them up, put them into a large crock or basin, and sprinkle them with the salt. Cover and leave for three days, stirring the mushrooms two or three times daily. Now turn all into a preserving pan, or an enamelled saucepan, and cook gently by the side of the fire until the juice is well drawn out. Strain through a fine cloth, and allow the mushrooms to drip some time, but without squeezing. Put the liquid into a jar, and add spice in the proportion of ½ oz. peppercorns, ½ oz. bruised ginger, and a blade of mace to each quart. Stand the jar in a saucepan of boiling water, and boil from 2½ to 3 hours. Strain again, pour into bottles, and cork tightly.
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3061. Tomato Store Sauce at page 633
- 6 lbs. tomatoes
- 1 dozen peppercorns
- 5 or 6 shallots
- 1 quart vinegar
- 1 table-spoonful salt
- ½ tea-spoon cayenne
Choose ripe English tomatoes for making this sauce. Wipe them, remove the stalks, and cut them in quarters. Put them into a preserving pan with the other ingredients, and stew slowly until reduced to a pulp, stirring occasionally. From 2 to 3 hours will be required to cook the tomatoes thoroughly. When ready, rub the mixture through a hair sieve, using a wooden spoon; then allow it to cool, and bottle and cork tightly.
Note: The best brown malt vinegar should be used.
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Salmon (Saumon)
This is the most esteemed of all fish, and has been justly entitled the "king of fish". Although generally caught in rivers it is both a salt and a fresh water fish, spending its winter in the sea and its summer in the river. The salmon is of such great commercial value that special laws have been passed to regulate the salmon fishing (see p. 29) and thus protect the fish. It is illegal to sell fresh salmon during the close season, although Dutch and other imported salmon may be had all the year round.
When choosing salmon, select one with a small head and tail and broad shoulders. The scales should be bright and silvery.
To be in perfection salmon should be cooked as soon as possible after it is caught, although it will keep, and be quite good for several days, if put in a very cool place. The more simply fresh salmon is cooked the better; no other flavour must be permitted to predominate over the fine flavour of the fish itself. Melted butter, when well made, is the best sauce. This does not, however, apply to Dutch or preserved salmon, which is none the worse for being accompanied by a tasty sauce of some kind.
Grilse is the name given to young salmon.
242. Salmon, To Boil (Saumon Bouilli)
The best parts of salmon for boiling are the head and shoulders or a good middle cut. If not too large it is often boiled whole, but great care is then required in the cooking of it, as the tail end is very apt to become overdone and broken before the thicker parts are ready. Some people say that salmon should be cooked as soon as possible after it is taken from the water, while others declare that it should be kept for some days before being used. Certainly the salmon that is cooked within an hour or two of its being caught possesses a firmness of texture with a creamy curd between the flakes, that is never afterwards obtainable. Boil the salmon according to directions given for Boiling Fish (see p. 78). It must be thoroughly cooked, 10 minutes to the pound and 10 minutes over will be the average time required. The home-grown salmon should be boiled in water and salt only, but the imported salmon will sometimes taste better if it is cooked in a court bouillon, to which a little white wine has been added. No vinegar must be used as it is apt to destroy the colour. Then again the home-grown salmon should be very simply served with a sauce-boat full of the water in which it has been boiled, melted butter, or perhaps a hollandaise sauce, and an accompaniment of boiled potatoes, dressed cucumber or fresh green peas. Imported salmon, which is sometimes lacking in flavour, may, on the other hand, be served with a more tasty sauce, such as shrimp, oyster, genevoise, hollandaise, &c. When served hot, the fish should be decorated with parsley and lemon, and the dish of salmon will take its name from the sauce which accompanies it.
243. Salmon, To Grill (Tranches de Saumon, Grillées)
- slices of salmon
- salad oil or melted butter
- pepper
- salt
Cut the salmon in slices about 1 inch in thickness, and wipe it with a soft cloth. Dip the slices in salad oil and season them with pepper and salt, or, if salad oil is not at hand, brush them over with melted butter. Make the grill thoroughly hot, grease it well, and cook the fish according to directions given on p. 79. From 12 to 15 minutes will be required for cooking, and the fish should be brushed over occasionally with more salad oil. When ready, transfer it to a hot dish and serve with cut lemon and red pepper.
Note: Grilled salmon may also be served with maître d'hôtel or anchovy butter on the top of each slice, or the dish may be accompanied with any suitable sauce, such as tartare, horse-radish, béarnaise, &c., and take its name accordingly.
244. Salmon Steaks in Paper (Darnes de Saumon en Papillote)
- 3 slices of salmon
- 1 dessert-spoon lemon juice
- 1 table-spoon butter
- salt
- cayenne
Have the slices of salmon cut about 1 inch thick, and wipe them carefully with a clean cloth. Work together the butter, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne, and brush the slices of salmon over with this. Then put each slice in an oval-shaped piece of white paper, fold over and twist the edges together. Lay them on a greased baking tin and bake in a good oven. Serve very hot in the papers and serve hollandaise sauce separately.
Time to bake, about ½ hour. Sufficient for 3 persons.
Sea Bream (Brème de Mer)
This is a fine-looking fish, and is caught during the summer and autumn months on the southern and western coasts of England. The flesh is, however, rather coarse in texture and wanting in flavour, and sea bream as a rule are not much esteemed; but if well cooked and tastily served they are by no means bad eating, and they are generally moderate in price.
They may be stewed, broiled, stuffed, and baked, or filleted and cooked according to any of the directions given for fillets of sole or plaice. The scales of the fish are not generally removed.
Skate (Raie)
A somewhat ugly fish, not often seen on the fishmonger's slab in its natural form. It is either sold cut in pieces or crimped and rolled up with some of the liver inside. The flesh should be firm and creamy in appearance. It must always be skinned, and is better if steeped in cold water an hour or two before cooking. Skate is said to be very nutritious, but it must be eaten fresh and only when in season. It is generally very cheap, and is usually boiled and served with a good sauce.
245. Skate with Black Butter (Raie au Beurre Noir)
- 2 lbs. skate
- vinegar
- black butter (see Recipe 676)
- hot water
- salt
Wash the skate thoroughly and cut it in two or three pieces. Put it into a saucepan or fish kettle with enough hot water to cover it, add salt and enough vinegar to make the water decidedly acid. Set the saucepan on the fire, and as soon as the water boils, draw it to one side and simmer slowly until the fish is cooked. Then drain and remove the skin from both sides, and as much as possible of the bones. Place the pieces of skate on a dish and pour some black butter boiling hot over the top.
Note: The liver of the fish should, if possible, be used as a garnish to this dish. Wash it well, and boil from 8 to 10 minutes in boiling water to which a little salt and vinegar have been added, or cook it in some of the fish liquor.
Time to boil, 15 to 20 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
Sauces Savoury and Sweet at page 182
Part 1: Simple Hot and Foundation Sauces at page 183
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676. Black Butter (Beurre Noir) at page 184
- 2 oz. fresh butter
- 1 dessert-spoon chopped parsley
- 1½ table-spoons vinegar
- pepper
- salt
Cut the butter into small pieces, put it into a very clean saucepan, and heat it over the fire until a golden brown, but on no account let it blacken. Then let it cool. This is important, because if the butter were added too hot to the vinegar it would be liable to boil over and be wasted. Put the vinegar into another saucepan and reduce it to half the quantity, strain the brown butter into it, add parsley and seasoning, and reheat without boiling.
Sometimes a few chopped capers are added to this butter, especially when it is served with skate. If salt butter is used it must first be clarified.
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701. Sauce Piquante at page 187
- ½ pint brown sauce
- ½ gill vinegar
- 1 tea-spoon chopped shallot
- 1 table-spoon chopped capers
- 1 table-spoon chopped gherkin
- 1 dessert-spoon chopped parsley
Put the vinegar, shallot, capers, and gherkin into a saucepan, and simmer over the fire until the shallot is cooked and the vinegar is reduced to half the quantity. Pour in the brown sauce, and bring to the boil. Add more seasoning if necessary, and the parsley just before serving. Serve with boiled mutton, veal, calf's head, or any meat that is wanting in taste.
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705. Tomato Sauce (Sauce aux Tomates) at page 188
- ¾ oz. butter
- ¾ oz. rice flour
- 5 or 6 tomatoes
- 1 oz. lean ham
- ½ pint stock
- pepper
- salt
- a small piece of carrot
- celery, turnip, onion
- a sprig of thyme, marjoram, and parsley
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 lump of sugar
Melt the butter in a small stewpan, put into it the ham and vegetables cut in small pieces, and fry them for a few minutes. Wipe the tomatoes, and cut them in slices on a plate. Add them next to the saucepan with the rice flour, and mix well. Pour in the stock, and stir until boiling. Season to taste with pepper and salt, and simmer slowly for at least half an hour, stirring occasionally. If the sauce becomes too thick, add more stock. Strain through a fine strainer, hair sieve, or tammy; reheat, and add a squeeze of lemon juice and a lump of sugar.
Notes: Tinned tomatoes may be used instead of fresh, and these will not require slicing. If the stock is well flavoured, the vegetables may be omitted.
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246. Crimped Skate à la Hollandaise (Raie à la Hollandaise)
Although in towns skate can generally be bought ready crimped, the following directions may be useful to those who, in country districts, have to deal with the whole fish.
First wash and brush the fish thoroughly, then lay it flat on the table and remove the skin from both sides. Now with a very sharp knife raise the fleshy part from the back bone on both sides of the fish, and then cut the flesh in long narrow strips, from 1½ to 2 inches wide. Let these pieces lie in cold water until they are quite firm and crisp. The water ought to be changed several times, and be as cold as possible. Then roll up each strip firmly, placing a piece of liver in the centre, and fasten the end with a small wooden skewer. Crimped skate may either be steamed or boiled (General Directions, p. 78). When ready, drain it well and serve on a folded serviette, garnished with parsley and cut lemon. Serve hollandaise sauce separately. Other sauces, such as caper, genoise, &c., may be served according to taste.
Smelts (Eperlans)
These are very small fish, but they are much esteemed for their delicate flavour. When fresh they have a silvery hue, and the smell of a cut cucumber. They should be eaten as soon as possible after they are taken from the water; they very soon become soft and flabby.
To draw smelts make a small opening below the gills with a pair of scissors, and press out the intestines by running the fingers along the length of the fish. Then remove the gills, handling the fish as lightly as possible and washing them quickly.
247. Smelts, Fried (Eperlans Frits)
- smelts
- egg and bread-crumbs
- a little flour
- seasoning
Prepare the fish as directed above, and after drying toss them lightly in flour. Then egg and bread-crumb them, or, dip them in milk and again flour them. Plunge them into boiling fat and fry them a pale brown colour. Drain and serve them piled high on a hot dish, garnished with parsley and cut lemon. Mayonnaise or tartare sauce may be served separately.
Notes: Sometimes the head and tail are pinned together with a little wooden skewer so as to form a ring, the skewer being removed after cooking. Fried smelts are frequently used as a garnish for other fish dishes.
248. Smelts an Gratin (Eperlans au Gratin)
- 1 dozen smelts
- 1 dessert-spoon chopped parsley
- 1 or 2 shallots
- salt
- pepper
- 3 or 4 mushrooms
- bread-crumbs
- lemon juice
- ½gill fish stock or white wine
- butter
Prepare the smelts as directed above, cutting off the heads and trimming the fins neatly. Chop the shallots and the mushrooms, and mix them with the parsley, pepper, and salt. Grease a fire-proof dish and sprinkle over it half the chopped ingredients. Lay in the fish, sprinkle the remainder of the mushrooms, &c., on the top, squeeze over a little lemon juice, and cover with fine bread-crumbs. Place some small pieces of butter on the top, pour the wine or fish stock round the sides, and bake in a moderate oven.
Time to bake, 10 to 15 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
Sole (Sole)
This is a flat fish of excellent quality; in fact, next to the turbot, it is considered the finest of all white fish. The flesh of the sole is firm and delicate in flavour, and it lends itself to a variety of modes of cooking. It is best when eaten fresh, but in cold weather it will keep for a day or two without harm.
There are two different kinds of sole, the real or black sole, which is long and narrow in shape, with a dark and roughish upper skin, and the lemon sole, which is rounder and more like the plaice in appearance, with a smoother and reddish brown upper skin. The lemon sole is decidedly inferior in quality to the real sole, and is, in consequence, cheaper. The sole is one of our most useful kinds of fish, as it lends itself to such a variety of treatment.
249. Soles, To Fry, 1 (Soles Frites)
- small soles
- seasoning
- a little flour
- egg and bread-crumbs
When soles are small they may be fried whole. Wash and clean them thoroughly, removing the skin, then cut off the heads and fins, and dry well in a cloth. Put a little flour on a plate, and season it with pepper and salt. Dip the fish into this, coating them lightly. Then egg and bread-crumb (see page 249), and fry in boiling fat (see Wet Frying, page 248) until nicely browned. Drain on kitchen paper, and serve on a hot dish with a dish paper under them. Garnish with parsley and cut lemon.
Note: Larger fish must be fried in a small quantity of fat in a frying pan, as they will require a longer time to cook.
To Egg and Bread-Crumb (at page 249)
The bread-crumbs for this purpose should be fine and dry. White bread-crumbs will look the best, but those that are made from scraps of bread browned in the oven are the most economical. From 1 to 2 breakfast-cupfuls will be required, according to the number of articles to be coated, and for convenience sake have them on a good-sized piece of white paper. The egg should be broken on to a plate, yolk and white together, and beaten with a fork until it ceases to be stringy. When eggs are expensive, and one is not sufficient, 1 or 2 table-spoonfuls of milk or water may be added instead of a second egg. Put the articles to be egged one at a time into the egg, and coat them all over with it, using a small brush for the purpose. See that every part is well covered, or they will have a patchy appearance when fried. Do the brushing over quickly, otherwise the egg soaks into the articles and makes them soft. When well coated, drop the egged article on to the top of the bread-crumbs, lifting it with a knife. Cover it with the crumbs, by taking hold of the sides of the paper and tossing the crumbs over it, then press the crumbs well on with the hands, and shake the loose ones off. Now lay the article on a board, and with a flat knife, press the crumbs on again and make it as tidy and shapely as possible. Then place on a plate or tin with double paper on it ready for draining, and if time permits allow the things thus prepared to stand a little while to dry and harden before frying.
To Fry In Boiling Fat (Wet Frying) at pages 248 and 249
French or wet frying means cooking in a large quantity of fat, sufficient to cover the article to be fried. Clarified fat, oil, or lard may be used for the purpose, but butter must never be taken, as it is apt to burn. Clarified beef fat is about the best medium to use, and it is much less expensive than oil. The quantity of fat required will depend on the number and size of the articles to be fried, there must always be sufficient to well cover them. It should be put into a plain iron stewpan, neither tinned nor enamelled, as the great heat of the fat would destroy both these linings.
Success in this mode of frying will depend on getting the fat to the right degree of heat. It should be perfectly still. If there are bubbles, they show that the fat contains water, which must pass off by evaporation, before the right degree of heat can be attained. A blue smoky vapour should also be seen rising from the pan; or, the heat may be tested by putting in a small crust of bread; if this frizzles freely, the fat is ready for use. It is always better to let the fat heat slowly, and the saucepan containing it should on no account be placed over an open fire, as many a bad accident has occurred by so doing. As soon as the fat is ready, it should be used at once, or else drawn to the side of the fire to prevent its burning and causing an unpleasant smell.
Do not put too many articles into the pan at one time, or they will cool the fat too much; and always bring the fat to boiling point again before putting in a second lot.
If the fat is not made sufficiently hot it will soak into the articles being fried and make them greasy and sodden instead of dry and crisp. Let them fry a nice brown colour, then lift them out with a perforated spoon or drainer, letting the fat drip well from them. Or, what is better still, use a frying basket, which will fit inside the saucepan, or, a special fryer, which has a special arrangement whereby the wire drainer can be suspended above the fat to permit of draining.
When well drained, turn the articles on to a double fold of kitchen paper, and if the process has been well carried out, no particle of grease will remain. Serve all fried articles with a dish paper or d'oyley under them.
This method of frying is suitable for any kind of food which requires only a short time to cook, such as fritters, rissoles, croquettes, small fish, fillets of fish, &c. As a rule the articles being fried are protected by a coating of egg and bread-crumbs, thin pastry, or batter. Food which requires a long time to cook must never be treated in this way.
The fat should not be left on the fire when finished with, as it will quickly get overheated and burn. It should be drawn to one side and allowed to cool a little, then strained through a piece of muslin into a tin basin in order to keep back any bread-crumbs or other sediment, which would spoil its clearness. It may then be put aside for future use. If care is taken of the fat in this way, it will keep good for many weeks, and it will not be found an extravagance, as but little is consumed each time. When it does become dirty and discoloured, it may be clarified.
If a large quantity of frying is done in a household, it might be as well to keep a special lot of fat for fish frying, but otherwise it is scarcely worth while, because if the fat is properly heated and used, no flavour from the articles fried should be imparted to it.
A word of warning might be given here about the danger of fat boiling over and catching fire, which has been the cause of many a bad burning accident. This is generally caused by too much being put into the fat at one time, or by the sudden introduction of too much moisture. If such an accident should occur, extinguish the burning fat on the grate with ashes and never on any account attempt to use water. If the fat in the pan itself catches fire it can generally be put out by smothering it with a saucepan lid. The greatest danger arises from putting the pan of fat over an open fire, and, as stated above, this must never be done.
250. Soles, To Fry, 2
Prepare the soles in the same way as above, but instead of egging and bread-crumbing them dip them in flour, then in milk and in flour again. This must be done just before the fish is to be cooked, otherwise the flour becomes damp and the fish will be sodden.
251. Filleted and Fried Sole
Prepare in the same way as Filleted and Fried Haddock (see Recipe 205).
252. Sole au Gratin (Sole au Gratin)
- 1 sole
- 1 dessert-spoon chopped parsley
- 6 button mushrooms
- 1 shallot
- ½ oz. butter
- grated lemon rind
- lemon juice
- salt
- pepper
- 1 table-spoon browned bread-crumbs
- 1 glass white wine or stock
A nice plump, medium-sized sole is best for this. Clean it, remove the black skin, and cut off the head and fins. Take a fireproof dish large enough to hold the sole comfortably, and grease it with a little butter. Chop the shallot and mushrooms, mix them with the chopped parsley and a little grated lemon rind, and sprinkle half this mixture over the dish. Score the sole across on both sides, and lay it on the top with the white skin downwards. Sprinkle the rest of the chopped ingredients on the top, and season with pepper, salt, and a little lemon juice. Cover with the bread-crumbs and put on the butter in small pieces. Pour the wine or stock round, and bake in a moderate oven about 20 minutes. The fish must be served on the dish on which it is cooked. A few button mushrooms or some parsley and cut lemon may be used as a garnish.
Notes: Almost any white wine may be used, such as Graves, Chablis, Sauterne, or Hock. If stock is used instead of wine a little glaze should be melted in it to give a richer flavour. Care must be taken not to use too much liquid, as the fish should only be moist, not sloppy. Any other flat fish may be cooked in the same way.
Time to bake, 20 to 30 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
253. Fillets of Sole with Cheese (Filets de Sole au Parmesan or à la Mornay)
- 1 sole
- 2 or 3 oz. grated parmesan
- salt
- cayenne
- 1 oz. butter
- ¾ oz. flour
- ½ pint fish stock
- a little lemon juice
To Prepare the Fish: Skin and fillet the sole, and make some stock with the trimmings (see page 78). Trim the fillets neatly, and lay them on a board with the side from which the skin was taken uppermost. Season with pepper, salt, and a little lemon juice. Double each fillet over lengthwise, place them on a greased baking tin, cover with greased paper, and bake in a moderate oven from 10 to 15 minutes. The fish is ready when it has lost its clear appearance and looks a creamy white.
To Prepare the Sauce: Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add to it the flour, and mix together with a wooden spoon until smooth; pour in the fish stock (slightly cooled) and stir until boiling. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes to thoroughly cook the flour, and season to taste with salt, cayenne, and a squeeze of lemon juice. The sauce must be thick enough to coat the fish. Add most of the cheese to the sauce, but do not boil again. Any liquid left in the tin after cooking the fish should be strained into the sauce.
To Dish the Fish: Arrange the fillets on a hot dish, one leaning against the other, either in a straight row or in a circle. Cover them with the sauce, sprinkle the remainder of the cheese on the top, and brown quickly in the oven or under the gas grill.
Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
254. Fillets of Sole à la Crème (Filets de Sole à la Crème)
Prepare in the same way as Fillets of Sole with Cheese, omitting the cheese and adding 2 or 3 table-spoonfuls of cream to the sauce instead of some of the stock. The fish may be decorated with a little finely-chopped parsley, hard-boiled and sieved yolk of egg, or chopped truffle and lobster coral.
255. Sole à Maître d'Hôtel
Prepare and cook in the same way as Sole with Cheese, adding 1 table-spoonful very finely-chopped parsley instead of the cheese to the sauce. Decorate with fancy-shaped croutons of fried bread or pastry.
256. Sole with Shrimp Stuffing
- 1 lemon sole
- 2 or 3 oz. picked shrimps
- 3 table-spoons bread-crumbs
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- seasoning
- 2 table-spoons white sauce
- 1 gill fish stock or white wine
- 1 table-spoon browned bread-crumbs
- a little butter
Choose a medium-sized sole, clean it carefully, and remove the dark skin. Then make an incision right down the centre of the fish to the back bone and on the skinned side. Slip the knife along close to the bone and raise the fillets slightly so as to make pockets for the stuffing.
To Prepare the Stuffing: Put the shrimps and bread-crumbs into a basin, add the chopped parsley and anchovy essence, and bind all together with the white sauce or some beaten egg. Season to taste, and put this stuffing into the fish, piling it rather high and smoothing it over the top.
Now lay the fish on a greased baking dish, pour the stock or wine round, and sprinkle the browned crumbs over. Lay a few small pieces of butter on the top, and bake in a moderate oven. When ready, serve the fish in the same dish, garnishing with parsley and cut lemon.
Time to cook, 20 to 30 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
Sprats or Garvies (Esprots, Haranguets or Melettes)
These are little fish resembling the herring in appearance only much smaller in size, being only from 4 to 5 inches in length. Like the herring they are oily in nature, but they have a good flavour and are usually very cheap. To be good they must be very fresh, they are then bright and silvery-looking. They should be cleaned carefully, and the insides drawn out through the gills without opening the fish. Fresh sprats can be grilled, fried, baked, or soused.
They can also be bought smoked and dried and tied up in bundles.
257. Fried or Broiled Sprats
Clean the sprats and draw them through the gills. Wipe them very dry and dip them in flour, coating them lightly. Then run a skewer through the heads of about a dozen at a time and fry them on the skewer in plenty of hot fat until they are nicely browned. Drain them well, draw out the skewer, and serve them very hot garnished with parsley and lemon. Thin slices of brown bread and butter should be served separately.
For broiling prepare the sprats in the same way, grease the grill with suet and broil the sprats over or in front of a clear fire.
Time to cook, 2 or 3 minutes.
258. Baked Sprats
- 1½ dozen sprats
- 1 dessert-spoon chopped onion
- 1 bay-leaf
- 1 small blade of mace
- 1 dozen black peppercorns
- a few parsley stalks
- a little salt
- grated nutmeg
- vinegar
- 1 oz. butter
Prepare the sprats, cutting off the heads and tails, and lay them in a pie dish or fireproof dish with the seasonings. Cover them with good vinegar, or with vinegar and water, lay a few small pieces of butter on the top, and bake in a moderate oven until the fish are cooked. Serve cold.
Time to cook, 20 to 30 minutes.
259. Dried and Smoked Sprats, To Cook
These should either be dipped in melted butter and toasted before the fire or under the grill of a gas stove; or fried for a few minutes in butter. Serve very hot with cut lemon and thin brown bread and butter.
Time to cook, 2 or 3 minutes.
Sturgeon (Esturgeon)
Like the salmon, the sturgeon lives partly in fresh and partly in salt water, it ascends the large rivers at spawning time. It is not a common fish in British waters, although it is caught in the Solway and further north. In summer it is brought into the London market from abroad, chiefly from Holland. Its flesh is very delicious, and closely resembles veal in taste and texture, in fact, it may be made into cutlets and fried, or a large piece may be roasted in exactly the same way as veal.
The hard roe of the sturgeon furnishes the famous caviare, which is considered such a delicacy and is used so largely for hors-d'œuvre. Both Russian and American caviare are sent into this country in large quantities.
The sturgeon also provides us with isinglass, one of the purest forms of gelatine. This is prepared from the bladder of the fish.
260. Fried Cutlets of Sturgeon
- 1½ lbs. sturgeon
- lemon juice
- a little flour
- egg and bread-crumbs
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- seasoning
- piquante sauce
Remove all skin and bone from the fish and cut it in small neat cutlets about ½ an inch in thickness. Rub them over on both sides with a piece of cut lemon, and coat them lightly with flour. Then mix the parsley and a little pepper and salt with the beaten egg, and egg and bread-crumb the cutlets (see page 249). Fry them in a small quantity of clarified fat in a frying pan in the same way as veal cutlets, and until a golden brown colour on both sides. Drain them and serve them garnished with parsley and cut lemon. Piquante, tomato, or any other suitable sauce should be served separately.
Time to cook, 10 to 12 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
261. Fillets of Sturgeon with Sauce
- 2 lbs. Sturgeon
- seasoning
- lemon juice
- warm water
- a bunch of herbs
- caper or tomato sauce
Cleanse the piece of sturgeon carefully, remove the skin and bone, and cut the flesh into small neat fillets. Rub these over on both sides with a cut lemon, season them with pepper and salt, and lay them on a greased tin or baking dish. Pour round the fish enough warm water to barely cover it (or white wine may be used if preferred), put in a small bunch of herbs, and cover all with greased paper. Now cook the fish in a moderate oven until tender, and meanwhile prepare ½ pint of caper, tomato, or any other suitable sauce. The sauce must be made fairly thick to allow for some thinning down afterwards. When the fish is ready, arrange the fillets neatly on a hot dish and keep them warm. Remove the bunch of herbs, and reduce the liquid in the tin or dish until only 2 or 3 table-spoonfuls are left. Strain this into the prepared sauce, and pour all over the fish. Decorate with cut lemon and new potatoes if liked.
Time to cook, about ½ hour. Sufficient for 6 or 8 persons.
262. Stuffed and Roast Sturgeon
- 3 or 4 lbs. sturgeon
- veal forcemeat
- 2 oz. butter or fat
- 1 cupful stock
- 1 glass sherry
- lemon juice
Choose a piece from the tail end of the sturgeon. Wash it, skin it, and then carefully remove the back bone. Prepare some veal stuffing according to Recipe 1282, and put it in, in place of the bone, and keeping the fish as much its original shape as possible. Now rub it all over with lemon juice, and wrap it up in a piece of well-greased paper. Place it in a roasting tin with about 2 oz. butter or good dripping, and roast it in exactly the same way as a piece of meat (see p. 207), basting it frequently with the fat. When ready, place the fish on a hot dish, removing the paper, and keep it warm whilst making the gravy. Pour away the fat from the roasting tin, and put in a cupful of good stock, a glass of sherry, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Stir over the fire until boiling, rubbing down any browning from the tin. Season and skim if necessary, and strain this gravy over the fish or serve it separately.
Time to cook, 1 to 1½ hours.
Turbot (Turbot)
The best of all flat fish. The flesh is firm, rich, and of a creamy white colour; if it has become bluish in colour it should be rejected. It is excellent in flavour, and very gelatinous. The thick part of the fins is particularly favoured by the epicure. Turbot is usually boiled and served with a good sauce, its name varying with the sauce which accompanies it. Small turbots are called chicken turbots (Fr. turbotin); they may be cooked according to any of the recipes for cooking a sole.
263. Turbot, To Boil (Turbot Bouilli)
The turbot grows to such a large size that a good slice or cut is usually sufficient for the ordinary household. Wash and clean the fish without cutting off the fins, as these are considered a delicacy. Rub the turbot all over with lemon juice to keep the flesh firm and white, and score the black skin across two or three times to prevent it cracking. Then cook it in fish stock or court bouillon according to directions given for boiling fish on page 78. The fish should be put into the fish kettle with the white skin uppermost. When ready, lift out, drain well, and serve on a folded serviette. Garnish with tufts of fresh parsley, cut lemon, and lobster coral, or with quarters or slices of hard-boiled egg, tarragon, and scraped horse-radish. Prawns also make an effective garnish. Serve boiled potatoes and a good sauce, such as Dutch, oyster, lobster, &c., separately. The fish will take its name on the menu according to the sauce which accompanies it.
Note: If only a small piece of turbot is being cooked, steaming is preferable to boiling. See To Steam Fish, page 80.
264. Water Souché
- 2 lbs. Fish
- 1½ pints water
- a few parsley roots
- a blade of mace
- 6 peppercorns
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- salt
Almost any kind of fish may be used for this; plaice, flounder, perch, sole, eels, &c., are all suitable. Have the fish well cleaned, trimmed, and cut in small neat pieces. Put the trimmings into a saucepan with the water, peppercorns, mace, parsley roots, and salt to taste. Simmer slowly for at least one hour, strain and return the liquid to the stewpan. Put the pieces of fish into this liquor, and cook them slowly until tender. Lift them out on a hot dish, add the chopped parsley to the liquor in the pan, and pour it over the fish. Serve hot, and hand brown bread and butter separately.
Note: A little grated horse-radish is sometimes added to the fish liquor before putting in the fish.
Time to cook, 1½ to 2 hours. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
Whitebait (Blanchailles)
A very small fish of a silvery appearance, very highly esteemed. It is considered a great delicacy on account of its delicate flavour and tenderness. It is a special favourite with the Londoner, and is caught in large quantities near the mouth of the Thames. It is usually fried and served hot, although when cold it may be served with mayonnaise.
265. Whitebait, To Fry (Blanchailles Frites)
- 1 pint whitebait
- flour
- salt
These fish must be perfectly fresh, and should be carefully looked over to free them from weeds or other undesirable matter. Wash and rinse them in icy cold water, handling them as lightly as possible, and leave them in a colander or basin with a lump of ice until they are wanted. Have ready on the fire a saucepan of boiling fat or oil (see page 248). Spread the fish on a clean cloth to drain. In another cloth put 2 or 3 table-spoonfuls flour, place a few of the whitebait on the top and toss them in it until evenly coated, and separate one from the other. Empty the bait without delay into a frying basket, and shake well to let the loose flour fall out. Plunge it into the hot fat and fry about 2 minutes, shaking the basket gently all the time. The whitebait must not be coloured this first frying. Lift out the basket, allow the fat to drip from it, and turn the fish on to paper to drain. Proceed with more in the same way until all are finished. Then allow the fat to reheat, put back the fish into the basket (there may be as many as the fat will cover this time), and fry them a second time until brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper and season with fine salt. Serve at once on a hot fish d'oyley, and garnish with quarters of fresh lemon. Thin brown bread and butter should be handed separately.
Notes: In large establishments it will save time to have two saucepans of fat for frying whitebait, so that it can be finished off at once. The success of the dish depends on little and fight handling, quick flouring, and hot fat. When properly done the whitebait should be crisp, and each fish distinct and separate.
Time, about 5 minutes to fry. Sufficient for 4 persons.
266. Whitebait, Devilled (Blanchailles à la Diable)
Prepare in the same way as last recipe, sprinkling the whitebait with freshly ground black or red pepper before the second frying.
267. Imitation Whitebait
- 1 filleted sole (medium)
- a little flour
- seasoning
Cut the fish in narrow strips, resembling the shape of the whitebait, as much as possible. Season these, toss them lightly in flour, and then cook them in exactly the same manner as whitebait (Recipe 265). Serve piled up on a hot dish, and garnish with parsley and cut lemon.
Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
Whiting (Merlan)
A well-known fish of very delicate flavour. The flesh is tender and very easy of digestion, and for this reason it is a great favourite for invalids. It is called "the chicken of the sea". Besides the recipes given below whiting may be cooked according to any of the recipes given for cooking haddock.
268. Whiting, To Fry (Merlans Frits)
- whiting
- egg and bread-crumbs
- a little flour
- seasoning
Small whiting are generally served whole. Skin and clean them, but do not cut off the heads. Put a little flour (1 tea-spoonful for each whiting) on to a plate, and mix with it some pepper and salt. Dip each fish into this and coat them lightly. This dries the fish and makes it fry a better colour. Then egg and bread-crumb them, and press the crumbs well on with a knife. Fix the tail through the eye or mouth, and fry them to a nice brown colour in hot fat. If the fish are very small they may be fried in deep fat, but if rather large a small quantity of fat in a frying pan will be better. Drain on kitchen paper, serve on a hot dish with a dish paper under them, and garnish with parsley and cut lemon. Maître d'hôtel butter, or any suitable fish sauce, may be served separately.
Allow 1 whiting per person.
269. Whiting, To Bake (Merlans Rôtis)
- 4 whiting
- 2 oz. butter
- juice of ½ lemon
- 1 table-spoon flour
- pepper
- salt
Skin the whiting, cut off the heads, and clean them thoroughly. Put the flour on to a plate, season it with pepper and salt, and dip the fish into it, coating each one lightly. Grease a fireproof or gratin dish with butter, and lay the fish on it. Strain the lemon juice over, and put the butter in small pieces on the top. Bake in a moderate oven from 10 to 15 minutes, and serve hot, garnished with parsley.
Time to bake, 10 to 15 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
270. Fillets of Whiting with Mushrooms (Filets de Merlans aux Champignons)
- 4 whiting
- butter
- salad oil
- seasoning
- a little flour
- ¼ lb. fresh mushrooms
- 2 table-spoons chopped onion
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- 2 table-spoons bread-crumbs
Skin and fillet the whiting, making eight pieces in all, and season them with pepper and salt. Wash, peel, and chop the mushrooms, and prepare the chopped onion. Now melt about 1 oz. of butter in a small saucepan, add to it the chopped onion, and cook it a few minutes. Then put in the chopped mushrooms, season with pepper and salt, and cook from 8 to 10 minutes longer or until the chopped ingredients are tender. Add the parsley at the last. Coat the fillets of fish with a little flour and sauté them in a mixture of butter and salad oil until cooked and lightly browned. Then put the mushroom mixture on a flat fire-proof dish, arrange the fish neatly on the top, sprinkle with the bread-crumbs and a little salad oil or melted butter, and brown quickly in the oven. Serve hot, garnished with a few sprigs of parsley and slices of fresh lemon.
Time to cook, about ½ hour. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.
271. Whiting à la Rasse (Merian à la Russe)
- 2 or 3 whiting
- a little carrot
- onion
- parsley
- pepper
- salt
- 1 gill water
- ½ oz. butter
- 1 glass white wine
Prepare a small onion and cut it in very thin slices. Slice also some red carrot very thinly, and stamp out some fancy shapes with a small vegetable cutter. Put this prepared carrot and onion into a small saucepan with the water, half the butter, and a little well-washed parsley, picked free from the stalks and left in small sprigs. Add a little salt, and cook these vegetables for a few minutes until they are tender. Meanwhile prepare the fish. Wash and clean the whiting without opening them, trim them neatly, and place them on a greased fire-proof dish. Pour the white wine over and then the vegetables and liquid from the saucepan. Then place the fish in the oven, and cook them until tender. When ready, lift the fish on to the dish on which it is to be served, reduce the liquid in the baking dish, add the remainder of the butter at the last, but without boiling again, and pour all over the fish.
Notes: Sometimes a little sour cream is added at the last instead of the butter. Other kinds of fish may be cooked in the same way.
PART III
Freshwater Fish
Barbel (Barbeau)
This is a river fish which takes its name from the four barbels or fleshy appendages which, fringe its mouth. It is common to most rivers, and, as it burrows in the mud, it requires careful cleaning, and should be soaked in water for some time before using. It is poor in flavour, and requires a good sauce, or to be cooked with wine.
Bream (Brême)
A freshwater fish not much esteemed. It is found in ponds and slow-running rivers. The flesh is dry and bony, without much taste, and a good buttery sauce is required to make it palatable. See also Sea Bream, page 95.
Carp (Carpe)
A freshwater fish, which frequently grows to a very large size. A medium-sized one is best. The carp has the habit of burying itself in the mud, which sometimes gives it a disagreeable flavour - in fact the flavour will be influenced by the character of its habitat. It requires careful cleaning, and should be soaked for an hour or two in salt and water, and then washed in vinegar and water before being cooked. It requires a piquant sauce or some other tasty accompaniment to make it taste well.
272. Carp with Cream Sauce (Carpe à l'Allemande)
- 1 medium-sized carp
- pepper
- salt
- ½ pint sour cream
- 1 tea-spoon meat extract
- a little butter
- bread-crumbs
- 1 onion
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 or 2 sprigs of parsley
Clean the fish thoroughly, cutting off the head and fins. Place it in a well-greased baking dish or tin, season it with pepper, salt, and lemon juice, and let it stand for half an hour. Then brush the fish over with a little melted butter, sprinkle it with bread-crumbs, and put some more butter on the top. Pour the cream round, and add the onion cut in quarters and the bay leaf. Place the fish in a moderate oven, and bake until the flesh will come away easily from the bone, basting several times with the cream. When ready, lift the fish carefully on to a hot dish, add the meat extract to the sauce, also a little water if it has become too thick, and strain over the fish. Garnish with fresh or fried parsley.
Time to bake, 30 to 40 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
273, Carp, To Stew (Carpe au Jus)
- 1 carp
- 1 table-spoon flour
- salt
- 2 or 3 gills white or fish stock
- 1 onion
- a bunch of herbs
- 1 blade of mace
- 12 peppercorns
- 6 cloves
- 1 gill red wine
- juice of ½ lemon
- a pinch of cayenne
Choose a carp of medium size, prepare it carefully, and divide it into four or five equal-sized pieces. Dip these into flour, seasoned with salt, coating the pieces rather thickly. Put the stock into a stewpan and add to it the onion, skinned and cut in thin slices, the spices tied in a piece of muslin, the bunch of herbs and red wine. Bring this to the boil over the fire, then lay in the fish and simmer slowly until it is tender. When ready, arrange the pieces of fish neatly on a hot dish, remove the herbs and spices from the liquid in the saucepan, add the lemon juice and more seasoning, if necessary, and pour this sauce over and round the fish. Garnish with croutons of toast or fried bread.
Note: A few button mushrooms, or some stoned raisins and blanched and shred almonds may, if liked, be added to this stew.
Time to stew, 30 to 40 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
274. Carp, Stuffed and Baked (Carpe Farcie au Four)
- 1 carp
- fish stuffing
- egg or milk
- bread-crumbs
- 2 oz. butter or dripping
- 1 onion
- 2 or 3 sprigs of parsley
- 1 tea-cupful water
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy essence
- 1 tea-spoon Worcester sauce
- 1 dessert-spoon flour
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- pepper
- salt
Choose a carp of medium size, and prepare and clean it, cutting off the head and fins. Make the stuffing as directed in Recipe 1266, put it into the opening of the fish, and sew up with a needle and cotton. Place the fish in a well-greased baking tin, brush it over with beaten egg or milk, and sprinkle it liberally with bread-crumbs. Then mix the anchovy and Worcester sauce with the water, pour them round the fish, and add the onion, finely chopped, a few sprigs of parsley, pepper and salt. Put the remainder of the butter in small pieces on the top, and bake in a moderate oven, basting several times with the liquid. When the fish is ready, lift it carefully with a fish slice on to a hot dish, add the flour, broken with a little cold water, to the liquid in the baking tin, and stir over the fire until boiling. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, cook a few minutes, and strain round the fish or serve separately in a sauce-boat. The fish itself may be garnished with sprigs of parsley and some cut lemon.
Note: If the liquid in the tin has dried up in the cooking, a little more water must be added, or fish stock or white wine may be used.
Time to bake, 30 to 40 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
Eels (Anguilles)
There are several different kinds of eels, and they are to be found both in fresh and salt water. They cannot be eaten too fresh, and should be soaked in salt and water some time before cooking. Eels are valuable on account of their nutritive properties, and, as they are rich in themselves, they are best dressed very simply. They are obtainable all the year round, but are best during the autumn and winter months.
To Skin an Eel: First cut off the head. Then turn back the skin at the top, and draw it downwards, turning it outside in as you would draw off a stocking.
275. Eels, To Fry (Angullles Frites)
- eels
- salt
- a little flour
- egg
- lemon juice
- bread-crumbs
Wash and if possible skin the eels (see above), and cut them in pieces 2 or 3 inches long. If the pieces are thick, split them and remove the bones. Then sprinkle them with salt and a little lemon juice, and let them remain at least half an horn. Next wipe the fish dry with a clean cloth, and dip each piece in flour, coating them very lightly. Egg and bread-crumb the fish (see p. 249), and fry in deep fat to a nice brown colour. Drain on kitchen paper, and serve on a hot dish with a dish paper under them. Garnish with parsley and cut lemon. Tartare, caper, or some other piquante sauce should be served separately.
276. Stewed Eels (Anguilles au Jus)
- 2 lbs. eels
- 1 pint white or fish stock
- a bunch of herbs
- 1 onion
- 2 or 3 cloves
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 oz. flour
- 2 table-spoons cream
- salt
- pepper
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
Wash the eels well, skin them and cut them into pieces about 2 inches long. Let them lie in strong salt and water for 1 hour or more. Meanwhile put the heads, tails, and any trimmings from the eels into a saucepan with the stock, the bunch of herbs and onion stuck with cloves. Simmer about 1 hour, then strain and use this stock for making the sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan and let it brown slightly, then add the flour, and mix together until quite smooth. Pour in the strained stock, add the ketchup, and stir until boiling. Lift the pieces of eel out of the salted water, rinse them in fresh cold water, and put them into the saucepan with the sauce. Stew gently about 1 hour or until the eels are cooked, add the cream just before serving, and season to taste. Lift the pieces of eel on to a hot dish, strain the sauce over, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and garnish with sippets of toast.
Note: A glass of port or claret may be added to the sauce if liked.
Time to cook, about 2 hours. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
277. Eels In Jelly, 1 (Anguilles au Geleé)
- 2½ lbs. eels
- 1½ pints white jelly stock
- 4 pint wine vinegar
- 2 or 3 cloves
- 12 peppercorns
- 1 onion
- 1 or 2 sprigs of parsley
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 whites and shells of eggs
- salt
Cleanse and skin the fish, cutting off the heads and tails. Cut them in pieces 2 or 3 inches in length, sprinkle these with salt, and let them remain in a cool place at least 1 hour. Then scald the fish in boiling water a few minutes, drain, and rinse with cold water. Now put some good jelly stock into a saucepan with the spices, parsley, vinegar, and onion, cut in pieces, bring these to the boil, and lay in the fish. Put the lid on the pan, and allow all to simmer slowly until the fish is tender from 15 to 20 minutes. Then place the pieces of eel in a deep dish, large enough to hold the stock as well, and pack them in neatly. Allow the stock to cool, add to it the lemon juice, the egg shells, washed and crushed, the whites slightly beaten. Whisk over the fire until boiling, then draw the saucepan to one side and let it stand a few minutes. Strain the contents through a hair sieve or jelly cloth, pour over the fish, and stand until cold. Mayonnaise or tartare sauce may be served separately.
278. Eels in Jelly, 2
- 1½ to 2 lbs. eels
- water
- a little vinegar
- parsley
- seasoning
- 1 small onion
- 1 bay-leaf
- 2 or 3 hard-boiled eggs
- 2 or 3 anchovies
- salad
- gelatine
Clean and skin the eels as directed on page 102. Cut them in medium-sized pieces and put them into a saucepan with warm water to cover them. Sprinkle with pepper and salt, add the bay-leaf and onion cut in pieces, and enough vinegar or lemon juice to make the water taste slightly sour. Simmer all slowly until the fish is tender, then lift it out, remove the bones, and cut the flesh in neat pieces. Now strain the liquid and return it to the saucepan, let it boil up and skim it until it looks quite dear. Add gelatine in the proportion of ¼ oz. to each ½ pint of liquid and let it dissolve. Then strain again and put it to cool.
Take a plain mould, rinse it out with cold water and leave it wet. Decorate it with some of the hard-boiled egg cut in slices and a few little sprigs of parsley. Then fill up the mould with the fish, remainder of the eggs, the anchovies cut in small pieces, and a little more parsley. Pour in the liquid jelly very slowly and enough to well cover the fish. Put the mould in a cool place, and when set, turn out and garnish with a little salad, or serve beetroot or cucumber separately.
Grey Mullet (Mulet or Surmulet)
This is quite a different fish from the red mullet and is inferior in quality. It is a favourite with some people, but care should be taken to know where it was caught, as it is not always particular about its food. Like the mackerel, the grey mullet must be used very fresh. It may be cooked in the same way as haddock, but requires a good sauce to make it taste well.
Perch (Perche)
A freshwater fish of good quality. The flesh is firm and white, and has a pleasant flavour. It has a bright shiny appearance when fresh, and should be used at once. If found difficult to scale it should be dipped in boiling water for a minute or two. It may be boiled, stewed, broiled like herring, or cut in fillets if large. It is also very good served cold with mayonnaise or tartare sauce.
279. Perch, To Broil or Fry
Prepare and cook in the same way as Broiled or Fried Herring (see page 90).
280. Perch à la Maître d'Hôtel (Perche à la Maître d'Hôtel)
- 1 perch
- lemon juice
- a little butter
- 1 pint maître d'hôtel sauce
- pepper
- salt
Skin and fillet the fish, and wipe the pieces dry in a clean cloth. Then cut the fillets in pieces about 2 inches in length, and place them in a well-greased baking dish. Sprinkle with pepper, salt, and a little lemon juice, cover with greased paper, and bake in a moderate oven until done. When ready, drain the pieces of fish for a minute on kitchen paper and then arrange them neatly on a hot dish. Have ready ½ pint maître d'hôtel sauce (see Recipe 700), pour any butter left in the baking dish into it, make thoroughly hot and pour over the fish. Serve with small croutons of fried bread.
Time to bake, about 15 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
281, Perch, To Stew with Wine (Perche au Vin Blanc)
- 3 or 4 perch
- white or fish stock
- white wine
- 2 bay leaves
- a few parsley stalks
- 1 onion
- 2 or 3 cloves
- 1½ oz. butter
- 1 oz. flour
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy essence
- salt
- pepper
Wash and clean the fish thoroughly, scrape well to remove the scales, and cut off the fins. If the scales are very difficult to remove, plunge the fish in boiling water for a minute, and then scrape them. When ready, put the fish into a stewpan with equal quantities of stock and white wine to cover them. Add the bay-leaves, cloves, parsley stalks, and onion, thinly sliced. Season with pepper and salt, put the lid on the pan, and stew slowly until the fish are tender, about 20 minutes. Then lift them carefully on to a hot dish, and strain the liquid into a basin. Put the butter into the stew-pan, and let it melt over the fire. Add the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until smooth. Then pour in the strained liquor, add the anchovy essence, and stir over the fire until boiling. The sauce must be of a consistency to coat the fish. If too thin, add a little more flour, broken with stock or water; if too thick, add more stock or wine. Pour this over the fish, and sprinkle with a little finely chopped parsley.
Time to cook, about ½ hour. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
Pike (Brochet)
This fish also goes under the name of luce, jack, ged, pickerel and freshwater shark. The pike is a river fish of a very voracious type. It has a long-shaped body with a pointed head and strong teeth. It sometimes grows to an immense size, and has been known to attain a great age. The flesh is dry but wholesome, and if served with a good sauce will make a very tasty dish. The roe should always be removed from this fish as it is not wholesome.
282. Pike, To Boil (Brochet Bouilli)
Cook in the same way as Boiled Mackerel (Recipe 228) and serve hot with hollandaise, horse-radish, or mustard sauce, or cold with mayonnaise or tartare sauce.
283. Pike, To Grill (Brochet Grillé)
Prepare and cook in the same way as Grilled Mackerel (Recipe 229), and serve with tartare sauce.
284. Pike à la Meunière (Brochet à la Meunière)
Prepare and cook in the same way as Mackerel à la Meunière (Recipe 234).
285. Pike, To Stew with Wine (Brochet au Vin Blanc)
Prepare and cook in the same way as Stewed Perch.
286. Pike, Stuffed and Baked (Brochet Farei au Four)
- 1 small pike
- a little flour
- 1 egg
- bread-crumbs
- 2 ozs. butter or dripping
- stuffing (Recipe 1266)
Wash and clean the fish, cutting off the head and fins. If the scales are difficult to remove, dip the fish in boiling water for a minute or so before scraping it. Then prepare the stuffing, and sew it into the opening at the side. Score the skin across diagonally on both sides, and then dip the fish in flour. Melt the butter or dripping in a baking tin, and place the fish on it. Brush over with a little beaten egg, and sprinkle with bread-crumbs. Cover with greased paper and bake in a moderate oven from 30 to 40 minutes, basting frequently. Pike is a very dry fish, therefore the basting is very important. When ready, lift it on to a hot dish and pour tomato, brown, anchovy, or any other suitable sauce round.
Time to cook, 30 to 40 minutes. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.
Tench (Tanche)
A freshwater fish which is found in ponds and pools and slow-running rivers. Like the carp it is fond of burying itself in the mud, and this often gives it a disagreeable muddy taste. The best tench are those which are caught in fresh running water. They require very careful cleaning, and this should he done as soon as possible after the fish is caught. Soaking in acidulated water for some time before cooking will sometimes improve the flavour of the fish. When large enough tench should be filleted before cooking, as the bones are very troublesome. They may be stewed, broiled, or fried, or boiled in court bouillon (see page 79), and served with a piquante sauce.
Trout (Truite)
There are different kinds of trout. The larger sea trout and the lake trout are treated in the same way as salmon. The little brown trout or moor trout is the king of freshwater fish, and is found in rivers and mountain streams all over Europe. It is much prized for its delicate and very delicious flavour. It is very pretty in appearance, and is easily distinguished by its round red spots. To be in perfection trout should be cooked as soon as possible after it is caught.
Like salmon there is a close season for trout, when it is not obtainable.
287. Trout, Baked (Truite Rôtie au Four)
- 2 river trout
- seasoning
- 1 oz. butter
- a few bread-crumbs
- 1 tea-spoon capers
Thoroughly clean the fish and lay them head to tail on a greased fireproof dish. Sprinkle them with pepper, salt, lemon juice, and the capers roughly chopped. Put a light coating of bread-crumbs on the top, and lay on the butter in small pieces. Cover with greased paper, and bake in a moderate oven from 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with thin slices of lemon.
288. Trout, To Fry (Truite Frite)
- trout
- a little flour
- egg and bread-crumbs
- seasoning
- pepper
- salt
Clean the fish, split them in half and remove the bone. Then dry the pieces in a cloth, and coat lightly with flour, mixed with pepper and salt. Egg and bread-crumb, and fry in hot fat (see page 248) until a nice brown colour. Serve on a hot dish with a dish paper under them, and garnish with fried parsley. Serve cucumber, mayonnaise, or any other suitable sauce separately.
289. Trout, To Grill (Truite Grillé)
- trout
- salad oil or melted butter
- lemon juice
- seasoning
Clean the trout and dry them well in a cloth. Split them open, remove the bone, and season with pepper, salt, cayenne, and a little lemon juice. Then brush over with salad oil or melted butter, and broil in front of or over a clear fire from 5 to 10 minutes, according to the size of the fish (see page 79). If the fish are very small it will be better to leave the bones in; simply score the skin across diagonally on both sides, season, and dip them in oil. Serve the trout very hot, and garnish with parsley and cut lemon, or with watercress, lightly sprinkled with oil and vinegar. Serve black butter, maître d'hôtel butter, or cucumber sauce separately.
290. Trout in Paper (Truites en Papillote)
- 4 or 5 small trout
- 2 oz. butter
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- 1 table-spoon chopped mushrooms
- 3 table-spoons bread-crumbs
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 yolk of egg
- seasoning
Choose small trout from ½ to ¾ lb. in weight, and clean them carefully without opening. Then prepare a stuffing with the other ingredients. Put the butter into a basin and beat it to a cream, add the other ingredients, binding all together with the yolk of an egg. Fill the trout with this stuffing, and wrap each one in a piece of greased white paper. Place them on a greased baking tin, and bake in a good oven, turning the fish once during the cooking. Serve the fish on a hot dish without removing the paper, and garnish with parsley.
Time to bake, 15 to 20 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
Part IV
Shellfish
Crawfish (Langouste)
The crawfish is like the lobster in appearance, but without the large claws. It is much coarser in quality and darker in colour. It is more used abroad than in this country. It may be cooked according to any of the recipes given for cooking lobster.
Crayfish (Écrevisse)
This freshwater shellfish is like the lobster in appearance, only very much smaller. Its flavour is very delicate; it is one of the most delicate of shellfish.
Crayfish are not plentiful in this country, but large quantities are imported alive from both France and Germany. They are generally sold boiled, when they are a bright, pink colour. They are used principally as a garnish for other dishes, and also for making soup. A nut-cracker may be used to crack the claws.
291. To Boil Crayfish
Plunge them into boiling fish stock and allow them to boil from 8 to 10 minutes.
Crabs (Crabes)
Crabs should be bought alive, and should be used as soon as possible after cooking. Choose one of medium size and heavy, the light ones are watery. Preference should be given to those that have a rough shell and large claws. The joints of the crab should be stiff, the shell a good red colour, and the eyes bright. The male crab is considered the best for table use, and is known by its large claws.
292. Crab, To Boil
First kill the crab by running a skewer down between the eyes. Put a large saucepan or fish kettle over the fire with sufficient water to cover the crab, and add salt to make it as salt as sea water. When quite boiling, plunge in the crab, boil quickly the first few minutes and then more slowly until the crab is ready. From 20 to 40 minutes' cooking will be required, according to size, and the water must be skimmed if necessary. The crab must not be overcooked or the flesh will become hard and thready. When ready, drain and serve as directed.
Notes: Anyone not accustomed to handling crabs should lift them when living with a pair of tongs, as the larger ones can give a nasty bite.
Court bouillon (see page 79) may be used instead of water for boiling the crab.
Time to boil, 20 to 40 minutes.
293. Dressed Crab, Hot
- 1 boiled crab (medium size)
- 2 oz. bread-crumbs
- 2 table-spoons cream or melted butter
- 1 table-spoon vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- a little grated lemon rind
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy or shrimp essence
- a pinch of nutmeg
- cayenne
- salt
- a few browned bread-crumbs
- a small piece of butter
To Extract the Meat: Twist off the large and small claws, and lay the crab on its back. Pull off the loose flaps or 'aprons' and separate the upper shell from the lower one. Remove the gills or feathery parts from the sides, also called 'dead men's fingers', the stomach, which is like a little bag and lies near the head, and the little twist of intestines with the greenish substance. These are the only parts that are not good. Pick out all the meat, getting rid of all the finer pieces of shell and finny parts, crack the claws and pick the meat from them also. Chop the meat finely, and put it into a saucepan with all the other ingredients except the browned bread-crumbs and butter. Season to taste, and make thoroughly hot over the fire, stirring all the time. Have the shell well scrubbed, dried and greased with a little butter, and fill it up with the hot mixture. Sprinkle the top with browned bread-crumbs, put two or three small pieces of butter on the top, and bake in the oven or in front of the fire about 15 minutes. Serve on a dish paper, garnished with parsley, cut lemon, and some of the small claws of the crab.
Note: If liked 2 table-spoonfuls tomato purée may be used to moisten the mixture instead of the sauce.
Time, 20 to 30 minutes. Sufficient for 4 persons.
294. Dressed Crab, Cold, 1
- 1 boiled crab (medium size)
- 2 table-spoons cream or salad oil
- 1 dessert-spoon white vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tea-spoon made mustard
- 1 tea-spoon tarragon or chilli vinegar
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- 2 table-spoons bread-crumbs
- cayenne
- salt
Pick the meat from the crab as directed in last recipe, and chop it finely. Mix all the ingredients together in a basin, and season rather highly with salt and cayenne. Wash and dry the shell, and fill it with the mixture. Garnish with sprigs of parsley or watercress and cut lemon, or with chopped white of egg, sieved yolk of egg, and chopped parsley, arranged in a pattern. Lobster butter or green butter (Recipe 768) put through a forcing bag will also make a pretty decoration. Some of the small claws may be used for decorating.
Notes: 1 or 2 table-spoonfuls mayonnaise sauce may be used instead of the oil and vinegar, or 1 or 2 table-spoonfuls white wine, such as Chablis or Sauterne, may be used instead of some of the vinegar. The mixture may be served in a fancy china dish instead of the crab shell.
Sufficient for 4 persons.
295. Dressed Crab, Cold, 2 (Crabe Dressé)
- 1 large crab
- 1 shallot
- 1 gherkin
- chopped parsley
- chopped chervil
- salt
- pepper
- made mustard
- hard-boiled egg
Cook the crab according to directions given in Recipe 292. Remove the meat from the claws, cut it in fine shreds or dice, and put it to one side. Now remove the creamy part from the centre of the crab, add to it the shallot, blanched and chopped, the gherkin, chopped finely, parsley and chervil. Season with pepper, salt, and a little made mustard. Mix well together, and last of all stir in the white meat from the crab. Well wash the shell of the crab, and put the above mixture into it. Decorate with hard-boiled egg and a few of the small claws. Serve on a folded serviette with a little fresh parsley.
Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
296. Curried Crab (Crabe au Kari)
- 1 gill curry sauce
- 1 boiled crab (medium size)
- boiled rice
Prepare the crab as in Recipe 293, but do not chop it too finely. The curry sauce must be fairly thick and well-seasoned (Recipe 685). Put it into a saucepan, and warm it over the fire. Add the prepared crab, and make it thoroughly hot in the sauce. Serve in a hot dish with a border of rice round, or the rice may be served separately, and the curry decorated with slices of hard-boiled egg and cut lemon.
Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
297. Crab Cutlets
Make in the same way as Lobster Cutlets. Recipe 309.
298. Devilled Crab (Crabe à la Diable)
- 1 boiled crab (medium size)
- 1 gill white sauce
- 1 table-spoon bread-crumbs
- ½ tea-spoon made mustard
- 1 tea-spoon chilli vinegar
- 1 tea-spoon Worcester sauce
- 1 tea-spoon chopped pickles
- 1 tea-spoon chutney
- cayenne
Prepare the crab as in Recipe 293, and chop it finely. Warm the sauce, which should be rather thick, in a saucepan, and add all the other ingredients to it. Season to taste, adding salt if necessary. Wash and dry the shell of the crab, brush it over with salad oil or melted butter, and fill up with the mixture. Sprinkle the top very lightly with biscuit crumbs, and place in the oven 7 or 8 minutes. Garnish with strips of red chilli and green pickle, and put some sprigs of fresh parsley or watercress round the dish.
Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
299. Crab with Mushrooms (Crabe aux Champignons)
- 1 boiled crab (medium size)
- 1 gill white sauce
- 2 table-spoons chopped mushrooms
- 1 table-spoon cream
- 1 yolk of egg
- lemon juice
- pepper
- salt
- a few browned bread-crumbs
Prepare the crab and shell as in Recipe 293. Put the white sauce into a small saucepan, and make it hot, add to it the meat of the crab, broken very small, the chopped mushroom and seasoning. Simmer slowly for 15 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the yolks of egg and cream. Grease the well-washed shell and sprinkle the inside with a few bread-crumbs. Fill it up with the mixture, sprinkle with more bread-crumbs, and put a small piece of butter on the top. Bake in a quick oven from 7 to 10 minutes, or until thoroughly hot. Serve garnished with cut lemon and sprigs of parsley.
Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
300. Potted Crab
- 1 boiled crab
- 2 to 3 oz. butter
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy essence
- cayenne pepper
Pick all the meat from the crab, and pound it in a mortar with the seasoning. Add some of the butter melted, pound again, and then rub through a fine wire sieve. Pack the mixture into little pots, run some melted butter over the top, and bake in a moderate oven for 20 minutes. Cover again with melted butter if the former lot has soaked in, and set aside to cool, when it will be ready for use. The potted crab must be served in the jar, garnished with a little parsley.
301. Scalloped Crab (Crabe aux Coquilles)
Make in the same way as Dressed Crab (Hot), serving the mixture in scallop shells instead of the crab shell.
302. Crab Soufflés, Hot or Cold (Soufflés de Crabe)
Make in the same way as Fish Soufflés (Recipe 360).
Lobster (Homard)
The lobster is considered more of a luxury than the crab, as it is much more expensive. The flesh is firmer in texture and more delicate in flavour.
They are frequently bought alive, when they are a blue-black colour and do not become their well-known red colour until after cooking. A medium-sized lobster is best, and one that is heavy in proportion to its size. The hen lobster is valuable on account of the spawn, which gives such a beautiful red colour to sauces, &c., but for actual flavour the cock lobster is best and the flesh is firmer it is more slender in form than the hen lobster.
The lobster must be bought and used as fresh as possible. If bought alive the lobster should be strong and active in its movements. If ready cooked, the tail should be pressed tightly against the body, and should spring back sharply when pulled out straight with the fingers.
Lobsters with white shell-like incrustations on the shell should be avoided, as this is generally an indication of age.
The flesh of the lobster is very dry and is generally served with an accompaniment of oil and vinegar, or with a sauce made with oil.
To Kill a Lobster
Lobsters should be killed before being cooked by running a skewer or sharp-pointed knife through the spinal cord at the joint between the body and tail shells.
303. Lobster, To Boil
Have ready on the fire a deep saucepan of boiling water, with salt added to it in the proportion of 1 table-spoonful to I quart. Plunge in the lobster head-foremost, boil quickly a minute, and then simmer slowly until the lobster is ready. A lobster weighing 2 lbs. will require about 25 minutes' boiling. If boiled too long the meat becomes hard and thready. Remove any scum that may rise on the water. Lift out the lobster when ready, drain well, and if the shell has to be used in the serving up, rub it over with a little butter or salad oil to give it a glossy appearance. The lobster should be used as soon as possible; if it has to be kept overnight, do not remove the meat from the shell until just about to serve it.
Note: Fish stock (see page 78) may be used instead of water.
304. Lobster, Plainly Dressed
Boil the lobster as directed above, and rub over the shell with a little salad oil or melted butter to give it a glossy appearance. When cold, remove the two large claws from the body and crack them well. Then separate the head part from the tail, and split the tail in half down the middle, removing any uneatable parts. See below.
To serve, stand the head upright on a dish, and arrange the cracked claws and split tail round. Garnish with fresh parsley or salad, and serve accompanied with oil and vinegar.
To Extract the Meat from a Lobster
Allow the lobster to cool after boiling. Twist off the claws, crack the large claws, and pick out all the meat; the small claws are only used for garnishing. Split the body lengthwise from head to tail, using a strong knife and hammer if necessary. Remove the intestine, which looks like a small vein, running through the back of the tail, the stomach or lady, which lies near the head, and the spongy-looking fingers or gills. These three are the only parts which are not good. Take out all the meat from the body, also the greenish-looking liver, which can all be used. The coral, and spawn if there is any, are sometimes put aside for decorative purposes. The lobster meat can then be chopped or left in pieces according to the purpose for which it is to be used.
305. Lobster, Baked (Homard au Gratin)
- 1 lobster
- 2 table-spoons white sauce
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy essence
- 2 table-spoons white bread-crumbs
- 1 yolk of egg
- grated lemon rind
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- salt
- pepper
- 1 table-spoon browned crumbs
- a little butter
Boil the lobster and cut the shell in half length-wise, leaving on the head. Remove all the meat (see above) and chop it in small pieces, being careful to keep back any pieces of shell. Put the chopped meat into a saucepan with the white sauce, parsley, and white bread-crumbs. Mix well and season to taste with pepper, salt, lemon rind and juice, and a little anchovy essence. Add the yolk of egg last of all and make all thoroughly hot over the fire. Have the two parts of the shell washed and dried, grease them outside and inside with salad oil or melted butter, and fill up with the mixture. Sprinkle browned bread-crumbs over the top, lay on some small pieces of butter, and bake in a moderate oven from 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with parsley and small slices of lemon.
Note: This dish may be made with tinned lobster, a fireproof dish being used instead of the lobster shell.
Time to bake, about 20 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
306. Broiled Lobster
Kill the lobster (see p. 107) and cut it in halves lengthwise. Remove the intestines and place the pieces on a well-greased broiler, with the cut side uppermost. Cook over a clear fire about 10 minutes, then baste the flesh with a little melted butter, and turn the pieces over. Cook again about 10 minutes, when the lobster should be sufficiently cooked. Season with pepper and salt, crack the claws and arrange the pieces neatly on a very hot dish. Serve melted butter (Recipe 691) separately.
Note: Small or medium-sized lobsters are best for broiling.
307. Roast Lobster
Prepare the lobster in the same way as for broiling, and place it on a roasting tin with the flesh side uppermost. Cook it in a good oven from 20 to 30 minutes according to size, and baste it frequently with oil or melted butter. Season it with pepper and salt, crack the big claws before serving, and garnish with parsley and cut lemon.
308. Lobster Cream, Hot (Crème de Homard)
- 1 small lobster
- 2 oz. bread-crumbs
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 gill milk or fish stock
- 1 gill double cream
- pepper
- salt
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 white of egg
- cardinal sauce
Pick all the meat from a boiled lobster (see above), and reserve the coral for the sauce. Chop the meat finely, being careful to remove any pieces of shell, and put it into a basin with the bread-crumbs and the butter. Heat the milk and pour it over the ingredients in the basin, cover with a plate, and soak for 10 minutes. Put the cream into another basin, and whip it with a wire whisk until stiff; and beat up the white of egg on a plate with a knife. Stir these two lightly into the other ingredients, and season to taste with pepper, salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Pour the mixture into a well-greased soufflé mould, cover with greased paper, and steam very gently until firm to the touch. Turn out carefully on to a hot dish, and pour cardinal sauce (Recipe 712) round the base.
Time to steam, about ¾ hour. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
309. Lobster Cutlets (Côtelettes de Homard)
- 1 medium-sized lobster
- 1 oz. butter
- 1½ oz. flour
- 1 gill water or fish stock
- cayenne
- salt
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- a little mustard
- lobster coral
- ½ oz. butter
- egg
- bread-crumbs
Remove all the flesh from a boiled lobster (see page 108) and chop it very finely, carefully keeping back any little pieces of shell. Reserve the lobster coral, should there be any, wash it and dry it in a cool oven, then pound with the ½ oz. of butter, and rub it through a sieve. This is called lobster butter, and it will give a pretty pink colour to the cutlet mixture. Now make a panada with the butter, flour, and fish stock or water, add to it the chopped lobster, lobster butter, cream and seasoning, and mix well together. Spread out the mixture smoothly on a flat plate, and set it aside until cold. Then divide in ten equal portions, which form into cutlets, egg and bread-crumb and fry as directed for Fish Cutlets (Recipe 342). When ready, put a small claw or piece of the red feeler into the narrow end of each, to imitate the bone of the cutlet, and serve garnished with parsley.
Note: Tinned lobster may be used instead of fresh lobster if wished.
Sufficient for 10 or 12 cutlets.
310. Lobster à I'Americaine (Homard à l'Americaine)
- 1 lobster (uncooked)
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 table-spoon salad oil
- 1 tea-spoon chopped shallot
- seasoning
- ½ glass brandy
- 1 glass white wine
- 2 table-spoons tomato purée
- 1 tea-spoon meat glaze
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley and tarragon
Kill the lobster as directed on page 107. Take a sauté pan, put into it the butter and oil, and make them hot over the fire. Chop the lobster quickly into pieces, reserving the intestines and any liquid which may run from it. Chop also the large claws into two or three pieces. Throw all those pieces (with the shell) into the hot fat and cook them quickly over the fire until they turn red. Then add the shallot and brandy. Let the brandy catch fire and burn until it goes out. Now add the white wine, puree of tomatoes and seasoning, and cook all slowly about 20 minutes. When ready, lift out the pieces of lobster and arrange them neatly in a deep dish, standing up the pieces of head in the centre. Add the meat glaze to the sauce, along with the intestines and liquid, cook quickly for a few minutes, and add the chopped parsley and tarragon. Then draw the saucepan off the fire and add the remainder of the butter in small pieces. Do not boil again (this second piece of butter is added to bind the sauce). Pour the sauce over the lobster, and garnish with any pieces of feeler. Serve hot.
Time to cook, ½ hour. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
311. Lobster à la Newburg (Homard à la Newburg)
- 1 boiled lobster
- 2 or 3 table-spoons sherry or Madeira
- 1 oz. butter
- salt
- red pepper
- a pinch of nutmeg
- 1 gill cream
- 2 yolks of eggs
- croutons of bread
Take the meat from a boiled lobster (see page 108) and break it into small pieces. Put it on a plate, season with the red pepper, salt, and nutmeg, pour the wine over and stand one hour if possible. Melt the butter in an earthenware casserole, put in the lobster meat, &c., and cook slowly for 6 or 8 minutes. Beat up the yolks of eggs with the cream and add them to the contents of the saucepan, stirring all the time. Allow the sauce to thicken without coming to the boil, and serve very hot, garnished with croutons of bread and a sprinkling of lobster coral.
Note: A few shreds of truffle may be added to the mixture if wished.
Time to cook, about 10 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
Mussels (Moules)
Mussels are not so much eaten in England as abroad, but if they are taken from clean sea water and can be procured perfectly fresh, they make a very good dish. They are generally best at seaside places. They are very inexpensive and full of flavour, and may even take the place of oysters in many dishes.
Small mussels are the best, as they are the most delicate in flavour. They should not be too dark in colour; those of a deep orange colour are unwholesome. They must be very carefully cleaned and prepared.
312. Mussels, To Prepare and Cook
Well wash the mussels in several waters, scraping or scrubbing the shells until they are quite clean. The mussels ought to be lifted out of the water in order to leave the sand. Examine them to see that they are sound; those that float on the surface of the water are not good. When thoroughly clean put the mussels into a saucepan with a small quantity of water, and cover them with the lid.
Place them on the fire and boil until the mussels open, shaking the pan occasionally. As soon as the shells open the mussels will be sufficiently cooked. Then drain them, reserving the liquor. Cut away the 'beard', the little black part like a weed, with a pair of scissors, and the mussels are ready for use.
Note: Sometimes an onion is cooked along with the mussels. If it turns black the mussels are not good.
313. Mussels à la Marinière
- 2 to 3 dozen mussels
- 1 small onion
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 table-spoon flour
- 1 gill mussel liquor
- 1 gill white wine or milk
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- pepper
- salt
Prepare and cook the mussels as above. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion very finely chopped, and cook it slowly a few minutes. Stir in the flour and allow it to cook, then add the mussel liquor (see above) and white wine or milk, and stir until boiling. Allow this sauce to simmer slowly at least 5 minutes, add the parsley and seasoning and pour over the mussels.
Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
314. Mussels à la Poulette (Moules à la Poulette)
Prepare in the same way as last recipe, adding 1 or 2 yolks of eggs to the sauce at the last.
Oysters (Huîtres)
There are several different kinds of oysters; in this country the 'natives' are highly esteemed, while in America the 'blue-points' are much in favour. For cooking purposes the Portuguese and Dutch oysters may well be utilised.
Oysters must only be eaten when in season, i.e. from September to May. They must also be very fresh. When this is the case the shell is closed tightly.
Good oysters are never so fine as when served raw, but there are also many ways of cooking them. The following recipes will no doubt suggest many others to the intelligent cook.
315. Oysters au Naturel (Huîtres au Naturel)
- fresh oysters
- cut lemon
- seasonings
- brown bread and butter
When oysters are served raw they must be very fresh. They should be kept in a very cool place, and well washed or scrubbed before using. Open them only a very short time before they are needed or the flavour will be spoilt. Hold them with the deep shell in the palm of the left hand, and break them on one side with a special oyster knife. Serve them in the deeper shell so as to retain as much of the liquid as possible. Allow six oysters for each person. Arrange them neatly on a plate, with the valve sides to the centre. Place a quarter of a cut lemon in the middle, and garnish with a little fresh parsley or small cress. In warm weather a little finely broken ice may be used for dishing them round, but oysters should never be allowed to freeze as it spoils them. Thin brown bread and butter and black and red pepper should be served separately, also vinegars if desired.
316. Roasted Oysters
Wash and scrub the oysters. Place them on a baking tin, with the deeper shell downwards, and bake in a hot oven until the shells open. Remove the upper shells, being careful to save the liquor, and season each oyster with cayenne pepper, salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice or a few drops of vinegar. Put small pieces of butter on the top, and serve at once in the lower shells.
Note: By this method of cooking the flavour of the oyster is well retained.
317. Fried Oysters (Huîtres Frites)
- 1 dozen fresh oysters
- bread or biscuit crumbs
- pepper
- salt
- 1 egg
- a little milk
Drain the oysters and dip each one in very fine bread or biscuit crumbs, or in a little flour. Beat up an egg with a little milk, and season with pepper and salt. Dip the oysters in the egg and again in the crumbs. Press the coating of crumbs lightly on to the oysters and shape them neatly. Place a few at a time in the frying basket, and plunge into boiling fat. As soon as they are a golden brown colour lift them out and drain on kitchen paper. Proceed with the others in the same way. Serve them very hot, and as quickly as possible. Celery salad or horse-radish sauce may be handed separately.
Note: Sieved Indian meal may be used instead of the cracker or biscuit crumbs.
Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
318. Scalloped Oysters (Huîtres en Coquilles)
- 1 dozen oysters
- 1 oz. butter
- pepper
- salt
- bread-crumbs
- lemon juice
- chopped parsley
Take 3 or 4 scallop or china shells and grease them well with a little butter. Put à layer of fine bread-crumbs at the bottom of each, then 2 or 3 oysters nicely seasoned with pepper, salt, parsley, and a few drops of lemon juice. Cover with more bread-crumbs and moisten with some of the oyster liquor. Put the butter in small pieces on the top, and brown quickly in a hot oven or under the grill. Garnish with small slices of lemon and sprigs of parsley.
Note: Tinned oysters may be used for this dish.
Time to bake, 5 to 10 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
319. Oyster Fritters, 1 (Beignets d'Huîtres)
- oysters
- 1 lemon juice
- frying batter
- coralline pepper
Drain the oysters from their liquor, and make some frying batter according to Recipe 1861. Take the oysters one at a time on a dessert spoon, season them with lemon juice and a little coralline pepper, dip them into the frying batter, cover them well and then slip them into a saucepan of boiling fat. Fry to a golden brown colour, then drain and serve piled up on a hot dish and garnished with parsley and cut lemon.
320. Oyster Fritters, 2 (Angels on Horseback)
Make in the same way as above, wrapping the oysters in a very thin slice of bacon before dipping them in the batter.
321. Oysters à l'Americaine (Huîtres à l'Americaine)
- 1½ dozen oysters
- 1 gill cream
- 1 oz. butter
- 2 yolks of eggs
- 1 table-spoon white wine or lemon juice
- salt
- cayenne
Put the butter into an earthenware casserole and allow it to melt over the fire. Add the oysters without their liquor, and season them with salt, cayenne, and the lemon juice or wine. Cook slowly for 5 or 6 minutes, then add the yolks of eggs and cream beaten together, and stir until almost boiling. If overcooked the sauce will curdle and the dish be spoilt. Serve at once with toast biscuits.
Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
322. Oyster Cutlets (Côtelettes d'Huîtres)
- 2 dozen oysters (fresh or tinned)
- ½ oz. butter
- 1 oz. flour
- ½ gill oyster liquor
- 1 table-spoon cream
- pepper
- salt
- a pinch of cayenne
- a pinch of powdered mace
- a little flour
- egg and bread-crumbs
Put the oysters into a small pan with their own liquor, bring to the boil and strain. Then remove the gristle from the oysters, and break them into small pieces with a fork. Put the butter and half-gill of lobster liquor next into the pan, and, when boiling, add one ounce of flour, and mix with a spoon until smooth and the mixture begins to draw away from the sides of the pan. Then add the oysters and cream, season well, and mix thoroughly. Turn the mixture on to a plate and allow it to cool and become firm. When cold and firm, divide this into eight or ten portions, and shape each one like a cutlet (see Fish Cutlets, Recipe 342), using a little flour to prevent the mixture sticking to the hands and board. Then egg and bread-crumb them, and fry in boiling fat until of a golden brown colour. Drain well on kitchen paper, and put a small piece of parsley stalk into the end of each to imitate the bone of the cutlet. Dish the cutlets on a hot dish, arranging them in a circle, one leaning against the other, and garnish with fried parsley and cut lemon.
Sufficient for 8 or 10 cutlets.
323. Oyster Soufflés, Baked (Petits Soufflés d'Huîtres)
- 1 to 1½ dozen oysters
- 1 whiting
- 2 eggs
- 2 table-spoons cream
- seasoning
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 oz. bread-crumbs
- 1 gill oyster liquor, milk, or fish stock
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- a pinch of nutmeg
Put the oysters into a saucepan with their liquor, bring to the boil and strain. Then remove the gristle and break them into small pieces with a silver fork. Scrape the flesh from the whiting, free it from all skin and bone, and pound well in a mortar. (There should be ¼ lb. of this raw fish.) Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the oyster liquor or other liquid, and bread-crumbs, and stir over the fire until the mixture thickens. Add this panada to the whiting in the mortar, pound again for a few minutes, and then rub through a fine wire sieve. Put the sieved mixture into a. basin, and add the oysters, yolks of eggs, seasoning, and cream. Mix well. Beat up the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and stir them lightly into the mixture with an iron spoon. Pour into small greased soufflé cases, china or paper, and bake in a moderate oven until well risen and firm to the touch. When ready, garnish with small sprigs of parsley, and serve at once.
Time to bake, about 15 minutes. Sufficient for 8 or 9 soufflés.
Prawns
These are small edible crustaceans closely resembling the shrimp, although in reality more like a tiny lobster in form. They may be distinguished from shrimps in the following manner. Put your finger on the long spike, something like a beak, which projects between the eyes; if this is set with sharp little teeth like those of a saw, the animal is a prawn, but if the spike is perfectly smooth, it is a shrimp. Prawns are found in shallow pools among the rocks when the tide has gone out. They are much less common than the shrimp, and consequently more expensive. When alive they have scarcely any colour, they are almost transparent, but when boiled they become a bright red colour like the lobster.
They may be used as a garnish, or, when shelled, prepared in almost any of the ways directed for serving oysters or lobsters.
Scallops (Pétoncles)
A shellfish somewhat resembling the oyster, but much larger. They must only be used when in full season and when very fresh. The roe should be a bright orange colour and the flesh very white. Scallops are very delicate in flavour, but they must not be overcooked, as they very soon become tough. They are very good fried or stewed.
324. Scallops, To Fry (Pétoncles Frits)
- 6 to 8 scallops
- pepper
- salt
- 2 table-spoons salad oil
- a little flour
- 1 table-spoon lemon juice
- egg and bread-crumbs
Wash the scallops thoroughly, cut away the beard and black part, and leave them on a cloth to drain. Put the salad oil and lemon juice on a plate, season with pepper and salt, and marinade the scallops in this for half an hour. Then drain and roll them lightly in flour, egg and bread-crumb them, and fry in deep fat (see page 248) to a delicate brown colour. Drain well and serve very hot, garnished with parsley.
Note: Only a few scallops must be prepared at a time. They must on no account be allowed to become moist before frying.
Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
325. Scallops, To Stew (Pétoncles à Maître d'hôtel)
- 8 scallops
- ½ pint maître d'hôtel sauce
Wash and drain the scallops. Remove the beard and black part, and cut them in three or four pieces. Put the sauce into a double cooker, add the prepared scallops to it, and cook until tender. If no double cooker is available, put the oysters and sauce into a basin or jar and cook in a saucepan of hot water. When ready, serve in a deep dish and garnish with sippets of toast or fried bread.
Time to cook, about 30 minutes Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
326. Scalloped Scallops (Pétoncles en Coquilles)
- scallops
- lemon juice
- salt
- pepper
- white bread-crumbs
- chopped parsley
- butter
Choose perfectly fresh scallops, open and remove them from the shells. Cut off the beard and black part, and wash them thoroughly to free them from all sand and grit. Then scald them in their own liquid or in boiling water for 5 minutes, and drain. Wash and scrub the deeper shells and dry them. Grease them with butter and sprinkle a few bread-crumbs over. Lay two or three scallops, cut in several pieces, into each shell, and season with pepper, salt, lemon juice, and a little chopped parsley. Cover with more bread-crumbs, and put some small pieces of butter on the top. Bake in a moderate oven from 15 to 20 minutes, and serve hot, garnished with cut lemon and a little parsley.
Note: Some good white sauce may be used to moisten the scallops if liked.
Time to cook, 15 to 20 minutes. Allow 2 or 3 scallops per person.
327. Curried Scallops (Pétoncles en Kari)
- 1 dozen scallops
- ½ pint fish stock
- 1 small onion
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 dessert-spoon curry powder
- 1 dessert-spoon rice flour
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- seasoning
Wash the scallops and cook them slowly in ½ pint of fish stock or milk and water for ¼ hour. Then strain, reserving the liquor. Melt the butter in a saucepan, put in the onion finely chopped, and fry it a few minutes. Add the rice flour and curry powder, and mix them well in. Then pour in the liquid from the scallops, stir until boiling, and simmer from 10 to 15 minutes. If this sauce is too thick, thin it down with a little more fish stock or milk. When ready, add the scallops cut in pieces, and season to taste. Arrange neatly in a deep dish, and serve boiled rice (Recipe 1586) separately.
Note: This dish may be cooked en casserole, and served in the same dish.
Time to cook, 30 to 40 minutes.
328. Scallops à la Française (Coquilles St. Jacques à la Française)
- 2 or 3 table-spoons white sauce
- seasoning
- 2 table-spoons bread-crumbs
- 2 table-spoons grated cheese
- a little butter
- ½ dozen scallops
- a few mushrooms
- ½ tea-cupful bread
- ½ tea-cupful milk
- 1 dessert-spoon chopped parsley
Put the scallops into a moderate oven in their shells, allow them to remain until the shells open; they will then be cooked. Remove them from the shells, wash and clean them, and cut them in dice. Cook a few mushrooms separately in a little butter and lemon juice, cut them in small pieces, and mix them with the scallops. Add to them about a tea-cupful of bread soaked in the milk, the white sauce, parsley, and seasoning. Mix lightly together. Put the mixture into greased scallop shells, sprinkle with bread-crumbs and grated cheese; put a few small pieces of butter on the top, and brown in the oven or under the grill of a gas stove.
Sufficient for 6 scallop shells.
Shrimps (Crevettes)
There are two different kinds of shrimp, the brown and the red. The red or rose-coloured shrimp is considered the best, and is the most expensive. As a rule shrimps are sold ready boiled. They can either be served plainly boiled or made up with various sauces. They are also much used for garnishing.
329. Shrimps, To Boil
Have ready on the fire a saucepan of fast-boiling water, salted in the proportion of 1 tablespoonful of salt to 1 quart of water, or make it as salt as sea water. Plunge the shrimps into this, and boil them until they change colour. They must not be overcooked. If served plainly boiled, oil and vinegar or vinaigrette sauce should accompany them.
330. Shrimp Croquettes
- 1 cupful picked shrimps
- some scraps of pastry
- 1 or 2 table-spoons fish sauce
Chop the shrimps, but not too finely, and bind them together with a little good fish sauce. Anchovy or shrimp sauce is very suitable; it must be very thick, and the mixture must not be made too moist. Roll out some scraps of unsweetened pastry very thinly, and cut it out in rounds between 3 and 4 inches in diameter. Place about a tea-spoonful of the shrimp mixture in the centre of each, wet round the edges of the pastry with a little cold water, and then gather them together, pulling them up to the centre of the croquette and then pinching them together. Fry the croquettes in hot fat, drain well, and serve garnished with parsley.
Sufficient for 10 or 12 croquettes.
331. Potted Shrimps
- a pinch of mace
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy essence
- ½ pint picked shrimps
- 3 oz. fresh butter
- seasoning
- a pinch of nutmeg
Put the picked shrimps into a small saucepan with most of the butter, heat gradually over the fire, allowing the shrimps to soak in the butter without coming to the boil. Then turn the contents of the saucepan into a mortar and pound well. Season very carefully with cayenne, salt if necessary, a pinch of ground nutmeg and mace, and 1 tea-spoonful anchovy essence. Rub the mixture through a fine wire sieve, pack into small pots, and, when cold, pour the rest of the butter melted over the top.
332. Shrimp Rolls (Croustades de Crevettes)
- ½ dozen small dinner rolls
- melted butter
- mixture for filling
- 1 cupful picked shrimps
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 dessert-spoon flour
- 1 gill fish stock or milk
- 2 yolks of eggs
- ½ gill cream
- lemon juice
Cut the tops off the dinner rolls, and scoop out all the soft part from the inside. Brush the cases, inside and outside, and also the tops, with melted butter. Place them both in a moderate oven and bake them until they are brown and crisp. Meanwhile prepare the mixture. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour, and mix with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add the fish stock or milk, stir until boiling, and cook 2 or 3 minutes. Then remove from the fire, add the shrimps, seasoning, and yolks of eggs beaten with the cream. Mix thoroughly and make quite hot over the fire without allowing the mixture to boil. Fill up the rolls with the mixture, put on the tops, and serve on a folded serviette garnished with parsley.
Sufficient for 6 persons.
333. Shrimp Scallops (Coquilles de Crevettes)
- 3 dozen shrimps
- 1 pint fish stock
- 1 glass white wine
- 1 cupful béchamel sauce
- 2 table-spoons grated cheese
- seasoning
- 1 oz. butter
- purée of potatoes
Cook the shrimps in fish stock, then strain them and remove the shells. Put the shells into a mortar and pound them with a little of the stock. Heat the béchamel sauce (Recipe 672) in a saucepan and add the pounded shells to it. Allow the sauce to boil for a few minutes, and then rub it through a tammy. Put the wine into another small saucepan and reduce it to half quantity over the fire. Then put in the shrimps and let them heat in the wine for a few minutes. Now add the sauce. Season to taste, and stir in the butter at the last.
To Finish: Take some natural or china scallop shells and put some of the above mixture into each. Then put some well-made potato purée (Recipe 549) into a forcing bag with à large rose pipe at the end of it, and force a border of the potato round each little dish. Sprinkle the grated cheese over, and brown in a quick oven or under the grill of a gas stove.
Sufficient for 6 or 7 scallops.
PART V
FISH REDRESSED, ETC.
334. Fish Baked in Batter
- 1 lb. cooked fish
- grated lemon rind
- 1 dessert-spoon chopped parsley
- salt
- pepper
- 1 oz. butter
- batter - ¼ lb. Flour, 1 pint milk, 2 eggs, salt
Remove all skin and bone from the fish, break it into flakes, and then weigh it. Put it into a greased pie dish, and season carefully with pepper, salt, a little grated lemon rind, and the chopped parsley. Melt the butter, pour it over the seasoned fish, and turn over and over until all is thoroughly mixed.
To Make the Batter: Sieve the flour into a basin, and with a wooden spoon make a well in the centre of it. Break one of the eggs into a cup or small basin; do not beat it, but if it is quite fresh, drop it into the centre of the flour. Mix some of the flour gradually into it with the wooden spoon, do the same with the second egg, and then add half the milk by degrees. Beat the batter well until it is perfectly smooth and full of air bubbles, then add the rest of the milk and mix it in. If time permits, let this batter stand some time; it will give the flour time to swell and make it lighter. Then pour it over the fish and wipe round the edges of the pie dish. Bake in a moderate oven until the batter is well risen, nicely browned, and firm to the touch. Serve as soon after it is taken from the oven as possible.
Notes: The dish may be made richer by adding a few oysters, shrimps, or slices of hard-boiled egg, and ½ tea-spoonful of finely-powdered herbs may be used instead of, or in addition to, the parsley.
Time to bake, 30 to 40 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
335. Fish Cakes, 1 (Boulettes de Poisson)
- ½ lb. cooked fish
- ½ lb. cooked potatoes
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 yolk of egg
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy or shrimp essence
- pepper
- salt
- a little flour
- egg and bread-crumbs
The remains of any cold cooked fish may be used for making fish cakes. A mixture of fish scraps is very good, such as smoked fish and fresh fish combined. Free the fish from all skin and bone, then weigh it. Chop it finely, being most careful to remove any small bones, which might be most dangerous if left in. Sieve the potatoes, or put them through a vegetable presser, and chop the parsley very finely. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add to it the fish, potatoes, parsley, yolk of egg, and seasonings, and mix well together over the fire. Turn out on to a plate, smooth over with a knife, and set aside to cool. When the mixture feels firm, divide it into ten or twelve small pieces. Flour the hands, take one piece at a time, and roll it into a ball, laying them as they are formed on a slightly floured board. Then with a knife, also floured, flatten them slightly, and shape them into neat round cakes. Egg and bread-crumb them (see page 249), and fry in boiling fat (see French Frying, page 248) to a nice brown colour. Drain well and serve them neatly on a hot dish with a dish paper under them, and garnish with parsley.
Notes: If a little good fish sauce is available, the butter and yolk of egg may be omitted from the above list of ingredients and the sauce used in their place. A chopped hard-boiled egg may be added to the mixture if wished, and 1 or 2 sardines will help to give flavour.
Sufficient for 10 or 12 cakes.
336, Fish Cakes, 2
Make in the same way as last recipe, using well-boiled and very dry rice instead of the potatoes. The rice should equal the fish in bulk and not in weight; ¼ lb. before cooking will be sufficient.
337. Baked Fish Cake (Pain de Poisson)
Use the same mixture as for the smaller fish cakes (see above), but make it rather moist by adding more milk or a little fish sauce. Well grease a plain round soufflé tin, or even a basin, and coat the inside with browned bread-crumbs. Fill up with the fish-cake mixture, and shake the contents well down into the mould. Cover with a piece of greased paper, and bake in a moderate oven from ½ to ¾ hour, according to size. When ready, turn out on a hot dish and serve with or without sauce poured round.
Time to bake, ½ to ¾ hour. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
338. Fish Cream (Crème de Poisson)
- ½ lb. uncooked fish
- 1 oz. butter
- 2 oz. bread-crumbs
- 1 gill of milk
- 1 gill double cream
- 2 whites of egg
- a pinch of nutmeg
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- pepper
- salt
Free the fish from skin and bone, weigh it and shred it down finely with a knife. Put it into a mortar, and pound it well. Rinse out a small saucepan with cold water, to prevent the mixture sticking to it. Put into it the butter and the milk, and bring them to the boil over the fire. Then add the bread-crumbs, and stir with a wooden spoon over the fire until the bread-crumbs swell and the mixture thickens. Add this mixture to the fish in the mortar, pound well together, and rub through a wire sieve, scraping the sieve underneath. Put the mixture into a basin, and season to taste. Beat up the whites of egg with a knife on a plate until stiff, and whip the cream in a basin with a wire whisk until thick. Add both these to the fish mixture, and stir them in as lightly as possible with an iron spoon. Pour the mixture into a well-greased mould. The mould must not be more than half filled. Twist a piece of greased paper over the top of it, and steam slowly until firm to the touch. Turn out carefully on to a hot dish, and pour anchovy, lobster, or any other sauce preferred round it.
Note: This may be steamed in a border mould, and the inside afterwards filled with green peas, shrimps, or oysters mixed with a little of the sauce, or the mixture may be steamed in small moulds, allowing one for each person.
Time to steam, ½ hour. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
339. Fish Curry, 1 (Poisson au Kari)
- 6 oz. cooked fish
- ½ oz. butter
- 1 tea-spoon rice flour
- 1 tea-spoon curry powder
- 1 tea-spoon chutney
- 1 onion
- 1 small apple
- ½ pint fish stock or milk
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 dessert-spoon grated cocoanut
- salt
- boiled rice
Remove all skin and bone from the fish, break it into flakes, and then weigh it. Melt the butter in a small stewpan, put in the onion cut in thin slices, and fry it for a few minutes. Add the apple, peeled and chopped, the cocoanut, curry powder, rice flour, and chutney, and mix with an iron spoon until smooth. Add the stock or milk, and stir until boiling, seasoning to taste with a little salt. Simmer about 20 minutes, until the apple and onion are quite cooked, put in the fish, and let it get thoroughly heated in the sauce. Add the lemon juice last. Serve on a hot dish with a border of rice round (or the rice may be served separately). Garnish with cut lemon and parsley or a few strips of red chillies.
Notes: One or two tomatoes peeled and seeded may be added. More or less curry powder, chutney, &c., may be used, according to taste.
Time to cook, ½ to ¾ hour. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
340. Fish Curry, 2
- ¾ lb. cooked fish
- 2 or 3 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 cupful boiled rice
- 1 dessert-spoon curry powder
- 1 dessert-spoon chutney
- 2 oz. butter
- 1 oz. flour
- ½ pint milk or fish stock
- salt
- ½ lemon
Remove all skin and bone from the cooked fish, then weigh it and break it in pieces. Have the rice plainly boiled as for curry (see Recipe 1586) and very dry. Cut the hard-boiled eggs in slices. Then melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour, and mix them well together. Add the chutney, salt, curry powder, and milk or fish stock, and stir until boiling. Put in the prepared fish, rice, and eggs, and mix all very gently together. Make the mixture thoroughly hot, and serve garnished with thin slices of lemon.
341. Fish Custard Puddings
- 6 oz. cooked fish
- ½ pint milk
- 4 yolks of eggs
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy essence
- 2 whites of eggs
- 1 dessert-spoon chopped parsley
- a little coralline pepper
- pepper
- salt
Grease very carefully about six dariole moulds or tiny basins, and decorate each one at the foot with a little finely-chopped parsley or coralline pepper. Free the fish from all skin and bone, and then weigh it. Chop it rather finely, and about half fill the moulds. Make a custard with the eggs and milk. Beat up the eggs, yolks and whites, in a basin, and add the milk. Season with white pepper, salt, and anchovy essence. Strain and pour over the fish. Place the moulds in a tin with boiling water to reach half-way up the sides, cover with greased paper, and poach in the oven or on the top of the stove until the custards are set. Turn out and serve hot.
Note: These are excellent made with cold salmon.
Time to cook, about 15 minutes. Sufficient for 4 persons.
342. Fish Cutlets
- ½ lb. cooked fish
- 1 gill milk or fish stock
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 oz. flour
- 1 yolk of egg
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy essence
- salt
- pepper
- egg and bread-crumbs
Free the fish carefully from all skin and bone, then weigh and chop it finely with a knife. Do not put it through a mincing machine as this is apt to make it heavy. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until smooth, then pour in the milk or fish stock, and stir until the mixture boils and draws away from the sides of the saucepan. Remove the pan from the fire, add the fish, parsley, yolk of egg and seasonings, and mix well together. Turn the mixture out on to a plate, smooth over with a knife, and set aside in a cool place until cold and firm. Then divide the mixture into eight equal-sized portions, and place these on a slightly floured board. Form them into cutlets, the shape of a flattened pear, using a little flour to prevent the mixture sticking to the board and knife, and taking particular care to have the surface smooth and free from cracks. Egg and bread-crumb them and fry to a nice brown colour in boiling fat. Drain well on kitchen paper, and stick a small piece of parsley stalk or fine macaroni in the narrow end of each to imitate the bone of the cutlet. Dish in a circle, one leaning against the other, on a hot dish, with a dish paper under them. Garnish with sprigs of parsley and cut lemon.
Notes: Almost any kind of fish, as long as it is not too oily, may be used to make these cutlets, or two different kinds of fish, such as salmon and white fish or smoked and fresh fish together. A chopped hard-boiled egg may be added if wished. Made according to the above directions, the cutlets will be quite soft and creamy in the centre, as directly they are put into the boiling fat the inside part becomes soft again while the outside is made crisp and brown.
Probable cost, l½d. each. Sufficient for 8 cutlets.
343. Devilled Fish (Poisson à la Diable)
- 6 oz. cooked fish
- 1 tea-spoon chutney
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy or shrimp essence
- ½ tea-spoon curry powder
- ½ tea-spoon dry mustard
- cayenne pepper
- a little butter
- browned bread-crumbs
A firm fish such as John Dory, halibut, cod or hake, &c., is best for this. Cut it into small neat pieces, and brush these over with a little melted butter Chop the chutney finely and mix it on a plate with the other seasonings, pounding all together with a knife. Spread a little of this hot mixture on each piece of fish, then place them on a baking tin, sprinkle them with fine bread-crumbs, and lay some small pieces of butter on the top. Place in the oven for a few minutes until thoroughly hot, and serve at once on a very hot dish.
Time to cook, about 10 minutes. Sufficient for 2 or 3 persons.
344. Fricassée of Fish (Fricassée de Poisson)
- ½ lb. fish, cooked or uncooked
- ½ pint fish stock
- 1 gill milk
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 oz. flour
- 1 hard-boiled egg
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- white pepper
- salt
- 1 or 2 table-spoons cream
Any white fish may be used for this; it must be cut in small pieces or broken in flakes and weighed free from skin and bone. If there are any trimmings they may be used for making the stock (see page 78). Make a sauce with the butter, flour, fish stock and milk, and season it with pepper and salt. Put in the fish and let it heat through, or if it is raw fish, allow it to simmer a few minutes until cooked. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and, if possible, a little cream. Serve garnished with the hard-boiled egg cut in pieces and a few thin slices of lemon. Or, fricassée may also be served inside a border of potato, garnished with a little finely chopped parsley.
Time, 15 to 30 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
345. Cold Fish Fritters
- 6 oz. cooked fish
- pepper
- salt
- 1 table-spoon salad oil
- frying batter
- ½ table-spoon vinegar
Break the fish into large flakes or small pieces, and lay them on a plate. Season them with the oil, vinegar, pepper and salt, and let them lie half an hour. Meanwhile prepare some frying batter according to Recipe 1861. When ready, lift the fish out of its seasoning, dip the pieces into the batter, coating them well, and then fry them in boiling fat until nicely browned. Drain well and serve very hot, garnished with fried parsley.
Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
Note: If salmon or any other oily fish is used for the fritters the oil in the marinade or seasoning mixture should be omitted.
346. Gateau of Fish and Rice
- ¼ lb. Carolina rice
- ½ pint fish stock or milk
- 2 eggs
- ½ lb. fish (cooked)
- 1 oz. butter
- grated rind of ½ lemon
- pepper
- salt
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- a little coralline pepper
Wash the rice, and put it into a saucepan with the milk or stock. Allow it to cook slowly until quite soft, adding more liquid if necessary. Then add to it the fish chopped, the butter, pepper, salt and grated lemon rind. Beat up the eggs and add them, mixing well. Then grease a plain mould or basin, and decorate it with chopped parsley and a little coralline pepper; pour the mixture into this, cover with greased paper, and steam slowly until firm to the touch. Turn out on a hot dish, and serve with or without sauce and garnish with parsley.
Time to cook, 1 to 1½ hours. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
347. Kedgeree
- ½ lb. cooked fish
- 1 raw yolk of egg
- ¼ lb. Patna rice
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- 2 oz. butter or dripping
- pepper
- salt
- a pinch of nutmeg
Free the fish from all skin and bone, then weigh and chop it finely. Boil the rice as for curry (see Recipe 1586) and drain it well. Melt the butter or dripping in a saucepan, and put in the fish and rice. Season with pepper and salt, and add the raw yolk of egg. Mix well together, and make thoroughly hot. Pile in the centre of a hot dish, making a neat pyramid, and mark up the sides with a fork. Sprinkle the chopped parsley over and serve very hot.
Notes: Finnan haddock is very nice used in kedgeree. A little curry powder is sometimes added. A hard-boiled egg can also be used, the white chopped and mixed with the other ingredients, and the yolk rubbed through a sieve on the top of the kedgeree after dishing. The raw yolk of egg may be omitted, but it tends to soften the kedgeree and is an improvement.
Time to cook, ½ hour. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
348. Fish Kromeskies
- ¼ lb. cooked fish
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 oz. flour
- ½ gill milk or fish stock
- 1 yolk of egg
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy essence
- pepper
- salt
- a little flour
- thin slices of bacon
- frying batter
Chop the fish very finely, carefully removing any small bones. Put the stock or milk into a small pan with the butter, and bring to the boil over the fire. Add the flour, and mix well with a wooden spoon until perfectly smooth. Then put in the prepared fish, seasoning, and yolk of egg. Mix well, and turn on to a plate to cool. When firm, divide the mixture into eight portions, and form each into a cork-shaped piece, using a little flour to prevent the mixture sticking to the hands and board. Cut some very thin slices of fat bacon, and wrap a small piece round each fish roll. Make some frying batter, and have a pan of fat on the fire to heat. Dip the fish rolls, one at a time, into the batter, coating them well, then lift out and drop into boiling fat. Fry a golden brown colour, and drain on kitchen paper. Serve on a hot dish, with a dish paper under them, and garnish with parsley.
Sufficient for 8 to 10 kromeskies.
349. Mayonnaise of Fish
See Recipe 215.
350. Fish Pie with Macaroni
- ½ lb. fish, cooked or uncooked
- 3 oz. macaroni
- ½ pint white sauce
- lemon juice
- grated lemon rind
- pepper
- salt
- 1 table-spoon bread-crumbs
- ½ oz. butter
Put the macaroni into a saucepan of hot water and boil until quite soft, drain, and chop it rather small. Remove all skin and bone from the fish, and cut it into small pieces, or if cooked, break it into flakes. Grease a pie dish, and put in half the fish, seasoning with pepper, salt, a little grated lemon rind and lemon juice. Next put in half the macaroni and half the sauce, then the remainder of the fish, more seasoning, and the rest of the macaroni and sauce. Sprinkle the bread-crumbs over the top, and place the butter on in small pieces. Wipe round the edges of the pie dish, and bake in a moderate oven for fifteen minutes if the fish is cooked, or half an hour if uncooked fish is used. Brown the pie nicely on the top, and serve hot, garnished with sprigs of parsley.
Notes: A few oysters, picked shrimps, or hard-boiled egg, cut in slices, may be added to this pie, or a little grated cheese may be mixed with the white sauce or sprinkled over the top with the bread-crumbs. One or two skinned and sliced tomatoes also make a nice addition.
Time to bake, 15 to 30 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
351. Fish Pie with Potatoes, 1
- ½ lb. cooked fish
- ½ lb. cooked potatoes
- 2 oz. dripping or butter
- pepper
- salt
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy essence
- grated lemon rind
- a little milk
Chop the fish finely, carefully removing all bones and skin, and sieve the potatoes or put them through a vegetable presser. Melt the butter or dripping in a saucepan, put in the fish and potatoes, and season with pepper, salt, anchovy essence, and a little grated lemon rind. A pinch of nutmeg or mace may also be added. Mix well together, and moisten with a little milk. Grease a pie dish and put the mixture into it. Smooth over the surface with a knife, keeping it well raised in the centre. Then mark it prettily with a knife or fork, and brush over with milk or beaten egg. Bake in the oven until nicely browned. Wipe the edges of the dish quite clean before serving, and serve very hot, garnished with parsley.
Note: If there are any remains of fish sauce this may be used to moisten the mixture instead of some of the milk and butter.
Time to bake, 20 to 30 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
352. Fish Pie with Potatoes, 2
- ½ lb. cooked fish
- 1 gill white sauce
- 1 hard-boiled egg
- lemon juice
- pepper
- salt
- ½ lb. cooked potato
- 1 oz. butter or dripping
- a little milk
Break the fish into flakes, and put it into a greased pie dish. Sprinkle with white pepper, salt, and a little lemon juice. Then pour over it the white sauce, if there are any remains of fish sauce a fresh supply will not require to be made. Melt the butter or dripping in a saucepan, have the potatoes sieved, and add them to it. Season with white pepper and salt, and moisten with a little milk. Pile this on the top of the fish in the pie dish, and smooth over with a knife. Mark up the sides with a fork or the point of a knife, and brush over with milk or beaten egg. Bake in a moderate oven until nicely browned. Serve hot.
Time to bake, about 20 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
353. Fish Pie with Rice
- ½ lb. cooked fish
- ¼ lb. whole rice
- 1 gill water
- 1 oz. butter
- 2 oz. grated cheese
- ½ pint milk
- pepper
- salt
Wash the rice, put it in a saucepan with 1 gill of water, and simmer until the water is absorbed. Then pour in the milk and cook again until the rice is quite soft. Chop the fish finely, carefully removing all skin and bone, add it to the rice in the saucepan along with the butter, seasoning, and half the cheese. Mix well together and pour into a greased pie dish. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on the top, and bake in the oven until nicely browned. Serve hot.
Notes: The cheese may be omitted if objected to. A whole beaten egg may be added to the mixture before it is poured into the pie dish.
Time to bake, 15 to 20 minutes. Sufficient for 4 persons.
354. Fish Pie à la Russe
- 1 lb. cooked fish
- ½ pint white sauce
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 2 tea-cupfuls boiled rice
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 dessert-spoon anchovy essence
- 1 tea-spoon chopped capers
- salt
Remove all skin and bone from the fish, and break it into flakes with two forks. Add the anchovy essence and chopped capers to the white sauce, and cut the hard-boiled eggs in slices. Boil the rice as for curry (Recipe 1586), and make it very dry. Then grease a pie dish or fire-proof dish, and put in first a layer of fish, then some rice, moistening with a little of the sauce, then a layer of the sliced egg, and repeat these layers until the dish is full, finishing with the sliced egg. Season with more salt if necessary, put the butter in small pieces on the top, and bake in a moderate oven.
Time to bake, 20 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
355. Steamed Fish Pudding
- 1 lb. cooked fish
- 2 oz. bread-crumbs
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 gill milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy essence
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- pepper
- salt
- anchovy or parsley sauce
First grease a plain mould or basin, or several small moulds, with clarified butter, and sprinkle the chopped parsley over the inside. Free the fish from all skin and bone, and chop it finely. Put it into a basin with the bread-crumbs, pepper, salt, and anchovy essence. Put the milk and butter into a small saucepan, bring them to the boil, and then pour over the ingredients in the basin. Let these soak for a few minutes, then add the egg well beaten. Mix together, and pour into the prepared mould or moulds. Cover over with greased paper and steam from 10 to 15 minutes if in small moulds, and for half an hour if done in one large mould. When ready, the mixture should be firm to the touch. Turn out on to a hot dish, and serve with anchovy or parsley sauce poured round (see Recipes for Sauces).
Time to steam, 10 to 30 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
356. Fish Salad
See Recipe 654.
357. Fish Quenelles (Quenelles de Poisson)
- ½ lb. uncooked fish
- 1 oz. butter
- 2 oz. bread-crumbs
- 1 egg and 1 yolk
- lemon juice
- a pinch of nutmeg
- pepper
- salt
Wipe the fish, and weigh it free from skin and bone. Shred it down finely with a knife, and put it into a mortar. Add the bread-crumbs, butter, and seasonings, and pound all well together. Then add the egg and pound again. When well mixed, rub through a wire sieve on to a plate, remembering to scrape the sieve underneath. Shape the mixture into quenelles in 2 dessert spoons, and poach them over a slow fire from 10 to 15 minutes. See Recipe 1099. When ready, they should feel firm to the touch, and should have lost their raw appearance. Lift them out with a perforated spoon and drain them for a few minutes on a clean cloth. Dish the quenelles in a circle, one leaning against another on a hot dish. Or, they may be raised on a puree of potatoes or cooked spinach. Coat them nicely with good white or hollandaise sauce, and garnish with a very light sprinkling of finely chopped parsley, lobster coral, or sieved yolk of egg. A little of each may be used, varying the colour on each quenelle, but avoid overmuch decoration.
Time to cook, ¼ hour. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
358. Scalloped Fish, Hot (Coquilles de Poisson)
- ½ lb. cooked fish
- bread-crumbs
- ½ pint white sauce
- a little butter
Take 4 or 5 natural or china scallop shells and grease them with a little butter Coat the insides with some fine bread-crumbs, and lay in some pieces or flakes of nicely cooked fish, piling them rather high in the centre. Then take some good and well-seasoned white sauce and pour it over the fish, coating it well. Smooth over with a knife, sprinkle some more bread-crumbs on the top, lay on one or two small pieces of butter, and bake in the oven from 10 to 12 minutes. The scallops should be nicely browned on the top. Serve with a small slice of cut lemon and a sprig of parsley on the top of each.
Notes: A little grated cheese may be mixed with the bread-crumbs if wished. A few picked shrimps or 1 or 2 oysters put into each scallop shell will improve the flavour. Sometimes a nice creamy potato purée (Recipe 552) is piled on the top of the fish instead of the sauce.
Time to bake, 10 to 12 minutes. Sufficient for 4 to 6 scallops.
359. Fish Scallops, Cold (Coquilles de Poisson)
- 6 oz. cooked fish
- 1 gherkin
- 2 or 3 table-spoons mayonnaise sauce
- small cress
Take any remains of nicely cooked fish and break it into flakes or small pieces free from skin and bone. Add to it a little mayonnaise sauce, just enough to bind it together and season it. Arrange this seasoned fish in little china or natural scallop shells, piling it rather high in the centre, and pour a little thick mayonnaise sauce on the top of each, covering the fish entirely. Decorate with some small cress and small pieces of thinly-sliced gherkin, or any other decoration preferred.
Note: Tartare sauce may be used instead of mayonnaise.
Sufficient for 4 or 5 scallops.
360. Fish Soufflé (Soufflé de Poisson)
- 6 oz. cooked white fish
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 oz. flour
- 1 gill milk or fish stock
- 2 yolks and 3 whites of eggs
- sauce - white, anchovy, or Hollandaise
- a pinch of nutmeg or mace
- grated lemon rind
- pepper
- salt
Weigh the fish free from skin and bone, and scrape it down finely with a knife. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and mix until smooth with a wooden spoon. Then pour in the milk or fish stock, and stir until the mixture is thick and begins to draw away from the sides of the saucepan. Put this thick sauce or panada into a mortar with the fish, seasonings, and yolks of eggs. Pound well together, and rub through a fine wire sieve, scraping the sieve well underneath. Beat up the whites of eggs to a stiff froth, and stir them lightly, but thoroughly, into the fish mixture with an iron spoon. Pour all into a well-greased mould or soufflé tin, cover with greased paper, and steam slowly until firm to the touch. When ready, lift the soufflé from the pan and let it stand 2 minutes. Turn out carefully on to a hot dish, and pour the sauce round. Serve quickly, as it soon falls.
Time to steam, about ½ hour. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
361. Fish Soufflé, Baked
- 6 oz. cooked fish
- 4 oz. cooked potato
- 2 oz. butter
- ½ gill milk or cream
- 2 eggs
- grated lemon rind
- pepper
- salt
Free the fish from all skin and bone, then weigh it and chop it finely. Sieve the potato, which must be very dry and mealy. Put the butter and milk into a saucepan, and when boiling add the sieved potato. Beat with a wooden spoon until very light and creamy, then add the fish, yolks of eggs and seasoning, and beat again. Whip up the whites of eggs to a stiff froth, and stir them lightly in at the last with an iron spoon. Pour the mixture into a greased pie dish or soufflé dish, and bake in a moderate oven about ½ hour. The soufflé must be nicely browned and well risen. Serve at once, and in the dish in which it was baked.
Time, about ½ hour to bake. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
362. Fish and Potato Soufflés
- 1 cupful cooked fish
- 2 or 3 table-spoons good white sauce
- seasoning
- 1 cupful cooked potato
- 1 table-spoon milk or cream
- 1 egg
- a pinch of nutmeg
- grated Parmesan
Use any tender white fish and break it into flakes or small pieces free from skin and bone. Take 5 or 6 small soufflé dishes, grease them, and put a little fish at the foot of each. Next pour in some good white sauce, such as Béchamel or velouté, and enough to moisten the fish. Then sieve the potato, which must be very dry and mealy, and heat it in a saucepan with the butter and a table-spoonful of milk or cream. Beat well until perfectly smooth, and season with white pepper, salt, and a pinch of nutmeg. Now stir in the yolk of egg, and lastly, and very lightly, the white of egg beaten to a stiff froth. Fill up the soufflé cases with this potato purée, sprinkle grated Parmesan over the top, and bake in a moderate oven until risen and nicely browned. Then serve at once.
Note: If preferred, this may be cooked in one large soufflé dish.
Time to bake, 15 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 soufflés.
363. Potato and Fish Timbale (Timbale de Poisson)
- ½ lb. cooked potato
- 1 yolk of egg
- 1 oz. butter
- 2 table-spoons grated cheese
- seasoning
- 2 table-spoons white bread-crumbs
- ½ lb. cooked fish
- 2 table-spoons white sauce
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
Sieve the potatoes, add to them the butter melted, the yolk of egg, cheese, and seasonings. Mix well together, and if not sufficiently moist add a very little milk. Butter a basin or plain mould, and sprinkle it with the bread-crumbs. Line the bottom and sides with the potato mixture, keeping back a little for the top. Then remove all skin and bone from the fish, mix it with the white sauce, and add parsley and seasoning to taste. Hard-boiled egg cut in pieces, oysters, anchovy, or mushrooms may be added. The mixture must not be too moist. Put it into the prepared mould, and cover with the rest of the potato mixture. Make the top very smooth with a knife. Bake in a moderate oven until nicely browned and firm to the touch. Place a hot dish on the top, invert the mould, and let it stand a few minutes. Then carefully withdraw the mould. Serve plain or with some thin fish sauce poured round.
Time to bake, 40 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
PART VI
SOME MORE ELABORATE FISH DISHES
364. Eels à la Poulette (Anguilles à la Poulette)
- 2 lbs. eels
- 1 or 2 onions
- 2 bay-leaves
- 1 or 2 sprigs of parsley
- 1 gill vinegar
- 1 gill white wine
- 1 pint cold water
- 1½ oz. butter
- 1 oz. flour
- 2 yolks of eggs
- 2 table-spoons cream
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- pepper
- salt
Cleanse the eels, removing the skin if possible, and cut them in pieces 2 or 3 inches in length. Put these into a saucepan of boiling water, boil 2 or 3 minutes, then strain through a colander and rinse the fish with cold water. Return the pieces of eel to the saucepan, add to them the vinegar, water, wine, bay-leaves, parsley, and onion cut in small pieces. Set the saucepan on the fire and bring the contents slowly to the boil, then draw to one side and simmer slowly until the fish is tender. When ready, lift the pieces out and keep them warm. Strain the liquid left in the saucepan, and use it for making the sauce.
To make the Sauce: Melt the butter in a clean saucepan, add the flour, and mix the two smoothly together with a wooden spoon. Then pour on the strained liquid - this should measure 3 gills, and any deficiency should be made up with fish or white stock - stir constantly until boiling and simmer 5 minutes. Beat up the yolks of the eggs with the cream and add them slowly to the sauce, not letting it boil again. Add the lemon juice and more seasoning if necessary. Pour the sauce over the pieces of eel, masking them well, and garnish with a little chopped parsley, croutons of bread, or small potato balls.
Time to stew, about 20 minutes. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.
365. Timbale of Fish in Aspic (Timbale de Poisson en Aspic)
- 1 filleted sole or plaice
- aspic jelly
- chopped parsley
- hard-boiled yolk of egg
- coralline pepper
- chervil
- salad
Mixture
- trimmings of fish
- cooked prawns, shrimps or lobster
- 1 table-spoon mayonnaise sauce
- 1 table-spoon thick cream
- 3 table-spoons liquid aspic
Cook the filleted fish and press it very lightly between two plates until quite cold. Take a plain pint mould and line it very thinly with aspic jelly. Then cut the fish in small rounds with a cutter from 1 to 1½ inches in diameter. Brush over one side of these rounds with liquid aspic, and decorate them prettily with chopped parsley, sieved yolk of egg, and coralline pepper. Allow the decoration to set and then arrange the pieces of fish on the bottom and sides of the mould, fixing them in position with liquid aspic. Small sprigs of chervil or rounds of thinly sliced tomato may be placed between the rounds of fish. When the mould is ready, prepare the mixture for filling it. Take the trimmings of the fish and break them up in small pieces, add to them some cooked prawns, shrimps, or lobster meat also broken small, and bind together with the mayonnaise, cream, and aspic. When the mixture is beginning to set, pour it into the prepared mould, filling it almost full, and let it stand on ice 10 or 12 minutes. Then cover the top with more liquid aspic, and allow it to remain on the ice until quite firm. Turn out when wanted, and garnish round the sides with salad or chopped aspic jelly.
Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.
366. Gurnets with Lemon Sauce (Grondins au Citron)
- 2 or 3 gurnets
- cold water
- 1 table-spoon vinegar
- 1 carrot
- 2 onions
- a bunch of herbs
- salt
- pepper
Sauce
- 2 eggs
- 1 large lemon
- 1 tea-cupful fish liquor
- salt
- pepper
Wash and clean the fish thoroughly. Put into a saucepan the vegetables cut in slices, herbs, and vinegar, and season with pepper and salt. Lay the fish on the top and pour in enough cold water to cover them. Put the lid on the pan, bring the contents to the boil, and then simmer slowly by the side of the fire. Remove the gurnets when they are ready, and allow the liquid in the saucepan to reduce rapidly. Take the flesh in neat pieces from the fish, freeing it from all skin and bone, and heap it up in the form of a pyramid on a dish that can be sent to table. Then keep it warm over a saucepan of hot water.
To make the Sauce: Strain the liquid in the saucepan. Beat up the eggs in a basin with the strained juice of a lemon, add pepper and salt to taste and 1 tea-cupful of the fish liquor. Stand the basin in a saucepan of hot water, and stir or whisk over the fire until the sauce thickens like a custard. Pour this over the fish, masking it well. This dish may be served either hot or cold. If hot, it may be garnished with potato puree, put through a forcing bag, or simply with cut lemon and sprigs of parsley. If served cold, garnish with cut lemon and cucumber, or with pieces of ripe tomato and bunches of small cress.
Time to cook, 20 to 30 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
367. Fillets of Mackerel à la Venitiénne (Filets de Maquereau à la Venitiénne)
- 2 mackerel
- 2 shallots
- seasoning
- 1 glass white wine
- a little butter
- sauce Venitiénne
Fillet the mackerel and if large cut each fillet in two. Place them on a well-greased tin or fire-proof dish, and sprinkle with pepper, salt, and the shallots finely chopped. Pour the wine round, cover with greased paper, and cook in a moderate oven. When ready, lift the fillets on to a clean cloth and remove the skin quickly. Then arrange them neatly on a dish and pour the sauce over. Boiled potatoes may be used as a garnish.
Note: Fillets of other kinds of fish may be prepared in the same way. When cooking white fish the liquid in the baking dish may be strained into the sauce, but not with mackerel, as the taste is too strong.
Time to cook, 10 to 12 minutes. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.
368. Pike à la Bordelaise (Brochet à la Bordelaise)
- 1 pike
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 glass white vine
- seasoning
- ½ pint Bordelaise sauce
- small potato balls
Remove the fillets from a medium-sized pike, and cut them into small neat pieces. Melt the butter and dip the pieces of fish into it, season them with pepper and salt, and place them in a baking dish. Pour the wine over and round, cover with greased paper, and bake in a moderate oven until the fish is done. Then arrange the fillets on a hot dish, strain the liquid from the fish into ½ pint good Bordelaise sauce (Recipe 711) and pour all over the fish, masking it well. Garnish with small potato balls.
Time to bake, about 20 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
369. Pike à la Pompadour (Brochet à la Pompadour)
- 1 pike
- egg and bread-crumbs
- fried parsley
- potato balls
- marinade
- 1 table-spoon salad oil or melted butter
- 1 table-spoon vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tea-spoon finely chopped onion
- 1 tea-spoon finely chopped parsley
- pepper
- salt
Remove the fillets from a medium-sized pike, and cut them in convenient-sized pieces. Put all the ingredients for the marinade on a plate and soak the pieces of fish in them for an hour. This softens the fish and prevents it tasting so dry as it would otherwise do. Then egg and bread-crumb the fillets, and fry them in boiling fat (see page 248). When a nice brown colour, drain them well and serve them piled up on a hot dish. Garnish with fried parsley in the centre, and small potato balls (Recipe 542) round. Serve tomato or tartare sauce separately.
Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
370. Red Mullet in Cases (Rougets en Caisses)
- 4 or 5 red mullets
- 3 fresh mushrooms
- 2 shallots
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- 1 tomato
- a pinch of nutmeg
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 gill white wine
- ½ gill fish stock
- ½ oz. flour
- pepper
- salt
- lemon juice
Clean the fish carefully, and wipe them dry in a cloth. Put half the butter into a small saucepan, and when melted add to it the shallot finely chopped. Cook a minute or two without allowing it to brown, then add the tomato cut in small pieces, the mushrooms also cut small, parsley and seasoning. Allow this to cook for five minutes. Put the flour into a small basin and mix it smoothly with the fish stock and wine, add this to the mixture in the saucepan, bring to the boil and cook slowly for 10 minutes. Then remove the saucepan from the fire, and add the remainder of the butter. Take some paper cases, large enough to hold one mullet each, and grease them well with salad oil. Put a small spoonful of the mixture at the bottom of each, place a fish on the top, and then more of the mixture. Squeeze a few drops of lemon juice over the top. Arrange the cases on a tin, being careful to see that they stand perfectly flat, and bake in a good oven until the fish is cooked. Garnish with a little parsley or chervil, and serve immediately.
Note: Other mixtures may be used in place of the above, and the fish may be wrapped in a heart-shaped piece of paper if the cases are not obtainable.
Time to bake, 10 to 12 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
371. Red Mullet à la Parisienne (Rougets à la Parisienne)
- 3 or 4 small mullets
- 1 small onion
- seasoning
- 1 glass white wine
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 dessert-spoon salad oil
- 1 tea-spoon vinegar
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- lemon
Peel and slice the onion very thinly, and pull it apart into rings. Put these into a small saucepan with the wine, and cook 5 or 6 minutes over the fire. Meanwhile prepare the mullets. Empty them through the gills, trim and wash them. Place them in a fireproof dish and pour the hot wine and water over them. Cover with greased paper, and cook in the oven about 20 minutes without allowing the liquid to boil. When the fish are ready, arrange them neatly on an oval dish, lift out the rounds of onion from the liquid and reduce the latter until only 2 or 3 table-spoonfuls remain. Pour this round the fish and set aside until quite cold.
Garnish: Make a salad with the tomatoes, &c. Peel the tomatoes, cut them in halves, and squeeze out the liquid. Then cut the tomatoes in small dice, season with pepper, salt, and a little chopped parsley, and mix with the oil and vinegar. Allow this to stand in a cool place for a short time. When the fish is quite cold, arrange a little of the tomato salad down the centre of each, with a few onion rings, graduating in size, on the top, and a tiny sprig of parsley or chervil in the centre of each ring. Garnish the sides of the dish with slices of lemon, and serve very cold.
Time to cook, ½ hour. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
372. Red Mullet à la Maréchale (Rougets à la Maréchale)
- 3 red mullets
- 2 table-spoons salad oil
- juice of ½ lemon
- pepper
- salt
- bread-crumbs
- 1 table-spoon melted butter
- 1 table-spoon grated Parmesan
- 1 or 2 truffles
Remove the fillets from the mullets, and let them lie for some little time in a marinade made of the oil, lemon juice, and seasoning. Then coat them with fine bread-crumbs, and lay them neatly in a well-greased fireproof dish. Toss the asparagus points in a little butter, season them, and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Garnish the fish with these, cover with greased paper, and bake in a moderate oven. Decorate with strips of truffle.
Time to bake, about 15 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
373. Salmon Cream (Mousseline de Saumon)
- ½ lb. sieved salmon
- 1 oz. butter
- 2 oz. flour
- 1 gill milk
- ½ pint double cream
- 2 eggs
- a pinch of nutmeg
- coralline pepper
- salt
Take some uncooked salmon, free it from all skin and bone, rub it through a sieve and then weigh it. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour, and mix till smooth with a wooden spoon. Pour in the milk, and stir until the mixture forms one lump, and draws away from the sides of the saucepan. Put this into a basin with the salmon, and mix thoroughly, adding the eggs by degrees. Season to taste, and at the last stir in ½ pint of whipped cream. Pour the mixture into a well-greased mould, which has been prettily decorated with truffle and chopped parsley, cover with greased paper, and steam slowly until firm to the touch. Serve with cardinal or béchamel sauce.
Note: If preferred the cream may be steamed in small moulds.
Time to steam, ½ to ¾ hour. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
374. Slice of Salmon with Cucumber (Darne de Saumon aux Concombres)
- 1 slice of salmon (1½ lb.)
- 3 oz. butter
- ½ gill white wine
- cream
- 1 cucumber
- seasoning
Wipe the salmon and season it with a little pepper and salt. Place it in a greased baking tin or sauté pan with about 1 oz. butter, cover over and cook in a moderate oven from 15 to 20 minutes. Peel the cucumber, cut it in slices about 1½ inches in thickness, cut these across in quarters and remove the seeds. Put the pieces of cucumber into a small saucepan with another ounce of butter, season with pepper and salt, put on the lid and cook slowly until tender. When the salmon is cooked, drain it from the butter, place it on a hot dish, and garnish with the cucumber. Keep this warm whilst making the sauce. Add any butter left from the cucumber to that in which the salmon was cooked. Add also the white wine, and cook 5 minutes. Then pour in the cream, season to taste, and add another small piece of butter at the last. Strain or tammy the sauce and pour it round the salmon.
Time to cook, about ½ hour. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
375. Mayonnaise of Salmon (Mayonnaise de Saumon)
- a middle cut of salmon
- mayonnaise sauce
- aspic jelly
Decorations
- parsley
- cucumber
- truffle
- lobster coral
- &c.
Cook a nice cut of salmon, remove the skin and let it become icy cold. Then wipe it with a dry soft cloth, trim it neatly and put it on a clean dish. Take some thick mayonnaise sauce (Recipe 753) and add liquid aspic jelly to it in the proportion of ½ gill to ½ pint. When the sauce is in a setting condition pour it over the fish, coating it well, and then set aside until firm. When about to serve garnish with some nice fresh salad or a border of chopped aspic round, and decorate the top with any of the above ingredients arranged in a pretty design.
376. Fillets of Sole with Egg Plant (Filets de Sole aux Aubergines)
- 2 soles
- 2 oz. butter
- seasoning
- 2 egg plants
- a little flour
- lemon juice
- 1 dessert-spoon chopped parsley
To Prepare the Egg Plants: Cut the egg plants in halves lengthwise, sprinkle the cut surface with salt, and if time permits allow them to stand half an hour to get rid of some of the water. Strain off the water that has run from them and cut the aubergines in dice. Toss these in flour and fry them in butter until sufficiently cooked.
To Prepare the Fish: Take four fillets from each sole (see page 78), trim and flatten them slightly with a knife. Season with pepper, salt, and a little lemon juice, fold each fillet in two and coat them lightly with flour. Place the fillets thus prepared on a well-greased baking tin, cover with greased paper, and cook in a moderate oven from 10 to 12 minutes, or until the fish is sufficiently cooked.
To Serve: Arrange the fillets neatly on an oval dish, one leaning against the other, and put the egg plant round. Sprinkle the surface with chopped parsley and a few drops of lemon juice. Add the remainder of the butter to the tin in which the fish was cooked, heat it over the fire until it turns brown, then strain it boiling hot over the fish. Decorate round the edge of the dish with thin slices of lemon.
Note: Fillets of plaice may be prepared in the same way.
Time to cook, about 15 minutes. Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons.
377. Fillets of Sole à la Florentine
- 2 soles
- ½ pint cooked spinach
- ½ pint fish stock
- lemon juice
- 3 gills good white sauce
- 3 table-spoons grated Parmesan
- pepper
- salt
- a pinch of nutmeg
Fillet the soles and make stock of the trimmings. Trim the fillets neatly, season them with pepper, salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice, and double them with the side which the skin came off inside. Lay them on a greased tin, and pour round them enough fish stock, or white wine and fish stock to half cover them. Place a piece of greased paper on the top, and cook in a moderate oven until the fish is ready. Arrange a bed of well-cooked spinach on an entrée dish, and dish the fillets neatly on the top; they may either be placed in two rows, one overlapping the other, or in a circle. Have ready some good white sauce, made with fish stock (see page 674), add to it 2 table-spoonfuls of cheese, and pour this over the fish, coating it well. Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese over the top, and brown the surface lightly, either in the oven or under the grill of a gas stove.
Time, 10 to 12 minutes to cook. Sufficient for 7 persons.
378. Fillets of Sole à l'Orly (Filets de Sole à l'Orly)
- 1 medium sole
- frying batter
- tomato sauce
Marinade
- 1 shallot
- juice of ½ lemon
- 1 table-spoon salad oil
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- seasoning
First make the batter according to Recipe 1861, and let it stand while the fish is being prepared. Fillet the sole and cut each fillet into two or three pieces according to size. Mix the ingredients for the marinade on a plate, seasoning with pepper, salt, and a pinch of cayenne. Lay the pieces of fish into this, and let them steep, or marinate, for half an hour at least. Turn them occasionally to ensure their being properly flavoured. Then have ready a pan of boiling fat, dip each piece of fish into the frying batter, and fry to a golden brown colour. Drain well and pile up lightly on a hot dish, with a dish paper under them. Garnish with fried parsley, and serve tomato sauce separately.
Note: It is the marinade and tomato sauce which constitute the 'orly', and this must always be adhered to, but the fish may be egged and bread-crumbed instead of being dipped in batter. Any small fillets or even flakes of cooked fish may be prepared in the same way.
Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
379. Fillets of Sole with Prawns (Filets de Solo aux Écrivisses)
- 2 soles
- whiting farce
- prawn butter
- 8 prawns
- sauce au vin blanc
Cook the prawns in a a little fish stock or court bouillon, and shell them carefully. Make the whiting farce according to Recipe 79, and fillet the soles. Spread the eight fillets on a board with the side which the skin came off uppermost, flatten them slightly to break the fibre, and trim them neatly. Cover each fillet with a layer of farce, and then double them lengthwise. Insert the narrow end of each fillet in the shell of a prawn, and fill up the hollow in the head with more farce. Then place the fillets in a greased sauté pan or baking tin, pour round them enough white wine or liquid in which the prawns were cooked to nearly cover them, cover with greased paper or with the bones of the fish, and poach in the oven for 12 minutes. Poach also the tails of the prawns for the last few minutes to make them thoroughly hot.
Prawn Butter: Take the trimmings of shells from the tails of the prawns, and pound them in a mortar, add an equal quantity of butter, pound again, and rub through a hair sieve. Season to taste and add a few drops of colouring if too pale in colour.
To Serve: Arrange the fillets of sole on a hot oval dish, with the heads of the prawns resting on the edge of the dish, coat the fish itself (not the red shells) with sauce au vin blanc (see page 123), decorate with the tails of the prawns and then prawn butter put through a forcing bag or paper cornet, encircling each fillet with a ribbon of the butter Heat just a minute and serve at once.
Note: A few mushrooms and truffles may also be used as a garnish, and hollandaise or a good white sauce may be used instead of sauce au vin blanc.
Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons.
380. Sauce au Vin Blanc
- liquid from the fish
- 2 yolks of eggs
- 3 oz. butter
Strain the liquid from the fish into a small saucepan, and let it boil quickly until reduced to about 1 table-spoonful. Then place the saucepan in another saucepan of cold water, add the yolks of eggs, and mix together with a wooden spoon or small whisk. Now add the butter gradually, a small piece at a time, and whisk steadily over the fire until all is in. The sauce will then be thick and creamy like a mayonnaise.
381. Sole à la Normande
- 1 large sole
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small onion
- white wine or fish stock
- seasoning
- sauce à la Normande
- 1 dozen mussels
- 1 dozen oysters
- a few shrimps or prawns
- 1 dozen mushrooms
- croutons of bread or pastry
Remove the black skin from the sole and score the white across in several places. Take a fire-proof dish, large enough to hold the fish, grease it well, and lay on it the onion cut in thin rings and the bay leaf. Place the fish on the top, season it with pepper and salt, and pour round enough wine or fish stock to nearly cover it. Cook in the oven until the fish is ready, basting it occasionally with the liquid. Then make some sauce à la Normande (Recipe 731), adding to it the liquid from the fish, add also the garnish of mussels, oysters, mushrooms, and shrimps or prawns, and pour all over the fish. Decorate with some pretty croutons of fried bread or pastry.
Note: Fried smelts may also be used as a garnish.
Time to cook, 15 to 20 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
382. Sole à la Rouennaise
- 2 filleted soles
- salt
- pepper
- lemon juice
- 1 gill fish stock or white wine
- lobster cutlet mixture
- ½ pint cardinal sauce
- 1 truffle
- hard boiled white of egg
Trim and season the fillets of sole, and spread them out on a board with the side which the skin came off uppermost. Flatten them slightly and put a little lobster cutlet mixture (see Recipe 309) in the centre of each. Double over and shape the pieces neatly. Place them on a greased baking-tin, pour the wine or fish stock round, cover with greased paper, and poach in a moderate oven until the fish is cooked. When ready, lift the fillets of fish on to a clean cloth to absorb the moisture, then arrange them neatly on a silver entree dish, one leaning against the other, and either in a circle or a straight row down the length of the dish. Reduce the liquid left in the baking tin, add to it the cardinal sauce (see Recipe 712), cook a minute or two and strain over the fish. Decorate with fancy-shaped pieces of truffle and a little chopped white of egg, or any other decoration, which will make a pretty contrast to the pink colour of the sauce.
Time to bake, 15 minutes. Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons.
383. Soufflé with Fillets of Sole (Filets de Sole en Soufflé)
- 2 small filleted sole
- seasoning
- ½ gill fish stock
- ½ gill white wine
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 oz. flour
- 1 table-spoon cream
- 3 eggs
Trim the fillets of sole, season them with white pepper and salt, and double them lengthwise with the skin side inside. Place them on a greased tin or dish with the fish stock and wine, and poach in the oven about 10 minutes. Then strain off the liquor, and keep the fish warm. Melt the butter in a saucepan, mix in the flour, and cook them together for a minute or two. Then add the liquor from the fish, and stir over the fire until the mixture begins to draw away from the sides of the pan. Remove the saucepan from the fire, and stir in the yolks of eggs one at a time, and season to taste. Lastly stir in the whites of the eggs beaten to a stiff froth. Have ready a large china soufflé dish well greased, pour into it some of the soufflé mixture, and arrange the pieces of sole in a circle on the top. Cover with the rest of the mixture, and bake in a good oven until well risen and nicely browned. Serve at once.
Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.
384. Fillets of Sole with Truffles (Filets de Sole aux Truffes)
- 2 filleted soles
- 2 table-spoons béchamel sauce
- 2 or 3 truffles
- 1 table-spoon salad oil
- a little flour
- egg and bread-crumbs
- 8 artichoke bottoms
- potato noisettes
- Béarnaise or tomato sauce
Flatten out the fillers of sole in order to make them as much as possible the same width at both ends, then cut them in three equal-sized pieces, and season with pepper, salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Next mask each piece of fish with a thin coating of béchamel or other good white sauce, and lay a few thin slice of truffle on the top. Place the three pieces of each fillet together, one on the top of the other, and press them gently, making them as regular in form as possible. Dip them in flour, coating them very lightly, and then egg and bread-crumb in the usual way. Melt about 2 oz. butter in a sauté pan or oven tin, and when smoking hot put in the prepared fish and bake it in a good oven until nicely and evenly browned, basting occasionally with the butter.
The Artichoke Bottoms: The bottled or tinned ones are the simplest to use. Drain and dry them lightly in a cloth. Then cook them in a small quantity of butter for a few minutes, seasoning with pepper and salt.
The Potato Noisettes and Béarnaise Sauce: Recipes 562 and 708.
To Serve: Arrange the artichoke bottoms in a circle on a hot entree dish, and place a piece of fish on the top of each, with one end pointing towards the centre. Pile the potato noisettes in the centre, and serve the sauce separately.
Note: A few chopped truffles may be added to the sauce.
Time, 20 minutes to cook the fish. Sufficient for 7 persons.
385. River Trout à la Hongroise (Truites de Rivière à la Hongroise)
- 3 or 4 trout
- whiting farce
- 3 onions
- 1 oz. butter
- paprika pepper
- salt
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- 1 glass white wine
- 1 or 2 tomatoes
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 dessert-spoon flour
- a little stock
Choose small onions, peel and chop them finely, and cook them slowly in the butter without allowing them to brown. Make some whiting farce (see Recipe 79), and add 1 table-spoonful of this cooked onion to it and a little chopped parsley. Draw the fish without opening them, trim and wash them carefully. Wipe them in a clean cloth and stuff them with the farce, using a tea-spoon to press it well into the opening. If a number of fish are being stuffed this is more easily done with a forcing bag. Lay the stuffed fish in the saucepan with the remainder of the onion, season them with pepper and salt, add the tomatoes cut in pieces (or a little tomato puree may be used), and pour the white wine over. Cover the fish with greased paper, and cook them in the oven without letting them boil. They must only poach about a quarter of an hour. When ready, lift the fish on to a dish and keep them warm while the sauce is prepared.
Sauce: Reduce the wine, &c., left in the saucepan to about half the quantity, then add to it a little stock to make sufficient sauce. Bring to the boil, add 1 oz. butter, mixed with 1 dessert-spoonful of flour, give the sauce again one boil up, then rub it through a sieve. Reheat, adding more seasoning if necessary. The sauce should be a pretty pink colour. Pour the sauce over the fish, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve very hot.
Time to cook, 15 to 20 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
386. Trout à la Princesse (Truite à la Prlncesse)
- 1 small salmon trout
Garnish
- 4 or 5 hard-boiled eggs
- a little butter
- mayonnaise sauce
- spinach green
- shrimp or anchovy flavouring
- lemon
- aspic or fish jelly
To Prepare the Trout: Clean and prepare the trout, and cook it in a court bouillon (see page 79). Allow it to cool in this, and then place it on the dish on which it is to be served. Then cut the upper part into convenient-sized pieces, so that it can easily be served. This must be done without destroying the appearance of the fish. First make a cut right down the centre to the back bone, then cut each side across into several pieces. Now slip the knife under the flesh so as to free it from the bone, and to make it possible to remove them without effort.
Garnish: Cut the hard-boiled eggs in halves lengthwise, and slice a small piece off each to make them stand steadily. Take out the yolks and rub them through a sieve, then divide this sieved mixture in two and put each portion into a small basin. To one portion add a little butter, and some shrimp or anchovy essence or paste to flavour. Mix well, season to taste and, if necessary, add a few drops of carmine to make it a pretty pink colour. To the other portion of sieved yolk add some green mayonnaise and, if necessary, a little spinach green to make the mixture a nice green colour.
To Serve: Place the little egg cups round the fish, alternating the colours green and pink. Put a row of thinly-sliced lemon down the centre of the fish where it is cut, and then decorate with any of the two egg mixtures which happens to be left. Garnish the edge of the dish with cut lemon, brush the fish over with melted aspic or fish jelly, and serve all very cold. Hand green mayonnaise (Recipe 754) separately.
Sufficient for 8 to 10 persons.
387. River Trout with Tomato Mousse (Truites de Rivière au Mousse de Tomates)
- 3 or 4 small trout
- 1 glass white wine
- 1 shallot
- seasoning
- aspic jelly
Tomato Mousse
- ½ pint purée of tomatoes
- 3 table-spoons liquid aspic
- 3 table-spoons cream
- 2 sheets gelatine
- seasoning
Wipe the trout carefully, draw them through the gills and cut off the fins. Place them in a greased baking dish, with the shallot finely chopped, and a seasoning of pepper and salt. Pour a glass of white wine round, cover the fish with greased paper, and cook in a moderate oven from 15 to 20 minutes. When ready, lift the fish carefully on to a folded cloth, remove the skin from one side and let them cool.
Tomato Mousse: Make the puree with fresh or tinned tomatoes by rubbing them through a hair sieve. If fresh ones are used they must first be cooked for a short time with a little butter and seasoning. The puree ought to be fairly thick and of a good colour. Warm it slightly, add to it the aspic jelly and the gelatine dissolved in a little water. Season to taste, stir in the cream slightly whipped at the last, and stir occasionally until almost set.
To Serve: Arrange the tomato mousse on the dish on which the fish is to be served. Make a flat bed and smooth it over with a wet knife. Lay the fish on the top, and decorate them with leaves of tarragon, fancy-shaped pieces of white of egg, and the red part of tomato, or any other decoration preferred. Brush over with aspic jelly, using it in a setting condition, and decorate round the dish with thin slices of lemon.
Time to cook, 15 to 20 minutes. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
388. Fillets of Turbot à l'Italienne (Filets de Turbot à l'Italienne)
- 2 lbs. turbot
- seasoning
- 1 gill red wine or fish stock
- ½ pint Italian sauce
- potato purée
- mushrooms or olives
Wash the turbot and cut it into neat little fillets, free from skin and bone. Lay these on a greased tin or fireproof dish, and season them with pepper, salt, and a few drops of lemon juice. Pour round the white wine or fish stock, cover with greased paper, and cook in a moderate oven until the fish is ready. Then take up the fish and arrange it neatly on a hot entrée dish. Have ready some good Italian sauce (see Recipe 724) rather thick, and add to it the liquid from the tin. Pour this over the fish, coating it well. Garnish with roses of potato purée put through a forcing bag, and turned olives or mushrooms. Serve as a hot fish entree for dinner or luncheon.
Note: Other sauces may be used instead of Italian sauce, such as Génoise, tomato, hollandaise, &c.
Time to cook, 12 to 15 minutes. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.
…
Egg Dishes and Omelets
Part II - Recipes
1412. Plain Omelet, 2 (Omelet au Naturel) at page 328
- 3 eggs
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- 1 oz. butter
- pepper and salt
Separate the yolks from the whites of the eggs. Put the yolks into a medium-sized basin and the whites on to a plate. Add to the yolks the parsley, pepper, and salt, and work these well together with a wooden spoon until of a creamy consistency. Beat up the whites of the eggs with a broad-bladed knife until so stiff that you could turn the plate upside down without the whites falling off. Remove the wooden spoon from the basin, and with an iron one stir the whites lightly into the other mixture. Melt the butter in an omelet pan, and pour the mixture into it, scraping out the basin as quickly as possible. Stir the mixture round with an iron spoon until it begins to set, stirring mostly on the surface, and not scraping the bottom of the pan. Then hold it a little longer over the fire until the omelet is nicely browned on the under side. Slip a knife under it, and double over first from one side and then from the other towards the centre. Then turn it on to a hot dish, and serve as quickly as possible. The inside of the omelet should be soft and creamy.
…
1424. Fish Omelet (Omelette au Poisson) at page 330
- 2 oz. cooked fish
- 2 eggs
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- pepper and salt
- 1 oz. butter
Make in the same way as Plain Omelet (Recipe 1412), adding the fish, finely chopped, and the chopped parsley to the yolks of eggs.
…
Breakfast Dishes (pages 380 to 390)
…
1659. Bloaters, To Cook
Take off the heads and trim the fish neatly with a pair of scissors. Then split them open and remove the roe and back bone with the fingers. Wipe the fish on both sides. Place them with the open side down on a hot and greased gridiron, and broil on both sides (see Broiling, page 208). They will take from 5 to 7 minutes to cook. Serve on a hot dish with the skin side downwards and place a little plain or maître d'hôtel butter on the top.
If preferred, the bloaters may be cooked in pairs with the two open sides together; or scored across on both sides and cooked without boning.
They may also be baked with a little butter in the oven, or fried with a small quantity of fat in a frying pan instead of grilling.
Any roes should be cooked separately and used as a garnish.
1660. Potted Bloater
- cooked bloater
- a pinch of nutmeg
- pepper
- butter
- a pinch of mace
Carefully remove all the skin and bone from some cooked bloater, and pound it until smooth, adding, by degrees, enough melted butter to make a soft paste. Season with pepper, salt (if necessary), and a small pinch of nutmeg and mace. If wished very smooth, rub the mixture through a fine sieve. Pack the paste into a pot or jar, and if it has to be kept for any length of time, run some melted butter over the top. This is very good spread on hot buttered toast for breakfast, and is also useful for making savouries and small sandwiches.
Note: Other kinds of fish may be potted in the same way, regulating the seasoning and the amount of butter according to the kind of fish used.
…
1665. Kentucky Cod
- 1 lb. fresh cod
- ¼ lb. bacon
- oatmeal
- 1 egg
- pepper
- salt
Remove all skin and bone from the fish and cut it in pieces about 2 inches square. Season with pepper and salt, and then brush the pieces over with beaten egg and toss them in oatmeal. Pry the bacon and keep it hot, and then fry the fish in the bacon fat. Add more fat to the pan, if necessary, before putting in the fish, and fry the pieces a nice brown colour. Drain the fish when ready, pile it up on a hot dish, and serve garnished with the bacon.
1666. Cod's Roe with Bacon
Cut some cooked cod's roe in slices about ½ inch in thickness, and coat them very lightly with flour seasoned with pepper and salt. Fry some small slices of bacon, and before they are too much cooked, lift them out and keep them warm. Now fry the slices of roe in the bacon fat, adding a little butter if necessary. Brown them nicely on both sides, then dish them neatly with the pieces of bacon round.
1667. Scalloped Cod Roe
- cooked cod's roe
- butter
- bread-crumbs
- seasoning
Grease some scallop shells rather liberally with butter and sprinkle them with a good coating of bread-crumbs. Then fill them with some cooked cod's roe broken in small pieces, season with pepper, salt, and a little grated lemon rind and cover with more bread-crumbs. Lay two or three small pieces of butter on the top of each, and bake in a moderate oven until nicely browned and thoroughly hot.
Serve garnished with parsley and a small piece of cut lemon.
Note: A little white sauce mixed with the roe will be an improvement.
1668. salt Cod Balls (Croquettes de Morue)
- ½ lb. cooked salt cod
- ½ lb. cooked potatoes
- 1 table-spoon melted butter
- 1 egg
- pepper
- a little flour
- egg and bread-crumbs
Prepare and cook the fish as directed in Recipe 193, drain well and let it cool. Then pick it to pieces with two forks and shred it finely, removing all skin and bone. This is preferable to chopping with a knife, which would be inclined to make it heavy. Mix the prepared fish in a basin with the potatoes (sieved), season with pepper and if liked a little anchovy essence, and bind together with the melted butter and beaten egg. Form into balls, using a little flour to prevent the mixture sticking to the hands. Make the surface as smooth and free from cracks as possible. Then egg and bread-crumb the balls and fry them in boiling fat to a pretty brown colour. Drain well and serve garnished with parsley. Caper or tomato sauce may be served separately.
Note: The above mixture may be made into round flat cakes instead of balls, and a nicely poached and well-drained egg placed on the top of each.
1669. Smoked Cod and Bacon
- 1 lb. smoked cod
- ¼ lb. bacon
Soak the cod a few minutes, or longer if it is salt, in hot water, then dry it, remove any skin and cut it in pieces. Trim the bacon and cut it in convenient sized pieces. Then fry it and keep it warm over hot water. Now fry the pieces of cod in the bacon fat, adding a little butter if necessary. Cook it well on both sides and then dish it neatly with the pieces of bacon round.
Notes: This makes a very nice combination. Smoked haddock or ling may be prepared in the same way.
1670. Smoked Cod with Tomatoes
- 1 lb. smoked cod
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 dessert-spoon parsley
- 1 oz. butter
- pepper
- 1 cupful boiled rice
Wipe the fish and put it in a deep baking dish with boiling water to nearly cover it, and cook it in the oven, or on the top of the stove, from 10 to 12 minutes. Then remove any bones and break the flesh in flakes or small pieces. Peel and slice the tomatoes and have the parsley finely chopped. Have ready also one cupful of rice boiled as for curry. Now melt the butter in a saucepan, put in the tomatoes and cook them a minute or two. Then add the fish, parsley, and seasoning, and mix lightly until all is thoroughly hot. Arrange the rice in a border on a hot dish and put the fish, &c., in the centre. Serve very hot.
1671. Curry Toast
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- coralline pepper
- hot buttered toast
- 1 cupful cold curry
- 2 eggs
- seasoning
Take the remains of any cold curried meat, lift out the meat from the sauce and chop it finely. Put this into a small saucepan with the yolks of the eggs and the sauce belonging to the dish. Add more seasoning if necessary, and stir over the fire until thoroughly hot, but not boiling. Place some hot buttered toast, cut in fingers, on a hot dish and arrange the curry mixture neatly on the top. Whip up the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, add to them the chopped parsley and a little coralline pepper and spread them on the top of the curry. Put the dish in the oven to become thoroughly hot and to brown the egg, then serve at once.
Note: A curry of fish or vegetables may be used up in the same way.
1672. Fish Knots
- 1 filleted sole or plaice (medium)
- a little flour
- seasoning
- egg and bread-crumbs
Cut the fillets of fish in two lengthwise. Wipe the pieces with a clean dry cloth, season them with white pepper, salt, and a few drops of lemon juice, and then coat them lightly with flour. Twist the pieces round and knot the ends. Then egg and bread-crumb them, and fry them in boiling fat to a pretty brown colour. Drain well and serve garnished with parsley and cut lemon.
1673. Fish Sausages
- 6 oz. cooked fish
- 2 table-spoons bread-crumbs
- 1 yolk of egg
- ½ tea-spoon powdered herbs
- salt
- pepper
- egg and bread-crumbs
Smoked fish, or herring or mackerel are the best to use for these. Chop the fish finely, removing all skin and bone, add to it the bread-crumbs, mixed herbs very finely powdered or chopped, the yolk of egg, and seasoning of pepper and salt. Mix all together, and shape into small sausage-shaped pieces, using a little flour. Then egg and bread-crumb them and re-shape if necessary. Fry the little sausages in boiling fat to a golden brown colour, drain, and serve very hot, garnished with parsley.
1674. Fish Toast
- ¼ lb. cooked fish
- white pepper and salt
- ½ oz. butter
- 2 slices of hot buttered toast
- ½ gill fish sauce
- a little chopped parsley
- coralline pepper
- a little lemon juice
Any nice white fish or smoked haddock will do for this dish. Flake it very small, carefully removing all skin and bone, and season it to taste with salt, pepper, parsley, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the fish and sauce, and make thoroughly hot over the fire. Cut the toast into neat fingers, spread the mixture on the top of it, and decorate with finely chopped parsley and coralline pepper.
Notes: This dish may be varied by using curry sauce or tomato pulp for moistening the fish instead of the white sauce; or the toast may be spread with anchovy or shrimp paste before putting on the fish mixture, &c.
1675. Minced Game in Scallops
- 3 or 4 oz. cooked game
- 1 gill stock
- 1 tea-spoon flour
- 1 tea-spoon red currant jelly
- 1 dessert-spoon sherry or Marsala
- seasoning
- bread-crumbs
- a little butter
Take the remains of any cooked game, remove all skin and bone, and chop them finely, or put them through the mincing machine. Mix the flour smoothly with the stock (game stock is best), turn both into a saucepan and stir over the fire until boiling. Then add the game, red-currant jelly, wine and seasoning to taste, and simmer all together for a few minutes. Grease about ½ dozen scallop shells and line them with a coating of bread-crumbs. Fill them with the mince and put another coating of bread-crumbs on the top. Lay on two or three small pieces of butter, and brown quickly in the oven, or under the grill of the gas stove. Serve very hot, with a small sprig of parsley on each.
1676. Baked Haddock or Whiting
- 2 whiting or small haddocks
- 3 table-spoons bread-crumbs
- a little butter
- salt
- pepper
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- ¼ tea-spoon powdered herbs
- a few slices of bacon
Clean the fish, cut off the heads and remove the skin. Lay them in a greased fireproof dish and sprinkle them with the bread-crumbs, which have been mixed with the parsley, herbs, and a good seasoning of pepper and salt. Lay some small slices of bacon round the dish, and cover all with a piece of greased paper, or put a few small pieces of butter on the top. Bake in a good oven from 15 to 20 minutes, and serve hot in the same dish.
Notes: The bacon may be omitted, but it is generally considered an improvement. Other kinds of fish may be cooked in the same way.
1677. Haddock en Casserole
- 3 or 4 haddocks
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 table-spoon flour
- pepper
- salt
- a pinch of mace
- rind of ½ lemon
- 3 table-spoons milk
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- a squeeze of lemon juice
Choose small haddocks, skin them and cut off the heads. Mix the flour, pepper, salt, and mace on a plate, and dip the fish into this, coating them on both sides. Now grease a fireproof dish with some of the butter, lay in the fish, pour the milk round, and add the thinly peeled rind of ½ a lemon. Place the remainder of the butter in small pieces on the top, cover and cook in a good oven from 15 to 20 minutes. When ready, sprinkle with chopped parsley and a few drops of lemon juice. Serve in the same dish.
Note: Whiting or gurnet may be prepared in the same way.
1678. Rizzard Haddock
The fish must be very fresh. Clean it, skin it, and cut off the head. If it is large, it should be split and the bone removed. Then rub it over with salt, both inside and outside, and hang it outside or in a current of air for at least 12 hours. Next day, wipe it carefully, brush it over with oil or dissolved butter, dredge it with flour, and broil as directed on page 208. Serve very hot with a pat of butter on the top. A little watercress may be used as a garnish.
1679. Smoked Haddock, 1
Aberdeen haddocks are considered the best. Remove the fins and cut the fish in convenient-sized pieces. If very salt, steep it in hot water for a few minutes. Then place the fish on a well-greased baking dish, sprinkle it with pepper, cover with greased paper and bake in a moderate oven from 10 to 15 minutes, according to the thickness of the fish. Serve the fish very hot and in the dish in which it was cooked.
1680. Smoked Haddock, 2
Trim the fish and cut off the fins. Put it into a frying pan with warm water to cover it, bring it to the boil, and simmer slowly from 10 to 12 minutes, according to the thickness of the fish. Then lift it out, drain, and place it on a hot dish. Put a good piece of butter on the top and stand the dish in the oven or in front of the fire until the butter is melted. Garnish with watercress.
This method of cooking is particularly suitable for larger fish and also for fillets of smoked cod or ling.
1681. Smoked or Finnan Haddock Stewed in Milk
- 1 smoked haddock
- ½ oz. flour
- pepper
- ½ pint milk
- 1 oz. butter
- sippets of toast
Take a smoked haddock weighing about 1 lb., dip it into boiling water for a minute or two, then remove the skin and all fins. Cut the fish in neat-sized pieces, put them into a saucepan with the milk, and simmer slowly until the fish is quite tender. Then lift out the pieces of fish, and keep them hot on a dish. Work the butter and flour together on a plate with a knife, and when thoroughly blended, add them to the milk in the pan. Stir over the fire, and cook a few minutes. Add a pinch of pepper, and strain this sauce over the fish. Garnish with sippets of toast, and serve hot.
1682. Smoked Haddock with Egg Sauce
- 1 smoked haddock
- ½ pt. egg sauce
- ½ tea-spoon anchovy essence
- ½ tea-spoon chopped parsley
Take a medium-sized smoked or finnan haddock, and cook it according to directions given in Recipe 1680. When ready, remove the flesh quickly from the bones, break it in flakes and arrange it neatly on a hot dish (a deep china dish will be best). Have ready some good egg sauce (see Recipe 687), add to it the anchovy essence and, when boiling hot, pour it over the fish. Sprinkle the parsley lightly over, and serve very hot.
1683. Smoked Haddock Balls
- 6 oz. cooked smoked haddock
- 6 oz. cooked or sieved potatoes
- 1 oz. butter or dripping
- 1 hard-boiled egg
- 1 yolk of egg
- a little milk
- pepper
- salt
- a little flour
- egg and bread-crumbs
Chop the fish finely, being most careful to remove all skin and small bones. Chop also the hard-boiled egg, and sieve the potatoes. Melt the butter or dripping in a saucepan, and put in the potatoes, fish, and hard-boiled egg. Add the raw yolk of egg, and season to taste with pepper and salt. Mix all together over the fire, and if too dry, add a little milk. Turn the mixture on to a plate, and then form into balls. Flour the hands slightly to prevent the mixture from sticking, and try to make the balls of equal size. Then egg and bread-crumb them, and fry in boiling fat to a nice brown colour. Drain on kitchen paper, and serve garnished with parsley.
1684. Smoked Haddock Fritters
- 6 to 8 oz. cooked smoked haddock
- ½ tea-spoon curry powder
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- frying batter
Make the frying batter according to directions given in Recipe 1861, mixing the curry powder with the dry flour. If possible, allow this to stand for ½ hour. Remove all skin and bone from the fish and break it into flakes with a fork, add this to the batter along with the parsley and a good pinch of pepper. Have ready a saucepan of boiling fat, and drop spoonfuls of the mixture into it. Allow them to cook rather slowly until a golden brown colour on all sides. Drain well and serve piled up with a paper under them. Garnish with parsley and some thinly-sliced lemon.
Note: Other kinds of fish may be used in the same way.
1685. Filleted and Fried Herring
- fresh herring
- salt
- lemon juice
- egg and bread-crumbs
Take the number of herring required, clean them, trim them, and bone them. Then cut them in halves lengthwise, lay the pieces or fillets on a flat dish, sprinkle them with lemon juice and salt and let them lie overnight. Next morning wipe the fillets dry and egg and bread-crumb them (see page 249). Now fry them until crisp and brown in boiling fat, drain well and serve neatly garnished with parsley and thin slices of lemon.
1686. Herring Balls
- ¼ lb. cooked herring
- ¼ lb. cooked potato
- 1 or 2 table-spoons sour cream or milk
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- 1 tea-spoon chopped gherkin
- pepper
- salt
- a little flour
- egg and bread-crumbs
Carefully remove all skin and bone from the herring, then weigh it, and chop it finely. Sieve the potatoes and add them to the fish. Season with parsley, the chopped gherkin or other pickle, pepper and salt. Mix well and bind all together with a little sour cream or milk. Form into small balls, using a little flour to prevent the mixture sticking to the hands, egg and bread-crumb them and fry in boiling fat to a pretty brown colour. Sprinkle a little chopped parsley over them and serve with a few pieces of cut lemon.
1687. Kippered Herring
The best way to cook these is by broiling or grilling. Dip the kippers for a minute in hot water, or if they are very much smoked and salted, they may be allowed to lie for ½ hour in the water. Then dry the fish well and rub them over with a little melted butter or good dripping. Cook them quickly on a hanging grill in front of a good fire, or under the grill of a gas stove. They will require from 7 to 10 minutes, according to size. A little cold butter may be spread on the top of the kippers when serving.
Or, the kippers may be fried instead of broiled, or cooked in a paper bag (see Paper-bag Cookery), or placed on a greased tin, covered with greased paper, and cooked in the oven.
Note: Kippered mackerel may be cooked in the same way, allowing rather longer time.
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1693. Roes on Toast
- ½ dozen soft roes
- 6 fingers of toast
- a little butter
- 1 dessert-spoon flour
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- egg and bread-crumbs
- salt
- coralline pepper
- ½ lemon
Either bloater or fresh herring roes may be used. Wipe them carefully with a soft cloth, coat them lightly with flour, and if fresh, season with salt. Mix the parsley with some finely made bread-crumbs, and egg and bread-crumb the roes. Heat a small quantity of butter in a frying pan, and fry the roes gently in it until a pretty brown colour. Have ready ½ dozen finger-shaped pieces of hot buttered toast and lay a roe on each. Sprinkle them with a little coralline pepper, and serve hot, garnished with small slices of lemon.
1694. Salmon Cutlet
- ½ lb. cooked salmon
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 oz. flour
- 1 gill milk or fish stock
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy essence
- a little grated lemon rind
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- pepper
- salt
- egg and bread-crumbs
Make in the same way as Fish Cutlets (see Recipe 342). Tinned salmon may be used if wished. Sufficient for 8 or 9 cutlets.
1695. Potted Salmon
- 6 oz. cooked salmon
- 2 oz. butter
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy or shrimp essence
- ½ tea-spoon vinegar
- pepper
- salt
- a pinch of powdered mace
- a pinch of cayenne
Free the salmon from all skin and bone, and then weigh it. Put it into a mortar with most of the butter melted, and season to taste and rather highly. Pound well until smooth, and then rub through a sieve. Pack this smoothly into a small pot or jar, and run the rest of the butter over the top, which will preserve the mixture and prevent it from becoming dry. This makes delightful sandwiches, to which the addition of a little thinly sliced cucumber or small cress would be an improvement.
Note: Other fish, such as cod, halibut, brill, or mackerel, may be used in the same way.
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1699. Baked Sprats
- fresh sprats
- vinegar
- water
- bay leaf
- onion
- salt
- pepper
- a little butter
Clean and dry the sprats and cut off the heads. Grease a pie dish or fireproof dish, lay in the fish, season with pepper and salt, and place on the top a few thin slices of onion and a bay-leaf. Now cover the fish with equal parts of water and brown vinegar, lay some pieces of butter on the top, and bake in a moderate oven about ½ hour. Serve cold, garnished with parsley.
…
1701. Whiting Cakes
- 2 or 3 whiting
- 2 oz. butter
- salt
- pepper
- 1 tea-spoon lemon juice
- 1 table-spoon oil
- egg and bread-crumbs
- cooked green peas
- tomato sauce
Remove the flesh from 2 or 3 small whiting, and weigh it free from skin and bone. To each ½ lb. of flesh allow butter and lemon juice in the above proportion. Chop the whiting flesh finely or pound it in a mortar, add the butter slightly melted, and season with pepper, salt, and lemon juice. A little anchovy or shrimp essence may also be added if liked. Mix until thoroughly blended, then turn the paste on to a plate and put it in a cool place to set. When firm to the touch, form the mixture into small round cakes, using a little flour if necessary. Dip them into beaten egg, with which a table-spoonful of salad oil has been mixed, and then in fine bread-crumbs. Fry the cakes in a small quantity of hot butter or clarified fat until well browned on both sides. Drain well, and serve neatly on a hot dish, garnishing with some pretty fresh parsley.
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PART II at page 502 et seq
SMALL HOT SAVOURIES
2311. Anchovy Croûtes (Croûtes aux Anchois)
- 4 filleted anchovies
- 1 hard-boiled egg
- coralline pepper
- ½ tea-spoon anchovy essence
- 1 dessert-spoon butter
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- croutons fried bread
Wipe the anchovies and chop the hard-boiled egg, reserving a little of the white for decoration. Pound the anchovies and egg together with the butter and seasoning, and rub them through a sieve. Have ready some round or oval-shaped croutons of fried bread (see Recipe 2245), spread them rather thickly with the mixture, and place them in the oven to become very hot. Decorate the croûtes with finely-chopped parsley, chopped white of egg, and coralline pepper, and serve them on a hot dish with a dish paper under them.
2312. Anchovy Fingers (D'Artois aux Anchois)
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy paste
- 2 table-spoons grated parmesan
- 1 yolk of egg
- coralline pepper
- 1 table-spoon melted butter or cream
- 3 or 4 oz. puff pastry
- beaten egg
Mix the anchovy paste, cheese, and yolk of egg together with the cream or melted butter. Season with coralline or cayenne pepper, and set the mixture aside until very cold. Then roll out some puff pastry very thinly and cut it in two strips from 3 to 4 inches in width. Spread one of the pieces to about ½ inch from the edge with the anchovy mixture, brush the other piece of pastry over with beaten egg, and lay it on the top. Press the two together, brush over with beaten egg, and cut across in finger-shaped pieces. Bake them in a good oven until well browned and thoroughly cooked.
2313. Anchovy Fritters (Beignets d'Anchois)
- filleted anchovies
- cayenne pepper
- lemon juice
- salad oil
- frying batter
- chopped parsley
Take as many filleted anchovies as required, wash them in warm water, and dry them, then curl them round into a neat little roll. Sprinkle these little rolls with cayenne, salad oil, and a few drops of lemon juice or tarragon vinegar, and let them stand for ½ hour. Then dip them into frying batter (Recipe 1863), and fry them in boding fat to a golden brown colour. Drain well, and serve piled up on a hot dish sprinkled with finely-chopped parsley. Place a few thin slices of lemon round the dish.
2314, Anchovy Rolls (Rissolettes d'Anchois)
- filleted anchovies
- puff pastry
- coralline pepper
- lemon juice
- beaten egg
- grated parmesan
Roll out some scraps of puff pastry very thinly, and cut it in oblong-shaped pieces the length and twice the width of a filleted anchovy. Wash and dry the anchovies, season them with coralline pepper and lemon juice, and lay a fillet on each piece of pastry. Moisten round the edges with beaten egg, cover the anchovy with the pastry, and roll with slightly floured fingers into pencil-shaped pieces. Lay these on a greased tin, brush them over with beaten egg, sprinkle with grated parmesan and bake in a good oven until nicely browned. Serve hot, garnished with parsley.
2315. Anchovies on Toast, 1 (Anchois sur Croûtes)
- filleted anchovies
- toast
- butter
- pepper
- lemon juice
- chopped parsley
Wash some filleted anchovies in warm water and dry them lightly in a cloth. Prepare some neat fingers of hot buttered toast, and lay a filleted anchovy on each. Season them with pepper (coralline pepper would look nice) and lemon juice, lay small pieces of butter on the top, and sprinkle with finely-chopped parsley. Heat the croûtes in the oven and serve at once on a lace-edged paper.
Note: This savoury may be varied by using fried bread or little rounds of pastry instead of the toast. Also by spreading the croûte first with a little savoury butter, such as shrimp, curry, lobster, &c., before laying on the anchovy. Or again, the croûte may be made round or heart-shaped and the anchovy curled on the top.
2316. Anchovies on Toast, 2 (Anchois sur Croûtes)
- 3 or 4 anchovies
- 1 dessert-spoon butter (melted)
- ½ tea-spoon chopped shallot
- pepper
- lemon juice
- 1 table-spoon cream
- hot buttered toast
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
For this savoury any broken pieces of anchovy may be used. Wash and dry the anchovies, remove all skin and bone, and cut them in small pieces. Heat the butter in a small saucepan, put in the chopped shallot, and cook it a few minutes without browning. Then add the anchovy, parsley, and seasoning, and moisten with the cream or the yolk of an egg. Make all thoroughly hot and serve on small rounds of hot buttered toast, and sprinkle with a little coralline pepper or decorate with parsley.
Note: A few chopped capers or a piece of chopped gherkin may be added to the mixture if wished.
2317. Anchovy Twists
- filleted anchovies
- grated parmesan
- short crust
- coralline pepper
Take some scraps of short crust, work into them some grated parmesan, and roll out very thinly. Then cut some strips or straws the length of an anchovy and about ¼ inch wide. Wash and wipe the required number of anchovy fillets, and lay each one on a strip of pastry. Then twist them round each other, and pinch them together at the ends. Lay these on a greased baking-tin, sprinkle with a little coralline pepper, and bake in a good oven until lightly browned. Serve very hot, garnished with parsley.
Note: Anchovy or cheese pastry may be used instead of short crust.
2320. Bloater or Kipper Toast (Croûtes à la Yarmouth)
- 1 cooked kipper or bloater
- l tea-spoon chopped parsley
- ½ tea-spoon anchovy essence
- 1 table-spoon cream or white sauce
- seasoning
- hot buttered toast
- grated cheese
Remove all the flesh from a cooked kipper or bloater and chop it very finely. Put it into a saucepan with the chopped parsley, anchovy essence, and a good pinch of pepper. Moisten with a little white sauce or cream, and make all thoroughly hot over the fire. Pile the mixture on finger-shaped pieces of hot buttered toast, sprinkle with a little grated cheese, and brown in the oven or under the grill of the gas stove.
Note: The cheese may be omitted, and a little whipped and seasoned white of egg put over the bloater mixture. The yolk of egg may be added to the mixture. Or, if the bloater contains a roe, this may be cut in pieces, warmed in the oven, and used to garnish the toast.
2321. Kromeskies of Bloater (Kromeskies à la Yarmouth)
- 2 table-spoons cooked bloater
- 1 table-spoon butter
- 1 table-spoon white sauce
- seasoning
- wafer paper
- frying batter
Take the remains of cooked bloater, and break it into small flakes free from skin and bone. Then pound well in a mortar with the butter, and rub the mixture through a sieve. Moisten with a little white sauce or any good fish sauce, and season to taste. Wrap up small portions of the mixture in wafer paper, just moistening the paper slightly to make it bendable. Then dip them in frying batter (Recipe 1861), and fry them in boiling fat to a golden brown colour. Drain and serve piled up on a dish paper; garnish with fried parsley.
Note: Kippers or any other smoked fish may be used in the same way.
2322. Bloater Soufflés (Petits Soufflés de Hareng Fumé)
- 2 table-spoons cooked bloater
- 2 table-spoons cooked potato
- 1 table-spoon melted butter
- 1 or 2 table-spoons milk
- 1 egg
- seasoning
Chop the bloater very finely or pound it and rub it through a sieve. Put it into a saucepan with the potato (sieved), the butter, and seasoning to taste, and add a little milk to moisten. Make the mixture thoroughly hot over the fire, then draw the saucepan to one side and stir in the yolk of egg. Whip the white of egg to a stiff froth, and stir it in very lightly at the last. Half fill small greased soufflé dishes with the mixture, and bake them in a moderate oven until well risen and brown. Serve as quickly as possible.
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2325. Caviar sur Croûtes
- caviare
- rounds of fried bread
- lemon juice
- red chilli
Cut some small round croûtons of bread, hollow out the centres slightly, and fry them in hot fat until brown. Mix some caviare with a little lemon juice and cayenne, and warm it in the oven or over hot water. Fill up the bread croutons with the caviare, and garnish with fine strips of red chilli or with strips of browned almonds.
Note: Be careful to use a silver spoon or fork to mix the caviare.
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2359. Smoked Haddock "en Coquilles"
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy essence
- a small piece of butter
- browned bread-crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 3 table-spoons smoked haddock
- 3 table-spoons milk
- cayenne pepper
Use cooked smoked haddock or finnan, remove from it all skin and bones, and break it into small flakes. Melt a small piece of butter in a saucepan, pour in the milk and then the eggs well beaten. Stir over the fire until the mixture is just beginning to thicken, then draw the saucepan to one side and add the fish, anchovy essence, a good pinch of cayenne, and salt if necessary. Make the mixture thoroughly hot, but do not boil. Put it into scallop shells that have been greased and sprinkled with bread-crumbs, sprinkle a few browned bread-crumbs over, lay one or two small pieces of butter on the top, and brown the scallops quickly in the oven or under the grill of the gas stove. Serve very hot, garnished with parsley.
Notes: Cooked kipper may be used instead of the finnan haddock. The mixture may be served on small pieces of toast instead of in the scallop shells.
2360. Croûtes of Finnan Haddock, 1 (Croûtes de Merluche Fumé)
- 1 small smoked haddock
- 3 anchovies
- 1 oz. butter
- 2 table-spoons cream
- 1 yolk of egg
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- cayenne
- salt
- croûtes of hot buttered toast or fried bread
Dip the fish into boiling water, then skin it and remove the bone. Wash the anchovies, and skin and bone them. Pound the flesh of the haddock and the anchovies in a mortar with the butter, and then rub them through a wire sieve. Then put the mixture into a saucepan with the seasoning and cream, and heat thoroughly over the fire without allowing it to boil. Pile this mixture on small rounds of hot buttered toast or fried bread, decorate them with finely-chopped parsley and hard-boiled egg or lobster coral, and serve them very hot.
2361. Croûtes of Finnan Haddock, 2 (Croûtes de Merluche Fumé)
- 4 table-spoons smoked haddock
- 2 table-spoons white sauce
- seasoning
- ½ doz. small rounds of toast
- a little butter
- 1 tomato
- a little pickle
Use cooked haddock. Chop it rather finely, removing all skin and bone. Moisten with the sauce and season rather highly. Have ready some small rounds of hot buttered toast, put some of the haddock mixture on each, and lay a thin slice of tomato on the top. Decorate with a slice of, or a little chopped pickle, and cook the savouries in the oven about 10 minutes. Serve hot.
2362. Savoury Haddock Custards (Crèmes de Merluche Fumé)
- 2 table-spoons haddock
- 1 gill milk
- 2 yolks and 1 white of egg
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy essence
- seasoning
- 1 tea-spoon chopped pickles
- chopped parsley
- rounds of hot buttered toast
Beat up the yolks and white of egg with the milk, and strain them into a basin. Take the remains, or about 2 table-spoonfuls smoked haddock, chop them finely, and add them to the custard. Stir in also the anchovy essence and a little chopped green pickle, and season to taste. Pour the mixture into very small greased dariole moulds, and poach them carefully until firm to the touch. Have ready an equal number of small rounds of hot buttered toast, sprinkle them with finely-chopped parsley, and place the little custards on the top. Serve very hot.
2363. Smoked Haddock Rissolettes (Rissoles de Merluche Fumé)
- ¼ lb. smoked haddock
- 1 or 2 table-spoons white sauce
- seasoning
- some scraps of pastry
- egg
- vermicelli
Cook the smoked haddock and chop it roughly, removing all bone and skin. Moisten with a little thick white sauce, and season to taste. Then roll out some scraps of unsweetened pastry very thinly, and cut out some rounds 3 inches in diameter. Put a little of the fish mixture in the centre of half the number of rounds, wet round the edges of the other half with a little beaten egg, and place them on the top. Press well together and then egg the croquettes and toss them in crushed vermicelli or fine bread-crumbs. Fry in boiling fat to a golden brown colour, and serve garnished with parsley.
2364. Savoury Haddock Soufflés (Soufflés de Merluche Fumé)
- 1 cupful cooked smoked haddock
- 2 table-spoons white sauce or 1 oz. butter
- 2 table-spoons whipped cream
- 2 eggs
- seasoning
Pick the haddock free from skin and bone and chop it finely. Pound it in a mortar or basin with the white sauce or butter and yolks of eggs, then rub it through a sieve. Put the purée into a basin, season it to taste, and stir in very lightly the whites of the 2 eggs beaten to a stiff froth, and the whipped cream. Half fill some greased china or paper soufflé cases with the mixture and bake them in a moderate oven until well risen and lightly browned.
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2368. Herring Roes on Toast, 1 (Laitances de Harengs sur Croûtes)
- soft roes
- butter
- lemon juice
- salt
- pepper
- hot buttered toast
Wash the roes, dry them and cut them in convenient-sized pieces. Make some butter very hot in a frying pan, put in the pieces of roe, and fry them lightly. Then season them rather highly with pepper, salt, and a few drops of lemon juice. Have ready some fingers or rounds of hot buttered toast, lay the roe on them, and place in the oven a few minutes. Serve garnished with parsley.
Notes: If liked, the pieces of toast may be spread with a little anchovy paste before putting on the roe; or a little grated parmesan may be sprinkled over the croûtes before putting them in the oven. Preserved herring roes may be used instead of fresh ones; these will not require frying, but they must be made thoroughly hot in the oven.
2369. Herring Roes on Toast, 2 (Laitances de Harengs sur Croûtes)
- 2 or 3 hard herring roes
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy essence
- 1 table-spoon butter
- seasoning
- hot buttered toast
- chopped parsley
- coralline pepper
Wash the herring roes and cook them in the oven with a small quantity of butter Then pound them or mash them up with the anchovy essence and enough melted butter or cream to make a paste. Season highly with cayenne, and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Spread this mixture thickly on little rounds or fingers of hot buttered toast, and make the croûtes very hot in the oven. Sprinkle them alternately with chopped parsley and coralline pepper and serve at once.
2370. Herring Roes with Mushrooms (Laitances aux Champignons)
- 2 or 3 hard roes
- salt
- pepper
- lemon juice
- a little butter
- 6 or 7 mushrooms
- 6 or 7 fried croûtes of bread
Cook the roes and then chop them, removing any skin. Season well with pepper, salt, and lemon juice, and add enough melted butter or a little cream to bind all together. Spread this mixture rather thickly on croûtes of fried bread or rounds of hot buttered toast, and put a fried or grilled mushroom on the top. Serve very hot.
2371. Lax Croûtes (Croûtes à la Norvégienne)
- lax
- Croûtes of fried bread
- shrimp or anchovy paste
- seasoning
- horseradish
Lax is a preparation of salmon cut in small thin pieces and preserved in oil. Prepare some oval-shaped croûtes of fried bread and spread them thinly with shrimp or anchovy paste. Drain and wipe some lax and arrange it neatly on the croûtes. Season to taste, cover with a piece of greased paper, and make all thoroughly hot in the oven. Then garnish each croûte with a little finely-shred horseradish, and serve at once.
2372. Devilled Lax
- water biscuits
- pepper
- salt
- salad oil
- lax
- devil paste
Dip the required number of water biscuits in salad oil, sprinkle them with salt and black or cayenne pepper, and toast them brown on both sides. Drain some lax, cut it in small pieces, and lay some on the top of each biscuit. Cover with devil paste (see Recipe 763), and place the croûtes in a hot oven for a few minutes. Serve very hot.
2373. Lobster Bouchées (Bouchées de Homard)
- 1 table-spoon cooked lobster
- 1 dessert-spoon butter
- 1 tea-spoon flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy sauce
- 1 tea-spoon tarragon vinegar
- cayenne
- salt
- pastry cases
Make and cook 6 or 7 very small pastry cases as directed in Recipe 2249. Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and then the lobster finely chopped. Season to taste and add the egg well beaten. Stir the mixture over the fire until hot and thick, but do not boil. Fill up the pastry cases with this, put on the little lids or sprinkle with lobster coral, and put in the oven to re-heat. Serve garnished with parsley.
Note: Batter cases (Recipe 2251) may be used instead of pastry cases.
2374. Lobster Croustades (Croustades de Homard)
- 2 table-spoons cooked lobster
- 1 dessert-spoon butter
- 1 table-spoon bread-crumbs
- 1 tea-spoon made mustard
- a pinch of nutmeg
- 1 table-spoon white wine
- 1 tea-spoon chutney
- salt
- pepper
- croustades of bread
- lobster coral
Chop the lobster finely and pound it in a mortar or strong basin with the butter, bread-crumbs, wine, and seasoning. Make all into a smooth and softish paste, and season rather highly. Have ready some small croustades of fried bread (Recipe 2246) and fill them with the lobster mixture, piling it rather high. Cover the croustades with buttered paper and make them thoroughly hot in the oven. Then sprinkle with lobster coral, and serve at once.
2375. Lobster Moulds (Petits Pains de Homard)
- 3 table-spoons lobster meat
- 1 or 2 table-spoons brown stock
- ½ gill cream
- 1 egg
- 1 tea-spoon chutney
- 1 tea-spoon chopped gherkin
- seasoning
- browned biscuit-crumbs
- hot tartare sauce
Chop the lobster meat finely, pound it in a mortar with the chutney and 1 or 2 table-spoonfuls brown stock, and then rub as much as possible through a wire sieve. Then add to this purée the egg well beaten, the chopped gherkin, and the cream whipped until stiff. Season to taste, then pour the mixture into very small dariole moulds that have been well greased and coated with browned biscuit-crumbs. Cover with greased paper and poach them carefully until firm to the touch. Then turn out and serve with hot tartare sauce poured round.
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2381. Mussels with Spinach
- 1½ to 2 dozen mussels
- 3 table-spoons bread-crumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 tea-spoon chopped parsley
- ½ lemon
- seasoning
- a little butter
- cooked spinach
Prepare and cook the mussels as in Recipe 312, and drain them, reserving the liquor. Mix the bread-crumbs with the parsley, the grated rind of ½ lemon, pepper and salt. Select half a dozen of the best mussel shells, and wash and brush them without separating the halves. Brush over the insides with melted butter and sprinkle them with bread-crumbs, &c. Put 3 or 4 mussels into each, squeeze over a little lemon juice, and then cover with more bread-crumbs. Now beat up the egg with a table-spoonful of the liquor from the mussels, strain and pour a little into each shell. Put small pieces of butter on the top, place the mussels on a tin, and bake them in a moderate oven until nicely browned. Have ready some nicely-prepared spinach, pile it in the centre of a hot dish, and arrange the mussels round.
Note: The spinach may be omitted and the mussels simply served as they are, garnished with parsley and cut lemon.
2382. Bonnes Bouches of Oysters (Bonnes Bouches aux Huîtres)
- 6 or 8 oysters
- 3 table-spoons cooked haddock
- 1 dessert-spoon butter
- 1 yolk of egg
- seasoning
- 6 to 8 croûtes of bread
- strips of gherkin or truffle
Beard the number of oysters required. Put the beards into a saucepan with the oyster liquor, and simmer them a few minutes to extract the flavour, and then strain. Then take some cooked haddock, smoked haddock is best, and chop it finely. Add to it the butter, yolk of egg, and enough oyster liquor to moisten and make a paste. Season to taste, pound well together, and if possible rub through a sieve. Have ready some small round croûtes of bread fried until brown. Put some of the mixture on each, make a little hollow in the centre, into which place an oyster. Cover with the fish mixture and smooth over with a knife. Cover the croûtes with buttered paper and put them in the oven to heat. Then garnish with strips of green gherkin or truffles, and serve very hot.
2383. Little Oyster Boats (Barquettes d’Huûtres)
- a little pastry
- 1 dozen oysters
- 3 table-spoons thick béchamel sauce
- 2 table-spoons grated cheese
- 1 egg
- seasoning
Roll out some scraps of plain pastry very thinly and line a dozen small boat-shaped moulds. Prick the pastry at the bottom, fine the moulds with a little paper and some rice, and bake them in the oven but not too brown. When ready, remove the little cases from the moulds. Scald the oysters in their own liquid, strain them, and cut them in 3 or 4 pieces according to size. Then make 2 or 3 table-spoonfuls of good white sauce, rather thick, season it, and add the yolk of an egg and a good table-spoonful of grated cheese. Mix well, and then stir in half the white of the egg beaten to a stiff froth. Put a little of this soufflé mixture into each pastry case, lay some pieces of oyster on the top, and cover with more soufflé. Sprinkle the top with grated cheese, and place the little boats in the oven until the mixture is brown and risen. Serve as a small entree or hot savoury.
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2385. Smoked Salmon à la Diable (Saumon fumé à la Diable)
- smoked salmon
- croûtons of toast or fried bread
- devilled paste or butter
Prepare some round croûtons of toast or fried bread and spread them with devilled paste or butter (see Recipe 763 or 764). Lay a few thin slices of smoked salmon on the top of each, and. cover with a little more of the paste or butter. Place the croûtes in the oven until thoroughly hot, and then serve them at once.
Note: Devilled biscuits may be used instead of the toast or fried bread.
2386. Sardine croûtes, 1 (Croûtes de Sardines)
- 7 or 8 sardines
- ½ oz. butter
- 1 shallot
- ½ gill white sauce
- 1 oz. grated parmesan
- 1 dessert-spoon white wine
- 1 table-spoon bread-crumbs
- seasoning
- 7 or 8 croûtes fried bread
Chop the shallot, put it into a small saucepan with the butter, and cook it a few minutes without allowing it to brown. Then add the white sauce, cheese, wine, and seasoning, mix thoroughly, and turn all on to a plate to cool. Choose small smoked sardines, drain them from their oil, and trim off the tails. Prepare some finger-shaped croûtes of fried bread; spread them with some of the above mixture, lay a sardine on the top of each, and cover with more of the mixture. Sprinkle with bread-crumbs, and place the croûtes in a hot oven long enough to warm through. Then serve them at once, garnished with parsley.
2387. Sardine Croûtes, 2 ( Croûtes de Sardines)
- 3 or 4 sardines
- 1 egg
- 1 dessert-spoon butter
- 1 or 2 table-spoons milk
- ½ tea-spoon anchovy essence
- seasoning
- hot buttered toast
- chopped parsley
Prepare 6 or 7 neat little rounds or fingers of hot buttered toast. Dip the sardines in hot water, then remove the skin and bone, and chop them rather finely. (Any small broken pieces of sardine may be used for this savoury.) Put the butter and milk into a saucepan and heat them over the fire. Now add the egg without beating it, the minced sardine and seasoning, and stir over the fire until the mixture begins to thicken. Then draw the saucepan to one side and stir a few seconds longer. Pile a little of this mixture on each piece of toast, sprinkle with finely-chopped parsley, and serve at once.
2388. Fried Sardines
- sardines
- hot buttered toast
- egg and biscuit crumbs
- lemon
- parsley
Choose large sardines, take them from their tin about an hour beforehand and let them drain, as the oil is rich and indigestible. Then egg them and toss in fine biscuit-crumbs. Make them very smooth and tidy, and then fry in boiling fat to a golden brown colour. Have ready a finger of hot buttered toast for each sardine, and put them in the oven to become crisp. Lay a sardine on each, and garnish with thin slices of lemon and small sprigs of parsley.
Note: If preferred, the sardines may be dipped in frying batter instead of the egg and bread-crumbs, or simply tossed in flour.
2389. Sardine Fritters, 1 (Beignets de Sardines)
- sardines
- chopped parsley
- chopped shallot
- cayenne pepper
- lemon juice
- frying batter
Remove the bones from the number of sardines required and cut them into neat little fillets. Sprinkle them with the above seasonings and let them lie a short time. Have ready a small quantity of frying batter (Recipe 1861), dip the prepared fillets into it, and then fry them in boiling fat to a golden brown colour. Drain and sprinkle with coralline pepper. Serve piled up on a lace-edged paper, garnished with cut lemon.
Note: Anchovies or small fillets of herring may be prepared in the same way.
2390. Sardine Fritters, 2 (Beignets de Sardines)
- 1 oz. flour
- ½ oz. butter
- ½ gill water
- 1 egg
- 1 dessert-spoon sardine paste
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- seasoning
Have the flour dry and finely sifted. Put it into a small saucepan with the butter and water, and stir quickly over the fire until the ingredients form one smooth lump, which draws away easily from the sides, of the saucepan. Then remove the saucepan from the fire, allow the contents to cool slightly, and add the sardine paste (this can be bought ready). Season to taste with cayenne, salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Then add the egg and beat it well into the mixture. Now put the mixture into a forcing bag, and force out small portions about the size of a walnut on a sheet of greased paper. When all are ready, slip them off with a palette knife into a saucepan of hot fat, and fry the beignets gently from 5 to 7 minutes, turning them over occasionally with a spoon. Drain and serve piled up on a dish paper as a hot savoury.
2391. Grilled Sardines (Sardines Grillées)
- sardines
- cut lemon
- flour
- brown bread and butter
Choose small smoked sardines and drain them well from their oil. Then toss them lightly in finely sifted flour, place them on a greased grill, and grill them about 5 minutes. Serve them very hot, garnished with cut lemon, and hand thin brown bread and butter separately.
2392. Sardines à la Piedmontaise
- 6 or 7 small sardines
- 6 or 8 finger-shaped croûtons of bread
Sauce
- 1½ oz. butter
- 1 tea-spoon tarragon vinegar
- 1 tea-spoon plain vinegar
- 2 yolks of eggs
- seasoning
Dip the sardines in warm water, wipe them and remove the skin. Then place them on a greased tin, cover with greased paper, and heat them in the oven. Meanwhile prepare the sauce. Put the butter and vinegars into a small saucepan with a pinch of cayenne pepper, salt, and a little made mustard, and heat them over the fire. Then add the yolks of eggs well beaten, and stir over the fire until the mixture thickens. Place the sardines on the croutons of fried bread, and put the sauce over them. Sprinkle with parsley or lobster coral and serve very hot.
2393. Sardines Rissolettes
- 1 table-spoon minced sardines
- 1 table-spoon white sauce
- 1 yolk of egg
- seasoning
- scraps of pastry
- beaten egg
Remove all skin and bone from some sardines or scraps of sardines, and mince them finely. Put the mince into a small saucepan with the white sauce, yolk of egg and seasoning, and make all hot over the fire without allowing it to boil. Then spread the mixture on a plate to cool. Now roll out some scraps of good pastry very thinly, and cut out rounds with a small fluted cutter. Brush round the edges with beaten egg, and put a small spoonful of the mixture in the middle. Fold over and press the edges together. Place these little crescent-shaped rissolettes on a greased tin, brush them over with beaten egg, and bake in a good oven until brown and crisp.
Notes: These rissolettes may be fried in boiling fat instead of being baked. A few chopped mushrooms may be added.
2394. Shrimp Croustades (Croustades de Crevettes)
- 1 gill picked shrimps
- 2 table-spoons white sauce
- 2 table-spoons cream
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 tea-spoon shrimp essence
- cayenne pepper
- a pinch of salt
- croustades of bread
- chopped parsley
- coralline pepper
Make some small croustades of bread as directed in Recipe 2246, and fry them to a pretty brown colour. Heat the shrimps in a small saucepan with the white sauce, add the cream and seasoning, and heat again. Fill up the cases with this mixture, piling it rather high in the centre. Sprinkle them with finely chopped parsley and coralline pepper, arrange 2 or 3 shrimps on the top, and serve very hot, garnished with parsley.
2395. Devilled Shrimps (Crevettes à la Diable)
- shrimps
- a little flour
- cayenne
- chopped parsley
- lemon
- brown bread and butter
Pick the required number of shrimps, and coat them very lightly with flour. Put them into a frying basket, and fry them in boding fat until a golden brown colour. Drain them well and sprinkle with finely-chopped parsley and cayenne pepper. Serve pded up on a dish paper, and garnish with small pieces of cut lemon. Thin brown bread and butter should be handed separately.
…
2402. Croûtes à la Marguerite
- 1 hard-boiled egg
- 1 table-spoon white sauce or cream
- ½ tea-spoon anchovy essence
- seasoning
- 6 anchovy fillets
- 6 fried bread croûtes
Cut a hard-boiled egg in slices about ⅛ of an inch in thickness, remove the yolk, take half a dozen of the best white rings and trim them neatly. Now take all the yolk and other scraps of egg and pound them with the white sauce or cream, using enough to make a softish paste. Season with the anchovy essence, pepper and salt, and rub all through a sieve. Spread some of this mixture on small round croutes of fried bread or hot buttered toast, and lay a ring of white of egg on the top. Now take small fillets of anchovy, curl them round, and put one in the centre of each croute. Cover the anchovy with more of the egg mixture, lay a piece of greased paper on the top, and heat through in the oven. Serve hot, garnished with small sprigs of parsley.
…
SANDWICHES, SAVOURY AND SWEET at page 521 et seq
PART I
SAVOURY SANDWICHES
2441. Anchovy Sandwiches
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy paste
- 1 hard-boiled egg
- 1 oz. butter
- seasoning
- brown or white bread and butter
Chop the egg, mix it with the anchovy paste and butter, and rub all through a fine sieve. Mix well and season to taste. Spread some of this mixture between thin slices of brown or white bread and butter. Trim, and cut into small neat shapes. If any of the anchovy mixture is left over, it may be put into a forcing bag with a small rose pipe and a very little forced out on the top of each sandwich. Serve garnished with parsley or small cress.
Note: Small milk biscuits may be used instead of the bread and butter.
…
2445. Bloater Sandwiches
- cooked bloater
- cayenne
- lemon juice
- cream or white sauce
- bread and butter
- watercress
Remove all skin and bones from some cooked bloater, and chop it finely. Then pound it in a mortar or basin, adding enough white sauce, cream, or melted butter to make a paste. Season with cayenne, lemon juice, salt if necessary, and, if liked, a little anchovy essence. Spread this mixture between slices of brown or white bread and butter, enclosing with it a few carefully picked leaves of watercress. Trim neatly, cut into shapes, and serve garnished with sprigs of watercress.
2446. Caviar Sandwiches
- Russian caviar
- butter
- lemon juice
- brown bread
- cayenne
Prepare some thin slices of brown bread and butter. Sprinkle some caviar with a few drops of lemon juice, and add a good pinch of cayenne pepper. Spread a layer of caviar between two slices of the bread, press lightly together, trim, and cut into shapes. Serve garnished with little bunches of small cress and very thinly-sliced lemon.
Note: A little very thinly-sliced cucumber may be added to these sandwiches if liked.
…
2450. Cod's Roe Sandwiches
- 2 table-spoons cooked cod's roe
- 1 dessert-spoon white sauce or cream
- cayenne
- salt
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy or shrimp essence
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- white or brown bread and butter
Remove all skin and fibre from the roe, put it into a basin, and break it up with a fork. Season with cayenne, salt, anchovy, or shrimp essence, and a few drops of lemon juice, and moisten with a little white sauce or cream. Spread this mixture between thin slices of bread and butter, or put it into small buttered rolls. Garnish the sandwiches with parsley or small cress.
2451. Crab Sandwiches
Make in the same way as Lobster Sandwiches (see below).
…
2457. Egg and Shrimp Sandwiches
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- a few picked shrimps
- 1 oz. butter, or
- 1 table-spoon cream
- cayenne pepper
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- small rolls
Chop the eggs, and add the shrimps cut in small pieces, season to taste, and add the butter melted or the cream. Mix well together. Split some finger-shaped rolls, put a good teaspoonful of the mixture into each, and close them up.
Note: A little mayonnaise sauce may be used instead of the cream or butter, and chopped salmon or sardines may take the place of the shrimps.
…
2462. Lobster Sandwiches
- 2 or 3 table-spoons lobster meat
- mayonnaise or white sauce
- anchovy or shrimp essence
- pickled gherkin
- seasoning
- small rolls
- butter
Take some cooked lobster meat and chop it finely, being careful to remove any pieces of shell. Put it into a basin, and moisten it with mayonnaise or some good white sauce. Season with cayenne, salt, and a few drops of anchovy or shrimp essence. Split and butter some small finger-shaped rolls. Put a spoonful of the lobster mixture in the centre of each, sprinkle it with a little chopped or shred gherkin, and put on the covers. Serve garnished with small cress.
…
2468. Salmon Sandwiches
- 2 or 3 table-spoons cooked salmon
- 1 dessert-spoon mayonnaise or white sauce
- seasoning
- cucumber or small cress
- small roll
- butter
Free the salmon from any skin and bone, and break it up in a basin with a fork. Moisten it with a little mayonnaise or good white sauce and season to taste. If white sauce is used, it will be better to add a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice. Butter some small finger-shaped rolls, put into each some of the salmon mixture, lay some thinly-sliced cucumber or a little small cress on the top, and put on the covers. Small cress or parsley may be used for garnishing.
2469. Shrimp Sandwiches
- 2 table-spoons picked shrimps
- 1 tea-spoon anchovy paste
- 1 or 2 table-spoons whipped cream
- small rolls
- butter
- small cress
Chop the shrimps, and mix them with the anchovy paste and a dash of cayenne pepper. Then stir in very lightly 1 or 2 table-spoonfuls of stiffly whipped cream. Split some little finger-shaped rolls, and spread them with butter; then fill them with the above mixture, and serve garnished with small cress or some fresh parsley.
2470. Sardine and Cucumber Sandwiches
- sardine paste
- brown or white bread and butter
- cucumber
- seasoning
Spread thin slices of brown or white bread and butter with a layer of sardine paste, which can be bought in jars or small tins. On half the number of pieces put a layer of thinly-sliced cucumber which has been seasoned with pepper, salt, and a little lemon juice or tarragon vinegar. Cover with the remaining pieces of bread, press together, trim and cut into neat sandwiches. Serve garnished with watercress or parsley.
Note: Sardines may be used instead of the paste. They will require to be skinned, boned, pounded with a little butter, and rubbed through a sieve.
2471. Smoked Haddock Sandwiches
Make in the same way as Bloater Sandwiches (Recipe 2445), substituting smoked haddock for bloater.
INVALID COOKERY
This section contains recipes for dishes suitable for the sick and convalescent. In addition to these, many other recipes in other parts of the book may be used for the sick-room, although in some cases they may require a little modification to make them suitable for special requirements.
When preparing food for real invalids, the object aimed at must be to give nourishment combined with the greatest simplicity, and in a form suited to the digestive powers of the patient.
…
2508. Fish Soup
- 1 lb. white fish
- 1 pt. cold water
- 1 gill milk
- ½ oz. butter
- ½ oz. flour
- a little chopped parsley
- salt to taste
Almost any white fish may be used for this, but haddock, whiting, or plaice are among the most suitable. Wash the fish carefully, and cut it in pieces without removing the skin. Put these into a lined saucepan with the water and salt, and bring slowly to the boil, removing all scum as it rises. Cook for a few minutes until the fish loses its transparent appearance, then lift out a few neat pieces, free from skin and bone, and put them to one side, for serving in the soup. Allow the remainder to cook slowly until all the goodness is drawn from the fish - about 1 hour - then strain through a fine sieve or strainer. Clean the saucepan in order to remove all scum, and put in the butter. Allow this to melt, and stir in the flour until smooth. Add the fish liquor and milk, and stir until boiling. Then add the pieces of fish that were reserved, and the chopped parsley, cook two minutes longer and serve very hot.
Notes: A more savoury soup may be made by cooking small pieces of vegetable along with the fish, but this is not so simple for an invalid. The yolk of an egg may be used if the soup is wished richer. Put the yolk into a basin, and pour the hot soup slowly on to it, stirring all the time. One or two table-spoonfuls of cream may be used instead of the milk.
PART II
INVALID FISH AND VEGETABLE DISHES
INTRODUCTORY
Fish is a valuable article of diet for invalids, as it is one of the lightest forms of solid food, and much less stimulating than meat.
The whiting is one of the most suitable, as it is so delicate in flavour and tender in fibre. It is sometimes called the chicken of the sea. The sole is also very valuable, but it is much more expensive, and not always obtainable. Haddock, plaice, smelts, and lemon soles may also be given, in fact any of the white fish, although the larger kinds are often tougher in fibre.
The oily or dark fleshed fish, such as herring, mackerel, salmon, &c., should, as a rule, be avoided, especially by those of a weak digestion.
Oysters are said to be very digestible, and especially in their raw state, and they are certainly nutritious, but they cannot be taken by everyone.
There must be no doubt about the freshness of the fish that is given to an invalid, and, when possible, it should be filleted and made free from skin and bone.
Boiling, and especially steaming, are two of the best ways of cooking it, and then comes broiling or grilling. Fried fish is less suitable, and when given must be dry and crisp and not saturated with fat. A cream, soufflé, or quenelles, are other very light forms of serving fish.
When the digestion is very weak a thickened sauce should not be given, although a little cold butter may be allowed.
When serving plainly cooked fish, garnish with a small sprig of parsley and one or two thin slices of lemon, and this will add very much to the appearance of the dish.
2519. Baked Fish
- 1 filleted fish
- lemon juice
- seasoning
- a little butter
Wipe the fillets with a damp cloth, and either cut them in small pieces or double them lengthways, seasoning with pepper, salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Lay the pieces on a small greased tin or plate, cover them with greased paper, and bake in a moderate oven until the fish is quite cooked. Serve neatly with little pats of maître d'hôtel butter (Recipe 770) on the top, or garnish with cut lemon, and serve thin bread and butter separately.
Time to cook, 10 to 12 minutes.
2520. Steamed Fish
- 1 filleted fish - sole, whiting, or haddock
- a little butter
- seasoning - pepper, salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice
Wipe the fillets lightly with a damp cloth, and season them carefully. Then either roll up the fillets, or cut them in neat-sized pieces. Place them on a greased plate, cover with greased paper, and place another plate or saucepan lid on the top. Place this on the top of a saucepan of fast boiling water, and cook in this manner until the fish loses its transparent appearance, and looks white and creamy. The water must be kept boiling all the time, and any juice which runs from the fish must be served with it. This is one of the simplest methods of cooking fish for an invalid, and is vastly superior to boiling. If sauce is allowed, this may be made separately, the liquid from the fish added to it, and the fish nicely coated before serving. A sprig of parsley or one or two small pieces of lemon may be used as a garnish. Serve the fish with dry toast or with snowflake potatoes.
Time to cook, 15 to 20 minutes.
2521. Stewed Fish
- 1 filleted fish - whiting, haddock, sole, or plaice
- 1 table-spoon bread-crumbs
- ½ gill cold water
- 1 gill milk
- ½ oz butter
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
- white pepper
- salt
Wipe the fish with a damp cloth, and cut it into small, neat pieces. Take a clean lined saucepan, rinse it out with water to prevent the fish sticking to it, and place the pieces of fish at the foot. Sprinkle over them a little salt and white pepper, pour on the milk and water ; put the lid on the pan, and let the fish cook slowly by the side of the fire until it is ready, which will be from 10 to 15 minutes. Lift out the pieces of fish on to the plate on which they have to be served, and keep them hot. Add the bread-crumbs and the butter to the water and milk in the pan; stir over the fire for a few minutes until the bread-crumbs swell and thicken the sauce. Sprinkle in the parsley, finely-chopped, and then pour this sauce over the fish. Wipe the dish round the edges before serving.
Note: This dish is very suitable for cooking and serving in a small fireproof casserole.
Time to cook, 15 to 20 minutes.
2522. Fish Stewed in Milk
- 1 small filleted sole or plaice
- 1 table-spoon bread-crumbs
- a pinch of nutmeg
- ¾ tea-cupful milk
- a small piece of butter
- salt
Wipe the fish with a cloth, season lightly with salt, and make up in little rolls. Put these into a basin with the milk, bread-crumbs, butter, and seasoning. Cover with a saucer or piece of greased paper and steam until tender. Serve on a hot dish and garnish with a sprig of parsley.
Time to cook, ½ hour.
2523. Fish Cooked in Paper
Any light white fish may be cooked in this way. It is better if it can be filleted. Rip the fish into melted butter and season to taste. Wrap it in paper or place it in one of the special cookery bags now sold for the purpose (see p. 626). One table-spoonful of milk or water may be added. Close the bag securely and cook on a grid shelf in a good oven from 15 to 20 minutes, according to the thickness of the fish. Turn the fish on to a hot dish and pour any liquid round it. This is an excellent way of cooking small pieces of fish; none of the flavour is lost as in boiled fish, it is also more nutritious.
2524. Fish Cream
Make in the same way as chicken cream (Recipe 2544), using ¼ lb. uncooked white fish, pounded and sieved, instead of the breast of chicken.
2525. Fish Custard
- 1 egg
- 1 table-spoon cooked fish
- 2 table-spoons milk
- pepper
- salt
Any nicely cooked fish will do for this. Chop it finely, and season with pepper and salt. Beat up the egg with the milk and add the fish to it. Pour all into a well-greased cup or small basin, cover with greased paper, and steam slowly until set. Turn out when ready, and decorate with a little sprig of parsley.
Time to steam, 10 to 15 minutes.
2526. Steamed Fish Pudding
- 3 oz. uncooked fish
- 2 table-spoons bread-crumbs
- 1 egg
- ½ gill milk
- pepper
- salt
Weigh the fish free from skin and bone, wipe it with a cloth, and cut it into small neat pieces. Grease a small basin about the size of a breakfast-cup; put in first a layer of bread-crumbs, then some fish, more bread-crumbs, and so on. Beat up the egg in a small basin with a fork, add the milk and seasoning to it, and strain over the fish and bread-crumbs. Let the pudding stand for a few minutes, then twist a piece of greased paper over the top of it, and steam slowly until firm to the touch. When ready, lift it out of the pan, let it stand for a minute or two, loosen round the edges, and turn out carefully on to a hot plate. Garnish with a small sprig of parsley.
Notes: If preferred, the fish may be chopped small instead of being left in pieces. The pudding may be baked instead of steamed.
Time to cook, 15 minutes.
2527. Haddock or Whiting Stuffed and Baked
- 1 whiting or small haddock
- 2 table-spoons bread-crumbs
- a little chopped parsley
- 2 table-spoons milk
- 1 yolk of egg
- grated lemon rind
- a small piece of butter
- pepper
- salt
Clean and skin the fish, and cut off the head. Make a stuffing with the bread-crumbs, parsley, a little grated lemon rind, pepper and salt, and bind together with the yolk of an egg. Fill the opening in the fish with this mixture, and then place it in a fireproof dish. Pour the milk round, cover over, and bake quickly about 15 minutes. Then remove the cover, sprinkle the fish with a few dry bread-crumbs, put two or three small pieces of butter on the top, and brown lightly.
Time 15 to 20 minutes.
2528. Flaked Haddock in Shells
- 1 small fresh haddock
- white sauce
- salt
- pepper
- a few bread-crumbs
- a little lemon juice
Steam a small haddock (see p. 532), and, when cooked, lift the flesh from the bones and let it fall in flakes. Season it nicely with pepper, salt, and a few drops of lemon juice. Place the fish in small greased china shells, and coat well with white sauce; sprinkle a few bread-crumbs on the top, and bake in a hot oven about 10 minutes.
Notes: Any other white fish may be used instead of haddock, or remains of cold cooked fish.
2529. Fricassée of Oysters
- 1 dozen oysters
- 1 dessert-spoon butter
- 1 tea-spoon flour
- 1 yolk of egg
- seasoning
- a squeeze of lemon juice
Choose very fresh oysters. Put them into a small lined saucepan with their liquor, and just bring them to the boil. Then strain, reserving the liquor. Melt the butter in the saucepan, and stir in the flour, add the oyster liquor gradually, and stir until boiling. Cook a minute or two, then remove the saucepan from the fire, and stir in the yolk of egg, oysters, lemon juice, and seasoning. Do not boil again, but serve at once with a little dry toast or toast biscuits.
2530. Stewed Smelts
- 2 or 3 smelts
- seasoning
- ½ tea-cupful light stock
- lemon
Cut the heads oii the smelts and clean them carefully. Place them in a small fireproof dish with a little light stock or, if allowed, some white wine, and seasoning to taste. Cover the dish and cook in the oven until tender. Serve on the same dish, garnished with a few thin slices of lemon.
Time to cook, 10 to 15 minutes.
2531. Baked Sole or Plaice
- 1 small sole or plaice
- 3 table-spoons milk
- 2 or 3 table-spoons bread-crumbs
- a little parsley
- pepper
- salt
- a little butter
Fillet the fish and cut it in neat-sized pieces. Dip these in milk, and then in fine bread-crumbs in which a little finely-chopped parsley, pepper, and salt have been mixed. Cover each piece rather thickly. Place the fish in a small greased fireproof dish, pour the milk round, put a cover or piece of greased paper on the top, and bake quickly 10 or 15 minutes. Then remove the cover, sprinkle some dry crumbs over the fish, put a few small pieces of butter on the top, and brown lightly.
Note: A small haddock or whiting may be cooked in the same way.
Time to cook, 15 to 20 minutes.
2532. Fillets of Sole on Toast
- 1 small sole
- ½ gill of water
- 1 slice of toast
- ½ tea-spoon cornflour
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
- ½ oz. butter
- a pinch of salt
- a little lemon juice
Fillet the sole and wipe the pieces lightly with a cloth. Season the fillets with salt and a few drops of lemon juice, and roll them up with the skin side inside. Place these rolls in a small saucepan with the water and butter, and cook slowly from 10 to 15 minutes, then lift them out carefully. Arrange them on a neat piece of toast, and keep them warm while you make the sauce. Put the cornflour into a cup, and mix it smoothly with a little cold water, add it to the liquid in the saucepan, and stir until boiling. Add the parsley very finely chopped, cook 2 or 3 minutes longer, and pour over and round the fish.
Note: The yolk of an egg may also be added to the sauce at the last.
Time to cook, about 20 minutes.
2533. Fillets of Sole with Tomatoes
- 1 small sole
- 1 tomato
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- pepper
- salt
First skin and fillet the sole (see p. 78). Wipe the fillets and lay them out, with the side which the skin came off lying uppermost. Season each fillet with a little pepper, salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Double each fillet over, the thin end towards the thick, and place on a tin greased with a little butter. Wipe the tomato, remove the stalk, and cut it into four pieces. Lay these pieces on the tin beside the fish, and cover all with a piece of greased paper. Bake in a moderate oven from 10 to 15 minutes, until the fish looks quite white and has lost its transparent appearance. Lift the fillets carefully on to a hot dish, and serve the pieces of tomato round them.
Other Fish Dishes
In addition to the recipes given above many in the "Fish" section of the book would also be suitable for invalids and convalescents, such as the following: Boiled Fish, Fried Fish, Grilled Fish, Cod's Roe, Stewed Eels, Fish Cakes, Fish Cream, Fish Cutlets, Fish Omelet, Fish Quenelles, Fish Soufflé, Fish Pie with Macaroni, Fish Pie with Rice, Fricassée of Fish, Kedgeree, Stuffed Fillets of Haddock, Scalloped Oysters, Oyster Soufflé, Smelts au Gratin, Fillets of Sole à la Crème, Grilled Trout, Baked Whiting.
Time to cook, 15 minutes.
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