For the last few years there has been quite an alteration in the seasons
for these golden and silvery inhabitants of the deep.
Except the Cod-fish, which come in September, and by strictness of rule
must disappear in March, the season for all other sea-fish becomes a
puzzle; but the method I follow during the season is as follows:
Crimped Gloucester is plentiful in June and part of July, but it may be
procured almost all the year round.
Common Salmon from March to July.
Salmon Peale from June to July.
Spey Trout from May to July.
Sturgeon, though not thought much of, is very good in June.
Turbot are in season all the year round.
John Dories depend entirely upon chance, but may be procured all the
year round for the epicure, May excepted.
The original season of Yarmouth Mackerel is from the 12th of May till
the end of July; now we have Christmas mackerel; then the west of
England mackerel, which are good at the beginning of April.
Haddock and Whiting all the year round.
Skate all the winter.
Smelts from the Medway are the best, and are winter fish, the Yarmouth
and Carlisle are good, but rather large; the Dutch are also very large,
which often lose in the estimation of the epicure.
Brill is like turbot as to season.
Slips are similar to soles, good all the year round.
Gurnets are rather a spring fish.
Flounders and Diamond Plaice, are in full season from June to July.
Red Mullets vary very much now, but the beginning of the season was
formerly the 12th of May; we had none this year except at a very
extravagant price. I always use them when they are to be obtained.
Fresh Herrings are in season from November to January.
River Eels all the year round.
Lobsters in the spring and part of the summer. Prawns ditto.
Crabs are best in May.
Oysters begin in August, but are not very good till September.
Barrelled Oysters begin on the 15th of September, and last till the end
of February.
Barrelled Cod, Lent fish, are best in winter or about March.
Sprats come in about the 8th of November.
Crawfish is a very favorite dish of the greatest epicures of France, and
also of a few of the English; the author regrets that in fulfilment of
an agreement between himself and M. Sampayo he is restricted from giving
the receipt of Crawfish à la Sampayo, which has appeared in his Bill of
Fare, No. 609. The reason of the enormous expense of this dish is that
two large bottles of truffes du Périgord, which do not cost less than
four guineas, are stewed with them in champagne.