The Modern Housewife or, Menagere Part 13

244. _Soles aux fines herbes._--Put a spoonful of chopped eschalots into a saute-pan, with a gla.s.s of sherry and an ounce of b.u.t.ter, place the sole over, pour nearly half a pint of melted b.u.t.ter over it, or four spoonfuls of brown gravy or water, upon which sprinkle some chopped parsley, place it in a moderate oven for half an hour, take the sole out of the pan, dress upon a dish without a napkin, reduce the sauce that is in the pan over a sharp fire, add a little Harvey sauce and essence of anchovy, pour over the sole, and serve.

Soles may also be plain boiled, using the same precautions as directed for turbot, and serve without a napkin, and a cream sauce poured over; or it may be served upon a napkin garnished with parsley, and a little shrimp sauce, or plain melted b.u.t.ter, in a boat.

245. _Flounders, Water Souchet._--Procure four or six Thames flounders, trim and cut in halves; put half a pint of water in a saute-pan, with a little sc.r.a.ped horseradish, a little pepper, salt, sugar, and forty sprigs of fresh parsley; place over the fire, boil a minute, then add the flounders, stew ten minutes, take them out and place in a dish without a napkin, reduce the liquor they were stewed in a little, pour over and serve.

To fry flounders, trim them, and proceed precisely as directed for fried soles: three minutes is sufficient.

_Skate_, also called _Maid_, _Ray_, is not appreciated equal to what it ought to be; we generally have only the fin part, which is cut off and put into fresh water, where it curls up. It is a very invigorating fish, and I think deserves the attention of the medical profession. It is best cooked as follows:

246. _Skate._--Procure two or three slices, tie them with string to keep the shape in boiling, put them into a kettle of boiling water, in which you have put a good handful of salt; boil gently about twenty minutes (have ready also a piece of the liver, which boil with them); when done, drain well, and put them upon a dish without a napkin; put three parts of a pint of melted b.u.t.ter in a stewpan, place it upon the fire, and when quite hot add a winegla.s.sful of capers, sauce over, and serve.

247. _Skate au Beurre Noir._--Boil a piece of skate as directed in the last; when done, drain it well, put it upon a dish without a napkin, and proceed exactly as directed for mackerel au beurre noir.

Skate may also be served upon a napkin, with a boat of well-seasoned melted b.u.t.ter, to which you have added a spoonful of Harvey sauce and one of anchovy.

_Pike._--This fish sp.a.w.ns in March and April, according to the season. When in perfection, their colors are very bright, being green, spotted with bright yellow, and the gills are a bright red; when out of season, the green changes to gray, and the yellow spots a.s.sume a pale hue. It may be called the shark of fresh water. Those caught in a river or running stream are far superior to those caught in ponds, which often get too fat, and taste muddy. A middling-sized one, weighing about five pounds, would be best; when fresh, the eyes must be very transparent, the scales bluish, and not dry upon the back, or it would not clean well. The dressing is generally the making of the fish, as regards the approbation bestowed upon it. To clean them, have a sharp-pointed knife, put the point carefully under the scales (without piercing the skin) at the tail of the fish, pa.s.s the knife gently up the back to the head, dividing the scales from the skin carefully; you may then take off the whole of the scales in one piece (should this process appear too difficult, they may be sc.r.a.ped off in the ordinary way, it will not look so white, but would eat equally as good); then make two incisions in the belly, a small one close to the bladder, and a larger one above; pull out the gills one at a time with a strong cloth, and if the interior does not come with them, take it out from the incisions, and wash the fish well; the cutting off the fins is quite a matter of taste: it is usually done.

248. _Pike._--Clean as directed above, stuff the interior as directed for haddocks, only adding some fillets of anchovies and chopped lemon-peel with it; curl round and put in a baking-dish, spread a little b.u.t.ter all over, put in a moderate oven, when about half done egg over with a paste-brush, and sprinkle bread-crumbs upon it; a middling-sized pike will take about an hour, but that according to the size and the heat of the oven; when done, dress upon a dish without a napkin, and sauce round as directed for baked haddock above referred to.

249. _Pike, Sauce Matelote._--Cook a pike exactly as in the last, dress it upon a dish without a napkin, and sauce with a matelote sauce over, made as directed for salmon sauce matelote.

This fish may also be served with caper sauce, as directed for the skate; the smaller ones are the best; the remains of a pike placed in the oven the next day, with a cover over it and a little more sauce added, is very nice.

250. _Baked Carp._--Procure a good-sized carp, stuff it, then put it into a baking-dish, with two onions, one carrot, one turnip, one head of celery, and a good bouquet of parsley, thyme, and bay-leaf; moisten with two gla.s.ses of port wine, half a pint of water, salt, pepper, and oil, and put it into a moderate oven about two hours to bake; try if done with a knife, which is the case if the flesh leaves the bone easily, dress upon a dish without a napkin, then have ready the following sauce: mince a large Spanish onion with two common ones, and put them into a stewpan with three spoonfuls of salad-oil, saute rather a yellow color, add two gla.s.ses of port wine and one spoonful of flour, mix all well together, add a pint of broth (reserved from some soup) or water, with half an ounce of glaze, or half a gill of brown gravy, or a few drops of coloring, boil it up, drain the stock the carp was cooked in from the vegetables, which also add to the sauce; boil well at the corner of the stove, skim, and when rather thick add a teaspoonful of Harvey sauce, one of essence of anchovies, twelve pickled mushrooms, and a little cayenne pepper, pour all the liquor drained from the fish out of your dish, sauce over, and serve.

251. _Carp, Sauce Matelote._--Put your carp in a small oval fish-kettle, with wine and vegetables as in the last, to which add also a pint of water and a little salt, with a few cloves and peppercorns; put the lid upon the fish-kettle, and stand it over a moderate fire to stew about an hour, according to the size; when done, drain well, dress upon a dish without a napkin, and sauce over with a matelote sauce, made as directed for salmon sauce matelote, or caper sauce, as for skate; small carp are very good-flavored, bread-crumbed and fried.

_Trout._--There are several kinds, none of which, it seems, were known to the Romans. This is the salmon of fresh water, and bears a very close resemblance to it in flavor. They grow to a very large size; I partook of part of one weighing twenty-six pounds, which was caught in the Lake of Killarney, in July, 1848. They have different names in various parts of Great Britain, but there is the common trout, the white trout, and the sea trout; the white trout never grows very large, but the sea trout does, and is of a very fine flavor.

_River Trout_, when fresh, have the most beautiful skin imaginable, the golden and sometimes silvery tint of which makes me term it the sister fish of the red (sea) mullet; should the gills be pink instead of red, and the skin dry (which is frequently the case on the second day), they may still be eatable, but their succulence goes with their beauty. Clean them as directed for salmon.

252. _Trout a la Twickenham._--When you have cleaned your trout, put them into a kettle of boiling water, to which you have added a good handful of salt, and a winegla.s.sful of vinegar; boil gently about twenty minutes, or according to their size, dress upon a napkin, and serve melted b.u.t.ter, into which you have put a tablespoonful of chopped gherkins, two sprigs of chopped parsley, salt and pepper, in a boat.

The remains of trout, salmon, or mackerel are excellent pickled:--put three onions in slices in a stewpan, with two ounces of b.u.t.ter, one turnip, a bouquet of parsley, thyme, and bay-leaf, pa.s.s them five minutes over the fire, add a pint of water and a pint of vinegar, two teaspoonfuls of salt and one of pepper, boil until the onions are tender, then strain it through a sieve over the fish; it will keep some time if required, and then do to pickle more fish by boiling over again.

253. _Trout a la Burton._--Boil the trout as in the last; then put half a pint of melted b.u.t.ter in a stewpan, with two tablespoonfuls of cream, place it upon the fire, and when upon the point of boiling add a liaison of one yolk of egg mixed with a tablespoonful of cream (dress the fish upon a dish without a napkin), put two ounces of fresh b.u.t.ter, a pinch of salt, and the juice of a lemon into the sauce; shake round over the fire, but do not let it boil; sauce over the fish, sprinkle some chopped parsley, and serve.

_Perch_ were known to the Romans, and those they received from Britain were considered the best. They do not grow to a very large size, four pounds being considered a large one. When fresh, are reddish at the eyes and gills. These fish, having a great objection to part with their scales, must be sc.r.a.ped almost alive, forming the fish into the shape of the letter S, and sc.r.a.ping with an oyster-knife; open the belly, take out the interior, pull away the gills, and wash well. When large, they are frequently boiled with the scales on, and they are taken off afterwards, which is much easier.

254. _Perch sauted in b.u.t.ter._--Clean the fish as explained above, dry well, make an incision upon each side with a knife, put a quarter of a pound of b.u.t.ter in a saute-pan over a slow fire, lay in the fish, season with salt, and saute gently, turning them over when half done; when done, dress upon a napkin, and serve melted b.u.t.ter in a boat, or shrimp sauce. Small ones should be dressed thus.

255. _Perch, Hampton Court fas.h.i.+on._--Cook the fish as above, and have ready the following sauce: put six spoonfuls of melted b.u.t.ter in a stewpan, with a little salt and the juice of a lemon; when upon the point of boiling, stir in the yolk of an egg mixed with a tablespoonful of cream; do not let it boil; blanch about twenty small sprigs of parsley in boiling water ten minutes, and some small pieces of rind of lemon for one minute, drain, and put them in the sauce, which pour over the fish, and serve.

Perch may also be served plain boiled or stewed as directed for tench, with sauce served separate.

256. _Stewed Tench._--Put two onions, a carrot, and turnip, cut in slices, into a stewpan, or very small fish-kettle, with a good bouquet of parsley, a few sprigs of thyme, one bay-leaf, six cloves, a blade of mace, a little salt and pepper, and two gla.s.ses of sherry; lay your tench over (it will require four for a dish, and they may be either cooked whole or each one cut into two or three pieces), add a pint of water, cover down close, and stew rather gently over a slow fire for about half an hour; take them out, drain upon a cloth, dress upon a dish without a napkin, and pour a sauce over made as directed for sauce matelote, cream sauce, or Beyrout.

257. _Tench with Anchovy b.u.t.ter._--Cook the tench as in the last, but they may be plain boiled in salt and water; dress upon a dish without a napkin, then put six spoonfuls of melted b.u.t.ter in a stewpan, with one of milk; place it upon the fire, and, when upon the point of boiling, add an ounce of anchovy b.u.t.ter; shake it round over the fire until the b.u.t.ter is melted, when sauce over and serve.

The _Eel_ is greatly esteemed in all countries, but it differs in taste according to the river from whence it is taken; although we have some very fine eels in the river Thames, yet our princ.i.p.al supply is received from Holland, and the fish which come from thence are much improved in flavor by the voyage, and even increase in size. They arrive in the river Thames in vessels called eel scootes (schuyts), of which four have been allowed, for centuries, to moor opposite the Custom House, and the others are obliged to remain in Erith Hole until there is room for them, which greatly improves the fish: the value of those imported into London last year amounted to 132,600_l._ Nothing is more difficult to kill than eels; and it is only by knocking their heads upon a block or hard substance, and stunning them, that they suffer least. Take the head in your hand with a cloth, and just cut through the skin round the neck, which turn down about an inch; then pull the head with one hand, and the skin with the other, it will come off with facility; open the belly, take out the interior without breaking the gall, and cut off the bristles which run up the back. They are in season all the year round.

258. _Eels, fried._--Cut your eels into pieces three inches long, dip the pieces into flour, egg over with a paste brush, and throw them into some bread-crumbs; fry in hot lard as directed for fried soles.

259. _Stewed Eels, Sauce Matelote._--Procure as large eels as possible, which cut into pieces three inches long, and put them into a stewpan, with an onion, a bouquet of two bay-leaves, a sprig of thyme and parsley, six cloves, a blade of mace, a gla.s.s of sherry, and two of water; place the stewpan over a moderate fire, and let simmer about twenty minutes, or according to the size of the eels; when done, drain upon a cloth, dress them in pyramid upon a dish without a napkin, with a matelote sauce over, made as directed for salmon sauce matelote, but using the stock your eels have been cooked in to make the sauce, having previously well boiled it to extract all the fat.

260. _Eels a la Tartare._--Fry as directed above, and serve on some Tartare sauce; or partly stew first, and, when cold, egg, bread-crumb, and broil gently.

261. _Spitchc.o.c.ked Eels_, in some parts of England, are cooked with the skins on. They should be properly cleaned, and split down the back, and bone taken out, and cut into pieces of about four inches long; egg the inside and throw over some bread-crumbs, in which have been mixed some chopped parsley, a little dried thyme, and some cayenne; place them in a Dutch oven before the fire, and whilst cooking, baste them with b.u.t.ter in which some essence of anchovies has been mixed. The time they take cooking depends on the size, but may be known by the skin turning up.

262. _Conger Eel_ is little appreciated in this country, although amongst the working cla.s.s of our neighbors, more particularly the French, it is an article of great consumption. If alive, its head should be cut off, and it should bleed as much as possible; but if dead, the pieces should be put into lukewarm water to disgorge previous to being cooked. The young fry are exceedingly good, and may be dressed like fresh-water eels. The large ones may be made into soup; and can also be cooked like sturgeon.

263. _French Angler's way of Stewing Fish._--Take about four pounds or less of all kinds of fish, that is, carp, pike, trout, tench, eels, &c., or any one of them, cut them into nice middle-sized pieces, no matter the size of the fish--let the pieces be of equal size; put them in a black pot or stewpan, season over with nearly a tablespoonful of salt, half one of pepper, half one of sugar, four good-sized onions, sliced thin, add a half bottle of common French wine, or four gla.s.ses of port or sherry, half a pint of water, set it on the fire to stew, gently tossing it now and then; when tender, which you may easily ascertain by feeling with your finger the different pieces, mix a spoonful of flour with two ounces of b.u.t.ter, which put bit by bit in the pan, move it round by shaking the pan, not with any spoon; boil a few minutes longer, and serve, dis.h.i.+ng the fish in pyramid, sauce over; if the sauce is too thin, reduce it till it adheres to the back of the spoon; taste, if it is highly seasoned, a few sprigs of thyme or bay-leaf may be added. Some of the fish may be done sooner than the others; if so, take them out first, and keep warm until all are done. The motive of mixing fish is, that it is supposed the flavor of all together is finer than one alone.

Conger eel is also done in this way.

FISH SAUCES.

In all ages and countries at all removed from barbarism, where fish has formed an article of diet, sauces of various kinds have been an accompaniment. With the Romans, in the time of Lucullus, great care was observed in their preparation; amongst others which they used, and the most celebrated, was the Garum and the Muria.

The _Garum_ was the sauce the most esteemed and the most expensive; its composition is unknown. This is a subject well worth the attention of the epicures of the present day; they should subscribe and offer a premium for that which, in their opinion, may resemble it: it is a subject well worthy the attention of the Professors of our Universities. Perhaps some leaf yet undiscovered, that may have escaped the conflagration of Alexandria, might throw some light upon so interesting a subject. It appears, that mushrooms entered greatly into its composition; and that parts of mackerel, or of that species, formed another. The question is, at what time of the year were mushrooms in season there; and if at that period mackerel, or what species of mackerel have soft roes, as I think it probable that they entered into its composition, as an island near Carthaginia, where they were caught, was called s...o...b..aria, and that which was prepared by a company in that town, and which was considered the best, was called Garum Sociorum.

The _Muria_ was the liquid in which the tunny was pickled, and no doubt very similar to our essence of anchovies. Those most generally in use at the present day are the following, in addition to which there are various kinds made and sold in bottles, some of which are much cheaper to buy than to make.