_FISH SAUCES_.
A few plain directions as to the making of sauces suitable for serving
with fish, will, we think, not be unwelcome. First as to that sauce
commonly known as--
=Melted Butter.=--In France this sauce is what its name declares it
to be, viz., a tureen half full of pure butter dissolved, in strong
contrast to that generally found on English tables, where a mixture of
milk and water thickened with flour, is usually dignified with this
title. True "butter sauce" belongs to neither of these extremes. As one
ladleful will generally suffice for each individual partaking of fish,
it is as well to measure into the saucepan the number of ladlefuls that
will be required, so that there shall be no waste of good material.
Having ascertained how much liquid will be in the saucepan when the
sauce is finished, pour away the water and proceed to divide the
materials you will use. A small lump of butter should be allowed for
each ladleful of sauce. Take one lump and let it dissolve, then stir in
a heaped tablespoonful of dry flour, mix these quite smoothly together,
with the addition of cold water, until like a cream; add boiling
water to make half the quantity of sauce, then stir in by degrees the
remaining lumps of butter. If the sauce shows signs of looking oily, a
little cold water will correct it. A pinch of salt should be added, or
salt butter may be used.
=Maître d'Hôtel Butter.=--For this prepare a little melted butter, by
mixing an ounce of butter with the same weight of flour, and cold water
to make it smooth. Dilute with a quarter of a pint of white stock. Let
this mixture boil, then stir in a tablespoonful of chopped parsley, one
of sweet herbs, half one of minced chives, a teaspoonful of mixed salt
and pepper, the juice of a lemon, or a spoonful of tarragon vinegar,
and a spoonful of pure oil; when these have been well mixed together,
draw aside the saucepan and stir in the beaten yolk of an egg, then
pour into a hot tureen.
=Herb Sauce: for Broiled Fish.=--Chop some dry parsley until quite
fine, also an equal quantity of mixed herbs--thyme, marjoram, sage,
chervil, celery, fennel, &c. Put first a small lump of butter to
dissolve in the saucepan, and chop finely a shallot and let it frizzle
in this, then stir in the parsley and herbs, and add sufficient vinegar
to cover them. Draw the saucepan aside and let it simmer ten minutes to
abstract the flavour. Just before it is wanted, add pepper and a pinch
of salt, also a good tablespoonful of oil. A yolk of egg, added lastly,
will slightly thicken and improve it, but it is very good without,
especially for broiled herrings and mackerel.
=Anchovy Sauce.=--Anchovy sauce is quickly and easily made according
to the recipe given in the previous chapter (see letter A), but if a
richer sauce is desired, the anchovies should be boiled gently until
they dissolve. Then the liquor be strained, added to a little plain
melted butter with a glass of port wine.
=Shrimp Sauce.=--For this the foundation is again "melted butter," and
to half a pint of that allow half a pint of shrimps. Pick off heads,
tails, and shells, and let the bodies stew gently in the sauce, but
not boil, or they will harden. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper, a little
lemon-juice, a drop of anchovy essence, and salt to taste.
=Lobster Sauce= can be made in the same way, using a little of the
white meat of the lobster torn into flakes, in place of the shrimps,
and stirring in a spoonful of lobster butter. It must not boil or
the colour will be spoilt. To give this sauce a stronger flavour of
lobster, the shell may be boiled in water, and the liquor used instead
of water.
=Fennel Sauce.=--Pick some fennel from the stalk and boil it for a
minute, then chop it fine and add to some "melted butter." Stir in the
yolk of an egg the last thing. A teaspoonful of spiced vinegar will
give piquancy to it.
=Parsley Sauce.=--Parsley sauce is merely "melted butter" with chopped
parsley stirred in. It is an improvement to let the sauce boil a
moment or two after to take off the raw flavour.
=Horseradish Sauce.=--To two tablespoonsful of finely-scraped
horseradish and one of stale white breadcrumbs allow half a pint of
cream--or new milk and cream--and a pinch of salt. Let this stew for
fifteen minutes, then stir in a spoonful of vinegar just before serving.
=Gooseberry Sauce, for Mackerel.=--Stew half a pint of gooseberries in
a little water until very soft, press them through a sieve into the
same quantity of "melted butter," add an ounce of white sugar, and a
spoonful of spinach-juice to give a nice green colour.
=Egg Sauce.=--_First Way_: Make some good "melted butter," stir into it
two or three hard-boiled eggs which have been cut up small, and season
it well. Just before serving stir in the beaten yolk of a fresh egg.
_Second Way_ (for cold fish): Beat the yolks of two fresh eggs, stir
in a teaspoonful of made mustard, half a teaspoonful of mixed salt
and pepper, and by degrees two tablespoonsful of salad oil and one
of tarragon vinegar. It should be of the consistency of cream. This
sauce is almost identical with "Mayonnaise" sauce, and to make a green
mayonnaise add finely-minced chives, parsley, chervil, and cress.
=Tomato Sauce.=--Melt an ounce of butter, and slice one or two tomatoes
thinly into it, add one or two shallots. Let these stew till quite
soft, then press through a wire sieve. Add a little more butter to
this purée, plenty of salt and pepper, and a spoonful of vinegar. Make
thoroughly hot before serving.
Regard should always be had to contrast of colour in garnishing all
dishes. Where the fish is masked in white sauce, the introduction of
something red amongst the green garnishing is a relief to the eye.
Flowers may be used to supply this needful touch of colour, slices of
beetroot, or a few strips of boiled carrot, or a few bright prawns, one
or two chilies, &c.
If a portion of salmon, showing the bright colour of the meat, is the
dish which has to be trimmed, a few mounds of scraped horseradish
alternating with tufts of curly parsley looks well.
For fried fish--soles, fillets, lobster cutlets, &c., it is better
to fry the parsley which is used for their garnishing. Double-curled
parsley, well dried, thrown into a wire basket and plunged into the
boiling fat, for one minute only, is the way to obtain this.
Crisp, fried croutons of bread, tiny potato balls, rice balls, sliced
lemons, small bright tomatoes, and slices of hard-boiled egg, are all
excellent for garnishing purposes.
Fish that has been baked in the oven--excepting always that which has
been done _au gratin_, and which requires no garnish--will often be
made to look very pretty if a few fancy shapes be stamped out of cooked
vegetables, say the red of a carrot, the white of a turnip, tiny sprigs
of cauliflower, &c., always using green parsley to finish off the outer
edge. Where there is the will to do it, means will not be lacking
whereby the simplest dish may be made to look elegant.
The Gresham Press,
UNWIN BROTHERS
WOKING AND LONDON.
Transcriber Note
Hyphenation was standardized to the most commonly used version.
Some accents were corrected and one added for consistent usage. The
measurement "nob" (small amount) was retained rather than the current
"knob".
End of Project Gutenberg's A Handbook of Fish Cookery, by Lucy H. Yates