incisions across it upon each side with a knife, then rub half a
tablespoonful of salt and chopped onions well into it, dip in flour, and
broil it over a slow fire; also have ready two ounces of fresh butter,
mixed with the juice of a lemon, and a little cayenne, which rub over
the sole, previously laid in a hot dish, without a napkin, turn the fish
over once or twice, put it in the oven a minute, and serve very hot.
244. _Soles aux fines herbes._--Put a spoonful of chopped eschalots into
a sauté-pan, with a glass of sherry and an ounce of butter, place the
sole over, pour nearly half a pint of melted butter over it, or four
spoonfuls of brown gravy or water, upon which sprinkle some chopped
parsley, place it in a moderate oven for half an hour, take the sole out
of the pan, dress upon a dish without a napkin, reduce the sauce that is
in the pan over a sharp fire, add a little Harvey sauce and essence of
anchovy, pour over the sole, and serve.
Soles may also be plain boiled, using the same precautions as directed
for turbot, and serve without a napkin, and a cream sauce poured over;
or it may be served upon a napkin garnished with parsley, and a little
shrimp sauce, or plain melted butter, in a boat.
245. _Flounders, Water Souchet._--Procure four or six Thames flounders,
trim and cut in halves; put half a pint of water in a sauté-pan, with a
little scraped horseradish, a little pepper, salt, sugar, and forty
sprigs of fresh parsley; place over the fire, boil a minute, then add
the flounders, stew ten minutes, take them out and place in a dish
without a napkin, reduce the liquor they were stewed in a little, pour
over and serve.
To fry flounders, trim them, and proceed precisely as directed for fried
soles: three minutes is sufficient.
_Skate_, also called _Maid_, _Ray_, is not appreciated equal to
what it ought to be; we generally have only the fin part, which is
cut off and put into fresh water, where it curls up. It is a very
invigorating fish, and I think deserves the attention of the
medical profession. It is best cooked as follows:
246. _Skate._--Procure two or three slices, tie them with string to keep
the shape in boiling, put them into a kettle of boiling water, in which
you have put a good handful of salt; boil gently about twenty minutes
(have ready also a piece of the liver, which boil with them); when done,
drain well, and put them upon a dish without a napkin; put three parts
of a pint of melted butter in a stewpan, place it upon the fire, and
when quite hot add a wineglassful of capers, sauce over, and serve.
247. _Skate au Beurre Noir._--Boil a piece of skate as directed in the
last; when done, drain it well, put it upon a dish without a napkin, and
proceed exactly as directed for mackerel au beurre noir.
Skate may also be served upon a napkin, with a boat of well-seasoned
melted butter, to which you have added a spoonful of Harvey sauce and
one of anchovy.
_Pike._--This fish spawns in March and April, according to the
season. When in perfection, their colors are very bright, being
green, spotted with bright yellow, and the gills are a bright red;
when out of season, the green changes to gray, and the yellow spots
assume a pale hue. It may be called the shark of fresh water. Those
caught in a river or running stream are far superior to those
caught in ponds, which often get too fat, and taste muddy. A
middling-sized one, weighing about five pounds, would be best; when
fresh, the eyes must be very transparent, the scales bluish, and
not dry upon the back, or it would not clean well. The dressing is
generally the making of the fish, as regards the approbation
bestowed upon it. To clean them, have a sharp-pointed knife, put
the point carefully under the scales (without piercing the skin) at
the tail of the fish, pass the knife gently up the back to the
head, dividing the scales from the skin carefully; you may then
take off the whole of the scales in one piece (should this process
appear too difficult, they may be scraped off in the ordinary way,
it will not look so white, but would eat equally as good); then
make two incisions in the belly, a small one close to the bladder,
and a larger one above; pull out the gills one at a time with a
strong cloth, and if the interior does not come with them, take it
out from the incisions, and wash the fish well; the cutting off the
fins is quite a matter of taste: it is usually done.
248. _Pike._--Clean as directed above, stuff the interior as directed
for haddocks, only adding some fillets of anchovies and chopped
lemon-peel with it; curl round and put in a baking-dish, spread a little
butter all over, put in a moderate oven, when about half done egg over
with a paste-brush, and sprinkle bread-crumbs upon it; a middling-sized
pike will take about an hour, but that according to the size and the
heat of the oven; when done, dress upon a dish without a napkin, and
sauce round as directed for baked haddock above referred to.
249. _Pike, Sauce Matelote._--Cook a pike exactly as in the last, dress
it upon a dish without a napkin, and sauce with a matelote sauce over,
made as directed for salmon sauce matelote.
This fish may also be served with caper sauce, as directed for the
skate; the smaller ones are the best; the remains of a pike placed in
the oven the next day, with a cover over it and a little more sauce
added, is very nice.
250. _Baked Carp._--Procure a good-sized carp, stuff it, then put it
into a baking-dish, with two onions, one carrot, one turnip, one head of
celery, and a good bouquet of parsley, thyme, and bay-leaf; moisten with
two glasses of port wine, half a pint of water, salt, pepper, and oil,
and put it into a moderate oven about two hours to bake; try if done
with a knife, which is the case if the flesh leaves the bone easily,
dress upon a dish without a napkin, then have ready the following sauce:
mince a large Spanish onion with two common ones, and put them into a
stewpan with three spoonfuls of salad-oil, sauté rather a yellow color,
add two glasses of port wine and one spoonful of flour, mix all well
together, add a pint of broth (reserved from some soup) or water, with
half an ounce of glaze, or half a gill of brown gravy, or a few drops of
coloring, boil it up, drain the stock the carp was cooked in from the
vegetables, which also add to the sauce; boil well at the corner of the
stove, skim, and when rather thick add a teaspoonful of Harvey sauce,
one of essence of anchovies, twelve pickled mushrooms, and a little
cayenne pepper, pour all the liquor drained from the fish out of your
dish, sauce over, and serve.
251. _Carp, Sauce Matelote._--Put your carp in a small oval fish-kettle,
with wine and vegetables as in the last, to which add also a pint of
water and a little salt, with a few cloves and peppercorns; put the lid
upon the fish-kettle, and stand it over a moderate fire to stew about
an hour, according to the size; when done, drain well, dress upon a dish
without a napkin, and sauce over with a matelote sauce, made as directed
for salmon sauce matelote, or caper sauce, as for skate; small carp are
very good-flavored, bread-crumbed and fried.
_Trout._--There are several kinds, none of which, it seems, were
known to the Romans. This is the salmon of fresh water, and bears a
very close resemblance to it in flavor. They grow to a very large
size; I partook of part of one weighing twenty-six pounds, which
was caught in the Lake of Killarney, in July, 1848. They have
different names in various parts of Great Britain, but there is the
common trout, the white trout, and the sea trout; the white trout
never grows very large, but the sea trout does, and is of a very
fine flavor.
_River Trout_, when fresh, have the most beautiful skin imaginable,
the golden and sometimes silvery tint of which makes me term it the
sister fish of the red (sea) mullet; should the gills be pink
instead of red, and the skin dry (which is frequently the case on
the second day), they may still be eatable, but their succulence
goes with their beauty. Clean them as directed for salmon.
252. _Trout à la Twickenham._--When you have cleaned your trout, put
them into a kettle of boiling water, to which you have added a good
handful of salt, and a wineglassful of vinegar; boil gently about twenty
minutes, or according to their size, dress upon a napkin, and serve
melted butter, into which you have put a tablespoonful of chopped
gherkins, two sprigs of chopped parsley, salt and pepper, in a boat.
The remains of trout, salmon, or mackerel are excellent pickled:--put
three onions in slices in a stewpan, with two ounces of butter, one
turnip, a bouquet of parsley, thyme, and bay-leaf, pass them five
minutes over the fire, add a pint of water and a pint of vinegar, two
teaspoonfuls of salt and one of pepper, boil until the onions are
tender, then strain it through a sieve over the fish; it will keep some
time if required, and then do to pickle more fish by boiling over again.
253. _Trout à la Burton._--Boil the trout as in the last; then put half
a pint of melted butter in a stewpan, with two tablespoonfuls of cream,
place it upon the fire, and when upon the point of boiling add a liaison
of one yolk of egg mixed with a tablespoonful of cream (dress the fish
upon a dish without a napkin), put two ounces of fresh butter, a pinch
of salt, and the juice of a lemon into the sauce; shake round over the
fire, but do not let it boil; sauce over the fish, sprinkle some chopped
parsley, and serve.
_Perch_ were known to the Romans, and those they received from
Britain were considered the best. They do not grow to a very large
size, four pounds being considered a large one. When fresh, are
reddish at the eyes and gills. These fish, having a great objection
to part with their scales, must be scraped almost alive, forming
the fish into the shape of the letter S, and scraping with an
oyster-knife; open the belly, take out the interior, pull away the
gills, and wash well. When large, they are frequently boiled with
the scales on, and they are taken off afterwards, which is much
easier.
254. _Perch sautéd in Butter._--Clean the fish as explained above, dry
well, make an incision upon each side with a knife, put a quarter of a
pound of butter in a sauté-pan over a slow fire, lay in the fish, season
with salt, and sauté gently, turning them over when half done; when
done, dress upon a napkin, and serve melted butter in a boat, or shrimp
sauce. Small ones should be dressed thus.
255. _Perch, Hampton Court fashion._--Cook the fish as above, and have
ready the following sauce: put six spoonfuls of melted butter in a
stewpan, with a little salt and the juice of a lemon; when upon the
point of boiling, stir in the yolk of an egg mixed with a tablespoonful
of cream; do not let it boil; blanch about twenty small sprigs of
parsley in boiling water ten minutes, and some small pieces of rind of
lemon for one minute, drain, and put them in the sauce, which pour over
the fish, and serve.
Perch may also be served plain boiled or stewed as directed for tench,
with sauce served separate.
256. _Stewed Tench._--Put two onions, a carrot, and turnip, cut in
slices, into a stewpan, or very small fish-kettle, with a good bouquet
of parsley, a few sprigs of thyme, one bay-leaf, six cloves, a blade of
mace, a little salt and pepper, and two glasses of sherry; lay your
tench over (it will require four for a dish, and they may be either
cooked whole or each one cut into two or three pieces), add a pint of
water, cover down close, and stew rather gently over a slow fire for
about half an hour; take them out, drain upon a cloth, dress upon a dish
without a napkin, and pour a sauce over made as directed for sauce
matelote, cream sauce, or Beyrout.
257. _Tench with Anchovy Butter._--Cook the tench as in the last, but
they may be plain boiled in salt and water; dress upon a dish without a
napkin, then put six spoonfuls of melted butter in a stewpan, with one
of milk; place it upon the fire, and, when upon the point of boiling,
add an ounce of anchovy butter; shake it round over the fire until the
butter is melted, when sauce over and serve.
The _Eel_ is greatly esteemed in all countries, but it differs in
taste according to the river from whence it is taken; although we
have some very fine eels in the river Thames, yet our principal
supply is received from Holland, and the fish which come from
thence are much improved in flavor by the voyage, and even increase
in size. They arrive in the river Thames in vessels called eel
scootes (schuyts), of which four have been allowed, for centuries,
to moor opposite the Custom House, and the others are obliged to
remain in Erith Hole until there is room for them, which greatly
improves the fish: the value of those imported into London last
year amounted to 132,600_l._ Nothing is more difficult to kill than
eels; and it is only by knocking their heads upon a block or hard
substance, and stunning them, that they suffer least. Take the head
in your hand with a cloth, and just cut through the skin round the
neck, which turn down about an inch; then pull the head with one
hand, and the skin with the other, it will come off with facility;
open the belly, take out the interior without breaking the gall,
and cut off the bristles which run up the back. They are in season
all the year round.
258. _Eels, fried._--Cut your eels into pieces three inches long, dip
the pieces into flour, egg over with a paste brush, and throw them into
some bread-crumbs; fry in hot lard as directed for fried soles.
259. _Stewed Eels, Sauce Matelote._--Procure as large eels as possible,
which cut into pieces three inches long, and put them into a stewpan,
with an onion, a bouquet of two bay-leaves, a sprig of thyme and
parsley, six cloves, a blade of mace, a glass of sherry, and two of
water; place the stewpan over a moderate fire, and let simmer about
twenty minutes, or according to the size of the eels; when done, drain
upon a cloth, dress them in pyramid upon a dish without a napkin, with a
matelote sauce over, made as directed for salmon sauce matelote, but
using the stock your eels have been cooked in to make the sauce, having
previously well boiled it to extract all the fat.
260. _Eels à la Tartare._--Fry as directed above, and serve on some
Tartare sauce; or partly stew first, and, when cold, egg, bread-crumb,
and broil gently.
261. _Spitchcocked Eels_, in some parts of England, are cooked with the
skins on. They should be properly cleaned, and split down the back, and
bone taken out, and cut into pieces of about four inches long; egg the
inside and throw over some bread-crumbs, in which have been mixed some
chopped parsley, a little dried thyme, and some cayenne; place them in a
Dutch oven before the fire, and whilst cooking, baste them with butter
in which some essence of anchovies has been mixed. The time they take
cooking depends on the size, but may be known by the skin turning up.
262. _Conger Eel_ is little appreciated in this country, although
amongst the working class of our neighbors, more particularly the
French, it is an article of great consumption. If alive, its head should
be cut off, and it should bleed as much as possible; but if dead, the
pieces should be put into lukewarm water to disgorge previous to being
cooked. The young fry are exceedingly good, and may be dressed like
fresh-water eels. The large ones may be made into soup; and can also be
cooked like sturgeon.
263. _French Angler's way of Stewing Fish._--Take about four pounds or
less of all kinds of fish, that is, carp, pike, trout, tench, eels, &c.,
or any one of them, cut them into nice middle-sized pieces, no matter
the size of the fish--let the pieces be of equal size; put them in a
black pot or stewpan, season over with nearly a tablespoonful of salt,
half one of pepper, half one of sugar, four good-sized onions, sliced
thin, add a half bottle of common French wine, or four glasses of port
or sherry, half a pint of water, set it on the fire to stew, gently
tossing it now and then; when tender, which you may easily ascertain by
feeling with your finger the different pieces, mix a spoonful of flour
with two ounces of butter, which put bit by bit in the pan, move it
round by shaking the pan, not with any spoon; boil a few minutes longer,
and serve, dishing the fish in pyramid, sauce over; if the sauce is too
thin, reduce it till it adheres to the back of the spoon; taste, if it
is highly seasoned, a few sprigs of thyme or bay-leaf may be added. Some
of the fish may be done sooner than the others; if so, take them out
first, and keep warm until all are done. The motive of mixing fish is,
that it is supposed the flavor of all together is finer than one alone.
Conger eel is also done in this way.
FISH SAUCES.
In all ages and countries at all removed from barbarism, where fish
has formed an article of diet, sauces of various kinds have been an
accompaniment. With the Romans, in the time of Lucullus, great care
was observed in their preparation; amongst others which they used,
and the most celebrated, was the Garum and the Muria.
The _Garum_ was the sauce the most esteemed and the most expensive;
its composition is unknown. This is a subject well worth the
attention of the epicures of the present day; they should subscribe
and offer a premium for that which, in their opinion, may resemble
it: it is a subject well worthy the attention of the Professors of
our Universities. Perhaps some leaf yet undiscovered, that may have
escaped the conflagration of Alexandria, might throw some light
upon so interesting a subject. It appears, that mushrooms entered
greatly into its composition; and that parts of mackerel, or of
that species, formed another. The question is, at what time of the
year were mushrooms in season there; and if at that period
mackerel, or what species of mackerel have soft roes, as I think it
probable that they entered into its composition, as an island near
Carthaginia, where they were caught, was called Scombraria, and
that which was prepared by a company in that town, and which was
considered the best, was called Garum Sociorum.
The _Muria_ was the liquid in which the tunny was pickled, and no
doubt very similar to our essence of anchovies. Those most
generally in use at the present day are the following, in addition
to which there are various kinds made and sold in bottles, some of
which are much cheaper to buy than to make.
264. _Melted Butter._--Put into a stewpan two ounces of butter, not too
hard, also a good tablespoonful of flour, mix both well with a wooden
spoon, without putting it on the fire; when forming a smooth paste, add
to it a little better than half a pint of water; season with a
teaspoonful of salt, not too full, the sixth part that of pepper; set it
on the fire, stir round continually until on the point of boiling; take
it off, add a teaspoonful of brown vinegar, then add one ounce more of
fresh butter, which stir in your sauce till melted, then use where
required; a little nutmeg grated may be introduced; it ought, when done,
to adhere lightly to the back of the spoon, but transparent, not pasty;
it may also, if required, be passed through a tammy or sieve. If wanted
plainer, the last butter may be omitted.
265. _Anchovy Sauce._--Make the same quantity of melted butter as in the
last, but omit the salt, and add three good tablespoonfuls of essence of
anchovies.
266. _Fennel Sauce._--This is a sauce principally used for boiled
mackerel. Make the same quantity of melted butter as in the last, to
which add a good tablespoonful of chopped fennel; it is usually served
in a boat.
267. _Egg Sauce_ is generally served with salt-fish or haddock. Boil six
eggs ten minutes, let them get cold, then cut them in pieces about the
size of dice, put them into a stewpan, with three parts of a pint of
melted butter, add an ounce more fresh butter, with a little pepper and
salt; keep the stewpan moving round over the fire until the whole is
very hot, and serve in a boat.
268. _Shrimp Sauce._--Make the same quantity of melted butter as before,
to which add three tablespoonfuls of essence of shrimps, but omitting
the salt; add half a pint of picked shrimps, and serve in a boat. If no
essence of shrimps, some anchovy sauce may be served with shrimps in it
as a substitute.
269. _Shrimp Sauce_ is also very good as follows: Pound half a pint of
shrimps, skins and all, in a mortar, and boil them ten minutes in half a
pint of water; pass the liquor through a hair sieve into a stewpan, and
add a piece of butter the size of two walnuts, with which you have mixed
a good teaspoonful of flour, stir it round over the fire until upon the
point of boiling; if too thick, add a little more water; season with a
little cayenne, and a teaspoonful of essence of anchovies; serve very
hot; a few picked shrimps might also be served in it.
270. _Caper Sauce._--Put twelve tablespoonfuls of melted butter into a
stewpan, place it on the fire, and when on the point of boiling, add two
ounces of fresh butter and one tablespoonful of capers; shake the
stewpan round over the fire until the butter is melted, add a little
pepper and salt, and serve where directed.
271. _Lobster Sauce._--Put twelve tablespoonfuls of melted butter in a
stewpan, cut up a small-sized lobster into dice, make a quarter of a
pound of lobster butter with the spawn, as directed; when the melted
butter is upon the point of boiling, add the lobster butter, stir the
sauce round over the fire until the butter is melted, season with a
little essence of anchovies, the juice of half a lemon, and a quarter of
a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper; pass it through a tammy into another
stewpan, and add the flesh of the lobster; when hot, it is ready to
serve where required. This sauce must be quite red; if no red spawn in
the lobster, use live spawn.
272. _New and Economical Lobster Sauce._--Should you require to use the
solid flesh of a lobster for salad, or any other purpose, pound the soft
part and shell together (in a mortar) very fine, which put into a
stewpan, covered with a pint of boiling water; place it over the fire to
simmer for ten minutes, then pass the liquor through a hair sieve into a
basin; put three ounces of butter into a stewpan, into which rub (cold)
a good tablespoonful of flour, add the liquor from the lobster, place it
upon the fire, stirring until upon the point of boiling, season with a
little cayenne, and add a piece of anchovy butter, the size of a walnut;
or, if any red spawn in the lobster, mix it with butter, as in the last,
and add it, with the juice of half a lemon, just before serving. An
anchovy pounded with the lobster-shells would be an improvement, and
part of the flesh of the lobster might be served in the sauce.
273. _Lobster Sauce à la Crême._--Cut a small lobster into slices the
size of half-crown pieces, which put into a stewpan; pound the soft and
white parts, with an ounce of butter, and rub it through a sieve; pour
ten spoonfuls of melted butter, and two of cream, over the slices in the
stewpan, add half a blade of mace, a saltspoonful of salt, a quarter
ditto of pepper, and a little cayenne; warm gently, and when upon the
point of boiling, add the butter and two tablespoonfuls of thick cream,
shake round over the fire until quite hot, when it is ready to serve.
274. _Lobster Sauce simplified._--Put the slices of lobster, as in the
last, into a stewpan, with ten tablespoonfuls of milk, add a little
pepper, salt, cayenne, two cloves, and half a blade of mace; set it upon
the fire, and when boiling, add a piece of butter of the size of two
walnuts, with which you have mixed a little flour; shake round over the
fire, and when getting rather thick, add two spoonfuls of cream, if
handy, and serve very hot.
275. _Beyrout Sauce._--Put a tablespoonful of chopped onions into a
stewpan, with one of Chili vinegar and one of common ditto, a pint of
melted butter, four spoonfuls of brown gravy, two of mushroom catsup,
and two of Harvey sauce; place it over the fire, keeping it stirred
until boiling, then place it at the corner to simmer five minutes, skim
well, then place it again over the fire, keeping it stirred until
thickish, to adhere to the back of the spoon, when add two
tablespoonfuls of essence of anchovies, and half a teaspoonful of sugar;
it is then ready to serve.
The above, although a fish sauce, may be used for meat or poultry, by
omitting the anchovy, and adding more Harvey sauce. If no brown gravy,
add water and a little coloring.