Chapter VIII: Fish (1)

[_Nothing is more difficult than to give the average prices of Fish, inasmuch as a few hours of bad weather at sea will, in the space of one day, cause such a difference in its supply, that the same fish--a turbot for instance--which may be bought to-day for six or seven shillings, will, to-morrow, be, in the London markets, worth, perhaps, almost as many pounds. The average costs, therefore, which will be found appended to each recipe, must be understood as about the average price for the different kinds of fish, when the market is supplied upon an average, and when the various sorts are of an average size and quality._

GENERAL RULE IN CHOOSING FISH.--_A proof of freshness and goodness in most fishes, is their being covered with scales; for, if deficient in this respect, it is a sign of their being stale, or having been ill-used._]

FRIED ANCHOVIES.

226. INGREDIENTS.--1 tablespoonful of oil, 1/2 a glass of white wine, sufficient flour to thicken; 12 anchovies.

_Mode_.--Mix the oil and wine together, with sufficient flour to make them into a thickish paste; cleanse the anchovies, wipe them, dip them in the paste, and fry of a nice brown colour.

_Time_.--1/2 hour. _Average cost_ for this quantity, 9d.

_Seasonable_ all the year.

_Sufficient_ for 2 persons.

THE ANCHOVY.--In his book of "British Fishes," Mr. Yarrell
states that "the anchovy is a common fish in the Mediterranean,
from Greece to Gibraltar, and was well known to the Greeks and
Romans, by whom the liquor prepared from it, called _garum_, was
in great estimation. Its extreme range is extended into the
Black Sea. The fishing for them is carried on during the night,
and lights are used with the nets. The anchovy is common on the
coasts of Portugal, Spain, and France. It occurs, I have no
doubt, at the Channel Islands, and has been taken on the
Hampshire coast, and in the Bristol Channel." Other fish, of
inferior quality, but resembling the real Gorgona anchovy, are
frequently sold for it, and passed off as genuine.

ANCHOVY BUTTER OR PASTE.

227. INGREDIENTS.--2 dozen anchovies, 1/2 lb. of fresh butter.

_Mode_.--Wash the anchovies thoroughly; bone and dry them, and pound them in a mortar to a paste. Mix the butter gradually with them, and rub the whole through a sieve. Put it by in small pots for use, and carefully exclude the air with a bladder, as it soon changes the colour of anchovies, besides spoiling them.

_Average cost_ for this quantity, 2s.

POTTED ANCHOVIES.

POTTED ANCHOVIES are made in the same way, by adding pounded mace, cayenne, and nutmeg to taste.

ANCHOVY TOAST.

228. INGREDIENTS.--Toast 2 or 3 slices of bread, or, if wanted very savoury, fry them in clarified butter, and spread on them the paste, No. 227. Made mustard, or a few grains of cayenne, may be added to the paste before laying it on the toast.

ANCHOVY PASTE.--"When some delicate zest," says a work just
issued on the adulterations of trade, "is required to make the
plain English breakfast more palatable, many people are in the
habit of indulging in what they imagine to be anchovies. These
fish are preserved in a kind of pickling-bottle, carefully
corked down, and surrounded by a red-looking liquor, resembling
in appearance diluted clay. The price is moderate, one shilling
only being demanded for the luxury. When these anchovies are
what is termed potted, it implies that the fish have been
pounded into the consistency of a paste, and then placed in flat
pots, somewhat similar in shape to those used for pomatum. This
paste is usually eaten spread upon toast, and is said to form an
excellent _bonne bouche_, which enables gentlemen at
wine-parties to enjoy their port with redoubled gusto.
Unfortunately, in six cases out of ten, the only portion of
these preserved delicacies, that contains anything indicative of
anchovies, is the paper label pasted on the bottle or pot, on
which the word itself is printed.... All the samples of anchovy
paste, analyzed by different medical men, have been found to be
highly and vividly coloured with very large quantities of bole
Armenian." The anchovy itself, when imported, is of a dark dead
colour, and it is to make it a bright "handsome-looking sauce"
that this red earth is used.

BARBEL.

229. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 pint of port wine, a saltspoonful of salt, 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, 2 sliced onions, a faggot of sweet herbs, nutmeg and mace to taste, the juice of a lemon, 2 anchovies; 1 or 2 barbels, according to size.

_Mode_--Boil the barbels in salt and water till done; pour off some of the water, and, to the remainder, put the ingredients mentioned above. Simmer gently for 1/2 hour, or rather more, and strain. Put in the fish; heat it gradually; but do not let it boil, or it will be broken.

_Time_.--Altogether 1 hour. _Sufficient_ for 4 persons.

_Seasonable_ from September to November.

THE BARBEL,--This fish takes its name from the barbs or wattels
at its mouth; and, in England, is esteemed as one of the worst
of the fresh-water fish. It was, however, formerly, if not now,
a favourite with the Jews, excellent cookers of fish. Others
would boil with it a piece of bacon, that it might have a
relish. It is to be met with from two to three or four feet
long, and is said to live to a great age. From Putney upwards,
in the Thames, some are found of large size; but they are valued
only as affording sport to the brethren of the angle.

BRILL.

230. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of salt to each gallon of water; a little vinegar.

_Mode_.--Clean the brill, cut off the fins, and rub it over with a little lemon-juice, to preserve its whiteness. Set the fish in sufficient cold water to cover it; throw in salt, in the above proportions, and a little vinegar, and bring it gradually to boil; simmer very gently till the fish is done, which will be in about 10 minutes; but the time for boiling, of course, depends entirely on the size of the fish. Serve it on a hot napkin, and garnish with cut lemon, parsley, horseradish, and a little lobster coral sprinkled over the fish. Send lobster or shrimp sauce and plain melted butter to table with it.

_Time_.--After the water boils, a small brill, 10 minutes; a large brill, 15 to 20 minutes.

_Average cost_, from 4s. to 8s.

_Seasonable_ from August to April.

THE BRILL.--This fish resembles the sole, but is broader, and
when large, is esteemed by many in a scarcely less degree than
the turbot, whilst it is much cheaper. It is a fine fish, and is
abundant in the London market.

TO CHOOSE BRILL.--The flesh of this fish, like that of turbot, should be of a yellowish tint, and should be chosen on account of its thickness. If the flesh has a bluish tint, it is not good.

CODFISH.

231. Cod may be boiled whole; but a large head and shoulders are quite sufficient for a dish, and contain all that is usually helped, because, when the thick part is done, the tail is insipid and overdone. The latter, cut in slices, makes a very good dish for frying; or it may be salted down and served with egg sauce and parsnips. Cod, when boiled quite fresh, is watery; salting a little, renders it firmer.

THE COD TRIBE.--The Jugular, characterized by bony gills, and
ventral fins before the pectoral ones, commences the second of
the Linnaean orders of fishes, and is a numerous tribe,
inhabiting only the depths of the ocean, and seldom visiting the
fresh waters. They have a smooth head, and the gill membrane has
seven rays. The body is oblong, and covered with deciduous
scales. The fins are all inclosed in skin, whilst their rays are
unarmed. The ventral fins are slender, and terminate in a point.
Their habits are gregarious, and they feed on smaller fish and
other marine animals.

COD'S HEAD AND SHOULDERS.

232. INGREDIENTS.--Sufficient water to cover the fish; 5 oz. of salt to each gallon of water.

_Mode_.--Cleanse the fish thoroughly, and rub a little salt over the thick part and inside of the fish, 1 or 2 hours before dressing it, as this very much improves the flavour. Lay it in the fish-kettle, with sufficient cold water to cover it. Be very particular not to pour the water on the fish, as it is liable to break it, and only keep it just simmering. If the water should boil away, add a little by pouring it in at the side of the kettle, and not on the fish. Add salt in the above proportion, and bring it gradually to a boil. Skim very carefully, draw it to the side of the fire, and let it gently simmer till done. Take it out and drain it; serve on a hot napkin, and garnish with cut lemon, horseradish, the roe and liver. (_See_ Coloured Plate C.)

_Time_.--According to size, 1/2 an hour, more or less. _Average cost_, from 3s. to 6s.

_Sufficient_ for 6 or 8 persons.

_Seasonable_ from November to March.

_Note_.--Oyster sauce and plain melted butter should be served with this.

TO CHOOSE COD.--The cod should be chosen for the table when it is plump and round near the tail, when the hollow behind the head is deep, and when the sides are undulated as if they were ribbed. The glutinous parts about the head lose their delicate flavour, after the fish has been twenty-four hours out of the water. The great point by which the cod should be judged is the firmness of its flesh; and, although the cod is not firm when it is alive, its quality may be arrived at by pressing the finger into the flesh. If this rises immediately, the fish is good; if not, it is stale. Another sign of its goodness is, if the fish, when it is cut, exhibits a bronze appearance, like the silver side of a round of beef. When this is the case, the flesh will be firm when cooked. Stiffness in a cod, or in any other fish, is a sure sign of freshness, though not always of quality. Sometimes, codfish, though exhibiting signs of rough usage, will eat much better than those with red gills, so strongly recommended by many cookery-books. This appearance is generally caused by the fish having been knocked about at sea, in the well-boats, in which they are conveyed from the fishing-grounds to market.

SALT COD, COMMONLY CALLED "SALT-FISH."

233. INGREDIENTS.--Sufficient water to cover the fish.

_Mode_.--Wash the fish, and lay it all night in water, with a 1/4 pint of vinegar. When thoroughly soaked, take it out, see that it is perfectly clean, and put it in the fish-kettle with sufficient cold water to cover it. Heat it gradually, but do not let it boil much, or the fish will be hard. Skim well, and when done, drain the fish and put it on a napkin garnished with hard-boiled eggs cut in rings.

_Time_.--About 1 hour. _Average cost_, 6d. per lb.

_Seasonable_ in the spring.

_Sufficient_ for each person, 1/4 lb.

_Note_.--Serve with egg sauce and parsnips. This is an especial dish on Ash Wednesday.

PRESERVING COD.--Immediately as the cod are caught, their heads
are cut off. They are then opened, cleaned, and salted, when
they are stowed away in the hold of the vessel, in beds of five
or six yards square, head to tail, with a layer of salt to each
layer of fish. When they have lain in this state three or four
days, in order that the water may drain from them, they are
shifted into a different part of the vessel, and again salted.
Here they remain till the vessel is loaded, when they are
sometimes cut into thick pieces and packed in barrels for the
greater convenience of carriage.

COD SOUNDS.

Should be well soaked in salt and water, and thoroughly washed before dressing them. They are considered a great delicacy, and may either be broiled, fried, or boiled: if they are boiled, mix a little milk with the water.

COD SOUNDS, EN POULE.

234. INGREDIENTS.--For forcemeat, 12 chopped oysters, 3 chopped anchovies, 1/4 lb. of bread crumbs, 1 oz. of butter, 2 eggs; seasoning of salt, pepper, nutmeg, and mace to taste; 4 cod sounds.

_Mode_.--Make the forcemeat by mixing the ingredients well together. Wash the sounds, and boil them in milk and water for 1/2 an hour; take them out and let them cool. Cover each with a layer of forcemeat, roll them up in a nice form, and skewer them. Rub over with lard, dredge with flour, and cook them gently before the fire in a Dutch oven.

_Time_.--1 hour. _Average cost_, 6d. per lb.

_Seasonable_ from November to March. _Sufficient_ for 4 persons.

THE SOUNDS IN CODFISH.--These are the air or swimming bladders,
by means of which the fishes are enabled to ascend or descend in
the water. In the Newfoundland fishery they are taken out
previous to incipient putrefaction, washed from their slime and
salted for exportation. The tongues are also cured and packed up
in barrels; whilst, from the livers, considerable quantities of
oil are extracted, this oil having been found possessed of the
most nourishing properties, and particularly beneficial in cases
of pulmonary affections.

COD PIE.

(_Economical_.)

I.

235. INGREDIENTS.--Any remains of cold cod, 12 oysters, sufficient melted butter to moisten it; mashed potatoes enough to fill up the dish.

_Mode_.--Flake the fish from the bone, and carefully take away all the skin. Lay it in a pie-dish, pour over the melted butter and oysters (or oyster sauce, if there is any left), and cover with mashed potatoes. Bake for 1/2 an hour, and send to table of a nice brown colour.

_Time_.--1/2 hour.

_Seasonable_ from November to March.

II.

236. INGREDIENTS.--2 slices of cod; pepper and salt to taste; 1/2 a teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, 1 large blade of pounded mace, 2 oz. of butter, 1/2 pint of stock No. 107, a paste crust (_see_ Pastry). For sauce, 1 tablespoonful of stock, 1/4 pint of cream or milk, thickening of flour or butter; lemon-peel chopped very fine to taste; 12 oysters.

_Mode_.--Lay the cod in salt for 4 hours, then wash it and place it in a dish; season, and add the butter and stock; cover with the crust, and bake for 1 hour, or rather more. Now make the sauce, by mixing the ingredients named above; give it one boil, and pour it into the pie by a hole made at the top of the crust, which can easily be covered by a small piece of pastry cut and baked in any fanciful shape--such as a leaf, or otherwise.

_Time_.--1-1/2 hour. _Average cost_, with fresh fish, 2s. 6d.

_Seasonable_ from November to March.

_Sufficient_ for 6 persons.

_Note_.--The remains of cold fish may be used for this pie.

CURRIED COD.

237. INGREDIENTS.--2 slices of large cod, or the remains of any cold fish; 3 oz. of butter, 1 onion sliced, a teacupful of white stock, thickening of butter and flour, 1 small teaspoonful of curry-powder, 1/4 pint of cream, salt and cayenne to taste.

_Mode_.--Flake the fish, and fry it of a nice brown colour with the butter and onions; put this in a stewpan, add the stock and thickening, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir the curry-powder into the cream; put it, with the seasoning, to the other ingredients; give one boil, and serve.

_Time_.--3/4 hour. _Average cost_, with fresh fish, 3s.

_Seasonable_ from November to March.

_Sufficient_ for 4 persons.

THE FOOD OF THE COD.--This chiefly consists of the smaller
species of the scaly tribes, shell-fish, crabs, and worms. Their
voracity is very great, and they will bite at any small body
they see moved by the water, even stones and pebbles, which are
frequently found in their stomachs. They sometimes attain a
great size, but their usual weight is from 14 to 40 lbs.

COD A LA CREME.

238. INGREDIENTS.--1 large slice of cod, 1 oz. of butter, 1 chopped shalot, a little minced parsley, 1/4 teacupful of white stock, 1/4 pint of milk or cream, flour to thicken, cayenne and lemon-juice to taste, 1/4 teaspoonful of powdered sugar.

_Mode_.--Boil the cod, and while hot, break it into flakes; put the butter, shalot, parsley, and stock into a stewpan, and let them boil for 5 minutes. Stir in sufficient flour to thicken, and pour to it the milk or cream. Simmer for 10 minutes, add the cayenne and sugar, and, when liked, a little lemon-juice. Put the fish in the sauce to warm gradually, but do not let it boil. Serve in a dish garnished with croûtons.

_Time_.--Rather more than 1/2 hour. _Average cost_, with cream, 2s.

_Seasonable_ from November to March.

_Sufficient_ for 3 persons.

_Note_.--The remains of fish from the preceding day answer very well for this dish.

COD A LA BECHAMEL.

239. INGREDIENTS.--Any remains of cold cod, 4 tablespoonfuls of béchamel (_see_ Sauces), 2 oz. butter; seasoning to taste of pepper and salt; fried bread, a few bread crumbs.

_Mode_.--Flake the cod carefully, leaving out all skin and bone; put the béchamel in a stewpan with the butter, and stir it over the fire till the latter is melted; add seasoning, put in the fish, and mix it well with the sauce. Make a border of fried bread round the dish, lay in the fish, sprinkle over with bread crumbs, and baste with butter. Brown either before the fire or with a salamander, and garnish with toasted bread cut in fanciful shapes.

_Time_.--1/2 hour.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the fish, 6d.

THE HABITAT OF THE COD.--This fish is found only in the seas of
the northern parts of the world, between the latitudes of 45°
and 66°. Its great rendezvous are the sandbanks of Newfoundland,
Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, and New England. These places are its
favourite resorts; for there it is able to obtain great
quantities of worms, a food peculiarly grateful to it. Another
cause of its attachment to these places has been said to be on
account of the vicinity to the Polar seas, where it returns to
spawn. Few are taken north of Iceland, and the shoals never
reach so far south as the Straits of Gibraltar. Many are taken
on the coasts of Norway, in the Baltic, and off the Orkneys,
which, prior to the discovery of Newfoundland, formed one of the
principal fisheries. The London market is supplied by those
taken between the Dogger Bank, the Well Bank, and Cromer, on the
east coast of England.

COD A LA MAITRE D'HOTEL.

240. INGREDIENTS.--2 slices of cod, 1/4 lb. of butter, a little chopped shalot and parsley; pepper to taste, 1/4 teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, or rather less, when the flavour is not liked; the juice of 1/4 lemon.

_Mode_.--Boil the cod, and either leave it whole, or, what is still better, flake it from the bone, and take off the skin. Put it into a stewpan with the butter, parsley, shalot, pepper, and nutmeg. Melt the butter gradually, and be very careful that it does not become like oil. When all is well mixed and thoroughly hot, add the lemon-juice, and serve.

_Time_.--1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 2s. 6d.; with remains of cold fish, 5d.

_Seasonable_ from November to March.

_Sufficient_ for 4 persons.

_Note_.--Cod that has been left will do for this.

THE SEASON FOR FISHING COD.--The best season for catching cod is
from the beginning of February to the end of April; and although
each fisherman engaged in taking them, catches no more than one
at a time, an expert hand will sometimes take four hundred in a
day. The employment is excessively fatiguing, from the weight of
the fish as well as from the coldness of the climate.

COD A L'ITALIENNE.

241. INGREDIENTS.--2 slices of crimped cod, 1 shalot, 1 slice of ham minced very fine, 1/2 pint of white stock, No. 107; when liked, 1/2 teacupful of cream; salt to taste; a few drops of garlic vinegar, a little lemon-juice, 1/2 teaspoonful of powdered sugar.

_Mode_.--Chop the shalots, mince the ham very fine, pour on the stock, and simmer for 15 minutes. If the colour should not be good, add cream in the above proportion, and strain it through a fine sieve; season it, and put in the vinegar, lemon-juice, and sugar. Now boil the cod, take out the middle bone, and skin it; put it on the dish without breaking, and pour the sauce over it.

_Time_.--3/4 hour. _Average cost_, 3s. 6d., with fresh fish.

_Seasonable_ from November to March.

_Sufficient_ for 4 persons.

THE FECUNDITY OF THE COD.--In our preceding remarks on the
natural history of fishes, we have spoken of the amazing
fruitfulness of this fish; but in this we see one more instance
of the wise provision which Nature has made for supplying the
wants of man. So extensive has been the consumption of this
fish, that it is surprising that it has not long ago become
extinct; which would certainly have been the case, had it not
been for its wonderful powers of reproduction. "So early as
1368," says Dr. Cloquet, "the inhabitants of Amsterdam had
dispatched fishermen to the coast of Sweden; and in the first
quarter of 1792, from the ports of France only, 210 vessels went
out to the cod-fisheries. Every year, however, upwards of 10,000
vessels, of all nations, are employed in this trade, and bring
into the commercial world more than 40,000,000 of salted and
dried cod. If we add to this immense number, the havoc made
among the legions of cod by the larger scaly tribes of the great
deep, and take into account the destruction to which the young
are exposed by sea-fowls and other inhabitants of the seas,
besides the myriads of their eggs destroyed by accident, it
becomes a miracle to find that such mighty multitudes of them
are still in existence, and ready to continue the exhaustless
supply. Yet it ceases to excite our wonder when we remember that
the female can every year give birth to more than 9,000,000 at a
time."

BAKED CARP.

242. INGREDIENTS--1 carp, forcemeat, bread crumbs, 1 oz. butter, 1/2 pint of stock No. 105, 1/2 pint of port wine, 6 anchovies, 2 onions sliced, 1 bay-leaf, a faggot of sweet herbs, flour to thicken, the juice of 1 lemon; cayenne and salt to taste; 1/2 teaspoonful of powdered sugar.

_Mode_.--Stuff the carp with a delicate forcemeat, after thoroughly cleansing it, and sew it up to prevent the stuffing from falling out. Rub it over with an egg, and sprinkle it with bread crumbs, lay it in a deep earthen dish, and drop the butter, oiled, over the bread crumbs. Add the stock, onions, bay-leaf, herbs, wine, and anchovies, and bake for 1 hour. Put 1 oz. of butter into a stewpan, melt it, and dredge in sufficient flour to dry it up; put in the strained liquor from the carp, stir frequently, and when it has boiled, add the lemon-juice and seasoning. Serve the carp on a dish garnished with parsley and cut lemon, and the sauce in a boat.

_Time_.--1-1/4 hour. _Average cost_. Seldom bought.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

_Sufficient_ for 1 or 2 persons.

THE CARP.--This species of fish inhabit the fresh waters, where
they feed on worms, insects, aquatic plants, small fish, clay,
or mould. Some of them are migratory. They have very small
mouths and no teeth, and the gill membrane has three rays. The
body is smooth, and generally whitish. The carp both grows and
increases very fast, and is accounted the most valuable of all
fish for the stocking of ponds. It has been pronounced the queen
of river-fish, and was first introduced to this country about
three hundred years ago. Of its sound, or air-bladder, a kind of
glue is made, and a green paint of its gall.

STEWED CARP.

243. INGREDIENTS.--1 carp, salt, stock No. 105, 2 onions, 6 cloves, 12 peppercorns, 1 blade of mace, 1/4 pint of port wine, the juice of 1/2 lemon, cayenne and salt to taste, a faggot of savoury herbs.

_Mode_.--Scale the fish, clean it nicely, and, if very large, divide it; lay it in the stewpan, after having rubbed a little salt on it, and put in sufficient stock to cover it; add the herbs, onions, and spices, and stew gently for 1 hour, or rather more, should it be very large. Dish up the fish with great care, strain the liquor, and add to it the port wine, lemon-juice, and cayenne; give one boil, pour it over the fish, and serve.

_Time_.--1-1/4 hour. _Average cost_. Seldom bought.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

_Sufficient_ for 1 or 2 persons.

_Note_.--This fish can be boiled plain, and served with parsley and butter. Chub and Char may be cooked in the same manner as the above, as also Dace and Roach.

THE AGE OF CARP.--This fish has been found to live 150 years.
The pond in the garden of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, contained
one that had lived there 70 years, and Gesner mentions an
instance of one 100 years old. They are, besides, capable of
being tamed. Dr. Smith, in his "Tour on the Continent," says, in
reference to the prince of Condé's seat at Chantilly, "The most
pleasing things about it were the immense shoals of very large
carp, silvered over with age, like silver-fish, and perfectly
tame; so that, when any passengers approached their watery
habitation, they used to come to the shore in such numbers as to
heave each other out of the water, begging for bread, of which a
quantity was always kept at hand, on purpose to feed them. They
would even allow themselves to be handled."

THE CHUB.--This fish takes its name from its head, not only in
England, but in other countries. It is a river-fish, and
resembles the carp, but is somewhat longer. Its flesh is not in
much esteem, being coarse, and, when out of season, full of
small hairy bones. The head and throat are the best parts. The
roe is also good.

THE CHAR.--This is one of the most delicious of fish, being
esteemed by some superior to the salmon. It is an inhabitant of
the deep lakes of mountainous countries. Its flesh is rich and
red, and full of fat. The largest and best kind is found in the
lakes of Westmoreland, and, as it is considered a rarity, it is
often potted and preserved.

THE DACE, OR DARE.--This fish is gregarious, and is seldom above
ten inches long; although, according to Linnaeus, it grows a
foot and a half in length. Its haunts are in deep water, near
piles of bridges, where the stream is gentle, over gravelly,
sandy, or clayey bottoms; deep holes that are shaded, water-lily
leaves, and under the foam caused by an eddy. In the warm months
they are to be found in shoals on the shallows near to streams.
They are in season about the end of April, and gradually improve
till February, when they attain their highest condition. In that
month, when just taken, scotched (crimped), and broiled, they
are said to be more palatable than a fresh herring.

THE ROACH.--This fish is found throughout Europe, and the
western parts of Asia, in deep still rivers, of which it is an
inhabitant. It is rarely more than a pound and a half in weight,
and is in season from September till March. It is plentiful in
England, and the finest are caught in the Thames. The proverb,
"as sound as a roach," is derived from the French name of this
fish being _roche_, which also means rock.

TO DRESS CRAB.

244. INGREDIENTS.--1 crab, 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, 1 ditto of oil; salt, white pepper, and cayenne, to taste.

_Mode_.--Empty the shells, and thoroughly mix the meat with the above ingredients, and put it in the large shell. Garnish with slices of cut lemon and parsley. The quantity of oil may be increased when it is much liked. (See Coloured Plate I.)

_Average cost_, from 10d. to 2s.

_Seasonable_ all the year; but not so good in May, June, and July.

_Sufficient_ for 3 persons.

TO CHOOSE CRAB.--The middle-sized crab is the best; and the crab, like the lobster, should be judged by its weight; for if light, it is watery.

HOT CRAB.

245. INGREDIENTS.--1 crab, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, 3 oz. of butter, 1/4 lb. of bread crumbs, 3 tablespoonfuls of vinegar.

_Mode_.--After having boiled the crab, pick the meat out from the shells, and mix with it the nutmeg and seasoning. Cut up the butter in small pieces, and add the bread crumbs and vinegar. Mix altogether, put the whole in the large shell, and brown before the fire or with a salamander.

_Time_.--1 hour. _Average cost_, from 10d. to 2s.

_Seasonable_ all the year; but not so good in May, June, and July.

_Sufficient_ for 3 persons.

THE CRAB TRIBE.--The whole of this tribe of animals have the
body covered with a hard and strong shell, and they live chiefly
in the sea. Some, however, inhabit fresh waters, and a few live
upon land. They feed variously, on aquatic or marine plants,
small fish, molluscae, or dead bodies. The _black-clawed_
species is found on the rocky coasts of both Europe and India,
and is the same that is introduced to our tables, being much
more highly esteemed as a food than many others of the tribe.
The most remarkable feature in their history, is the changing of
their shells, and the reproduction of their broken claws. The
former occurs once a year, usually between Christmas and Easter,
when the crabs retire to cavities in the rocks, or conceal
themselves under great stones. Fishermen say that they will live
confined in a pot or basket for several months together, without
any other food than what is collected from the sea-water; and
that, even in this situation, they will not decrease in weight.
The _hermit_ crab is another of the species, and has the
peculiarity of taking possession of the deserted shell of some
other animal, as it has none of its own. This circumstance was
known to the ancients, and is alluded to in the following lines
from Oppian:--
The hermit fish, unarm'd by Nature, left
Helpless and weak, grow strong by harmless theft.
Fearful they stroll, and look with panting wish
For the cast crust of some new-cover'd fish;
Or such as empty lie, and deck the shore,
Whose first and rightful owners are no more.
They make glad seizure of the vacant room,
And count the borrow'd shell their native home;
Screw their soft limbs to fit the winding case,
And boldly herd with the crustaceous race.

CRAYFISH.

246. Crayfish should be thrown into boiling water, to which has been added a good seasoning of salt and a little vinegar. When done, which will be in 1/4 hour, take them out and drain them. Let them cool, arrange them on a napkin, and garnish with plenty of double parsley.

_Note_.--This fish is frequently used for garnishing boiled turkey, boiled fowl, calf's head, turbot, and all kinds of boiled fish.

POTTED CRAYFISH.

247. INGREDIENTS.--100 crayfish; pounded mace, pepper and salt to taste, 2 oz. butter.

_Mode_.--Boil the fish in salt and water; pick out all the meat and pound it in a mortar to a paste. Whilst pounding, add the butter gradually, and mix in the spice and seasoning. Put it in small pots, and pour over it clarified butter, carefully excluding the air.

_Time_.--15 minutes to boil the crayfish. _Average cost_, 2s. 9d.

_Seasonable_ all the year.

JOHN DORY.

248. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of salt to each gallon of water.

_Mode_.--This fish, which is esteemed by most people a great delicacy, is dressed in the same way as a turbot, which it resembles in firmness, but not in richness. Cleanse it thoroughly and cut off the fins; lay it in a fish-kettle, cover with cold water, and add salt in the above proportion. Bring it gradually to a boil, and simmer gently for 1/4 hour, or rather longer, should the fish be very large. Serve on a hot napkin, and garnish with cut lemon and parsley. Lobster, anchovy, or shrimp sauce, and plain melted butter, should be sent to table with it.

_Time_.--After the water boils, 1/4 to 1/2 hour, according to size.

_Average cost_, 3s. to 5s. _Seasonable_ all the year, but best from September to January.

_Note_.--Small John Dorie are very good, baked.

THE DORU, or JOHN DORY.--This fish is of a yellowish golden
colour, and is, in general, rare, although it is sometimes taken
in abundance on the Devon and Cornish coasts. It is highly
esteemed for the table, and its flesh, when dressed, is of a
beautiful clear white. When fresh caught, it is tough, and,
being a ground fish, it is not the worse for being kept two, or
even three days before it is cooked.

BOILED EELS.

249. INGREDIENTS.--4 small eels, sufficient water to cover them; a large bunch of parsley.

_Mode_.--Choose small eels for boiling; put them in a stewpan with the parsley, and just sufficient water to cover them; simmer till tender. Take them out, pour a little parsley and butter over them, and serve some in a tureen.

_Time_.--1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 6d. per lb.

_Seasonable_ from June to March.

_Sufficient_ for 4 persons.

THE EEL TRIBE.--The Apodal, or bony-gilled and ventral-finned
fish, of which the eel forms the first Linnaean tribe, in their
general aspect and manners, approach, in some instances, very
nearly to serpents. They have a smooth head and slippery skin,
are in general naked, or covered with such small, soft, and
distant scales, as are scarcely visible. Their bodies are long
and slender, and they are supposed to subsist entirely on animal
substances. There are about nine species of them, mostly found
in the seas. One of them frequents our fresh waters, and three
of the others occasionally pay a visit to our shores.

STEWED EELS.

I.

250. INGREDIENTS.--2 lbs. of eels, 1 pint of rich strong stock, No. 104, 1 onion, 3 cloves, a piece of lemon-peel, 1 glass of port or Madeira, 3 tablespoonfuls of cream; thickening of flour; cayenne and lemon-juice to taste.

_Mode_.--Wash and skin the eels, and cut them into pieces about 3 inches long; pepper and salt them, and lay them in a stewpan; pour over the stock, add the onion stuck with cloves, the lemon-peel, and the wine. Stew gently for 1/2 hour, or rather more, and lift them carefully on a dish, which keep hot. Strain the gravy, stir to the cream sufficient flour to thicken; mix altogether, boil for 2 minutes, and add the cayenne and lemon-juice; pour over the eels and serve.

_Time_.--3/4 hour. _Average cost_ for this quantity, 2s. 3d.

_Seasonable_ from June to March.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

THE COMMON EEL.--This fish is known frequently to quit its
native element, and to set off on a wandering expedition in the
night, or just about the close of clay, over the meadows, in
search of snails and other prey. It also, sometimes, betakes
itself to isolated ponds, apparently for no other pleasure than
that which may be supposed to be found in a change of
habitation. This, of course, accounts for eels being found in
waters which were never suspected to contain them. This rambling
disposition in the eel has been long known to naturalists, and,
from the following lines, it seems to have been known to the
ancients:--

"Thus the mail'd tortoise, and the wand'ring; eel,
Oft to the neighbouring beach will silent steal."

II.

251. INGREDIENTS.--2 lbs. of middling-sized eels, 1 pint of medium stock, No. 105, 1/4 pint of port wine; salt, cayenne, and mace to taste; 1 teaspoonful of essence of anchovy, the juice of 1/2 a lemon.

_Mode_.--Skin, wash, and clean the eels thoroughly; cut them into pieces 3 inches long, and put them into strong salt and water for 1 hour; dry them well with a cloth, and fry them brown. Put the stock on with the heads and tails of the eels, and simmer for 1/2 hour; strain it, and add all the other ingredients. Put in the eels, and stew gently for 1/2 hour, when serve.

_Time_.--2 hours. _Average cost_, 1s. 9d.

_Seasonable_ from June to March.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

FRIED EELS.

252. INGREDIENTS.--1 lb. of eels, 1 egg, a few bread crumbs, hot lard.

_Mode_.--Wash the eels, cut them into pieces 3 inches long, trim and wipe them very dry; dredge with flour, rub them over with egg, and cover with bread crumbs; fry of a nice brown in hot lard. If the eels are small, curl them round, instead of cutting them up. Garnish with fried parsley.

_Time_.--20 minutes, or rather less. _Average cost_, 6d. per lb.

_Seasonable_ from June to March.

_Note_.--Garfish may be dressed like eels, and either broiled or baked.

THE PRODUCTIVENESS OF THE EEL.--"Having occasion," says Dr.
Anderson, in the _Bee_, "to be once on a visit to a friend's
house on Dee-side, in Aberdeenshire, I frequently delighted to
walk by the banks of the river. I, one day, observed something
like a black string moving along the edge of the water where it
was quite shallow. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that
this was a shoal of young eels, so closely joined together as to
appear, on a superficial view, on continued body, moving briskly
up against the stream. To avoid the retardment they experienced
from the force of the current, they kept close along the water's
edge the whole of the way, following all the bendings and
sinuosities of the river. Where they were embayed, and in still
water, the shoal dilated in breadth, so as to be sometimes
nearly a foot broad; but when they turned a cape, where the
current was strong, they were forced to occupy less space and
press close to the shore, struggling very hard till they passed
it. This shoal continued to move on, night and day without
interruption for several weeks. Their progress might be at the
rate of about a mile an hour. It was easy to catch the animals,
though they were very active and nimble. They were eels
perfectly well formed in every respect, but not exceeding two
inches in length. I conceive that the shoal did not contain, on
an average, less than from twelve to twenty in breadth; so that
the number that passed, on the whole, must have been very great.
Whence they came or whither they went, I know not; but the place
where I saw this, was six miles from the sea."

EEL PIE.

253. INGREDIENTS.--1 lb. of eels, a little chopped parsley, 1 shalot; grated nutmeg; pepper and salt to taste; the juice of 1/2 a lemon, small quantity of forcemeat, 1/4 pint of béchamel (see Sauces); puff paste.

_Mode_.--Skin and wash the eels, cut them into pieces 2 inches long, and line the bottom of the pie-dish with forcemeat. Put in the eels, and sprinkle them with the parsley, shalots, nutmeg, seasoning, and lemon-juice, and cover with puff-paste. Bake for 1 hour, or rather more; make the béchamel hot, and pour it into the pie.

_Time_.--Rather more than 1 hour.

_Seasonable_ from August to March.

COLLARED EEL.

254. INGREDIENTS.--1 large eel; pepper and salt to taste; 2 blades of mace, 2 cloves, a little allspice very finely pounded, 6 leaves of sage, and a small bunch of herbs minced very small.

_Mode_.--Bone the eel and skin it; split it, and sprinkle it over with the ingredients, taking care that the spices are very finely pounded, and the herbs chopped very small. Roll it up and bind with a broad piece of tape, and boil it in water, mixed with a little salt and vinegar, till tender. It may either be served whole or cut in slices; and when cold, the eel should be kept in the liquor it was boiled in, but with a little more vinegar put to it.

_Time_.--2 hours. _Average cost_, 6d. per lb.

_Seasonable_ from August to March.

HAUNTS OF THE EEL.--These are usually in mud, among weeds, under
roots or stumps of trees, or in holes in the banks or the
bottoms of rivers. Here they often grow to an enormous size,
sometimes weighing as much as fifteen or sixteen pounds. They
seldom come forth from their hiding-places except in the night;
and, in winter, bury themselves deep in the mud, on account of
their great susceptibility of cold.

EELS A LA TARTARE.

255. INGREDIENTS.--2 lbs. of eels, 1 carrot, 1 onion, a little flour, 1 glass of sherry; salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste; bread crumbs, 1 egg, 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar.

_Mode_.--Rub the butter on the bottom of the stewpan; cut up the carrot and onion, and stir them over the fire for 5 minutes; dredge in a little flour, add the wine and seasoning, and boil for 1/2 an hour. Skin and wash the eels, cut them into pieces, put them to the other ingredients, and simmer till tender. When they are done, take them out, let them get cold, cover them with egg and bread crumbs, and fry them of a nice brown. Put them on a dish, pour sauce piquante over, and serve them hot.

_Time_.--1-1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 1s. 8d., exclusive of the sauce piquante.

_Seasonable_ from August to March. _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

VORACITY OF THE EEL.--We find in a note upon Isaac Walton, by
Sir John Hawkins, that he knew of eels, when kept in ponds,
frequently destroying ducks. From a canal near his house at
Twickenham he himself missed many young ducks; and on draining,
in order to clean it, great numbers of large eels were caught in
the mud. When some of these were opened, there were found in
their stomachs the undigested heads of the quacking tribe which
had become their victims.

EELS EN MATELOTE.

256. INGREDIENTS.--5 or 6 young onions, a few mushrooms, when obtainable; salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste; 1 laurel-leaf, 1/2 pint of port wine, 1/2 pint of medium stock, No. 105; butter and flour to thicken; 2 lbs. of eels.

_Mode_.--Rub the stewpan with butter, dredge in a little flour, add the onions cut very small, slightly brown them, and put in all the other ingredients. Wash, and cut up the eels into pieces 3 inches long; put them in the stewpan, and simmer for 1/2 hour. Make round the dish, a border of croutons, or pieces of toasted bread; arrange the eels in a pyramid in the centre, and pour over the sauce. Serve very hot.

_Time_.--3/4 hour. Average cost, 1s. 9d. for this quantity.

_Seasonable_ from August to March. _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

TENACITY OF LIFE IN THE EEL.--There is no fish so tenacious of
life as this. After it is skinned and cut in pieces, the parts
will continue to move for a considerable time, and no fish will
live so long out of water.

THE LAMPREY.--With the Romans, this fish occupied a respectable
rank among the piscine tribes, and in Britain it has at various
periods stood high in public favour. It was the cause of the
death of Henry I. of England, who ate so much of them, that it
brought on an attack of indigestion, which carried him off. It
is an inhabitant of the sea, ascending rivers, principally about
the end of winter, and, after passing a few months in fresh
water, returning again to its oceanic residence. It is most in
season in March, April, and May, but is, by some, regarded as an
unwholesome food, although looked on by others as a great
delicacy. They are dressed as eels.

FISH AND OYSTER PIE.

257. INGREDIENTS.--Any remains of cold fish, such as cod or haddock; 2 dozen oysters, pepper and salt to taste, bread crumbs sufficient for the quantity of fish; 1/2 teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley.

_Mode_.--Clear the fish from the bones, and put a layer of it in a pie-dish, which sprinkle with pepper and salt; then a layer of bread crumbs, oysters, nutmeg, and chopped parsley. Repeat this till the dish is quite full. You may form a covering either of bread crumbs, which should be browned, or puff-paste, which should be cut into long strips, and laid in cross-bars over the fish, with a line of the paste first laid round the edge. Before putting on the top, pour in some made melted butter, or a little thin white sauce, and the oyster-liquor, and bake.

_Time_.--If made of cooked fish, 1/4 hour; if made of fresh fish and puff-paste, 3/4 hour.

_Average cost_, 1s. 6d.

_Seasonable_ from September to April.

_Note_.--A nice little dish may be made by flaking any cold fish, adding a few oysters, seasoning with pepper and salt, and covering with mashed potatoes; 1/4 hour will bake it.

FISH CAKE.

258. INGREDIENTS.--The remains of any cold fish, 1 onion, 1 faggot of sweet herbs; salt and pepper to taste, 1 pint of water, equal quantities of bread crumbs and cold potatoes, 1/2 teaspoonful of parsley, 1 egg, bread crumbs.

_Mode_.--Pick the meat from the bones of the fish, which latter put, with the head and fins, into a stewpan with the water; add pepper and salt, the onion and herbs, and stew slowly for gravy about 2 hours; chop the fish fine, and mix it well with bread crumbs and cold potatoes, adding the parsley and seasoning; make the whole into a cake with the white of an egg, brush it over with egg, cover with bread crumbs, and fry of a light brown; strain the gravy, pour it over, and stew gently for 1/4 hour, stirring it carefully once or twice. Serve hot, and garnish with slices of lemon and parsley.

_Time_--1/2 hour, after the gravy is made.

BOILED FLOUNDERS.

259. INGREDIENTS.--Sufficient water to cover the flounders, salt in the proportion of 6 oz. to each gallon, a little vinegar.

_Mode_.--Pat on a kettle with enough water to cover the flounders, lay in the fish, add salt and vinegar in the above proportions, and when it boils, simmer very gently for 5 minutes. They must not boil fast, or they will break. Serve with plain melted butter, or parsley and butter.

_Time_.--After the water boils, 5 minutes.

_Average cost_, 3d. each.

_Seasonable_ from August to November.

THE FLOUNDER.--This comes under the tribe usually denominated
Flat-fish, and is generally held in the smallest estimation of
any among them. It is an inhabitant of both the seas and the
rivers, while it thrives in ponds. On the English coasts it is
very abundant, and the London market consumes it in large
quantities. It is considered easy of digestion, and the Thames
flounder is esteemed a delicate fish.

FRIED FLOUNDERS.

260. INGREDIENTS.--Flounders, egg, and bread crumbs; boiling lard.

_Mode_.--Cleanse the fish, and, two hours before they are wanted, rub them inside and out with salt, to render them firm; wash and wipe them very dry, dip them into egg, and sprinkle over with bread crumbs; fry them in boiling lard, dish on a hot napkin, and garnish with crisped parsley.

_Time_.--From 5 to 10 minutes, according to size.

_Average cost_, 3d. each.

_Seasonable_ from August to November.

_Sufficient_, 1 for each person.

GUDGEONS.

261. INGREDIENTS.--Egg and bread crumbs sufficient for the quantity of fish; hot lard.

_Mode_.--Do not scrape off the scales, but take out the gills and inside, and cleanse thoroughly; wipe them dry, flour and dip them into egg, and sprinkle over with bread crumbs. Fry of a nice brown.

_Time_.--3 or 4 minutes.

_Average cost_. Seldom bought.

_Seasonable_ from March to July.

_Sufficient_, 3 for each person.

THE GUDGEON.--This is a fresh-water fish, belonging to the carp
genus, and is found in placid streams and lakes. It was highly
esteemed by the Greeks, and was, at the beginning of supper,
served fried at Rome. It abounds both in France and Germany; and
is both excellent and numerous in some of the rivers of England.
Its flesh is firm, well-flavoured, and easily digested.

GURNET, or GURNARD.

262. INGREDIENTS.--1 gurnet, 6 oz. of salt to each gallon of water.

_Mode_.--Cleanse the fish thoroughly, and cut off the fins; have ready some boiling water, with salt in the above proportion; put the fish in, and simmer very gently for 1/2 hour. Parsley and butter, or anchovy sauce, should be served with it.

_Time_.--1/2 hour.

_Average cost_. Seldom bought.

_Seasonable_ from October to March, but in perfection in October.

_Sufficient_, a middling sized one for 2 persons.

_Note_.--This fish is frequently stuffed with forcemeat and baked.

THE GURNET.-"If I be not ashamed of my soldiers, I am a souced
gurnet," says Falstaff; which shows that this fish has been long
known in England. It is very common on the British coasts, and
is an excellent fish as food.

BAKED HADDOCKS.

263. INGREDIENTS.--A nice forcemeat (_see_ Forcemeats), butter to taste, egg and bread crumbs.

_Mode_.--Scale and clean the fish, without cutting it open much; put in a nice delicate forcemeat, and sew up the slit. Brush it over with egg, sprinkle over bread crumbs, and baste frequently with butter. Garnish with parsley and cut lemon, and serve with a nice brown gravy, plain melted butter, or anchovy sauce. The egg and bread crumbs can be omitted, and pieces of butter placed over the fish.

_Time_.--Large haddock, 3/4 hour; moderate size, 1/4 hour.

_Seasonable_ from August to February.

_Average cost_, from 9d. upwards.

_Note_.--Haddocks may be filleted, rubbed over with egg and bread crumbs, and fried a nice brown; garnish with crisped parsley.

THE HADDOCK.--This fish migrates in immense shoals, and arrives
on the Yorkshire coast about the middle of winter. It is an
inhabitant of the northern seas of Europe, but does not enter
the Baltic, and is not known in the Mediterranean. On each side
of the body, just beyond the gills, it has a dark spot, which
superstition asserts to be the impressions of the finger and
thumb of St. Peter, when taking the tribute money out of a fish
of this species.

BOILED HADDOCK.

264. INGREDIENTS.--Sufficient water to cover the fish; 1/4 lb. of salt to each gallon of water.

_Mode_.--Scrape the fish, take out the inside, wash it thoroughly, and lay it in a kettle, with enough water to cover it and salt in the above proportion. Simmer gently from 15 to 20 minutes, or rather more, should the fish be very large. For small haddocks, fasten the tails in their mouths, and put them into boiling water. 10 to 15 minutes will cook them. Serve with plain melted butter, or anchovy sauce.

_Time_.--Large haddock, 1/2 hour; small, 1/4 hour, or rather less.

_Average cost_, from 9d. upwards.

_Seasonable_ from August to February.

WEIGHT OF THE HADDOCK.--The haddock seldom grows to any great
size. In general, they do not weigh more than two or three
pounds, or exceed ten or twelve inches in size. Such are
esteemed very delicate eating; but they have been caught three
feet long, when their flesh is coarse.

DRIED HADDOCK.

I.

265. Dried haddock should be gradually warmed through, either before or over a nice clear fire. Hub a little piece of butter over, just before sending it to table.

II.

266. INGREDIENTS.--1 large thick haddock, 2 bay-leaves, 1 small bunch of savoury herbs, not forgetting parsley, a little butter and pepper; boiling water.

_Mode_.--Cut up the haddock into square pieces, make a basin hot by means of hot water, which pour out. Lay in the fish, with the bay-leaves and herbs; cover with boiling water; put a plate over to keep in the steam, and let it remain for 10 minutes. Take out the slices, put them in a hot dish, rub over with butter and pepper, and serve.

_Time_.--10 minutes. _Seasonable_ at any time, but best in winter.

THE FINNAN HADDOCK.--This is the common haddock cured and dried,
and takes its name from the fishing-village of Findhorn, near
Aberdeen, in Scotland, where the art has long attained to
perfection. The haddocks are there hung up for a day or two in
the smoke of peat, when they are ready for cooking, and are
esteemed, by the Scotch, a great delicacy. In London, an
imitation of them is made by washing the fish over with
pyroligneous acid, and hanging it up in a dry place for a few
days.

RED HERRINGS, or YARMOUTH BLOATERS.

267. The best way to cook these is to make incisions in the skin across the fish, because they do not then require to be so long on the fire, and will be far better than when cut open. The hard roe makes a nice relish by pounding it in a mortar, with a little anchovy, and spreading it on toast. If very dry, soak in warm water 1 hour before dressing.

THE RED HERRING.--_Red_ herrings lie twenty-four hours in the
brine, when they are taken out and hung up in a smoking-house
formed to receive them. A brushwood fire is then kindled beneath
them, and when they are sufficiently smoked and dried, they are
put into barrels for carriage.

BAKED WHITE HERRINGS.

268. INGREDIENTS.--12 herrings, 4 bay-leaves, 12 cloves, 12 allspice, 2 small blades of mace, cayenne pepper and salt to taste, sufficient vinegar to fill up the dish.