FISH.
[_Nothing is more difficult than to give the average prices of Fish,
inasmuch as a few hours of bad weather at sea will, in the space of one
day, cause such a difference in its supply, that the same fish--a turbot
for instance--which may be bought to-day for six or seven shillings,
will, to-morrow, be, in the London markets, worth, perhaps, almost as
many pounds. The average costs, therefore, which will be found appended
to each recipe, must be understood as about the average price for the
different kinds of fish, when the market is supplied upon an average,
and when the various sorts are of an average size and quality._
GENERAL RULE IN CHOOSING FISH.--_A proof of freshness and goodness in
most fishes, is their being covered with scales; for, if deficient in
this respect, it is a sign of their being stale, or having been
ill-used._]
FRIED ANCHOVIES.
226. INGREDIENTS.--1 tablespoonful of oil, 1/2 a glass of white wine,
sufficient flour to thicken; 12 anchovies.
_Mode_.--Mix the oil and wine together, with sufficient flour to make
them into a thickish paste; cleanse the anchovies, wipe them, dip them
in the paste, and fry of a nice brown colour.
_Time_.--1/2 hour. _Average cost_ for this quantity, 9d.
_Seasonable_ all the year.
_Sufficient_ for 2 persons.
[Illustration: THE ANCHOVY.]
THE ANCHOVY.--In his book of "British Fishes," Mr. Yarrell
states that "the anchovy is a common fish in the Mediterranean,
from Greece to Gibraltar, and was well known to the Greeks and
Romans, by whom the liquor prepared from it, called _garum_, was
in great estimation. Its extreme range is extended into the
Black Sea. The fishing for them is carried on during the night,
and lights are used with the nets. The anchovy is common on the
coasts of Portugal, Spain, and France. It occurs, I have no
doubt, at the Channel Islands, and has been taken on the
Hampshire coast, and in the Bristol Channel." Other fish, of
inferior quality, but resembling the real Gorgona anchovy, are
frequently sold for it, and passed off as genuine.
ANCHOVY BUTTER OR PASTE.
227. INGREDIENTS.--2 dozen anchovies, 1/2 lb. of fresh butter.
_Mode_.--Wash the anchovies thoroughly; bone and dry them, and pound
them in a mortar to a paste. Mix the butter gradually with them, and rub
the whole through a sieve. Put it by in small pots for use, and
carefully exclude the air with a bladder, as it soon changes the colour
of anchovies, besides spoiling them.
_Average cost_ for this quantity, 2s.
POTTED ANCHOVIES.
POTTED ANCHOVIES are made in the same way, by adding pounded mace,
cayenne, and nutmeg to taste.
ANCHOVY TOAST.
228. INGREDIENTS.--Toast 2 or 3 slices of bread, or, if wanted very
savoury, fry them in clarified butter, and spread on them the paste, No.
227. Made mustard, or a few grains of cayenne, may be added to the paste
before laying it on the toast.
ANCHOVY PASTE.--"When some delicate zest," says a work just
issued on the adulterations of trade, "is required to make the
plain English breakfast more palatable, many people are in the
habit of indulging in what they imagine to be anchovies. These
fish are preserved in a kind of pickling-bottle, carefully
corked down, and surrounded by a red-looking liquor, resembling
in appearance diluted clay. The price is moderate, one shilling
only being demanded for the luxury. When these anchovies are
what is termed potted, it implies that the fish have been
pounded into the consistency of a paste, and then placed in flat
pots, somewhat similar in shape to those used for pomatum. This
paste is usually eaten spread upon toast, and is said to form an
excellent _bonne bouche_, which enables gentlemen at
wine-parties to enjoy their port with redoubled gusto.
Unfortunately, in six cases out of ten, the only portion of
these preserved delicacies, that contains anything indicative of
anchovies, is the paper label pasted on the bottle or pot, on
which the word itself is printed.... All the samples of anchovy
paste, analyzed by different medical men, have been found to be
highly and vividly coloured with very large quantities of bole
Armenian." The anchovy itself, when imported, is of a dark dead
colour, and it is to make it a bright "handsome-looking sauce"
that this red earth is used.
BARBEL.
229. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 pint of port wine, a saltspoonful of salt, 2
tablespoonfuls of vinegar, 2 sliced onions, a faggot of sweet herbs,
nutmeg and mace to taste, the juice of a lemon, 2 anchovies; 1 or 2
barbels, according to size.
_Mode_--Boil the barbels in salt and water till done; pour off some of
the water, and, to the remainder, put the ingredients mentioned above.
Simmer gently for 1/2 hour, or rather more, and strain. Put in the fish;
heat it gradually; but do not let it boil, or it will be broken.
_Time_.--Altogether 1 hour. _Sufficient_ for 4 persons.
_Seasonable_ from September to November.
[Illustration: THE BARBEL.]
THE BARBEL,--This fish takes its name from the barbs or wattels
at its mouth; and, in England, is esteemed as one of the worst
of the fresh-water fish. It was, however, formerly, if not now,
a favourite with the Jews, excellent cookers of fish. Others
would boil with it a piece of bacon, that it might have a
relish. It is to be met with from two to three or four feet
long, and is said to live to a great age. From Putney upwards,
in the Thames, some are found of large size; but they are valued
only as affording sport to the brethren of the angle.
BRILL.
230. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of salt to each gallon of water; a little
vinegar.
_Mode_.--Clean the brill, cut off the fins, and rub it over with a
little lemon-juice, to preserve its whiteness. Set the fish in
sufficient cold water to cover it; throw in salt, in the above
proportions, and a little vinegar, and bring it gradually to boil;
simmer very gently till the fish is done, which will be in about 10
minutes; but the time for boiling, of course, depends entirely on the
size of the fish. Serve it on a hot napkin, and garnish with cut lemon,
parsley, horseradish, and a little lobster coral sprinkled over the
fish. Send lobster or shrimp sauce and plain melted butter to table with
it.
_Time_.--After the water boils, a small brill, 10 minutes; a large
brill, 15 to 20 minutes.
_Average cost_, from 4s. to 8s.
_Seasonable_ from August to April.
[Illustration: THE BRILL.]
THE BRILL.--This fish resembles the sole, but is broader, and
when large, is esteemed by many in a scarcely less degree than
the turbot, whilst it is much cheaper. It is a fine fish, and is
abundant in the London market.
TO CHOOSE BRILL.--The flesh of this fish, like that of turbot, should be
of a yellowish tint, and should be chosen on account of its thickness.
If the flesh has a bluish tint, it is not good.
CODFISH.
231. Cod may be boiled whole; but a large head and shoulders are quite
sufficient for a dish, and contain all that is usually helped, because,
when the thick part is done, the tail is insipid and overdone. The
latter, cut in slices, makes a very good dish for frying; or it may be
salted down and served with egg sauce and parsnips. Cod, when boiled
quite fresh, is watery; salting a little, renders it firmer.
[Illustration: THE COD.]
THE COD TRIBE.--The Jugular, characterized by bony gills, and
ventral fins before the pectoral ones, commences the second of
the Linnaean orders of fishes, and is a numerous tribe,
inhabiting only the depths of the ocean, and seldom visiting the
fresh waters. They have a smooth head, and the gill membrane has
seven rays. The body is oblong, and covered with deciduous
scales. The fins are all inclosed in skin, whilst their rays are
unarmed. The ventral fins are slender, and terminate in a point.
Their habits are gregarious, and they feed on smaller fish and
other marine animals.
COD'S HEAD AND SHOULDERS.
232. INGREDIENTS.--Sufficient water to cover the fish; 5 oz. of salt to
each gallon of water.
_Mode_.--Cleanse the fish thoroughly, and rub a little salt over the
thick part and inside of the fish, 1 or 2 hours before dressing it, as
this very much improves the flavour. Lay it in the fish-kettle, with
sufficient cold water to cover it. Be very particular not to pour the
water on the fish, as it is liable to break it, and only keep it just
simmering. If the water should boil away, add a little by pouring it in
at the side of the kettle, and not on the fish. Add salt in the above
proportion, and bring it gradually to a boil. Skim very carefully, draw
it to the side of the fire, and let it gently simmer till done. Take it
out and drain it; serve on a hot napkin, and garnish with cut lemon,
horseradish, the roe and liver. (_See_ Coloured Plate C.)
_Time_.--According to size, 1/2 an hour, more or less. _Average cost_,
from 3s. to 6s.
_Sufficient_ for 6 or 8 persons.
_Seasonable_ from November to March.
_Note_.--Oyster sauce and plain melted butter should be served with
this.
TO CHOOSE COD.--The cod should be chosen for the table when it is plump
and round near the tail, when the hollow behind the head is deep, and
when the sides are undulated as if they were ribbed. The glutinous parts
about the head lose their delicate flavour, after the fish has been
twenty-four hours out of the water. The great point by which the cod
should be judged is the firmness of its flesh; and, although the cod is
not firm when it is alive, its quality may be arrived at by pressing the
finger into the flesh. If this rises immediately, the fish is good; if
not, it is stale. Another sign of its goodness is, if the fish, when it
is cut, exhibits a bronze appearance, like the silver side of a round of
beef. When this is the case, the flesh will be firm when cooked.
Stiffness in a cod, or in any other fish, is a sure sign of freshness,
though not always of quality. Sometimes, codfish, though exhibiting
signs of rough usage, will eat much better than those with red gills, so
strongly recommended by many cookery-books. This appearance is generally
caused by the fish having been knocked about at sea, in the well-boats,
in which they are conveyed from the fishing-grounds to market.
SALT COD, COMMONLY CALLED "SALT-FISH."
233. INGREDIENTS.--Sufficient water to cover the fish.
_Mode_.--Wash the fish, and lay it all night in water, with a 1/4 pint
of vinegar. When thoroughly soaked, take it out, see that it is
perfectly clean, and put it in the fish-kettle with sufficient cold
water to cover it. Heat it gradually, but do not let it boil much, or
the fish will be hard. Skim well, and when done, drain the fish and put
it on a napkin garnished with hard-boiled eggs cut in rings.
_Time_.--About 1 hour. _Average cost_, 6d. per lb.
_Seasonable_ in the spring.
_Sufficient_ for each person, 1/4 lb.
_Note_.--Serve with egg sauce and parsnips. This is an especial dish on
Ash Wednesday.
PRESERVING COD.--Immediately as the cod are caught, their heads
are cut off. They are then opened, cleaned, and salted, when
they are stowed away in the hold of the vessel, in beds of five
or six yards square, head to tail, with a layer of salt to each
layer of fish. When they have lain in this state three or four
days, in order that the water may drain from them, they are
shifted into a different part of the vessel, and again salted.
Here they remain till the vessel is loaded, when they are
sometimes cut into thick pieces and packed in barrels for the
greater convenience of carriage.
COD SOUNDS.
Should be well soaked in salt and water, and thoroughly washed before
dressing them. They are considered a great delicacy, and may either be
broiled, fried, or boiled: if they are boiled, mix a little milk with
the water.
COD SOUNDS, EN POULE.
234. INGREDIENTS.--For forcemeat, 12 chopped oysters, 3 chopped
anchovies, 1/4 lb. of bread crumbs, 1 oz. of butter, 2 eggs; seasoning
of salt, pepper, nutmeg, and mace to taste; 4 cod sounds.
_Mode_.--Make the forcemeat by mixing the ingredients well together.
Wash the sounds, and boil them in milk and water for 1/2 an hour; take
them out and let them cool. Cover each with a layer of forcemeat, roll
them up in a nice form, and skewer them. Rub over with lard, dredge with
flour, and cook them gently before the fire in a Dutch oven.
_Time_.--1 hour. _Average cost_, 6d. per lb.
_Seasonable_ from November to March. _Sufficient_ for 4 persons.
THE SOUNDS IN CODFISH.--These are the air or swimming bladders,
by means of which the fishes are enabled to ascend or descend in
the water. In the Newfoundland fishery they are taken out
previous to incipient putrefaction, washed from their slime and
salted for exportation. The tongues are also cured and packed up
in barrels; whilst, from the livers, considerable quantities of
oil are extracted, this oil having been found possessed of the
most nourishing properties, and particularly beneficial in cases
of pulmonary affections.
COD PIE.
(_Economical_.)
I.
235. INGREDIENTS.--Any remains of cold cod, 12 oysters, sufficient
melted butter to moisten it; mashed potatoes enough to fill up the dish.
_Mode_.--Flake the fish from the bone, and carefully take away all the
skin. Lay it in a pie-dish, pour over the melted butter and oysters (or
oyster sauce, if there is any left), and cover with mashed potatoes.
Bake for 1/2 an hour, and send to table of a nice brown colour.
_Time_.--1/2 hour.
_Seasonable_ from November to March.
II.
236. INGREDIENTS.--2 slices of cod; pepper and salt to taste; 1/2 a
teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, 1 large blade of pounded mace, 2 oz. of
butter, 1/2 pint of stock No. 107, a paste crust (_see_ Pastry). For
sauce, 1 tablespoonful of stock, 1/4 pint of cream or milk, thickening
of flour or butter; lemon-peel chopped very fine to taste; 12 oysters.
_Mode_.--Lay the cod in salt for 4 hours, then wash it and place it in a
dish; season, and add the butter and stock; cover with the crust, and
bake for 1 hour, or rather more. Now make the sauce, by mixing the
ingredients named above; give it one boil, and pour it into the pie by a
hole made at the top of the crust, which can easily be covered by a
small piece of pastry cut and baked in any fanciful shape--such as a
leaf, or otherwise.
_Time_.--1-1/2 hour. _Average cost_, with fresh fish, 2s. 6d.
_Seasonable_ from November to March.
_Sufficient_ for 6 persons.
_Note_.--The remains of cold fish may be used for this pie.
CURRIED COD.
237. INGREDIENTS.--2 slices of large cod, or the remains of any cold
fish; 3 oz. of butter, 1 onion sliced, a teacupful of white stock,
thickening of butter and flour, 1 small teaspoonful of curry-powder,
1/4 pint of cream, salt and cayenne to taste.
_Mode_.--Flake the fish, and fry it of a nice brown colour with the
butter and onions; put this in a stewpan, add the stock and thickening,
and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir the curry-powder into the cream; put it,
with the seasoning, to the other ingredients; give one boil, and serve.
_Time_.--3/4 hour. _Average cost_, with fresh fish, 3s.
_Seasonable_ from November to March.
_Sufficient_ for 4 persons.
THE FOOD OF THE COD.--This chiefly consists of the smaller
species of the scaly tribes, shell-fish, crabs, and worms. Their
voracity is very great, and they will bite at any small body
they see moved by the water, even stones and pebbles, which are
frequently found in their stomachs. They sometimes attain a
great size, but their usual weight is from 14 to 40 lbs.
COD A LA CREME.
238. INGREDIENTS.--1 large slice of cod, 1 oz. of butter, 1 chopped
shalot, a little minced parsley, 1/4 teacupful of white stock, 1/4 pint
of milk or cream, flour to thicken, cayenne and lemon-juice to taste,
1/4 teaspoonful of powdered sugar.
_Mode_.--Boil the cod, and while hot, break it into flakes; put the
butter, shalot, parsley, and stock into a stewpan, and let them boil for
5 minutes. Stir in sufficient flour to thicken, and pour to it the milk
or cream. Simmer for 10 minutes, add the cayenne and sugar, and, when
liked, a little lemon-juice. Put the fish in the sauce to warm
gradually, but do not let it boil. Serve in a dish garnished with
croûtons.
_Time_.--Rather more than 1/2 hour. _Average cost_, with cream, 2s.
_Seasonable_ from November to March.
_Sufficient_ for 3 persons.
_Note_.--The remains of fish from the preceding day answer very well for
this dish.
COD A LA BECHAMEL.
239. INGREDIENTS.--Any remains of cold cod, 4 tablespoonfuls of béchamel
(_see_ Sauces), 2 oz. butter; seasoning to taste of pepper and salt;
fried bread, a few bread crumbs.
_Mode_.--Flake the cod carefully, leaving out all skin and bone; put the
béchamel in a stewpan with the butter, and stir it over the fire till
the latter is melted; add seasoning, put in the fish, and mix it well
with the sauce. Make a border of fried bread round the dish, lay in the
fish, sprinkle over with bread crumbs, and baste with butter. Brown
either before the fire or with a salamander, and garnish with toasted
bread cut in fanciful shapes.
_Time_.--1/2 hour.
_Average cost_, exclusive of the fish, 6d.
THE HABITAT OF THE COD.--This fish is found only in the seas of
the northern parts of the world, between the latitudes of 45°
and 66°. Its great rendezvous are the sandbanks of Newfoundland,
Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, and New England. These places are its
favourite resorts; for there it is able to obtain great
quantities of worms, a food peculiarly grateful to it. Another
cause of its attachment to these places has been said to be on
account of the vicinity to the Polar seas, where it returns to
spawn. Few are taken north of Iceland, and the shoals never
reach so far south as the Straits of Gibraltar. Many are taken
on the coasts of Norway, in the Baltic, and off the Orkneys,
which, prior to the discovery of Newfoundland, formed one of the
principal fisheries. The London market is supplied by those
taken between the Dogger Bank, the Well Bank, and Cromer, on the
east coast of England.
COD A LA MAITRE D'HOTEL.
240. INGREDIENTS.--2 slices of cod, 1/4 lb. of butter, a little chopped
shalot and parsley; pepper to taste, 1/4 teaspoonful of grated nutmeg,
or rather less, when the flavour is not liked; the juice of 1/4 lemon.
_Mode_.--Boil the cod, and either leave it whole, or, what is still
better, flake it from the bone, and take off the skin. Put it into a
stewpan with the butter, parsley, shalot, pepper, and nutmeg. Melt the
butter gradually, and be very careful that it does not become like oil.
When all is well mixed and thoroughly hot, add the lemon-juice, and
serve.
_Time_.--1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 2s. 6d.; with remains of cold fish,
5d.
_Seasonable_ from November to March.
_Sufficient_ for 4 persons.
_Note_.--Cod that has been left will do for this.
THE SEASON FOR FISHING COD.--The best season for catching cod is
from the beginning of February to the end of April; and although
each fisherman engaged in taking them, catches no more than one
at a time, an expert hand will sometimes take four hundred in a
day. The employment is excessively fatiguing, from the weight of
the fish as well as from the coldness of the climate.
COD A L'ITALIENNE.
241. INGREDIENTS.--2 slices of crimped cod, 1 shalot, 1 slice of ham
minced very fine, 1/2 pint of white stock, No. 107; when liked, 1/2
teacupful of cream; salt to taste; a few drops of garlic vinegar, a
little lemon-juice, 1/2 teaspoonful of powdered sugar.
_Mode_.--Chop the shalots, mince the ham very fine, pour on the stock,
and simmer for 15 minutes. If the colour should not be good, add cream
in the above proportion, and strain it through a fine sieve; season it,
and put in the vinegar, lemon-juice, and sugar. Now boil the cod, take
out the middle bone, and skin it; put it on the dish without breaking,
and pour the sauce over it.
_Time_.--3/4 hour. _Average cost_, 3s. 6d., with fresh fish.
_Seasonable_ from November to March.
_Sufficient_ for 4 persons.
THE FECUNDITY OF THE COD.--In our preceding remarks on the
natural history of fishes, we have spoken of the amazing
fruitfulness of this fish; but in this we see one more instance
of the wise provision which Nature has made for supplying the
wants of man. So extensive has been the consumption of this
fish, that it is surprising that it has not long ago become
extinct; which would certainly have been the case, had it not
been for its wonderful powers of reproduction. "So early as
1368," says Dr. Cloquet, "the inhabitants of Amsterdam had
dispatched fishermen to the coast of Sweden; and in the first
quarter of 1792, from the ports of France only, 210 vessels went
out to the cod-fisheries. Every year, however, upwards of 10,000
vessels, of all nations, are employed in this trade, and bring
into the commercial world more than 40,000,000 of salted and
dried cod. If we add to this immense number, the havoc made
among the legions of cod by the larger scaly tribes of the great
deep, and take into account the destruction to which the young
are exposed by sea-fowls and other inhabitants of the seas,
besides the myriads of their eggs destroyed by accident, it
becomes a miracle to find that such mighty multitudes of them
are still in existence, and ready to continue the exhaustless
supply. Yet it ceases to excite our wonder when we remember that
the female can every year give birth to more than 9,000,000 at a
time."
BAKED CARP.
242. INGREDIENTS--1 carp, forcemeat, bread crumbs, 1 oz. butter, 1/2
pint of stock No. 105, 1/2 pint of port wine, 6 anchovies, 2 onions
sliced, 1 bay-leaf, a faggot of sweet herbs, flour to thicken, the juice
of 1 lemon; cayenne and salt to taste; 1/2 teaspoonful of powdered
sugar.
_Mode_.--Stuff the carp with a delicate forcemeat, after thoroughly
cleansing it, and sew it up to prevent the stuffing from falling out.
Rub it over with an egg, and sprinkle it with bread crumbs, lay it in a
deep earthen dish, and drop the butter, oiled, over the bread crumbs.
Add the stock, onions, bay-leaf, herbs, wine, and anchovies, and bake
for 1 hour. Put 1 oz. of butter into a stewpan, melt it, and dredge in
sufficient flour to dry it up; put in the strained liquor from the carp,
stir frequently, and when it has boiled, add the lemon-juice and
seasoning. Serve the carp on a dish garnished with parsley and cut
lemon, and the sauce in a boat.
_Time_.--1-1/4 hour. _Average cost_. Seldom bought.
_Seasonable_ from March to October.
_Sufficient_ for 1 or 2 persons.
[Illustration: THE CARP.]
THE CARP.--This species of fish inhabit the fresh waters, where
they feed on worms, insects, aquatic plants, small fish, clay,
or mould. Some of them are migratory. They have very small
mouths and no teeth, and the gill membrane has three rays. The
body is smooth, and generally whitish. The carp both grows and
increases very fast, and is accounted the most valuable of all
fish for the stocking of ponds. It has been pronounced the queen
of river-fish, and was first introduced to this country about
three hundred years ago. Of its sound, or air-bladder, a kind of
glue is made, and a green paint of its gall.
STEWED CARP.
243. INGREDIENTS.--1 carp, salt, stock No. 105, 2 onions, 6 cloves, 12
peppercorns, 1 blade of mace, 1/4 pint of port wine, the juice of 1/2
lemon, cayenne and salt to taste, a faggot of savoury herbs.
_Mode_.--Scale the fish, clean it nicely, and, if very large, divide it;
lay it in the stewpan, after having rubbed a little salt on it, and put
in sufficient stock to cover it; add the herbs, onions, and spices, and
stew gently for 1 hour, or rather more, should it be very large. Dish up
the fish with great care, strain the liquor, and add to it the port
wine, lemon-juice, and cayenne; give one boil, pour it over the fish,
and serve.
_Time_.--1-1/4 hour. _Average cost_. Seldom bought.
_Seasonable_ from March to October.
_Sufficient_ for 1 or 2 persons.
_Note_.--This fish can be boiled plain, and served with parsley and
butter. Chub and Char may be cooked in the same manner as the above, as
also Dace and Roach.
THE AGE OF CARP.--This fish has been found to live 150 years.
The pond in the garden of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, contained
one that had lived there 70 years, and Gesner mentions an
instance of one 100 years old. They are, besides, capable of
being tamed. Dr. Smith, in his "Tour on the Continent," says, in
reference to the prince of Condé's seat at Chantilly, "The most
pleasing things about it were the immense shoals of very large
carp, silvered over with age, like silver-fish, and perfectly
tame; so that, when any passengers approached their watery
habitation, they used to come to the shore in such numbers as to
heave each other out of the water, begging for bread, of which a
quantity was always kept at hand, on purpose to feed them. They
would even allow themselves to be handled."
[Illustration: THE CHUB.]
[Illustration: THE CHAR.]
THE CHUB.--This fish takes its name from its head, not only in
England, but in other countries. It is a river-fish, and
resembles the carp, but is somewhat longer. Its flesh is not in
much esteem, being coarse, and, when out of season, full of
small hairy bones. The head and throat are the best parts. The
roe is also good.
THE CHAR.--This is one of the most delicious of fish, being
esteemed by some superior to the salmon. It is an inhabitant of
the deep lakes of mountainous countries. Its flesh is rich and
red, and full of fat. The largest and best kind is found in the
lakes of Westmoreland, and, as it is considered a rarity, it is
often potted and preserved.
THE DACE, OR DARE.--This fish is gregarious, and is seldom above
ten inches long; although, according to Linnaeus, it grows a
foot and a half in length. Its haunts are in deep water, near
piles of bridges, where the stream is gentle, over gravelly,
sandy, or clayey bottoms; deep holes that are shaded, water-lily
leaves, and under the foam caused by an eddy. In the warm months
they are to be found in shoals on the shallows near to streams.
They are in season about the end of April, and gradually improve
till February, when they attain their highest condition. In that
month, when just taken, scotched (crimped), and broiled, they
are said to be more palatable than a fresh herring.
THE ROACH.--This fish is found throughout Europe, and the
western parts of Asia, in deep still rivers, of which it is an
inhabitant. It is rarely more than a pound and a half in weight,
and is in season from September till March. It is plentiful in
England, and the finest are caught in the Thames. The proverb,
"as sound as a roach," is derived from the French name of this
fish being _roche_, which also means rock.
[Illustration: THE DACE.]
[Illustration: THE ROACH.]
TO DRESS CRAB.
244. INGREDIENTS.--1 crab, 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, 1 ditto of oil;
salt, white pepper, and cayenne, to taste.
_Mode_.--Empty the shells, and thoroughly mix the meat with the above
ingredients, and put it in the large shell. Garnish with slices of cut
lemon and parsley. The quantity of oil may be increased when it is much
liked. (See Coloured Plate I.)
_Average cost_, from 10d. to 2s.
_Seasonable_ all the year; but not so good in May, June, and July.
_Sufficient_ for 3 persons.
TO CHOOSE CRAB.--The middle-sized crab is the best; and the crab, like
the lobster, should be judged by its weight; for if light, it is watery.
HOT CRAB.
245. INGREDIENTS.--1 crab, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, 3 oz. of
butter, 1/4 lb. of bread crumbs, 3 tablespoonfuls of vinegar.
_Mode_.--After having boiled the crab, pick the meat out from the
shells, and mix with it the nutmeg and seasoning. Cut up the butter in
small pieces, and add the bread crumbs and vinegar. Mix altogether, put
the whole in the large shell, and brown before the fire or with a
salamander.
_Time_.--1 hour. _Average cost_, from 10d. to 2s.
_Seasonable_ all the year; but not so good in May, June, and July.
_Sufficient_ for 3 persons.
[Illustration: THE CRAB.]
THE CRAB TRIBE.--The whole of this tribe of animals have the
body covered with a hard and strong shell, and they live chiefly
in the sea. Some, however, inhabit fresh waters, and a few live
upon land. They feed variously, on aquatic or marine plants,
small fish, molluscae, or dead bodies. The _black-clawed_
species is found on the rocky coasts of both Europe and India,
and is the same that is introduced to our tables, being much
more highly esteemed as a food than many others of the tribe.
The most remarkable feature in their history, is the changing of
their shells, and the reproduction of their broken claws. The
former occurs once a year, usually between Christmas and Easter,
when the crabs retire to cavities in the rocks, or conceal
themselves under great stones. Fishermen say that they will live
confined in a pot or basket for several months together, without
any other food than what is collected from the sea-water; and
that, even in this situation, they will not decrease in weight.
The _hermit_ crab is another of the species, and has the
peculiarity of taking possession of the deserted shell of some
other animal, as it has none of its own. This circumstance was
known to the ancients, and is alluded to in the following lines
from Oppian:--
The hermit fish, unarm'd by Nature, left
Helpless and weak, grow strong by harmless theft.
Fearful they stroll, and look with panting wish
For the cast crust of some new-cover'd fish;
Or such as empty lie, and deck the shore,
Whose first and rightful owners are no more.
They make glad seizure of the vacant room,
And count the borrow'd shell their native home;
Screw their soft limbs to fit the winding case,
And boldly herd with the crustaceous race.
CRAYFISH.
246. Crayfish should be thrown into boiling water, to which has been
added a good seasoning of salt and a little vinegar. When done, which
will be in 1/4 hour, take them out and drain them. Let them cool,
arrange them on a napkin, and garnish with plenty of double parsley.
_Note_.--This fish is frequently used for garnishing boiled turkey,
boiled fowl, calf's head, turbot, and all kinds of boiled fish.
POTTED CRAYFISH.
247. INGREDIENTS.--100 crayfish; pounded mace, pepper and salt to taste,
2 oz. butter.
_Mode_.--Boil the fish in salt and water; pick out all the meat and
pound it in a mortar to a paste. Whilst pounding, add the butter
gradually, and mix in the spice and seasoning. Put it in small pots, and
pour over it clarified butter, carefully excluding the air.
_Time_.--15 minutes to boil the crayfish. _Average cost_, 2s. 9d.
_Seasonable_ all the year.
JOHN DORY.
248. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of salt to each gallon of water.
_Mode_.--This fish, which is esteemed by most people a great delicacy,
is dressed in the same way as a turbot, which it resembles in firmness,
but not in richness. Cleanse it thoroughly and cut off the fins; lay it
in a fish-kettle, cover with cold water, and add salt in the above
proportion. Bring it gradually to a boil, and simmer gently for 1/4
hour, or rather longer, should the fish be very large. Serve on a hot
napkin, and garnish with cut lemon and parsley. Lobster, anchovy, or
shrimp sauce, and plain melted butter, should be sent to table with it.
_Time_.--After the water boils, 1/4 to 1/2 hour, according to size.
_Average cost_, 3s. to 5s. _Seasonable_ all the year, but best from
September to January.
_Note_.--Small John Dorie are very good, baked.
[Illustration: THE JOHN DORY.]
THE DORU, or JOHN DORY.--This fish is of a yellowish golden
colour, and is, in general, rare, although it is sometimes taken
in abundance on the Devon and Cornish coasts. It is highly
esteemed for the table, and its flesh, when dressed, is of a
beautiful clear white. When fresh caught, it is tough, and,
being a ground fish, it is not the worse for being kept two, or
even three days before it is cooked.
BOILED EELS.
249. INGREDIENTS.--4 small eels, sufficient water to cover them; a large
bunch of parsley.
_Mode_.--Choose small eels for boiling; put them in a stewpan with the
parsley, and just sufficient water to cover them; simmer till tender.
Take them out, pour a little parsley and butter over them, and serve
some in a tureen.
_Time_.--1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 6d. per lb.
_Seasonable_ from June to March.
_Sufficient_ for 4 persons.
[Illustration: THE EEL.]
THE EEL TRIBE.--The Apodal, or bony-gilled and ventral-finned
fish, of which the eel forms the first Linnaean tribe, in their
general aspect and manners, approach, in some instances, very
nearly to serpents. They have a smooth head and slippery skin,
are in general naked, or covered with such small, soft, and
distant scales, as are scarcely visible. Their bodies are long
and slender, and they are supposed to subsist entirely on animal
substances. There are about nine species of them, mostly found
in the seas. One of them frequents our fresh waters, and three
of the others occasionally pay a visit to our shores.
STEWED EELS.
I.
250. INGREDIENTS.--2 lbs. of eels, 1 pint of rich strong stock, No. 104,
1 onion, 3 cloves, a piece of lemon-peel, 1 glass of port or Madeira, 3
tablespoonfuls of cream; thickening of flour; cayenne and lemon-juice to
taste.
_Mode_.--Wash and skin the eels, and cut them into pieces about 3 inches
long; pepper and salt them, and lay them in a stewpan; pour over the
stock, add the onion stuck with cloves, the lemon-peel, and the wine.
Stew gently for 1/2 hour, or rather more, and lift them carefully on a
dish, which keep hot. Strain the gravy, stir to the cream sufficient
flour to thicken; mix altogether, boil for 2 minutes, and add the
cayenne and lemon-juice; pour over the eels and serve.
_Time_.--3/4 hour. _Average cost_ for this quantity, 2s. 3d.
_Seasonable_ from June to March.
_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.
THE COMMON EEL.--This fish is known frequently to quit its
native element, and to set off on a wandering expedition in the
night, or just about the close of clay, over the meadows, in
search of snails and other prey. It also, sometimes, betakes
itself to isolated ponds, apparently for no other pleasure than
that which may be supposed to be found in a change of
habitation. This, of course, accounts for eels being found in
waters which were never suspected to contain them. This rambling
disposition in the eel has been long known to naturalists, and,
from the following lines, it seems to have been known to the
ancients:--
"Thus the mail'd tortoise, and the wand'ring; eel,
Oft to the neighbouring beach will silent steal."
II.
251. INGREDIENTS.--2 lbs. of middling-sized eels, 1 pint of medium
stock, No. 105, 1/4 pint of port wine; salt, cayenne, and mace to taste;
1 teaspoonful of essence of anchovy, the juice of 1/2 a lemon.
_Mode_.--Skin, wash, and clean the eels thoroughly; cut them into pieces
3 inches long, and put them into strong salt and water for 1 hour; dry
them well with a cloth, and fry them brown. Put the stock on with the
heads and tails of the eels, and simmer for 1/2 hour; strain it, and add
all the other ingredients. Put in the eels, and stew gently for 1/2
hour, when serve.
_Time_.--2 hours. _Average cost_, 1s. 9d.
_Seasonable_ from June to March.
_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.
FRIED EELS.
252. INGREDIENTS.--1 lb. of eels, 1 egg, a few bread crumbs, hot lard.
_Mode_.--Wash the eels, cut them into pieces 3 inches long, trim and
wipe them very dry; dredge with flour, rub them over with egg, and cover
with bread crumbs; fry of a nice brown in hot lard. If the eels are
small, curl them round, instead of cutting them up. Garnish with fried
parsley.
_Time_.--20 minutes, or rather less. _Average cost_, 6d. per lb.
_Seasonable_ from June to March.
_Note_.--Garfish may be dressed like eels, and either broiled or baked.
THE PRODUCTIVENESS OF THE EEL.--"Having occasion," says Dr.
Anderson, in the _Bee_, "to be once on a visit to a friend's
house on Dee-side, in Aberdeenshire, I frequently delighted to
walk by the banks of the river. I, one day, observed something
like a black string moving along the edge of the water where it
was quite shallow. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that
this was a shoal of young eels, so closely joined together as to
appear, on a superficial view, on continued body, moving briskly
up against the stream. To avoid the retardment they experienced
from the force of the current, they kept close along the water's
edge the whole of the way, following all the bendings and
sinuosities of the river. Where they were embayed, and in still
water, the shoal dilated in breadth, so as to be sometimes
nearly a foot broad; but when they turned a cape, where the
current was strong, they were forced to occupy less space and
press close to the shore, struggling very hard till they passed
it. This shoal continued to move on, night and day without
interruption for several weeks. Their progress might be at the
rate of about a mile an hour. It was easy to catch the animals,
though they were very active and nimble. They were eels
perfectly well formed in every respect, but not exceeding two
inches in length. I conceive that the shoal did not contain, on
an average, less than from twelve to twenty in breadth; so that
the number that passed, on the whole, must have been very great.
Whence they came or whither they went, I know not; but the place
where I saw this, was six miles from the sea."
EEL PIE.
253. INGREDIENTS.--1 lb. of eels, a little chopped parsley, 1 shalot;
grated nutmeg; pepper and salt to taste; the juice of 1/2 a lemon, small
quantity of forcemeat, 1/4 pint of béchamel (see Sauces); puff paste.
_Mode_.--Skin and wash the eels, cut them into pieces 2 inches long, and
line the bottom of the pie-dish with forcemeat. Put in the eels, and
sprinkle them with the parsley, shalots, nutmeg, seasoning, and
lemon-juice, and cover with puff-paste. Bake for 1 hour, or rather more;
make the béchamel hot, and pour it into the pie.
_Time_.--Rather more than 1 hour.
_Seasonable_ from August to March.
COLLARED EEL.
254. INGREDIENTS.--1 large eel; pepper and salt to taste; 2 blades of
mace, 2 cloves, a little allspice very finely pounded, 6 leaves of sage,
and a small bunch of herbs minced very small.
_Mode_.--Bone the eel and skin it; split it, and sprinkle it over with
the ingredients, taking care that the spices are very finely pounded,
and the herbs chopped very small. Roll it up and bind with a broad piece
of tape, and boil it in water, mixed with a little salt and vinegar,
till tender. It may either be served whole or cut in slices; and when
cold, the eel should be kept in the liquor it was boiled in, but with a
little more vinegar put to it.
_Time_.--2 hours. _Average cost_, 6d. per lb.
_Seasonable_ from August to March.
HAUNTS OF THE EEL.--These are usually in mud, among weeds, under
roots or stumps of trees, or in holes in the banks or the
bottoms of rivers. Here they often grow to an enormous size,
sometimes weighing as much as fifteen or sixteen pounds. They
seldom come forth from their hiding-places except in the night;
and, in winter, bury themselves deep in the mud, on account of
their great susceptibility of cold.
EELS A LA TARTARE.
255. INGREDIENTS.--2 lbs. of eels, 1 carrot, 1 onion, a little flour, 1
glass of sherry; salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste; bread crumbs, 1 egg,
2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar.
_Mode_.--Rub the butter on the bottom of the stewpan; cut up the carrot
and onion, and stir them over the fire for 5 minutes; dredge in a little
flour, add the wine and seasoning, and boil for 1/2 an hour. Skin and
wash the eels, cut them into pieces, put them to the other ingredients,
and simmer till tender. When they are done, take them out, let them get
cold, cover them with egg and bread crumbs, and fry them of a nice
brown. Put them on a dish, pour sauce piquante over, and serve them hot.
_Time_.--1-1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 1s. 8d., exclusive of the sauce
piquante.
_Seasonable_ from August to March. _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.
VORACITY OF THE EEL.--We find in a note upon Isaac Walton, by
Sir John Hawkins, that he knew of eels, when kept in ponds,
frequently destroying ducks. From a canal near his house at
Twickenham he himself missed many young ducks; and on draining,
in order to clean it, great numbers of large eels were caught in
the mud. When some of these were opened, there were found in
their stomachs the undigested heads of the quacking tribe which
had become their victims.
EELS EN MATELOTE.
256. INGREDIENTS.--5 or 6 young onions, a few mushrooms, when
obtainable; salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste; 1 laurel-leaf, 1/2 pint
of port wine, 1/2 pint of medium stock, No. 105; butter and flour to
thicken; 2 lbs. of eels.
_Mode_.--Rub the stewpan with butter, dredge in a little flour, add the
onions cut very small, slightly brown them, and put in all the other
ingredients. Wash, and cut up the eels into pieces 3 inches long; put
them in the stewpan, and simmer for 1/2 hour. Make round the dish, a
border of croutons, or pieces of toasted bread; arrange the eels in a
pyramid in the centre, and pour over the sauce. Serve very hot.
_Time_.--3/4 hour. Average cost, 1s. 9d. for this quantity.
_Seasonable_ from August to March. _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.
TENACITY OF LIFE IN THE EEL.--There is no fish so tenacious of
life as this. After it is skinned and cut in pieces, the parts
will continue to move for a considerable time, and no fish will
live so long out of water.
[Illustration: THE LAMPREY.]
THE LAMPREY.--With the Romans, this fish occupied a respectable
rank among the piscine tribes, and in Britain it has at various
periods stood high in public favour. It was the cause of the
death of Henry I. of England, who ate so much of them, that it
brought on an attack of indigestion, which carried him off. It
is an inhabitant of the sea, ascending rivers, principally about
the end of winter, and, after passing a few months in fresh
water, returning again to its oceanic residence. It is most in
season in March, April, and May, but is, by some, regarded as an
unwholesome food, although looked on by others as a great
delicacy. They are dressed as eels.
FISH AND OYSTER PIE.
257. INGREDIENTS.--Any remains of cold fish, such as cod or haddock; 2
dozen oysters, pepper and salt to taste, bread crumbs sufficient for the
quantity of fish; 1/2 teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, 1 teaspoonful of
finely-chopped parsley.
_Mode_.--Clear the fish from the bones, and put a layer of it in a
pie-dish, which sprinkle with pepper and salt; then a layer of bread
crumbs, oysters, nutmeg, and chopped parsley. Repeat this till the dish
is quite full. You may form a covering either of bread crumbs, which
should be browned, or puff-paste, which should be cut into long strips,
and laid in cross-bars over the fish, with a line of the paste first
laid round the edge. Before putting on the top, pour in some made melted
butter, or a little thin white sauce, and the oyster-liquor, and bake.
_Time_.--If made of cooked fish, 1/4 hour; if made of fresh fish and
puff-paste, 3/4 hour.
_Average cost_, 1s. 6d.
_Seasonable_ from September to April.
_Note_.--A nice little dish may be made by flaking any cold fish, adding
a few oysters, seasoning with pepper and salt, and covering with mashed
potatoes; 1/4 hour will bake it.
FISH CAKE.
258. INGREDIENTS.--The remains of any cold fish, 1 onion, 1 faggot of
sweet herbs; salt and pepper to taste, 1 pint of water, equal quantities
of bread crumbs and cold potatoes, 1/2 teaspoonful of parsley, 1 egg,
bread crumbs.
_Mode_.--Pick the meat from the bones of the fish, which latter put,
with the head and fins, into a stewpan with the water; add pepper and
salt, the onion and herbs, and stew slowly for gravy about 2 hours; chop
the fish fine, and mix it well with bread crumbs and cold potatoes,
adding the parsley and seasoning; make the whole into a cake with the
white of an egg, brush it over with egg, cover with bread crumbs, and
fry of a light brown; strain the gravy, pour it over, and stew gently
for 1/4 hour, stirring it carefully once or twice. Serve hot, and
garnish with slices of lemon and parsley.
_Time_--1/2 hour, after the gravy is made.
BOILED FLOUNDERS.
259. INGREDIENTS.--Sufficient water to cover the flounders, salt in the
proportion of 6 oz. to each gallon, a little vinegar.
_Mode_.--Pat on a kettle with enough water to cover the flounders, lay
in the fish, add salt and vinegar in the above proportions, and when it
boils, simmer very gently for 5 minutes. They must not boil fast, or
they will break. Serve with plain melted butter, or parsley and butter.
_Time_.--After the water boils, 5 minutes.
_Average cost_, 3d. each.
_Seasonable_ from August to November.
[Illustration: FLOUNDERS.]
THE FLOUNDER.--This comes under the tribe usually denominated
Flat-fish, and is generally held in the smallest estimation of
any among them. It is an inhabitant of both the seas and the
rivers, while it thrives in ponds. On the English coasts it is
very abundant, and the London market consumes it in large
quantities. It is considered easy of digestion, and the Thames
flounder is esteemed a delicate fish.
FRIED FLOUNDERS.
260. INGREDIENTS.--Flounders, egg, and bread crumbs; boiling lard.
_Mode_.--Cleanse the fish, and, two hours before they are wanted, rub
them inside and out with salt, to render them firm; wash and wipe them
very dry, dip them into egg, and sprinkle over with bread crumbs; fry
them in boiling lard, dish on a hot napkin, and garnish with crisped
parsley.
_Time_.--From 5 to 10 minutes, according to size.
_Average cost_, 3d. each.
_Seasonable_ from August to November.
_Sufficient_, 1 for each person.
GUDGEONS.
261. INGREDIENTS.--Egg and bread crumbs sufficient for the quantity of
fish; hot lard.
_Mode_.--Do not scrape off the scales, but take out the gills and
inside, and cleanse thoroughly; wipe them dry, flour and dip them into
egg, and sprinkle over with bread crumbs. Fry of a nice brown.
_Time_.--3 or 4 minutes.
_Average cost_. Seldom bought.
_Seasonable_ from March to July.
_Sufficient_, 3 for each person.
[Illustration: THE GUDGEON.]
THE GUDGEON.--This is a fresh-water fish, belonging to the carp
genus, and is found in placid streams and lakes. It was highly
esteemed by the Greeks, and was, at the beginning of supper,
served fried at Rome. It abounds both in France and Germany; and
is both excellent and numerous in some of the rivers of England.
Its flesh is firm, well-flavoured, and easily digested.
GURNET, or GURNARD.
262. INGREDIENTS.--1 gurnet, 6 oz. of salt to each gallon of water.
_Mode_.--Cleanse the fish thoroughly, and cut off the fins; have ready
some boiling water, with salt in the above proportion; put the fish in,
and simmer very gently for 1/2 hour. Parsley and butter, or anchovy
sauce, should be served with it.
_Time_.--1/2 hour.
_Average cost_. Seldom bought.
_Seasonable_ from October to March, but in perfection in October.
_Sufficient_, a middling sized one for 2 persons.
_Note_.--This fish is frequently stuffed with forcemeat and baked.
[Illustration: THE GURNET.]
THE GURNET.-"If I be not ashamed of my soldiers, I am a souced
gurnet," says Falstaff; which shows that this fish has been long
known in England. It is very common on the British coasts, and
is an excellent fish as food.
BAKED HADDOCKS.
263. INGREDIENTS.--A nice forcemeat (_see_ Forcemeats), butter to taste,
egg and bread crumbs.
_Mode_.--Scale and clean the fish, without cutting it open much; put in
a nice delicate forcemeat, and sew up the slit. Brush it over with egg,
sprinkle over bread crumbs, and baste frequently with butter. Garnish
with parsley and cut lemon, and serve with a nice brown gravy, plain
melted butter, or anchovy sauce. The egg and bread crumbs can be
omitted, and pieces of butter placed over the fish.
_Time_.--Large haddock, 3/4 hour; moderate size, 1/4 hour.
_Seasonable_ from August to February.
_Average cost_, from 9d. upwards.
_Note_.--Haddocks may be filleted, rubbed over with egg and bread
crumbs, and fried a nice brown; garnish with crisped parsley.
[Illustration: THE HADDOCK.]
THE HADDOCK.--This fish migrates in immense shoals, and arrives
on the Yorkshire coast about the middle of winter. It is an
inhabitant of the northern seas of Europe, but does not enter
the Baltic, and is not known in the Mediterranean. On each side
of the body, just beyond the gills, it has a dark spot, which
superstition asserts to be the impressions of the finger and
thumb of St. Peter, when taking the tribute money out of a fish
of this species.
BOILED HADDOCK.
264. INGREDIENTS.--Sufficient water to cover the fish; 1/4 lb. of salt
to each gallon of water.
_Mode_.--Scrape the fish, take out the inside, wash it thoroughly, and
lay it in a kettle, with enough water to cover it and salt in the above
proportion. Simmer gently from 15 to 20 minutes, or rather more, should
the fish be very large. For small haddocks, fasten the tails in their
mouths, and put them into boiling water. 10 to 15 minutes will cook
them. Serve with plain melted butter, or anchovy sauce.
_Time_.--Large haddock, 1/2 hour; small, 1/4 hour, or rather less.
_Average cost_, from 9d. upwards.
_Seasonable_ from August to February.
WEIGHT OF THE HADDOCK.--The haddock seldom grows to any great
size. In general, they do not weigh more than two or three
pounds, or exceed ten or twelve inches in size. Such are
esteemed very delicate eating; but they have been caught three
feet long, when their flesh is coarse.
DRIED HADDOCK.
I.
265. Dried haddock should be gradually warmed through, either before or
over a nice clear fire. Hub a little piece of butter over, just before
sending it to table.
II.
266. INGREDIENTS.--1 large thick haddock, 2 bay-leaves, 1 small bunch of
savoury herbs, not forgetting parsley, a little butter and pepper;
boiling water.
_Mode_.--Cut up the haddock into square pieces, make a basin hot by
means of hot water, which pour out. Lay in the fish, with the bay-leaves
and herbs; cover with boiling water; put a plate over to keep in the
steam, and let it remain for 10 minutes. Take out the slices, put them
in a hot dish, rub over with butter and pepper, and serve.
_Time_.--10 minutes. _Seasonable_ at any time, but best in winter.
THE FINNAN HADDOCK.--This is the common haddock cured and dried,
and takes its name from the fishing-village of Findhorn, near
Aberdeen, in Scotland, where the art has long attained to
perfection. The haddocks are there hung up for a day or two in
the smoke of peat, when they are ready for cooking, and are
esteemed, by the Scotch, a great delicacy. In London, an
imitation of them is made by washing the fish over with
pyroligneous acid, and hanging it up in a dry place for a few
days.
RED HERRINGS, or YARMOUTH BLOATERS.
267. The best way to cook these is to make incisions in the skin across
the fish, because they do not then require to be so long on the fire,
and will be far better than when cut open. The hard roe makes a nice
relish by pounding it in a mortar, with a little anchovy, and spreading
it on toast. If very dry, soak in warm water 1 hour before dressing.
THE RED HERRING.--_Red_ herrings lie twenty-four hours in the
brine, when they are taken out and hung up in a smoking-house
formed to receive them. A brushwood fire is then kindled beneath
them, and when they are sufficiently smoked and dried, they are
put into barrels for carriage.
BAKED WHITE HERRINGS.
268. INGREDIENTS.--12 herrings, 4 bay-leaves, 12 cloves, 12 allspice, 2
small blades of mace, cayenne pepper and salt to taste, sufficient
vinegar to fill up the dish.
_Mode_.--Take the herrings, cut off the heads, and gut them. Put them in
a pie-dish, heads and tails alternately, and, between each layer,
sprinkle over the above ingredients. Cover the fish with the vinegar,
and bake for 1/2 hour, but do not use it till quite cold. The herrings
may be cut down the front, the backbone taken out, and closed again.
Sprats done in this way are very delicious.
_Time_.--1/2 an hour.
_Average cost_, 1d. each.
TO CHOOSE THE HERRING.--The more scales this fish has, the surer the
sign of its freshness. It should also have a bright and silvery look;
but if red about the head, it is a sign that it has been dead for some
time.
[Illustration: THE HERRING.]
THE HERRING.--The herring tribe are found in the greatest
abundance in the highest northern latitudes, where they find a
quiet retreat, and security from their numerous enemies. Here
they multiply beyond expression, and, in shoals, come forth from
their icy region to visit other portions of the great deep. In
June they are found about Shetland, whence they proceed down to
the Orkneys, where they divide, and surround the islands of
Great Britain and Ireland. The principal British
herring-fisheries are off the Scotch and Norfolk coasts; and the
fishing is always carried on by means of nets, which are usually
laid at night; for, if stretched by day, they are supposed to
frighten the fish away. The moment the herring is taken out of
the water it dies. Hence the origin of the common saying, "dead
as a herring."
KEGEREE.
269. INGREDIENTS.--Any cold fish, 1 teacupful of boiled rice, 1 oz. of
butter, 1 teaspoonful of mustard, 2 soft-boiled eggs, salt and cayenne
to taste.
_Mode_.--Pick the fish carefully from the bones, mix with the other
ingredients, and serve very hot. The quantities may be varied according
to the amount of fish used.
_Time_.--1/4 hour after the rice is boiled.
_Average cost_, 5d., exclusive of the fish.
TO BOIL LOBSTERS.
270. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of salt to each gallon of water.
_Mode_.--Buy the lobsters alive, and choose those that are heavy and
full of motion, which is an indication of their freshness. When the
shell is incrusted, it is a sign they are old: medium-sized lobsters are
the best. Have ready a stewpan of boiling water, salted in the above
proportion; put in the lobster, and keep it boiling quickly from 20
minutes to 3/4 hour, according to its size, and do not forget to skim
well. If it boils too long, the meat becomes thready, and if not done
enough, the spawn is not red: this must be obviated by great attention.
Hub the shell over with a little butter or sweet oil, which wipe off
again.
_Time_.--Small lobster, 20 minutes to 1/2 hour; large ditto, 1/2 to 1/3
hour.
_Average cost_, medium size, 1s. 6d. to 2s. 6d.
_Seasonable_ all the year, but best from March to October.
TO CHOOSE LOBSTERS.--This shell-fish, if it has been cooked alive, as it
ought to have been, will have a stiffness in the tail, which, if gently
raised, will return with a spring. Care, however, must be taken in thus
proving it; for if the tail is pulled straight out, it will not return;
when the fish might be pronounced inferior, which, in reality, may not
be the case. In order to be good, lobsters should be weighty for their
bulk; if light, they will be watery; and those of the medium size, are
always the best. Small-sized lobsters are cheapest, and answer very well
for sauce. In boiling lobsters, the appearance of the shell will be much
improved by rubbing over it a little butter or salad-oil on being
immediately taken from the pot.
[Illustration: THE LOBSTER.]
THE LOBSTER.--This is one of the crab tribe, and is found on
most of the rocky coasts of Great Britain. Some are caught with
the hand, but the larger number in pots, which serve all the
purposes of a trap, being made of osiers, and baited with
garbage. They are shaped like a wire mousetrap; so that when the
lobsters once enter them, they cannot get out again. They are
fastened to a cord and sunk in the sea, and their place marked
by a buoy. The fish is very prolific, and deposits of its eggs
in the sand, where they are soon hatched. On the coast of
Norway, they are very abundant, and it is from there that the
English metropolis is mostly supplied. They are rather
indigestible, and, as a food, not so nurtritive as they are
generally supposed to be.
HOT LOBSTER.
271. INGREDIENTS.--1 lobster, 2 oz. of butter, grated nutmeg; salt,
pepper, and pounded mace, to taste; bread crumbs, 2 eggs.
_Mode_.--Pound the meat of the lobster to a smooth paste with the butter
and seasoning, and add a few bread crumbs. Beat the eggs, and make the
whole mixture into the form of a lobster; pound the spawn, and sprinkle
over it. Bake 1/4 hour, and just before serving, lay over it the tail
and body shell, with the small claws underneath, to resemble a lobster.
_Time_.--1/4 hour. _Average cost_, 2s. 6d.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.
LOBSTER SALAD.
272. INGREDIENTS.--1 hen lobster, lettuces, endive, small salad
(whatever is in season), a little chopped beetroot, 2 hard-boiled eggs,
a few slices of cucumber. For dressing, equal quantities of oil and
vinegar, 1 teaspoonful of made mustard, the yolks of 2 eggs; cayenne and
salt to taste; 3 teaspoonful of anchovy sauce. These ingredients should
be mixed perfectly smooth, and form a creamy-looking sauce.
_Mode_.--Wash the salad, and thoroughly dry it by shaking it in a cloth.
Cut up the lettuces and endive, pour the dressing on them, and lightly
throw in the small salad. Mix all well together with the pickings from
the body of the lobster; pick the meat from the shell, cut it up into
nice square pieces, put half in the salad, the other half reserve for
garnishing. Separate the yolks from the whites of 2 hard-boiled eggs;
chop the whites very fine, and rub the yolks through a sieve, and
afterwards the coral from the inside. Arrange the salad lightly on a
glass dish, and garnish, first with a row of sliced cucumber, then with
the pieces of lobster, the yolks and whites of the eggs, coral, and
beetroot placed alternately, and arranged in small separate bunches, so
that the colours contrast nicely.
_Average cost_, 3s. 6d. _Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.
_Seasonable_ from April to October; may be had all the year, but salad
is scarce and expensive in winter.
_Note_.--A few crayfish make a pretty garnishing to lobster salad.
THE SHELL OF THE LOBSTER.--Like the others of its tribe, the
lobster annually casts its shell. Previously to its throwing off
the old one, it appears sick, languid, and restless, but in the
course of a few days it is entirely invested in its new coat of
armour. Whilst it is in a defenceless state, however, it seeks
some lonely place, where it may lie undisturbed, and escape the
horrid fate of being devoured by some of its own species who
have the advantage of still being encased in their mail.
LOBSTER (a la Mode Francaise).
273. INGREDIENTS.--1 lobster, 4 tablespoonfuls of white stock, 2
tablespoonfuls of cream, pounded mace, and cayenne to taste; bread
crumbs.
_Mode_.--Pick the meat from the shell, and cut it up into small square
pieces; put the stock, cream, and seasoning into a stewpan, add the
lobster, and let it simmer gently for 6 minutes. Serve it in the shell,
which must be nicely cleaned, and have a border of puff-paste; cover it
with bread crumbs, place small pieces of butter over, and brown before
the fire, or with a salamander.
_Time_.--1/4 hour. _Average cost_, 2s. 6d.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
CELERITY OF THE LOBSTER.--In its element, the lobster is able to
run with great speed upon its legs, or small claws, and, if
alarmed, to spring, tail foremost, to a considerable distance,
"even," it is said, "with the swiftness of a bird flying."
Fishermen have seen some of them pass about thirty feet with a
wonderful degree of swiftness. When frightened, they will take
their spring, and, like a chamois of the Alps, plant themselves
upon the very spot upon which they designed to hold themselves.
LOBSTER CURRY (an Entree).
274. INGREDIENTS.--1 lobster, 2 onions, 1 oz. butter, 1 tablespoonful of
curry-powder, 1/2 pint of medium stock, No. 105, the juice of 1/2 lemon.
_Mode_.--Pick the meat from the shell, and cut it into nice square
pieces; fry the onions of a pale brown in the butter, stir in the
curry-powder and stock, and simmer till it thickens, when put in the
lobster; stew the whole slowly for 1/2 hour, and stir occasionally; and
just before sending to table, put in the lemon-juice. Serve boiled rice
with it, the same as for other curries.
_Time_.--Altogether, 3/4 hour. _Average cost_, 3s.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
LOBSTER CUTLETS (an Entree).
275. INGREDIENTS.--1 large hen lobster, 1 oz. fresh butter, 1/2
saltspoonful of salt, pounded mace, grated nutmeg, cayenne and white
pepper to taste, egg, and bread crumbs.
_Mode_.--Pick the meat from the shell, and pound it in a mortar with the
butter, and gradually add the mace and seasoning, well mixing the
ingredients; beat all to a smooth paste, and add a little of the spawn;
divide the mixture into pieces of an equal size, and shape them like
cutlets. They should not be very thick. Brush them over with egg, and
sprinkle with bread crumbs, and stick a short piece of the small claw in
the top of each; fry them of a nice brown in boiling lard, and drain
them before the fire, on a sieve reversed; arrange them nicely on a
dish, and pour béchamel in the middle, but not over the cutlets.
_Time_.--About 8 minutes after the cutlets are made.
_Average cost_ for this dish, 2s. 9d.
_Seasonable_ all the year. _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.
ANCIENT MODE OF COOKING THE LOBSTER.--When this fish was to be
served for the table, among the ancients, it was opened
lengthwise, and filled with a gravy composed of coriander and
pepper. It was then put on the gridiron and slowly cooked,
whilst it was being basted with the same kind of gravy with
which the flesh had become impregnated.
TO DRESS LOBSTERS.
276. When the lobster is boiled, rub it over with a little salad-oil,
which wipe off again; separate the body from the tail, break off the
great claws, and crack them at the joints, without injuring the meat;
split the tail in halves, and arrange all neatly in a dish, with the
body upright in the middle, and garnish with parsley. (_See_ Coloured
Plate, H.)
LOBSTER PATTIES (an Entree).
277. INGREDIENTS.--Minced lobster, 4 tablespoonfuls of béchamel, 6 drops
of anchovy sauce, lemon-juice, cayenne to taste.
_Mode_.--Line the patty-pans with puff-paste, and put into each a small
piece of bread: cover with paste, brush over with egg, and bake of a
light colour. Take as much lobster as is required, mince the meat very
fine, and add the above ingredients; stir it over the fire for 6
minutes; remove the lids of the patty-cases, take out the bread, fill
with the mixture, and replace the covers.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
LOCAL ATTACHMENT OF THE LOBSTER.--It is said that the attachment
of this animal is strong to some particular parts of the sea, a
circumstance celebrated in the following lines:--
"Nought like their home the constant lobsters prize,
And foreign shores and seas unknown despise.
Though cruel hands the banish'd wretch expel,
And force the captive from his native cell,
He will, if freed, return with anxious care,
Find the known rock, and to his home repair;
No novel customs learns in different seas,
But wonted food and home-taught manners please."
POTTED LOBSTER.
278. INGREDIENTS.--2 lobsters; seasoning to taste, of nutmeg, pounded
mace, white pepper, and salt; 1/4 lb. of butter, 3 or 4 bay-leaves.
_Mode_.--Take out the meat carefully from the shell, but do not cut it
up. Put some butter at the bottom of a dish, lay in the lobster as
evenly as possible, with the bay-leaves and seasoning between. Cover
with butter, and bake for 3/4 hour in a gentle oven. When done, drain
the whole on a sieve, and lay the pieces in potting-jars, with the
seasoning about them. When cold, pour over it clarified butter, and, if
very highly seasoned, it will keep some time.
_Time_.--3/4 hour. _Average cost_ for this quantity, 4s. 4d.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
_Note_.--Potted lobster may be used cold, or as _fricassee_ with cream
sauce.
How the Lobster Feeds.--The pincers of the lobster's large claws
are furnished with nobs, and those of the other, are always
serrated. With the former, it keeps firm hold of the stalks of
submarine plants, and with the latter, it cuts and minces its
food with great dexterity. The knobbed, or numb claw, as it is
called by fishermen, is sometimes on the right and sometimes on
the left, indifferently.
BAKED MACKEREL.
279. INGREDIENTS.--4 middling-sized mackerel, a nice delicate forcemeat
(_see_ Forcemeats), 3 oz. of butter; pepper and salt to taste.
_Mode_.--Clean the fish, take out the roes, and fill up with forcemeat,
and sew up the slit. Flour, and put them in a dish, heads and tails
alternately, with the roes; and, between each layer, put some little
pieces of butter, and pepper and salt. Bake for 1/2 an hour, and either
serve with plain melted butter or a _maître d'hôtel_ sauce.
_Time_.--1/2 hour. _Average cost_ for this quantity, 1s. 10d.
_Seasonable_ from April to July.
_Sufficient_ for 6 persons.
_Note_.--Baked mackerel may be dressed in the same way as baked herrings
(_see_ No. 268), and may also be stewed in wine.
WEIGHT OF THE MACKEREL.--The greatest weight of this fish seldom
exceeds 2 lbs., whilst their ordinary length runs between 14 and
20 inches. They die almost immediately after they are taken from
their element, and, for a short time, exhibit a phosphoric
light.
BOILED MACKEREL.
280. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of salt to each gallon of water.
_Mode_.--Cleanse the inside of the fish thoroughly, and lay it in the
kettle with sufficient water to cover it with salt as above; bring it
gradually to boil, skim well, and simmer gently till done; dish them on
a hot napkin, heads and tails alternately, and garnish with fennel.
Fennel sauce and plain melted butter are the usual accompaniments to
boiled mackerel; but caper or anchovy sauce is sometimes served with it.
(_See_ Coloured Plate, F.)
_Time_.--After the water boils, 10 minutes; for large mackerel, allow
more time.
_Average cost_, from 4d.
_Seasonable_ from April to July.
_Note_.--When variety is desired, fillet the mackerel, boil it, and pour
over parsley and butter; send some of this, besides, in a tureen.
BROILED MACKEREL.
281. INGREDIENTS.--Pepper and salt to taste, a small quantity of oil.
_Mode_.--Mackerel should never be washed when intended to be broiled,
but merely wiped very clean and dry, after taking out the gills and
insides. Open the back, and put in a little pepper, salt, and oil; broil
it over a clear fire, turn it over on both sides, and also on the back.
When sufficiently cooked, the flesh can be detached from the bone, which
will be in about 15 minutes for a small mackerel. Chop a little parsley,
work it up in the butter, with pepper and salt to taste, and a squeeze
of lemon-juice, and put it in the back. Serve before the butter is quite
melted, with a _maître d'hôtel_ sauce in a tureen.
_Time_.--Small mackerel 15 minutes. _Average cost_, from 4d.
_Seasonable_ from April to July.
[Illustration: THE MACKEREL.]
THE MACKEREL.--This is not only one of the most
elegantly-formed, but one of the most beautifully-coloured
fishes, when taken out of the sea, that we have. Death, in some
degree, impairs the vivid splendour of its colours; but it does
not entirely obliterate them. It visits the shores of Great
Britain in countless shoals, appearing about March, off the
Land's End; in the bays of Devonshire, about April; off Brighton
in the beginning of May; and on the coast of Suffolk about the
beginning of June. In the Orkneys they are seen till August; but
the greatest fishery is on the west coasts of England.
TO CHOOSE MACKEREL.--In choosing this fish, purchasers should, to a
great extent, be regulated by the brightness of its appearance. If it
have a transparent, silvery hue, the flesh is good; but if it be red
about the head, it is stale.
FILLETS OF MACKEREL.
282. INGREDIENTS.--2 large mackerel, 1 oz. butter, 1 small bunch of
chopped herbs, 3 tablespoonfuls of medium stock, No. 105, 3
tablespoonfuls of béchamel (_see_ Sauces); salt, cayenne, and
lemon-juice to taste.
_Mode_.--Clean the fish, and fillet it; scald the herbs, chop them fine,
and put them with the butter and stock into a stewpan. Lay in the
mackerel, and simmer very gently for 10 minutes; take them out, and put
them on a hot dish. Dredge in a little flour, add the other ingredients,
give one boil, and pour it over the mackerel.
_Time_.--20 minutes. _Average cost_ for this quantity, 1s. 6d.
_Seasonable_ from April to July.
_Sufficient_ for 4 persons.
_Note_.--Fillets of mackerel may be covered with egg and bread crumbs,
and fried of a nice brown. Serve with _maître d'hôtel_ sauce and plain
melted butter.
THE VORACITY OF THE MACKEREL.--The voracity of this fish is very
great, and, from their immense numbers, they are bold in
attacking objects of which they might, otherwise, be expected to
have a wholesome dread. Pontoppidan relates an anecdote of a
sailor belonging to a ship lying in one of the harbours on the
coast of Norway, who, having gone into the sea to bathe, was
suddenly missed by his companions; in the course of a few
minutes, however, he was seen on the surface, with great numbers
of mackerel clinging to him by their mouths. His comrades
hastened in a boat to his assistance; but when they had struck
the fishes from him and got him up, they found he was so
severely bitten, that he shortly afterward expired.
PICKLED MACKEREL.
283. INGREDIENTS.--12 peppercorns, 2 bay-leaves, 1/2 pint of vinegar, 4
mackerel.
_Mode_.--Boil the mackerel as in the recipe No. 282, and lay them in a
dish; take half the liquor they were boiled in; add as much vinegar,
peppercorns, and bay-leaves; boil for 10 minutes, and when cold, pour
over the fish.
_Time_.--1/2 hour.
_Average cost_, 1s. 6d.
MACKEREL GARUM.--This brine, so greatly esteemed by the
ancients, was manufactured from various kinds of fishes. When
mackerel was employed, a few of them were placed in a small
vase, with a large quantity of salt, which was well stirred, and
then left to settle for some hours. On the following day, this
was put into an earthen pot, which was uncovered, and placed in
a situation to get the rays of the sun. At the end of two or
three months, it was hermetically sealed, after having had added
to it a quantity of old wine, equal to one third of the mixture.
GREY MULLET.
284. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of salt to each gallon of water.
_Mode_.--If the fish be very large, it should be laid in cold water, and
gradually brought to a boil; if small, put it in boiling water, salted
in the above proportion. Serve with anchovy sauce and plain melted
butter.
_Time_.--According to size, 1/4 to 3/4 hour.
_Average cost_, 8d. per lb.
_Seasonable_ from July to October.
[Illustration: THE GREY MULLET.]
THE GREY MULLET.--This is quite a different fish from the red
mullet, is abundant on the sandy coasts of Great Britain, and
ascends rivers for miles. On the south coast it is very
plentiful, and is considered a fine fish. It improves more than
any other salt-water fish when kept in ponds.
RED MULLET.
285. INGREDIENTS.--Oiled paper, thickening of butter and flour, 1/2
teaspoonful of anchovy sauce, 1 glass of sherry; cayenne and salt to
taste.
_Mode_.--Clean the fish, take out the gills, but leave the inside, fold
in oiled paper, and bake them gently. When done, take the liquor that
flows from the fish, add a thickening of butter kneaded with flour; put
in the other ingredients, and let it boil for 2 minutes. Serve the sauce
in a tureen, and the fish, either with or without the paper cases.
_Time_.--About 25 minutes.
_Average cost_, 1s. each.
_Seasonable_ at any time, but more plentiful in summer.
_Note_.--Red mullet may be broiled, and should be folded in oiled paper,
the same as in the preceding recipe, and seasoned with pepper and salt.
They may be served without sauce; but if any is required, use melted
_butter_, Italian or anchovy sauce. They should never be plain boiled.
[Illustration: THE STRIPED RED MULLET.]
THE STRIPED RED MULLET.--This fish was very highly esteemed by
the ancients, especially by the Romans, who gave the most
extravagant prices for it. Those of 2 lbs. weight were valued at
about £15 each; those of 4 lbs. at £60, and, in the reign of
Tiberius, three of them were sold for £209. To witness the
changing loveliness of their colour during their dying agonies,
was one of the principal reasons that such a high price was paid
for one of these fishes. It frequents our Cornish and Sussex
coasts, and is in high request, the flesh being firm, white, and
well flavoured.
FRIED OYSTERS.
286. INGREDIENTS.--3 dozen oysters, 2 oz. butter, 1 tablespoonful of
ketchup, a little chopped lemon-peel, 1/2 teaspoonful of chopped
parsley.
_Mode_.--Boil the oysters for 1 minute in their own liquor, and drain
them; fry them with the butter, ketchup, lemon-peel, and parsley; lay
them on a dish, and garnish with fried potatoes, toasted sippets, and
parsley. This is a delicious delicacy, and is a favourite Italian dish.
_Time_.--5 minutes. _Average cost_ for this quantity, 1s. 9d.
_Seasonable_ from September to April.
_Sufficient_ for 4 persons.
[Illustration: THE EDIBLE OYSTER.]
THE EDIBLE OYSTER:--This shell-fish is almost universally
distributed near the shores of seas in all latitudes, and they
especially abound on the coasts of France and Britain. The
coasts most celebrated, in England, for them, are those of Essex
and Suffolk. Here they are dredged up by means of a net with an
iron scraper at the mouth, that is dragged by a rope from a boat
over the beds. As soon as taken from their native beds, they are
stored in pits, formed for the purpose, furnished with sluices,
through which, at the spring tides, the water is suffered to
flow. This water, being stagnant, soon becomes green in warm
weather; and, in a few days afterwards, the oysters acquire the
same tinge, which increases their value in the market. They do
not, however, attain their perfection and become fit for sale
till the end of six or eight weeks. Oysters are not considered
proper for the table till they are about a year and a half old;
so that the brood of one spring are not to be taken for sale,
till, at least, the September twelvemonth afterwards.
SCALLOPED OYSTERS.
I.
287. INGREDIENTS.--Oysters, say 1 pint, 1 oz. butter, flour, 2
tablespoonfuls of white stock, 2 tablespoonfuls of cream; pepper and
salt to taste; bread crumbs, oiled butter.
_Mode_.--Scald the oysters in their own liquor, take them out, beard
them, and strain the liquor free from grit. Put 1 oz. of batter into a
stewpan; when melted, dredge in sufficient flour to dry it up; add the
stock, cream, and strained liquor, and give one boil. Put in the oysters
and seasoning; let them gradually heat through, but not boil. Have ready
the scallop-shells buttered; lay in the oysters, and as much of the
liquid as they will hold; cover them over with bread crumbs, over which
drop a little oiled butter. Brown them in the oven, or before the fire,
and serve quickly, and very hot.
_Time_.--Altogether, 1/4 hour.
_Average cost_ for this quantity, 3s. 6d.
_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.
II.
Prepare the oysters as in the preceding recipe, and put them in a
scallop-shell or saucer, and between each layer sprinkle over a few
bread crumbs, pepper, salt, and grated nutmeg; place small pieces of
butter over, and bake before the fire in a Dutch oven. Put sufficient
bread crumbs on the top to make a smooth surface, as the oysters should
not be seen.
_Time_.--About 1/4 hour.
_Average cost_, 3s. 2d.
_Seasonable_ from September to April.
STEWED OYSTERS.
288. INGREDIENTS.--1 pint of oysters, 1 oz. of butter, flour, 1/3 pint
of cream; cayenne and salt to taste; 1 blade of pounded mace.
_Mode_.--Scald the oysters in their own liquor, take them out, beard
them, and strain the liquor; put the butter into a stewpan, dredge in
sufficient flour to dry it up, add the oyster-liquor and mace, and stir
it over a sharp fire with a wooden spoon; when it comes to a boil, add
the cream, oysters, and seasoning. Let all simmer for 1 or 2 minutes,
but not longer, or the oysters would harden. Serve on a hot dish, and
garnish with croutons, or toasted sippets of bread. A small piece of
lemon-peel boiled with the oyster-liquor, and taken out before the cream
is added, will be found an improvement.
_Time_.--Altogether 15 minutes.
_Average cost_ for this quantity, 3s. 6d.
_Seasonable_ from September to April.
_Sufficient_ for 6 persons.
THE OYSTER AND THE SCALLOP.--The oyster is described as a
bivalve shell-fish, having the valves generally unequal. The
hinge is without teeth, but furnished with a somewhat oval
cavity, and mostly with lateral transverse grooves. From a
similarity in the structure of the hinge, oysters and scallops
have been classified as one tribe; but they differ very
essentially both in their external appearance and their habits.
Oysters adhere to rocks, or, as in two or three species, to
roots of trees on the shore; while the scallops are always
detached, and usually lurk in the sand.
OYSTER PATTIES (an Entree).
289. INGREDIENTS.--2 dozen oysters, 2 oz. butter, 3 tablespoonfuls of
cream, a little lemon-juice, 1 blade of pounded mace; cayenne to taste.