If you have fresh Salmon, you wash it with Salt and Water, and according to
the Fashion, leave all the Scales on, though some take them off, to prevent
that trouble at the Table; for the Skin of the Salmon. is the fattest part
of the Fish, and is liked by most People. Lay your Fish thus prepared, into
the Pan, where you boil it, and pour in Water, with a sixth part of
Vinegar, a little Salt, and a stick of Horse-Radish; this should be boiled
pretty quick: thus far for boiling fresh Salmon. The grand Sauce for it you
will see at the end of these Receipts, for preparing the several sorts of
Fish for the Bisque but if it is served alone, then let the Sauce be as
follows. Take a Pint of Shrimps, a Pint of Oysters and their Liquor, and
half a Pint of pickled Mushrooms; or else take Shrimps, and the Bodies of
two middling Sea-Crabs, or of a couple of Lobsters, the Tail of the
Lobsters to be cut in Dice, but use which you have by you. If you have
Oysters, stew them a little, in their own Liquor, with some Mace, and whole
Pepper, then lay by the Oysters, and put Mushroom Pickle to the Liquor, and
dissolve two Anchovies in it; then melt what quantity of Butter you think
fit, and mix your prepared Liquor with it, adding a little White Wine, or
that may be left out. I should take notice, that just before you melt your
Butter, put your Oysters, Shrimps, and Mushrooms, _&c._ into your prepared
Liquor to boil up, and then mix all together. _Note,_ The Bodies of the
Crabs being well stirred in the Liquor, will thicken it, and render the
whole very agreeable.
To boil _Turbut, Flounders,_ or _Plaise, Pike,_ or a _Cod's-Head,_ or
_Whitings._
When your Fish are gutted and well wash'd: put them upon your Fish-Plate;
the Jacks or Pikes, whether small or great, must have their Tails skewer'd
into their Mouths, so that they make a round figure, which is the Fashion.
Then put your Fish into the Kettle, into as much Water as will cover them.
Put into this Water, an Onion, with some Cloves stuck in it, some Mace,
some whole Pepper, a little bunch of sweet Herbs, a stick of Horse-Radish,
and half a Lemon. When your Liquor boils, add a little Vinegar, or
Verjuice; and when your Fish are boiled enough, let them drain before the
Fire. The Sauce for these, if they are served singly, is that directed for
the Salmon, or else some melted Butter, Anchovies dissolved in Water, over
the Fire, and some Shrimps; or for want of them, if you can get any of the
small Crabs, such as they sell in _London,_ about eight or ten a Penny, and
no bigger in their Bodies than to contain the quantity of a Golden-Pippin.
Take the Inside of the Bodies of these, and thicken your Sauce with them.
Or if you have Cray-fish, take the Bodies of them, and mix them well with
your Sauce, and cut the Tails in small bits, as big as Pease. The foregoing
way of boiling Fish gives them a relish.
To fry _Soles, Flounders, Plaise, Whitings, Smelts,_ and _Gudgeons,_ or
such like.
Take a large quantity of Hog's-Seam, or Lard, and melt it in a Pan, till it
is very hot; then put in your Fish, prepared as follows; but first you may
fry some Bread, in Lengths, as big as one's Finger, to drain for a Garnish.
As for Soles, skin them, and gut them, then flour them well, and toss them
into the Pan, turning them once, when you see the upper side of a yellow
Colour. When they are enough, put them into a Cullendar to drain before the
Fire.
Flounders are only to be gutted, and the Skins wash'd with Water and Salt,
and being well dry'd with a Cloth, flour them, and fling them into the Pan,
and use them as you did the Soles.
The Plaise are to be done in the same manner as the Flounders.
Whitings must be treated in the same manner as the former.
Smelts must be only rub'd with a coarse Cloth, and then flour'd, and thrown
into the Pan.
Gudgeons must be scaled and gutted, well dry'd and flour'd, and thrown into
the hot Lard: but take care in all these that you have a quick Fire under
them, and not too many in the Pan at one time.
You have now all your Furniture for your Bisque of Fish; but to fry them
still crisper, and better, use Sallad-Oil instead of Hogs-Lard; or if you
have neither of these, you may use good dripping of Beef, or Mutton, but
there must be enough of it, and it should be as hot as possible, in the
Pan, when you throw your Fish in. Serve these with melted Butter, and
Anchovy Liquor, with Shrimps, or Oysters, if they are single.