Take a large Eel, and scour the Skin and the Inside very well with Salt,
cut off the Head, and split it down the Back, then lay it abroad upon your
Dresser, and season it well with Spice, Salt, and a good quantity of Red
Sage minced small: mix these well, and sprinkle the Mixture thick upon your
Eel, then roll it up, and tye it close in a thin Cloth at each end, and in
the middle; boil it then in a strong Pickle of Vinegar, Water, Salt, some
Spice, and a Bay-leaf or two; and when it is boiled enough, take out the
Eel, and let it stand till it is quite cold, and when the Pickle is cold
likewise, pour the Pickle into a glazed Earthen-Pan, and put your Eel into
it to keep for Use; this will remain good several Weeks, if it is kept
close cover'd. When the Eel is quite cold, take off the Cloth.
The Eel is also good in Pyes, fry'd and boil'd, which every one knows how
to prepare.
About the end of this Month, the Trout begins to come in Season; for before
this time, its Body is cover'd with little Insects, which is a
Demonstration of its being sick and unwholesome. The best way of eating
this Fish is to boil it, and serve it with Butter and an Anchovy for Sauce;
as is commonly practis'd about _Hungerford, Spenham-Land_, and other noted
Places for Trout.
If the Season is now mild, about the end of the Month the Sap in the
Birch-Tree will begin to be very fluent. And so in the Choice of Fish to be
seasonable, we must have regard to the Temper of the Air; for if the Air be
mild and gentle, sooner or later all parts of the Creation are govern'd by
it: but when I direct for this Month or another any thing to be done, I
suppose the Temper of the Air to be what it is for the generality; but the
Birch-Tree Sap we will suppose begins now to flow, and then we are to take
the opportunity of making Wine of it. The best Receipt I have met with for
making this Wine, is the following.