And now is the time if ever that fresh cods' tongues should find
favor. They are inexpensive and in perfect condition, and by more than
one gourmet are considered an unrivalled delicacy. If this statement
persuades you to give them a trial, just a word as to preparing them:
Have three pints of water boiling in a saucepan, add to it two carrots
and half a dozen onions very finely chopped, a few sprigs of parsley
and two gills of vinegar. When the vegetables are nearly tender enough
put into the saucepan with them two pounds of cods' tongues. Let them
boil just once, then move back where they will simmer but not boil for
twenty minutes or so. Take up the tongues, drain, dress them on a hot
dish and keep hot while you prepare the sauce. For this drain the
vegetables and toss them about in a frying-pan in plenty of butter
till they show signs of browning a bit, then add to them some chopped
cucumber pickles and a few capers and pour round the tongues. Season
the sauce, of course, with salt and pepper, and if you are gifted with
rare discretion in the matter of spices use ever so little nutmeg in
it; just one or two turns of the grater will give you all you should
have. I intend to be very particular in my choice of readers and
hearers when I suggest the use of nutmeg in savory sauces, because
there are so many housekeepers as well as cooks who positively are not
to be trusted with a nutmeg in one hand and a grater in the other;
they will persist in going on the principle that if a little is good
more must be better, and then grate away for dear life.
Of course you know that smelts are in their prime, but is your sense
of smell keen enough to detect in that fish the likeness of its
fragrance to that of the violet or of the cucumber? Well, the
similarity is there if the fish be as fresh as it should, and if you
don't discover it you may add another to your list of misfortunes, for
they do say, those who know whereof they speak, that inability to
perceive this subtle scent indicates a correspondingly unappreciative
palate. And so much for my fish story.