Chapter VII: Part 7

Fillet six whitings as above, cut them in halves, then butter a sauté-pan, and lay in the fillets skin side downwards; season with a little pepper, salt, and lemon juice, place them over a slow fire five minutes, turn them and place them again on the fire; when done, dish them round on a dish, and pour some sauce Hollandaise (No. 66) over them.

No. 301. _Fillets of Whitings à l’Italienne._

Fillet and dress the fish as in the last, adding chopped parsley to the seasoning, and make the sauce as for Filets de soles à l’Italienne (No. 266).

No. 302. _Whiting à l’Huile._

Fry the whiting in very hot salad oil, instead of lard, of a very light brown colour; dish it on a napkin, garnish with fried parsley, and serve shrimp sauce in a boat.

No. 303. _Mackerel._

The mackerel is a useful fish, and makes its appearance upon the tables of all classes; for whilst its delicious flavour makes it a favourite of the rich, its cheapness frequently renders it economical food for the poor. To plain boil them put them in boiling salt and water, let them simmer twenty minutes or half an hour, according to the size; dish on a napkin, garnish with parsley, and serve fennel sauce (No. 75) in a boat.

No. 304. _Mackerel à la Maître d’Hôtel._

Cut a mackerel up the back close to the bone, season it with pepper and salt, (a little cayenne if approved,) butter the skin well, and lay it on the gridiron; it will take about twenty minutes over a moderate fire to broil; when it is done have ready a quarter of a pound of maître d’hôtel butter (No. 79), place the mackerel on a dish without a napkin, put half the butter in the incision at the back, and spread the rest over it; place it in the oven a few minutes and serve very hot.

No. 305. _Fillets of Mackerel à la Dumas._

Fillet your mackerel as you would whitings by passing the knife down the back bone, lay your fillets in a buttered sauté-pan, (the skin side upwards), with two tablespoonfuls of oil, two of port wine, and season with a little pepper and salt; place them over a sharp fire ten minutes, then turn them and place them over again five minutes longer, or till they are done, take them out, cut each fillet in halves, and dish them round on a dish without a napkin; then put twelve tablespoonfuls of brown sauce (No. 1) into the sauté-pan, let it boil five minutes, then add a teaspoonful of chopped mushrooms, half ditto of chopped parsley, a little lemon juice, and a small quantity of sugar; chop the roe of the mackerel and put in the sauce, let it simmer five minutes, pour it over the fillets, cover them lightly with bread-crumbs, brown lightly with the salamander and serve very hot. The sauce must not be too thick.

No. 306. _Mackerel au beurre noir._

Open your mackerel at the back, season with pepper and salt, butter all over, and lay quite flat on the gridiron, broil it about a quarter of an hour over a moderate fire, and place it in a dish without a napkin, then put half a pound of butter in a stewpan, place it over a sharp fire till it becomes black, (but not burnt,) throw in half a handful of picked parsley, fry it crisp, and pour it over the fish, then put four tablespoonfuls of common vinegar into the stewpan, boil it half a minute, season with pepper and salt, and pour likewise over the fish, put it in the oven five minutes and serve very hot.

No. 307. _Fillets of Mackerel à la Venitienne._

Fillet your mackerel and cut each fillet in halves, butter a sauté-pan and lay them in skin-side downwards; season with a little pepper, salt, and chopped eschalots; place them on a slow fire five minutes, then turn them, and place them again on the fire ten minutes longer, but keep them quite white; dress them on a dish without a napkin in the form of a star; put ten tablespoonfuls of brown sauce (No. 1) in the sauté-pan, with half a teaspoonful of chopped tarragon and chervil, half ditto of chopped truffles, and a tablespoonful of port wine; let it boil a few minutes, pour over the fillets and serve.

No. 308. _Dublin Bay Haddock à la bonne Femme._

This fish used to be very difficult to procure fresh in London, but the rapidity of steam conveyance by sea and land, brings it almost alive into the London markets. I must highly recommend this both for its firmness and its lightness; it is usually cooked in one of the two following ways, but it may be plain boiled and served with shrimp, maître d’hôtel, Hollandaise, or any other sauces: cut four or five incisions on each side of a Dublin Bay haddock, about an inch deep, put it in a deep dish and cover it well with salt, let it remain so about twelve hours, then put it in boiling water and let it simmer thirty or forty minutes, (if the fish weighs six or seven pounds,) dish it on a napkin, garnish with parsnips plain boiled, and parsley, and serve egg sauce (No. 76) in a boat.

No. 309. _Dublin Bay Haddock, baked._

Fill the belly of the fish with stuffing (No. 127), sew it up with packthread, and truss it with its tail in its mouth; rub a quarter of a pound of butter over it, set it on a baking sheet, put it in a warmish oven and bake it three quarters of an hour; when done, dress it on a dish without a napkin, and pour a Beyrout sauce round it--(for sauce, see No. 64).

No. 310. _Common Haddock, plain._

This is a very serviceable, light, wholesome fish, and may be obtained like soles or whitings, at any time of the year; to dress them plain put them in boiling water well salted, and let them simmer about twenty minutes, (or according to the size,) dress on a napkin and serve shrimp sauce in a boat.

No. 311. _Haddock à la Maître d’Hôtel._

Cut the fish open at the back on each side of the bone, season it with pepper and salt, dip it in flour, and lay it on a gridiron over a moderate fire, turning it very carefully; it will take about twenty minutes to cook, dress it on a dish without a napkin; then have ready a quarter of a pound of maître d’hôtel butter (No. 69), put half of it in the back of the fish, and put the fish in the oven, put the remainder of the butter in the stewpan with six tablespoonfuls of rather thin melted butter; when quite hot pour it round the fish and serve.

No. 312. _Haddock à la Walter Scott._

Put two tablespoonfuls of chopped onions, one ditto of Harvey sauce, one ditto of catsup, one ditto of sherry, and twenty ditto of melted butter into a middling-sized stewpan, place it over the fire and let it boil fifteen minutes, keeping it stirred, then have ready a good sized haddock, cut it in four pieces, put it into the stewpan with the sauce, place it over a slow fire for twenty minutes, or longer if necessary, when done, dress it on a dish without a napkin; reduce the sauce a little more if required, then add a little sugar and essence of anchovy, pour it over the fish and serve.

No. 313. _Fillets of Haddock à la St. Paul._

Fillet your fish the same as a whiting, dip the fillets in flour, egg, and bread-crumb, and fry in hot lard, or oil, in a sauté-pan, dress them on a napkin, garnish with fried watercress, and serve with two ounces of anchovy butter melted, but not boiled, in a boat.

No. 314. _Fillets of Haddock à la Hollandaise._

Fillet your fish as above, and proceed as for fillets of whiting à la Hollandaise (see No. 300).

No. 315. _Gurnet and Pipers._

Though this fish is not much appreciated, I must say it is deserving of more repute than it possesses in the opinion of epicures, for when fresh and well dressed it deserves to rank as one of the first of the second-class fishes; to dress it plain it is put in boiling water, and simmered twenty or thirty minutes or more, according to the size; dress it on a napkin, garnish with parsley, and serve anchovy sauce in a boat.

No. 316. _Roast Gurnet._

Fill the belly of the fish with stuffing (No. 127), sew it up with packthread, and truss the fish with its tail in its mouth, butter a sauté-pan, and put two tablespoonfuls of chopped eschalots and a glass of sherry into it, egg the fish with a paste brush, bread-crumb, and lay a few pieces of butter upon it; then put it in the sauté-pan, and place it in the oven half an hour, or more if required; when done, dish it without a napkin, first drawing out the packthread, then put twelve tablespoonfuls of brown sauce (No. 1) in the sauté-pan, with four ditto of broth, a quarter ditto of sugar, and a half ditto of essence of anchovy; boil it five minutes, pour it round the fish, pass the salamander over it and serve.

No. 317. _Fillets of Gurnets en matelote._

Skin and fillet four small gurnets (in the same manner as you would whitings), cut each fillet in halves, egg and bread-crumb, and fry them in oil in a sauté-pan; dress them on a border of mashed potatoes, and serve a sauce matelote (No. 262) in the centre.

No. 318. _Fillets of Gurnets à la Maître d’Hôtel._

Skin and fillet the fish as above, then butter a sauté-pan and lay the fillets in it, season with a little pepper, salt, chopped parsley, and lemon juice; place them on a slow fire five minutes, turn them and put them again on the fire till done, dress them round on a dish without a napkin, and finish the sauce as for fillets of soles à la maître d’hôtel (No. 264), and pour over the fillets.

No. 319. _Fillets of Gurnets à l’Italienne._

Skin, fillet, cook, and dress the fish as before for sauce, (see fillets of soles à la Italienne, No. 266.)

No. 320. _Herrings broiled, sauce Digon._

These fish are fresh when the eyes look bright, the gills red, and the scales glossy; the delicacy of these fish prevent them being dressed in any other way than broiled or boiled, they may certainly be bread-crumbed and fried, but very few persons like them; they are best in the following way: wipe them well and cut three incisions on each side, dip them in flour, and broil them over a moderate fire; when done, sprinkle a little salt over them, dish them on a napkin, garnish with parsley, and serve the following sauce in a boat: put eight tablespoonfuls of melted butter in a stewpan, with two ditto of French mustard, two pats of butter, and a little pepper and salt, when boiling and the pats are melted, pour the sauce into the boat and serve.

No. 321. _Herrings plain boiled._

Put two quarts of water to boil (in a stewpan), with half a pound of salt; when boiling put in six or eight herrings, stand them on the corner of the fire to simmer for a quarter of an hour, take them up, dish them on a napkin, and serve shrimp, anchovy, or sauce Hollandaise in a boat; these fish require to be served the moment they are dressed, or they become heavy and indigestible.

No. 322. _Boiled Herrings à la Crème._

Boil the herrings as above, and dish them without a napkin; have ready the following sauce: put six tablespoonfuls of the best cream in a stewpan, with a little pepper and salt, and when nearly boiling add two ounces of fresh butter and the juice of half a lemon; stir it quick and pour over the fish.

No. 323. _Skate plain boiled._

This fish with some persons is a great favourite; it is usually crimped, cut in slices, and rolled round, but very seldom dressed whole; to boil it put in salt and water as usual when the water boils, and let it simmer twenty minutes, then take it up, dish it on a napkin, garnish with parsley, and serve with anchovy sauce in a boat.

No. 324. _Skate au Beurre noir._

Boil the skate as above, drain it well, and dish it without a napkin; put half a pound of butter in a stewpan and set it on the fire till it gets quite black, then fry half a handful of parsley (that has been well washed and picked) in it quite crisp, and pour over the fish, then put five tablespoonfuls of vinegar, with a little pepper and salt, into the same stewpan, boil it a minute, pour over the fish, put it in the oven five minutes and serve very hot.

No. 325. _Skate à la Maître d’Hôtel._

Boil the fish as previously, dish it up without a napkin, then put twelve tablespoonfuls of white sauce (No. 7) in a stewpan, and when it boils add a quarter of a pound of maître d’hôtel butter (No. 79) to it; stir it till the butter is melted and pour over the fish.

No. 326. _Smelts, to fry them._

Select these fishes very fresh, they being so very delicate they must not be kept more than one day in summer or two in winter; their appearance when fresh is very silvery, the eyes are very bright, and they smell like violets or cucumbers, but if the belly looks at all black they are not fresh, and consequently not wholesome; the most common method of dressing them is to fry them; dry them well in a cloth, and dip them in flour; then have half an ounce of butter melted in a stewpan, into which break the yolks of two eggs, with which wash the smelts over with a paste brush, dip them in bread-crumbs, fry in very hot lard, dress them on a napkin, garnish with parsley, and serve with shrimp sauce in a boat.

No. 327. _Smelts à la Juive._

Egg and bread-crumb the fish as before, fry in salad oil (very hot), dress them on a napkin, garnish with parsley, and serve without sauce.

No. 328. _Smelts à la Boulangère._

Dry the fish in a napkin, dip them in very thick cream, and immediately afterwards in flour, so that it forms a paste round them; fry them in very white hot lard, dress them on a napkin, garnish with parsley, and serve without sauce.

No. 329. _Atelettes Eperlans à la Menagère_

Put ten smelts upon a silver skewer, dry them in flour, then oil your gridiron and lay the fish upon it, broil them ten minutes over a clear fire, dress them on a dish without a napkin, and pour some butter clarified, with a little pepper, salt, and lemon-juice, over them. In France these fishes are served for second course in the following way: have four small silver skewers, (atelettes,) and run them through the eyes of the fish, egg and bread-crumb them, and fry in very hot lard five minutes; serve them on a napkin without any sauce; they take the place of a roast.

No. 330. _Buisson d’Eperlans._

Truss the fishes by putting their tails into their mouths, season them with pepper and salt, egg and bread-crumb and fry them in very hot lard, dress them on a napkin pyramidically, garnish with fried parsley, and serve plain melted butter in a boat.

No. 331. _Flounders, Water Souchet._

Put a pint of water into a deep sauté-pan, with half a tablespoonful of salt, and a little pepper, and forty small sprigs of parsley; when nearly boiling have ready six small flounders, (cut in halves in a slanting direction), and put them into the sauté-pan, let them simmer about twelve minutes, take them up and dress them on a dish without a napkin; then add a little sugar to the liquor they were boiled in, reduce it five minutes, and pour over the fish; half broth may be used with half a pint of water instead of a pint.

No. 332. _Flounders à la Greenwich._

Dry them on a cloth, then dip the white part of them in yolks of eggs, then in flour and bread-crumbs mixed together, fry them in hot lard, dress them on a napkin, with fried parsley in the middle; serve anchovy sauce in a boat; six small fish are enough for this dish.

No. 333. _Flounders plain fried._

Dry them, dip in flour, egg, and bread-crumb, and fry them in hot lard; dress them on a napkin, garnished with parsley, and serve shrimp sauce (No. 73) in a boat.

No. 334. _Flounders broiled._

Dry them and dip them in flour, put them on a gridiron over a moderate fire, when done dress them on a napkin, and serve shrimp sauce in a boat.

No. 335. _Plaice._

May be dressed like soles, (au gratin,) but the usual way is to boil or fry, and serve on a napkin with anchovy sauce in a boat. It is a watery fish and seldom admitted in the kitchens of the wealthy.

No. 336. _Whitebait._

This very delicate little fish is cooked in the most simple manner; dry them in a couple of cloths, shake the cloths at the corner, but do not touch the fish with your hands; then have ready an equal quantity of bread-crumbs and flour on a dish, throw the fish into it, toss them lightly over with the hands, take them out immediately, put them in a wire basket, and fry them in very hot lard; one minute will cook them; turn them out on to a cloth, sprinkle a little salt over them, dish them on a napkin and serve very hot.

These Liliputian fishes never can be had at home in the perfection you get them at Greenwich or Blackwall, where they are obtained as soon as caught, and dressed by persons in constant practice.

No. 337. _Sturgeon._

The flesh of this fish is or ought to be absolutely white; if red, nothing can be done with it; though this fish is much in vogue in France, in England it is thought nothing of, for which reason I shall only give two receipts how to dress it; no fish requires so much cooking; to dress it plain it is merely boiled in salt and water, a pound of the fish requiring half an hour, dish on a napkin, garnish with parsley, and serve anchovy sauce in a boat. It is cut in slices an inch in thickness to boil.

No. 338. _Sturgeon à la Chancelière._

Procure two pieces of middling-sized fish about five inches in thickness, then prepare the following marinade: put two onions, one carrot, one turnip, six eschalots, four bay-leaves (cut up very small,) six cloves, two blades of mace, and two tablespoonfuls of oil, in a stewpan, pass it over the fire ten minutes, keeping it stirred, then add four wineglassfuls of vinegar, four of sherry, and three pints of broth; boil altogether twenty minutes, then lay in the fish, cover the stewpan, and put it in a slow oven for four hours; let it remain in the stock till ready to serve, dish it without a napkin, and have ready the following sauce: put twenty tablespoonfuls of thick white sauce (No. 7) in a stewpan with twenty of the stock the fish was cooked in, let it reduce to two thirds, then pass it through a tammie into another stewpan, and add twenty blanched muscles, twenty olives, twenty mushrooms, two spoonfuls of essence of anchovies, half a one of sugar, and a little cayenne; when hot pour over the fish. The fish dressed this way may be served with matelote, maître d’hôtel, or Mazarine sauce.

OF SHELL FISH.

No. 339. _Lobsters._

The middling-sized ones are preferable to the very large ones; the meat is more delicate; plain boiling in salt and water is all they require, or sea water if it can be obtained; though the dressing of this fish is so very simple you very seldom meet with them boiled to perfection; often they are over done, then they have lost their succulence, and eat tough and thready; but if, on the contrary, they are under done, they are very unwholesome and unpalateable; to avoid this mistake I will here give the proper time to boil them; put a lobster weighing one pound into boiling water and let it boil a quarter of an hour; if the lobster weighs two pounds it will require half an hour, and so on in proportion; this is one of the most useful shell fish employed in cooking, as may be seen by the different receipts for fish.

No. 340. _Crabs._

This is also a very delicate fish; it is boiled in the same manner as a lobster, only allowing five minutes longer to each pound, but small ones are useless; they are usually eaten cold with oil and vinegar; to send them to table, dress the meat in the back shell by mixing the soft part with a few bread-crumbs, seasoning it with a little pepper and salt, and putting it in the centre of the shell; then pick the flesh from the large claw with a fork, and filling up the two ends, separating it from the other with some red spawn, place it upon a dish, surround it with the small claws in a circle, and garnish with parsley.

No. 341. _Muscles._

Though very little in use, the flavour of this fish is very delicious in many sauces; many people are afraid to eat them, but with care there is not the slightest danger if prepared in the following manner: wash them well in several waters, and be particular in taking off all the threads that hang to the joints of the shell, put them in a stewpan with two onions (sliced), four cloves, two bay-leaves, and a handful of parsley; set them on a brisk fire and cover them over, toss them over now and then, and when they open of themselves they are done; turn them out of the stewpan, lift off the top shells and take out the fish, beard them and be particular that no small crabs remain in them (as they are supposed to be the unwholesome part), put them in a basin, strain their own liquor over them, and put them by for use. In July and August these fish may be omitted.

No. 342. _Oysters._

The English green oysters are the best that are known; the latter end of August is about the time an epicure would begin to eat them; the small ones are the best for table, and the large ones for culinary purposes; to blanch them open them with care, and put them in a stewpan with their own liquor; let them set, but they must not boil; beard them, strain their own liquor over them in a basin, put them by and use where described.

No. 343. _Pike roasted._

This fish in France is found daily upon the tables of the first epicures, but the quality of this fish there appears much more delicate than here. But perhaps the reason of its being more in vogue there is, that other fish are more scarce; not being so much in use here, (that is, in London,) but in the country, where gentlemen have sport in catching them, they are much more thought of, and to them, perhaps, the following receipts may be the most valuable. To dress it plain it is usually baked, as follows: having well cleaned the fish stuff it with the stuffing for fish (No. 127), and sew the belly up with packthread; butter a sauté-pan, put the fish into it and place it in the oven for an hour or more, according to the size of it; when done dish it without a napkin and pour anchovy sauce round it; this fish, previous to its being baked, must be trussed with its tail in its mouth, four incisions cut on each side, and well buttered over.

No. 344. _Pike à la Chambord._

The large fish are the only ones fit for this dish (which is much thought of in France). Have the fish well cleaned, and lard it in a square on one side with bacon, put it in a fish-kettle, the larded side upwards, and prepare the following marinade: slice four onions, one carrot, and one turnip, and put them in a stewpan with six bay-leaves, six cloves, two blades of mace, a little thyme, basil, a bunch of parsley, half a pound of lean ham, and half a pound of butter; pass it over a slow fire twenty minutes, keeping it stirred; then add half a bottle of Madeira wine, a wineglassful of vinegar, and six quarts of broth; boil altogether an hour, then pass it through a sieve and pour the liquor into the kettle over the fish; set the fish on the fire to stew for an hour or more, according to the size, but take care the marinade does not cover the fish, moisten the larded part now and then with the stock, and put some burning charcoal on the lid of the kettle; when done glaze it lightly, dish it without a napkin, and have ready the following sauce: put a pint of the stock your fish was stewed in (having previously taken off all the fat) into a stewpan, with two glasses of Madeira wine, reduce it to half, then add two quarts of brown sauce (No. 1), keep it stirred over the fire till the sauce adheres to the back of the wooden spoon, then add the roes of four carp or mackarel (cut in large pieces, but be careful not to break them), twenty heads of very white mushrooms, twenty cockscombs, twelve large quenelles of whiting (No. 124), and finish with a tablespoonful of essence of anchovies and half a one of sugar, pour the sauce round the fish, arranging the garniture with taste, add twelve crawfish to the garniture, having previously taken off all the small claws; serve very hot.

This dish I dare say will be but seldom made in this country, on account of its complication, but I thought proper to give it on account of the high estimation in which it is held in France; I must however observe that I have omitted some of the garniture which would make it still more expensive, and if there should be any difficulty in getting what remains, the sauce is very good without.

No. 345. _Pike en matelote._

Stuff and bake the fish as before; when done, dress it without a napkin, and pour a sauce matelote (see Saumon en matelote marinière, No. 239) in the middle and round the fish, and serve very hot. Or the fish may be stewed as in the last.

No. 346. _Pike à la Hollandaise._

Boil the fish in salt and water, in the same manner as cod-fish; drain it well, dish it without a napkin, pour a sauce Hollandaise over it. (For sauce, see Turbot à la Hollandaise, No. 206.)

No. 347. _Small Pike à la Meunière._

Crimp a small pike, it must not weigh more than two pounds, but smaller if you can get it, and proceed exactly as for Sole à la meunière (No. 260), but allow it more time.

No. 348. _Pike with caper sauce._

Boil the fish as before, and have ready caper sauce made as follows: put fifteen tablespoonfuls of melted butter in a stewpan, and when it boils add a quarter of a pound of fresh butter; when it melts, add two tablespoonfuls of liaison (No. 119); let it remain on the fire to thicken, but do not let it boil; moisten with a little milk if required, then add two tablespoonfuls of capers, and pour over the fish.

No. 349. _Pike à la Maître d’Hôtel._

Boil the fish as usual, and dish it without a napkin; then put twelve tablespoonfuls of melted butter in a stewpan; and when it is upon the point of boiling, add a quarter of a pound of maître d’hôtel butter, and when it melts pour over and round the fish; serve very hot.

No. 350. _Pike à l’Egyptienne._

Cut two onions, two turnips, one carrot, one head of celery, and one leek into slices; put them into a large stewpan with some parsley, thyme, bay-leaves, and a pint of port wine; then have your fish ready trussed, with its tail in its mouth; put it into the stewpan, with the vegetables; add three pints of broth, and set it on a slow fire to stew, with some live charcoal upon the lid; try, when done, by running the knife close in to the back bone; if the meat detaches easily, it is done; take it out, and place on a baking sheet; dry it with a cloth, then egg and bread-crumb it; put it in the oven, and salamander it a light brown; then put twenty tablespoonfuls of white sauce (No. 7) in a stewpan, with eight of milk, and reduce it five minutes; then add four gherkins, the whites of four hard-boiled eggs, and two truffles, cut in very small dice; finish with two tablespoonfuls of essence of anchovies, the juice of half a lemon, and four pats of butter; dress the fish without a napkin, and sauce over.

No. 351. _Fillets of Pike à la Maître d’Hôtel._

Fillet three small pike and dress them in the manner described in Fillets of mackerel à la Vénitienne (No. 307); dress them round on a dish without a napkin, and sauce over with the same sauce as Pike à la maître d’hôtel.

No. 352. _Fillets of Pike en matelote._

If for a dinner for twelve, fillet four small pike; egg and bread-crumb, and fry in oil; dish them round on a border of mashed potatoes (previously cutting each fillet in halves) and serve sauce matelote (No. 62) in the centre.

No. 353. _Fillets of Pike à la Meunière._

Fillet four pike as above, cut each fillet in halves, rub some chopped eschalot into them, dip them in flour, broil them; when done, sauce as for Sole à la meunière (No. 260). Observe, if you happen to live in the country where pike is plentiful, you may dish the fillets in as many ways as soles or any other fish; but I have omitted giving them here, thinking it useless to fill a useful book with so many repetitions; we have several ways of dressing pike to be eaten cold in France, which I have also omitted, as they would be quite useless in this country.

No. 354. _Carp en matelote._

Have your fish ready cleaned, and make four or five incisions on each side; then put two sliced onions, three sprigs of thyme and parsley, and half a pint of port wine in a stewpan, or small fish-kettle; season the fish with pepper and salt, lay it in the stewpan, add four pints of broth, and place it on a slow fire to stew for an hour (which will be sufficient for a fish of five pounds weight), or more in proportion to the size; when done, dress it on a dish, without a napkin; drain it well, and serve a matelote sauce (No. 62) over it, only use some of the stock from the fish (having previously taken off all the fat) instead of plain broth, as directed in that article.

No. 355. _Carp à la Genoise._

Prepare your fish as above, and lay it in your fish-kettle, with two ounces of salt, half a bottle of port wine, two onions, two turnips, one leek, one carrot (cut in slices), three bay-leaves, six cloves, two blades of mace, and a sprig of parsley, cover the fish with white broth; stew it as before, dress it without a napkin, prepare a sauce Genoise (No. 63), and pour over it.

No. 356. _Stewed Carp à la Marquise._

Cook the fish as above, and when done, dress it on a dish without a napkin, and have ready the following sauce: put twenty tablespoonfuls of white sauce (No. 7) in a stewpan, reduce it over a fire until rather thick, then add a gill of whipt cream, two tablespoonfuls of capers, and two of chopped gherkins; pour over the fish, then sprinkle two tablespoonfuls of chopped beet-root over it, and serve.

No. 357. _Carp with caper sauce._

Cook the fish as above, and dress it without a napkin; then put twenty-five tablespoonfuls of melted butter into a stewpan, and when nearly boiling add a quarter of a pound of fresh butter; stir it till the butter melts, then add four tablespoonfuls of capers, and pour over. This sauce must be rather thick.

No. 358. _Carp fried._

Open the fish down the back with a sharp knife from the head to the tail, cutting off half the head, so that the fish is quite flat; break the backbone in three places, but allow the roe to remain; then dip the fish in flour, and fry it in hot lard; dress it on a napkin, garnish with parsley, and serve plain melted butter, well seasoned, in a boat.

No. 359. _Tench en matelote._

This fish, though not much thought of by our first-rate epicures, is, according to my opinion, superior to carp; in a matelote it is excellent.

Have your fish prepared for cooking, and put them into a small fish-kettle (with a drainer); and if two middle-sized fish, put two onions, half a carrot, one turnip, three bay-leaves, a bunch of parsley, four cloves, a blade of mace, ten allspice, half a pint of port wine, and half a pint of broth in the kettle with them; place them over a moderate fire, stew them half an hour, or more if required; when done drain them well; dress without a napkin, and pour a matelote sauce (No. 62) over them.

No. 360. _Tench à la Beyrout._

Stew the fish exactly as above, dress them without a napkin, and pour a sauce Beyrout (No. 64) over them.

No. 361. _Tench à la Poulette._

Stew the fish as before, only use bucellas instead of port wine; then peel thirty button onions, pass them in a stewpan (over a fire) with a little powdered sugar and butter till they are covered with a white glaze; then add two glasses of bucellas wine, boil it three minutes; then put twenty tablespoonfuls of white sauce, and ten of the stock from the fish in with it, and let it simmer on the corner of the fire till the onions are quite done, keeping it well skimmed; then season with a little pepper, salt, and sugar, and add twenty muscles (blanched), a little chopped parsley, and a tablespoonful of lemon-juice; take it off the fire, stir in four tablespoonfuls of liaison, and pour over the fish; serve very hot. The sauce requires to be thick enough to well cover the fish.

No. 362. _Tench sauce aux Moules._

Stew the fish as before, dish it up without a napkin, have ready a muscle sauce (No. 70) pour it over the fish, and serve very hot.

No. 363. _Tench fried or broiled._

Is very good served with anchovy or shrimp sauce in a boat.

No 364. _Perch à la Hollandaise._

Have three middling-sized fishes ready prepared for cooking; then put two ounces of butter, two onions (in slices), one carrot (cut small), some parsley, two bay-leaves, six cloves, and two blades of mace in a stewpan; pass it five minutes over a brisk fire, then add a quart of water, two glasses of vinegar, one ounce of salt, and a little pepper; boil altogether a quarter of an hour, and pass it through a sieve into a small fish-kettle; then lay the fishes into it, and let them stew twenty or thirty minutes over a moderate fire; dress them on a dish without a napkin, and pour a sauce Hollandaise (No. 66) over them.

No. 365. _Perch à la Maître d’Hôtel_

Prepare and cook your fish as above; then put twenty tablespoonfuls of melted butter in a stewpan, and when it is upon the point of boiling, add a quarter of a pound of Maître d’Hôtel butter (No. 79) and pour the sauce over the fish, which dress on a dish without a napkin.

No. 366. _Small Perches en water souchet._

Cut four small fishes in halves, having previously taken off all the scales, and proceed precisely as for Flounders en water souchet (No. 331).

No. 367. _Small Perches frits au beurre._

Scale and well dry six perches, and make incisions here and there on each side of them; then put a quarter of a pound of butter into a sauté-pan, season your fishes with pepper and salt, put them in the sauté-pan and fry them gently, turning them carefully; when done, dress them on a napkin, garnish with parsley, and serve without sauce.

In my opinion, they are much better cooked this way than boiled or stewed; large fish may also be done this way, but they require more butter, and must cook very slowly.

No. 368. _Trout plain boiled._

Trout that is caught in a river or running stream is preferable to that caught in a lake or pond; although I have had very fine ones from ponds, they have invariably tasted muddy; in fact a running stream is better for all fish in this respect; but still water most affects the flavour of the trout.

Prepare the fish for cooking, and boil it in salt and water; if it weighs two pounds, allow it half an hour, and more in proportion; dress it on a napkin, garnish with parsley, and serve shrimp-sauce in a boat.

No. 369. _Trout à la Maître d’Hôtel._

Stew the fish like perch, allowing more time in proportion to the size; dress them on a dish without a napkin, and sauce the same as Perche à la Maître d’Hôtel (No. 365).

No. 370. _Trout à la Genoise._

Stew the fish as above, dress it on a dish without a napkin, and pour a sauce Genoise (No. 63) over it.

No. 371. _Baked Trout._

Proceed exactly the same as for baked pike (No. 343.)

No. 372. _Trout à la Beyrout._

Dry your fish with a cloth, flour it, and lay it on the gridiron; broil it nicely over a moderate fire; when done, peel off all the skin; dish it without a napkin, and pour a sauce Beyrout (No. 64) over it.

No. 373. _Fillets of Trout à la Mazarine._

Fillet a fish, and cut each fillet in halves; fry it in butter, like perch, dress it round on a dish, and pour a sauce Mazarine over them. For sauce, see Turbot à la Mazarine, No. 207, or they may be served with a matelote sauce in change.

No. 374. _Eels fried._

Cut the eels in pieces about three inches long, dip them in flour, egg and bread-crumb, and fry them in very hot lard, dress them on a napkin, garnish with parsley, and serve shrimp-sauce in a boat.

No. 375. _Eels à la Tartare._

Cut the eels and fry as above, have ready some Tartare sauce (No. 38) upon a cold dish, lay the eels upon it and serve immediately; should the eels be large they must be three parts stewed before they are fried; dry them upon a cloth previous to bread-crumbing them.

No. 376. _Spitchcocked Eels._

Take the bones out of the eels by opening them from head to tail, and cut them in pieces about four inches long, throw them into some flour, then have ready upon a dish about a couple of handfuls of bread-crumbs, a tablespoonful of chopped parsley, a little dried thyme, and a little cayenne pepper, then egg each piece of eel and bread-crumb them with it, fry them in very hot lard, dish them on a napkin, and serve shrimp-sauce in a boat.

No. 377. _Stewed Eels._

Cut the eels in pieces as before, and tie each piece round with packthread, then put them into a stewpan with an onion, a tablespoonful of white wine, three cloves, three whole allspice, a bunch of parsley, thyme, and bay-leaf, and a little white broth, sufficient to cover them; place them over a moderate fire, and let them stew gently for half an hour or more, if required, (according to the size of the eel,) take them out, drain them on a napkin, dish them without a napkin, and have ready the following sauce: put a teaspoonful of chopped onions into a stewpan with four tablespoonfuls of white wine, and eight ditto of brown sauce (No. 1), let it boil gently for a quarter of an hour, keeping it stirred, then add a teaspoonful of essence of anchovies and a little sugar, and pour over your eels.

No. 378. _Eels en matelote._

Stew the eels as above, dress them without a napkin, and pour a sauce matelote (No. 62) over them. They may also be served with a sauce à la Beyrout (No. 64).

No. 379. _Lampreys._

Are fish not so often used as eels, though they are remarkably good eating; but I think they have got out of repute by being so often served underdone; they may be stewed in the same manner as eels, (only a lamprey requires double the time stewing that an eel of the same size would require), and serve with the same sauces, with matelote sauce especially; if you fry or broil them they must be three parts boiled beforehand; to try when done run a trussing needle into them, if it goes in easy they are done.

No. 380. _Crawfish._

These are very favourite little shell-fish, and much used in France, but seldom served as a dish in this country (they are not good when in spawn); for a dish have two dozen of them and wash in several waters (choose them as near as possible of equal sizes), then put them in a stewpan, with two onions, one carrot, one turnip, one head of celery, six bay-leaves, a bunch of parsley, six cloves, twelve peppercorns, half an ounce of salt, half a teaspoonful of pepper, a quarter ditto of cayenne, two glasses of vinegar, four of sherry, and half a pint of broth; place them over a very brisk fire for twenty-five minutes, stirring them occasionally, take them off the fire and let them cool in their stock, put them in a basin, cover them with the stock, but strain the vegetables away from them, and use for garnishing where directed; to make a dish dress them on butter in the form of a bush, mingling very green double parsley with them.

There are some few other sorts of fresh-water fish not very frequently used, which may be fried, boiled, or stewed, in some of the ways as described in the foregoing list.

HORS-D’ŒUVRES, OR DISHES TO BE HANDED ROUND THE TABLE.

No. 381. _Petits Vol-au-Vents à la Moëlle de Bœuf._

Make a pound of puff paste (No. 1132), roll it half an inch in thickness, then cut out your vol-au-vents with a fluted cutter rather larger than a five-shilling piece; have ready a baking sheet, (on which you have sprinkled some water,) and put your vol-au-vents on it, egg them over with a paste brush, and cut a top with a small plain cutter, which is done by dipping the cutter into hot water, and just marking a ring upon the top of each vol-au-vent, but do not cut it deep, then put them in a very warm oven, and pay particular attention to the baking of them, which will occupy about twenty minutes, keep the oven door shut as much as possible, take them out when done, and with the point of a knife take off the lid without breaking it, and take out the soft paste remaining inside, leaving them quite empty, they are then ready for immediate use; prepare the marrow as follows: take all the marrow from a beef marrow-bone, in as large pieces as possible, have ready on the fire a stewpan of boiling water, into which throw the marrow, and let it boil ten minutes, then take it out carefully and put it in cold water, put a pint of brown sauce (No. 1) into a stewpan, with four spoonfuls of brown gravy (No. 135) and a small piece of glaze, and reduce it till it becomes rather thick, then cut the marrow in dice about a quarter of an inch square, and two minutes before serving throw it into the sauce, with two large quenelles (No. 120) also cut in dice, whilst boiling, previously draining them upon a cloth; warm it quickly, season with a little salt and sugar if required, fill the vol-au-vents, and dress them on a napkin pyramidically; serve very hot.

No. 382. _Petits Vol-au-Vents au laitance de Maquereau._

Make the vol-au-vents as in the previous article, put two ounces of butter into a sauté-pan, rub it over the bottom, have ready four soft roes of mackerel, then put into the sauté-pan with a little pepper, salt, chopped parsley, and a teaspoonful of lemon-juice; set them over a moderate fire five minutes, turn them, and when done cut them in small dice, but let them remain in the sauté-pan, then add eight tablespoonfuls of white sauce (No. 7), and two of light broth, a little sugar, and two or three tablespoonfuls of cream; stir it over the fire and mix it well without breaking the roes, fill your vol-au-vents, and serve very hot on a napkin; carp roes may be served in the same manner.

No. 383. _Petits Vol-au-Vents au foie de Raie._

Make the vol-au-vents as above; boil the liver of a skate in salt and water an hour, let it get cold, put six tablespoonfuls of white sauce (No. 7) in a stewpan, with four of light stock, and reduce it till rather thick, then add a little chopped parsley, three tablespoonfuls of cream, a little white pepper, sugar, and salt, if required; cut the liver in small dice, with four quenelles (No. 120), put it in the stewpan, make it hot, but do not stir it much or you will break it, add a little lemon-juice, fill the vol-au-vents, and serve as before. These patties, although seldom served, are very excellent if well done and nicely seasoned.

No. 384. _Petits Vol-au-Vents aux Huîtres._

Prepare the vol-au-vents as before, put eight tablespoonfuls of white sauce in a stewpan, with a little cayenne pepper, a teaspoonful of essence of anchovies, two peppercorns, half a blade of mace, and six tablespoonfuls of liquor from the oysters, reduce it till very thick, have ready, blanched and bearded, two dozen oysters (No. 342), cut each oyster in four pieces, put them in the sauce, (previously taking out the peppercorns and mace,) with a little salt, sugar, and lemon-juice, make it hot over the fire, add a little cream, but do not let it boil, or the oysters would become tough and the sauce very thin: fill the vol-au-vents and serve on a napkin as before.

No. 385. _Petits Vol-au-Vents de Homard._

Prepare the vol-au-vents as usual, put eight tablespoonfuls of white sauce (No. 7), and four of light stock, in a stewpan, with a little cayenne pepper, salt, and a teaspoonful of essence of anchovies, boil it ten minutes, then cut a small hen lobster up in large dice, pound the red spawn from it with one ounce of butter, pass it through a hair sieve and mix with the sauce; put in the lobster, make it hot, fill your vol-au-vent, and serve as before.

N. B. The last four dishes may be made maigre by substituting melted butter or oyster sauce for white sauce.

No. 386. _Petites Bouchées à la Moëlle de Bœuf._

Are made in the same manner as the petits vol-au-vents, but the paste must not be more than a quarter of an inch in thickness, and the bouchées must be cut with a fluted cutter not larger than half-a-crown piece, bake them in a warmer oven than the vol-au-vents, prepare the beef marrow, fill and serve the same as No. 381.

No. 387. _Petites Bouchées au laitance de Maquereau._

Make the bouchées as before, and prepare the mackerel roes the same as for petits vol-au-vents (No. 382).

No. 388. _Petites Bouchées au foie de Raie._

Prepare them as usual, and proceed as for No. 383.

No. 389. _Petites Bouchées aux Huîtres._

Prepare them as before, and proceed as for vol-au-vents (No. 384).

No. 390. _Petites Bouchées de Homard._

Prepare them as before, and proceed as for vol-au-vents (No. 385).

No. 391. _Petites Bouchées à la Reine._

Prepare them as usual, pick the meat of the half of a braised chicken, and cut it in very small dice (not larger than peas), cut about the same size one ounce of cooked tongue, six blanched mushrooms, and two middling-sized French truffles; mix altogether, then put twenty tablespoonfuls of white sauce (No. 7) in a stewpan, with eight of milk, reduce it to one half, then add the minced fowl, tongue, &c., season with a little lemon-juice, pepper, salt, sugar, and two spoonfuls of cream; serve them very hot on a napkin.

No. 392. _Petites Bouchées à la purée de Volaille._

Prepare them as before, take about half a pound of the flesh of chicken, turkey, or any description of poultry; pound it well in a mortar, with half an ounce of lean boiled ham, then put a teaspoonful of chopped eschalots in a stewpan, with half an ounce of butter, pass them over the fire, stirring them with a wooden spoon, then add a little flour, mix it well with the butter and eschalots, then add the pounded meat, four spoonfuls of white sauce, and half a pint of good stock that the bones of the poultry have been previously boiled in, boil altogether a quarter of an hour, season with a little white pepper, salt, and sugar, pass it through a tammie by rubbing it with two wooden spoons, put it into another stewpan, boil it, finish with a tablespoonful of liaison, fill the bouchées, and serve on a napkin very hot.

No. 393. _Petites Bouchées de Gibier._

Prepare the bouchées as before, put twenty tablespoonfuls of game sauce (No. 60) in a stewpan, then cut up into small dice the flesh of a grouse, partridge, half a pheasant, or the remains of any game you might happen to have by you, put it in the stewpan with the sauce, make it hot but do not let it boil, season with a little sugar and salt, fill and serve as before.

No. 394. _Petites Bouchées à la purée de Gibier._

Prepare them as before, and proceed as for the petites bouchées à la purée de volaille, (No. 392) only using the flesh of game, and game sauce, instead of the flesh of poultry and white sauce.

No. 395. _Petits Pâtés à la Pâtissière._

Make one pound of puff paste (No. 1132), roll it into a sheet a quarter of an inch in thickness, then cut twenty pieces of the size of a five-shilling piece with a plain round cutter; mix the remains of the paste together, and roll them out to the thickness of the eighth of an inch, and cut twenty more pieces from it with the same cutter, sprinkle a baking sheet with water and lay them on it a little distance apart, wash them over with a little water with a paste brush, then have ready prepared in a basin half a pound of forcemeat of veal, fowl, or game (Nos. 120, 122, 123), with which mix half an ounce of beef marrow chopped very fine, one eschalot, a little parsley also chopped fine, and the yolk of an egg; mix well together with a wooden spoon, then put a little lump of the forcemeat half the size of a walnut on each piece of paste on the baking sheet, cover them over with the twenty pieces of paste you first cut, and close them well at the edges by pressing them down with the top part of a smaller cutter, egg the tops over, but be careful that the egg does not run down the sides, or it would prevent the patties from rising straight, put them in rather a hot oven and bake them about twenty minutes; dish them in pyramid on a napkin and serve; to be good they should be served directly they are taken from the oven; care should be taken not to put too much forcemeat in them, or it will upset them in baking.

No. 396. _Petits Pâtés aux Huîtres à la Pâtissière._

Proceed as above, but instead of using forcemeat use some of the salpicon of oysters as prepared for the rissoles aux huîtres (No. 399).

No. 397. _Petits Pâtés de Homard à la Pâtissière._

Proceed as above, using some of the salpicon as prepared for the rissoles de homard (No. 400).

No. 398. _Petits Pâtés of Shrimps or Prawns à la Pâtissière._

As before, using the salpicon of shrimps as prepared for rissoles of shrimps or prawns (No. 401).

No. 399. _Rissoles aux Huîtres._