Hand-Book of Practical Cookery for Ladies and Professional Cooks Part 25

Sardines are served as a _hors-d'oeuvre_, with oil and lemon-juice, and properly scaled. They are arranged on the dish according to fancy, together with lemon in slices.

_Salt Cod--to prepare._--Soak it in cold water for two days, changing the water two or three times; then scale it well and clean. Lay it in a fish-kettle, cover with cold water, set on a rather slow fire, skim off the sc.u.m, let it boil about one minute, take the kettle from the fire, cover it well, and leave thus ten minutes; then take off the cod, and drain it.

_In Bechamel._--Prepare it as above, and serve with a bechamel sauce, and as warm as possible.

_With a Cream-Sauce._--Prepare as above, and serve either warm or cold with a cream-sauce.

_In Brown b.u.t.ter._--When prepared as above, place it on a dish, and keep it in a warm place. Put four ounces of b.u.t.ter in a frying-pan, and on a good fire; when turning brown, add three sprigs of parsley, fry about two minutes, pour the whole on the fish, and serve. You may also pour on it a hot caper-sauce, and serve.

_With Croutons._--Prepare and cook as directed, three pounds of cod; take the bones out, break in small pieces, and mash with the hand as much as possible; put it then in a stewpan, beat three yolks of eggs with two tablespoonfuls of cream, and mix with the cod; set on a slow fire, and immediately pour in, little by little, stirring the while, about one gill of sweet oil; simmer ten or twelve minutes, and serve with _croutons_ around.

_In Maitre d'Hotel._--Lay three pounds of cod on a dish, after being cooked as directed; keep it warm, spread a _maitre d'hotel_ sauce on it, and serve.

_With Potatoes._--Prepare about three pounds of cod as directed above.

Lay the fish on a dish; have a _piquante_ sauce ready, turn it over it, and serve with steamed potatoes all around the dish. The potatoes may also be served separately.

_In Vinaigrette._--Prepare as directed, and when cold, serve with a vinaigrette.

_With Cheese._--Prepare the cod as directed, then dip it in lukewarm b.u.t.ter, roll it in grated cheese, lay it in a baking-pan, dust slightly with bread-crumbs; bake, and serve warm. Two or three minutes in a quick oven will be sufficient.

_Au Gratin._--When soaked only and wiped dry, but not boiled, prepare it as directed for fish au gratin.

_With Caper-Sauce._--Prepare it as directed, and serve warm with caper-sauce.

_Salt Salmon._--Soak it in cold water for some time, the length of time to be according to the saltness of the fish; scale and clean it well, lay it in a fish-kettle, cover it with cold water, and set it on a moderate fire. Boil gently about two minutes, skim off the sc.u.m, take from the kettle and drain it. Put b.u.t.ter in a frying-pan and set it on the fire; when it turns rather brown, put a few sprigs of parsley in it, and immediately pour it over the fish in the dish; add a few drops of lemon-juice all over, and serve warm.

It may also be served with a caper or _maitre d'hotel_ sauce; or, when cold, serve _a la vinaigrette_.

Salt salmon is also served like salt cod-fish.

It may also be served on a _puree_ of celery or of onion.

_Smoked Salmon._--Cut it in thin slices; have very hot b.u.t.ter or oil in a frying-pan, and lay the slices in only long enough to warm them; then take out, drain them, and serve with a few drops of lemon-juice or vinegar sprinkled on them.

_Tunny._--This is not a good fish fresh; it is generally preserved, and served as a _hors-d'oeuvre_. It comes from Holland, Italy, and the south of France.

Fresh, it is prepared like sturgeon. That prepared in Holland is the best. The Dutch cure fish better than any other nation.

When you serve tunny, take it out of the bottle or jar and serve it on a small plate, or on a dessert-plate. A very small piece is served, generally like every other _hors-d'oeuvre_.

_Salt Herring._--Soak in cold or tepid water; if soaked in tepid water, it does not require as long; the time must be according to the quality or saltness of the fish. Wipe dry, broil, and serve like salt mackerel.

_Another way._--Salt herring may also be soaked in half water and half milk, or in milk only; drain and wipe dry. Bone and skin, cut off the head, tail, and fins, and serve with oil, vinegar, and pickled cuc.u.mbers.

They are also served with slices of sour apples, or slices of onions, after being soaked and wiped dry.

They may also be broiled slightly and served with oil only, after being soaked, or served with sour grape-juice.

_Salt Pike._--It is prepared and served the same as salt herring; so is pickled trout.

_Red Herring._--Wipe or skin them, they are not as good when washed; cut off the head and tail, split the back open, lay them on a warm and well-greased gridiron, set on a slow fire; spread some b.u.t.ter or oil on them, turn over, do the same on the other side; broil very little, and serve with a _vinaigrette_ and mustard to taste.

_Another way._--Clean and split them as above, soak them in lukewarm water for two hours; take out, drain, and wipe dry. Mix two or three yolks of eggs with a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and a little melted b.u.t.ter; put some of the mixture around every herring, then roll them in fine bread-crumbs, place them on a gridiron on a slow fire: and when lightly broiled, serve as the preceding one.

Red herring may also be broiled with bread-crumbs like salt herring.

It is also served as a _hors-d'oeuvre_, cut in slices.

_Salt Mackerel broiled._--If the fish be too salt, soak it for a while in lukewarm water, take off and wipe dry. Have a little melted fat or lard, dip a brush in it and grease slightly both sides of the fish; place on or inside of the gridiron, the bars of which must also be greased; set on, or before, or under a pretty sharp fire; broil both sides; dish the fish, the skin under; spread b.u.t.ter on it; also parsley chopped fine, and serve.

Lemon-juice may be added if liked, or a few drops of vinegar.

When broiled and dished, spread a _maitre d'hotel_ on it, and serve.

_Another way._--When soaked and wiped dry, dip in melted b.u.t.ter, again in beaten eggs, and roll in bread-crumbs. Broil and serve with parsley and lemon-juice, or with a _maitre d'hotel_.

FROGS.

The hind-legs of frogs only are used as food; formerly they were eaten by the French only, but now, frog-eating has become general, and the Americans are not behind any others in relis.h.i.+ng that kind of food.

_Fried._--Skin well, and throw into boiling water with a little salt, for five minutes, the hind-legs only; take out and throw them in cold water to cool, and drain. Have hot fat in a pan on the fire (_see_ Directions for Frying); lay the frogs in, and serve when done with fried parsley around.

_Stewed._--Skin, boil five minutes, throw in cold water, and drain as above. Put in a stewpan two ounces of b.u.t.ter (for two dozen frogs); set it on the fire, and when melted, lay the legs in, fry two minutes, tossing now and then; then sprinkle on them a teaspoonful of flour, stir with a wooden spoon, add two sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, a bay-leaf, two cloves, one of garlic, salt, white pepper, and half a pint of white wine; boil gently till done, dish the legs, reduce the sauce on the fire, strain it, mix in it two yolks of eggs, pour on the legs, and serve them.

LOBSTER.

Never buy a dead lobster.

Large lobsters are not as good as small ones. From about one to two pounds and a half in weight are the best. The heavier the better.

Lobsters are better at some seasons of the year than at others. They are inferior when full of eggs.

It is from mere prejudice that the liver (also called _tomalley_) is eschewed. This prejudice may come from its turning green on boiling the lobster.

Use every thing but the stomach and the black of bluish vein running along its back and tail.

Boil your lobsters yourself; because, if you buy them already boiled, you do not know if they were alive when put in the kettle.

A lobster boiled after being dead is watery, soft, and not full; besides being very unhealthy, if not dangerous.

A lobster suffers less by being put in cold than in boiling water, and the flesh is firmer when done. In putting it in boiling water it is killed by the heat; in cold water it is dead as soon as the water gets warm.

_To boil._.--Lay it in a fish-kettle; just cover it with cold water, cover the kettle, and set it on a sharp fire.

It takes from fifteen to twenty-five minutes' boiling, according to the size of the lobster.