The Art of Cookery Part 2

_Fish generally fried._

PIECES of skate.

Whitings.

Fillets of haddocks.

Smelts.

Soles.

Perch.

Flounders.

Slices of hollibut.

Slices of cod.

_To prepare the above for frying, &c._

WIPE the different sorts of fish dry, beat yolk of eggs, and spread it over them with a paste brush; then put crumbs of bread over the egg.

Have plenty of lard in an iron frying pan, and when it almost boils put a proper quant.i.ty and fry them of a fine gold colour; drain them dry, and serve them up with fried parsley.

N. B. The crumbs to be rubbed through a hair sieve. The parsley also to be picked, washed, and dried with a cloth, then to be put into the lard not very hot, and fried of a green colour. Sprinkle a little salt over.

_Broiled Fish prepared thus:_

WIPE the fish dry, flour them well, and have the gridiron clean; then rub the bars with a veal caul, and put the fish at a proper distance.

Broil them gently over a clear coal fire till of a fine colour, and serve them up directly.

N. B. Fish in general to be floured, except herrings, which are only to be scored with a knife, and the following methods of broiling other fish to be observed.

_Broiled Salmon to be prepared thus:_

TAKE pieces or slices of salmon, wipe them dry, dip them in sweet oil, and season with pepper and salt; fold them in pieces of writing paper, broil over a clear fire, and serve them up very hot.

N. B. In the same manner are to be done red mullets, &c.

_Broiled Mackarel, common way._

WIPE them dry, split them down the back, sprinkle with pepper and salt, and broil them gently.

_To stew Fish._

ADD to some cullis a few chopped eshallots, anchovies, a bay leaf, horseradish sc.r.a.ped, a little quant.i.ty of lemon peel, and some red port; season it well with cayenne pepper, salt, and juice of lemon, and when it boils let it be of a proper thickness, and strain it to the fish; then stew it gently, and serve it up in a deep dish with the liquor, and fried bread round it. If carp or tench, some of the hard roe mixed in batter and fried in pieces. The roes likewise of different fish may be stewed in the same manner, and served up as a dish of themselves. Eels, soles, or other fish may be done the same way.

_Water souchee of Perch, Flounders, Soles, Eels, &c._

TAKE perch cleaned and fresh crimped; put them into boiling pump water well-seasoned with salt, and when they boil, skim them clean. Take them out with a large skimmer, put them into a deep dish, strew parsley roots and scalded parsley over, and add some of the liquor. Serve them up as hot as possible, with slices of brown bread and b.u.t.ter on a plate.

N. B. The time the fish are to boil must be according to their size; and the parsley roots are to be cleaned, cut into slips, and boiled by themselves till tender.

_Roasted Pike or Sturgeon._

LET the fish be well cleaned, then make a stuffing of capers, anchovies, parsley and thyme chopped fine, a little grated nutmeg and lemon peel, pepper, salt, breadcrumbs, fresh b.u.t.ter, and an egg. Fill the fish and sew it up; turn it round, and fasten the head with the tail; then egg the fish over and breadcrumb it; after which bake or roast it gently till done, and of a good brown colour. Serve it up with a sauce over, made of cullis, fresh b.u.t.ter, cayenne, anchovie essence, and lemon pickle.

_Bacquillio with Herbs._

LET the fish be well soaked; then boil them and pick free from bone.

Wash and chop small some spinach, sorrel, green onions, and parsley; after which add fresh b.u.t.ter, essence of anchovies, cayenne pepper, and plenty of the juice of seville oranges. Sweat the herbs down, add the fish, and simmer them till tender.

_Entree of Eels._

TAKE good-sized eels, bone and cut them in pieces of three inches long; pa.s.s them over a slow fire in a small quant.i.ty of sweet herbs and eshallots, fresh b.u.t.ter, pepper, salt, and lemon juice. When three parts done put all on a dish, dip each piece in the liquor, breadcrumb, and broil them over a clear fire. Serve them up with anchovie sauce in a boat.

_Entree of Soles._

LET good-sized soles be cleaned and filletted; roll them up, put them into a stewpan, add a little fresh b.u.t.ter, lemon juice, pepper, and salt, and simmer them over a slow fire till done. Serve them up with a sauce over, made of b.u.t.ton onions, mushrooms, egg b.a.l.l.s, pickle cuc.u.mbers scooped round, slices of sweetbreads, and good strong cullis coloured with lobster sp.a.w.n.

N. B. The above fillets may be fried, and served up with the sauce round.

_Entree of Whitings, &c._

TAKE fillets of haddocks or whitings, wet them with whites of eggs, and lay upon them slices of salmon, seasoned with pepper and salt. Put them into a stewpan with a little fresh b.u.t.ter; stew the fish over a slow fire till done, with the pan close covered. Serve them up with a sauce over, made with chopped parsley, chopped mushrooms and eshallots, a little rhenish wine, mustard, and cullis, mixed and boiled together for ten minutes.

_Entree of Salmon._

MAKE white paper cases, and put a little sweet oil at the bottom of each. Cut into pieces some fresh salmon, pepper and salt them, and put them into the cases; then set them over a fire on a baking plate and in a stewpan covered over, with a fire at top and bottom. When broiled enough, serve them up with poached eggs on the top of the salmon, and anchovie sauce in a boat.

_Entree of Smelts, &c._

CLEAN, turn round, and fry of a good colour, some fresh smelts; then three parts boil a slice of fresh crimped cod cut two inches thick; pull it into flakes, have ready some benshamelle, whisk it with the yolks of two eggs, add the flakes of the cod, season with salt and lemon juice to the palate, and simmer the fish over a slow stove till done. Serve it up with the fried smelts round the dish, and a few over the stew.

_Entree of Mackarel._

SPLIT them down the back, season with pepper and salt, and lay a sprig of fennel in them. Broil them gently, and when served up, the fennel to be taken out, and a mixture of fresh b.u.t.ter, chopped parsley, green onions, pepper, salt, and plenty of lemon juice to be put in its stead.

_Mackarel the German way._

SPLIT them down the back and season with pepper and salt; broil them, and serve them up with the following sauce in a boat:--pick and wash fennel, parsley, mint, thyme, and green onions, a small quant.i.ty of each. Boil them tender in a little veal broth; then chop and add to them some fresh b.u.t.ter, the liquor, a grated nutmeg, the juice of half a lemon, a little cayenne pepper and salt. Let it boil, and make it of a proper thickness with flour and water.