Of course you know how to cook salt mackerel--you could sue me for
libel if I said aught to the contrary. But do you, I wonder, ever try
preparing it in my favorite way? This is the manner of it: Soak the
mackerel for twelve hours, changing the water several times. Then boil
it in an abundance of water, in which there is a bay leaf, two or
three onions, some parsley and the juice of a lemon. The fish should
cook very slowly, and not be allowed to come to pieces. When they are
done, serve them on a folded napkin, with a sauce made by reducing a
pint of cream to one-half, adding to it an ounce of butter, and
thickening it with two egg yolks. Then add to it half its quantity of
grated horse-radish, heating it again, without boiling. In most cases
it is necessary to add salt to this sauce, but I prescribe no
quantity. I only advise being skittish about the amount when it is to
be used for a salt fish. If you are to have smoked mackerel, broil
instead of boiling it and serve with it the cream horse-radish sauce.