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 bechamel 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 bechamel, 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 _maitre d’hotel_ 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 _maitre d’hotel_ 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 bechamel (_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 _maitre d’hotel_ 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 L15 each; those of 4 lbs. at L60, and, in the reign of Tiberius, three of them were sold for L209. 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 hare 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.
_Mode_.–Scald the oysters in their own liquor, beard them, and cut each one into 3 pieces. Put the butter into a stewpan, dredge in sufficient flour to dry it up; add the strained oyster-liquor with the other ingredients; put in the oysters, and let them heat gradually, but not boil fast. Make the patty-cases as directed for lobster patties, No. 277: fill with the oyster mixture, and replace the covers.
_Time_.–2 minutes for the oysters to simmer in the mixture.
_Average cost_, exclusive of the patty-cases, 1s. 1d.
_Seasonable_ from September to April.
THE OYSTER FISHERY.–The oyster fishery in Britain is esteemed of so much importance, that it is regulated by a Court of Admiralty. In the month of May, the fishermen are allowed to take the oysters, in order to separate the spawn from the cultch, the latter of which is thrown in again, to preserve the bed for the future. After this month, it is felony to carry away the cultch, and otherwise punishable to take any oyster, between the shells of which, when closed, a shilling will rattle.
TO KEEP OYSTERS.
290. Put them in a tub, and cover them with salt and water. Let them remain for 12 hours, when they are to be taken out, and allowed to stand for another 12 hours without water. If left without water every alternate 12 hours, they will be much better than if constantly kept in it. Never put the same water twice to them.
OYSTERS FRIED IN BATTER.
291. INGREDIENTS.–1/2 pint of oysters, 2 eggs, 1/2 pint of milk, sufficient flour to make the batter; pepper and salt to taste; when liked, a little nutmeg; hot lard.
_Mode_.–Scald the oysters in their own liquor, beard them, and lay them on a cloth, to drain thoroughly. Break the eggs into a basin, mix the flour with them, add the milk gradually, with nutmeg and seasoning, and put the oysters in the batter. Make some lard hot in a deep frying-pan, put in the oysters, one at a time; when done, take them up with a sharp-pointed skewer, and dish them on a napkin. Fried oysters are frequently used for garnishing boiled fish, and then a few bread crumbs should be added to the flour.
_Time_.–5 or 6 minutes.
_Average cost_ for this quantity, 1s. 10d.
_Seasonable_ from September to April.
_Sufficient_ for 3 persons.
EXCELLENCE OF THE ENGLISH OYSTER.–The French assert that the English oysters, which are esteemed the best in Europe, were originally procured from Cancalle Bay, near St. Malo; but they assign no proof for this. It is a fact, however, that the oysters eaten in ancient Rome were nourished in the channel which then parted the Isle of Thanet from England, and which has since been filled up, and converted into meadows.
BOILED PERCH.
292. INGREDIENTS.–1/4 lb. of salt to each gallon of water.
_Mode_.–Scale the fish, take out the gills and clean it thoroughly; lay it in boiling water, salted as above, and simmer gently for 10 minutes. If the fish is very large, longer time must be allowed. Garnish with parsley, and serve with plain melted butter, or Dutch sauce. Perch do not preserve so good a flavour when stewed as when dressed in any other way.
_Time_.–Middling-sized perch, 1/4 hour.
_Seasonable_ from September to November.
_Note_.–Tench may be boiled the same way, and served with the same sauces.
[Illustration: THE PERCH.]
THE PERCH.–This is one of the best, as it is one of the most common, of our fresh-water fishes, and is found in nearly all the lakes and rivers in Britain and Ireland, as well as through the whole of Europe within the temperate zone. It is extremely voracious, and it has the peculiarity of being gregarious, which is contrary to the nature of all fresh-water fishes of prey. The best season to angle for it is from the beginning of May to the middle of July. Large numbers of this fish are bred in the Hampton Court and Bushy Park ponds, all of which are well supplied with running water and with plenty of food; yet they rarely attain a large size. In the Regent’s Park they are also very numerous; but are seldom heavier than three quarters of a pound.
FRIED PERCH.
293. INGREDIENTS.–Egg and bread crumbs, hot lard.
_Mode_.–Scale and clean the fish, brush it over with egg, and cover with bread crumbs. Have ready some boiling lard; put the fish in, and fry a nice brown. Serve with plain melted butter or anchovy sauce.
_Time_.–10 minutes.
_Seasonable_ from September to November.
_Note_.–Fry tench in the same way.
PERCH STEWED WITH WINE.
294. INGREDIENTS.–Equal quantities of stock No. 105 and sherry, 1 bay-leaf, 1 clove of garlic, a small bunch of parsley, 2 cloves, salt to taste; thickening of butter and flour, pepper, grated nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoonful of anchovy sauce.
_Mode_.–Scale the fish and take out the gills, and clean them thoroughly; lay them in a stewpan with sufficient stock and sherry just to cover them. Put in the bay-leaf, garlic, parsley, cloves, and salt, and simmer till tender. When done, take out the fish, strain the liquor, add a thickening of butter and flour, the pepper, nutmeg, and the anchovy sauce, and stir it over the fire until somewhat reduced, when pour over the fish, and serve.
_Time_.–About 20 minutes.
_Seasonable_ from September to November.
BOILED PIKE.
295. INGREDIENTS.–1/4 lb. of salt to each gallon of water; a little vinegar.
_Mode_.–Scale and clean the pike, and fasten the tail in its mouth by means of a skewer. Lay it in cold water, and when it boils, throw in the salt and vinegar. The time for boiling depends, of course, on the size of the fish; but a middling-sized pike will take about 1/2 an hour. Serve with Dutch or anchovy sauce, and plain melted butter.
_Time_.–According to size, 1/2 to 1 hour.–_Average cost_. Seldom bought.
_Seasonable_ from September to March.
[Illustration: THE PIKE.]
THE PIKE.–This fish is, on account of its voracity, termed the freshwater shark, and is abundant in most of the European lakes, especially those of the northern parts. It grows to an immense size, some attaining to the measure of eight feet, in Lapland and Russia. The smaller lakes, of this country and Ireland, vary in the kinds of fish they produce; some affording trout, others pike; and so on. Where these happen to be together, however, the trout soon becomes extinct. “Within a short distance of Castlebar,” says a writer on sports, “there is a small bog-lake called Derreens. Ten years ago it was celebrated for its numerous well-sized trouts. Accidentally pike effected a passage into the lake from the Minola river, and now the trouts are extinct, or, at least, none of them are caught or seen. Previous to the intrusion of the pikes, half a dozen trouts would be killed in an evening in Derreens, whose collective weight often amounted to twenty pounds.” As an eating fish, the pike is in general dry.
BAKED PIKE.
296. INGREDIENTS.–1 or 2 pike, a nice delicate stuffing (_see_ Forcemeats), 1 egg, bread crumbs, 1/4 lb. butter.
_Mode_.–Scale the fish, take out the gills, wash, and wipe it thoroughly dry; stuff it with forcemeat, sew it up, and fasten the tail in the mouth by means of a skewer; brush it over with egg, sprinkle with bread crumbs, and baste with butter, before putting it in the oven, which must be well heated. When the pike is of a nice brown colour, cover it with buttered paper, as the outside would become too dry. If 2 are dressed, a little variety may be made by making one of them green with a little chopped parsley mixed with the bread crumbs. Serve anchovy or Dutch sauce, and plain melted butter with it.
_Time_.–According to size, 1 hour, more or less.
_Average cost_.–Seldom bought.
_Seasonable_ from September to March.
_Note_.–Pike _a la genevese_ may be stewed in the same manner as salmon _a la genevese_.
FRIED PLAICE.
297.–INGREDIENTS.–Hot lard, or clarified dripping; egg and bread crumbs.
_Mode_.–This fish is fried in the same manner as soles. Wash and wipe them thoroughly dry, and let them remain in a cloth until it is time to dress them. Brush them over with egg, and cover with bread crumbs mixed with a little flour. Fry of a nice brown in hot dripping or lard, and garnish with fried parsley and cut lemon. Send them to table with shrimp-sauce and plain melted butter.
_Time_.–About 5 minutes. _Average cost_, 3d. each.
_Seasonable_ from May to November.
_Sufficient_, 4 plaice for 4 persons.
_Note_.–Plaice may be boiled plain, and served with melted butter. Garnish with parsley and cut lemon.
STEWED PLAICE.
298. INGREDIENTS.–4 or 5 plaice, 2 onions, 1/2 oz. ground ginger, 1 pint of lemon-juice, 1/4 pint water, 6 eggs; cayenne to taste.
_Mode_.–Cut the fish into pieces about 2 inches wide, salt them, and let them remain 1/4 hour. Slice and fry the onions a light brown; put them in a stewpan, on the top of which put the fish without washing, and add the ginger, lemon-juice, and water. Cook slowly for 1/2 hour, and do not let the fish boil, or it will break. Take it out, and when the liquor is cool, add 6 well-beaten eggs; simmer till it thickens, when pour over the fish, and serve.
_Time_.–3/4 hour. _Average cost_ for this quantity, 1s. 9d.
_Seasonable_ from May to November.
_Sufficient_ for 4 persons; according to size.
[Illustration: THE PLAICE.]
THE PLAICE.–This fish is found both in the Baltic and the Mediterranean, and is also abundant on the coast of England. It keeps well, and, like all ground-fish, is very tenacious of life. Its flesh is inferior to that of the sole, and, as it is a low-priced fish, it is generally bought by the poor. The best brought to the London market are called _Dowers plaice_, from their being caught in the Dowers, or flats, between Hastings and Folkstone.
TO BOIL PRAWNS OR SHRIMPS.
299. INGREDIENTS.–1/4 lb. salt to each gallon of water.
_Mode_.–Prawns should be very red, and have no spawn under the tail; much depends on their freshness and the way in which they are cooked. Throw them into boiling water, salted as above, and keep them boiling for about 7 or 8 minutes. Shrimps should be done in the same way; but less time must be allowed. It may easily be known when they are done by their changing colour. Care should be taken that they are not over-boiled, as they then become tasteless and indigestible.
_Time_.–Prawns, about 8 minutes; shrimps, about 5 minutes.
_Average cost_, prawns, 2s. per lb.; shrimps, 6d. per pint.
_Seasonable_ all the year.
TO DRESS PRAWNS.
300. Cover a dish with a large cup reversed, and over that lay a small white napkin. Arrange the prawns on it in the form of a pyramid, and garnish with plenty of parsley.
BOILED SALMON.
301. INGREDIENTS.–6 oz. of salt to each gallon of water,–sufficient water to cover the fish.
_Mode_.–Scale and clean the fish, and be particular that no blood is left inside; lay it in the fish-kettle with sufficient cold water to cover it, adding salt in the above proportion. Bring it quickly to a boil, take off all the scum, and let it simmer gently till the fish is done, which will be when the meat separates easily from the bone. Experience alone can teach the cook to fix the time for boiling fish; but it is especially to be remembered, that it should never be underdressed, as then nothing is more unwholesome. Neither let it remain in the kettle after it is sufficiently cooked, as that would render it insipid, watery, and colourless. Drain it, and if not wanted for a few minutes, keep it warm by means of warm cloths laid over it. Serve on a hot napkin, garnish with cut lemon and parsley, and send lobster or shrimp sauce, and plain melted butter to table with it. A dish of dressed cucumber usually accompanies this fish.
_Time_.–8 minutes to each lb. for large thick salmon; 6 minutes for thin fish. _Average cost_, in full season, 1s. 3d. per lb.
_Seasonable_ from April to August.
_Sufficient_, 1/2 lb., or rather less, for each person.
_Note_.–Cut lemon should be put on the table with this fish; and a little of the juice squeezed over it is considered by many persons a most agreeable addition. Boiled peas are also, by some connoisseurs, considered especially adapted to be served with salmon.
TO CHOOSE SALMON.–To be good, the belly should be firm and thick, which may readily be ascertained by feeling it with the thumb and finger. The circumstance of this fish having red gills, though given as a standing rule in most cookery-books, as a sign of its goodness, is not at all to be relied on, as this quality can be easily given them by art.
SALMON AND CAPER SAUCE.
302. INGREDIENTS.–2 slices of salmon, 1/4 lb. batter, 1/2 teaspoonful of chopped parsley, 1 shalot; salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg to taste.
_Mode_.–Lay the salmon in a baking-dish, place pieces of butter over it, and add the other ingredients, rubbing a little of the seasoning into the fish; baste it frequently; when done, take it out and drain for a minute or two; lay it in a dish, pour caper sauce over it, and serve. Salmon dressed in this way, with tomato sauce, is very delicious.
_Time_.–About 3/4 hour. _Average cost_, 1s. 3d. per lb.
_Seasonable_ from April to August.
_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.
THE MIGRATORY HABITS OF THE SALMON.–The instinct with which the salmon revisits its native river, is one of the most curious circumstances in its natural history. As the swallow returns annually to its nest, so it returns to the same spot to deposit its ova. This fact would seem to have been repeatedly proved. M. De Lande fastened a copper ring round a salmon’s tail, and found that, for three successive seasons, it returned to the same place. Dr. Bloch states that gold and silver rings have been attached by eastern princes to salmon, to prove that a communication existed between the Persian Gulf and the Caspian and Northern Seas, and that the experiment succeeded.
COLLARED SALMON.
303. INGREDIENTS.–A piece of salmon, say 3 lbs., a high seasoning of salt, pounded mace, and pepper; water and vinegar, 3 bay-leaves.
_Mode_.–Split the fish; scale, bone, and wash it thoroughly clean; wipe it, and rub in the seasoning inside and out; roll it up, and bind firmly; lay it in a kettle, cover it with vinegar and water (1/3 vinegar, in proportion to the water); add the bay-leaves and a good seasoning of salt and whole pepper, and simmer till done. Do not remove the lid. Serve with melted butter or anchovy sauce. For preserving the collared fish, boil up the liquor in which it was cooked, and add a little more vinegar. Pour over when cold.
_Time_.–3/4 hour, or rather more.
HABITAT OF THE SALMON.–The salmon is styled by Walton the “king of fresh-water fish,” and is found distributed over the north of Europe and Asia, from Britain to Kamschatka, but is never found in warm latitudes, nor has it ever been caught even so far south as the Mediterranean. It lives in fresh as well as in salt waters, depositing its spawn in the former, hundreds of miles from the mouths of some of those rivers to which it has been known to resort. In 1859, great efforts were made to introduce this fish into the Australian colonies; and it is believed that the attempt, after many difficulties, which were very skilfully overcome, has been successful.
CRIMPED SALMON.
304. Salmon is frequently dressed in this way at many fashionable tables, but must be very fresh, and cut into slices 2 or 3 inches thick. Lay these in cold salt and water for 1 hour; have ready some boiling water, salted, as in recipe No. 301, and well skimmed; put in the fish, and simmer gently for 1/4 hour, or rather more; should it be very thick, garnish the same as boiled salmon, and serve with the same sauces.
_Time_.–1/4 hour, more or less, according to size.
_Note_.–Never use vinegar with salmon, as it spoils the taste and colour of the fish.
[Illustration: THE SALMON.]
THE SALMON TRIBE.–This is the Abdominal fish, forming the fourth of the orders of Linnaeus. They are distinguished from the other fishes by having two dorsal fins, of which the hindmost is fleshy and without rays. They have teeth both on the tongue and in the jaws, whilst the body is covered with round and minutely striated scales.
CURRIED SALMON.
305. INGREDIENTS.–Any remains of boiled salmon, 3/4 pint of strong or medium stock (No. 105), 1 onion, 1 tablespoonful of curry-powder, 1 teaspoonful of Harvey’s sauce, 1 teaspoonful of anchovy sauce, 1 oz. of butter, the juice of 1/2 lemon, cayenne and salt to taste.
_Mode_.–Cut up the onions into small pieces, and fry them of a pale brown in the butter; add all the ingredients but the salmon, and simmer gently till the onion is tender, occasionally stirring the contents; cut the salmon into small square pieces, carefully take away all skin and bone, lay it in the stewpan, and let it gradually heat through; but do not allow it to boil long.
_Time_.–3/4 hour. _Average cost_, exclusive of the cold fish, 9d.
GROWTH OF THE SALMON.–At the latter end of the year–some as soon as November–salmon begin to press up the rivers as far as they can reach, in order to deposit their spawn, which they do in the sand or gravel, about eighteen inches deep. Here it lies buried till the spring, when, about the latter end of March, it begins to exclude the young, which gradually increase to four or five inches in length, and are then termed smelts or smouts. About the beginning of May, the river seems to be alive with them, and there is no forming an idea of their numbers without having seen them. A seasonable flood, however, comes, and hurries them to the “great deep;” whence, about the middle of June, they commence their return to the river again. By this time they are twelve or sixteen inches long, and progressively increase, both in number and size, till about the end of July, when they have become large enough to be denominated _grilse_. Early in August they become fewer in numbers, but of greater size, haying advanced to a weight of from six to nine pounds. This rapidity of growth appears surprising, and realizes the remark of Walton, that “the salmlet becomes a salmon in as short a time as a gosling becomes a goose.” Recent writers have, however, thrown considerable doubts on this quick growth of the salmon.
SALMON CUTLETS.
306. Cut the slices 1 inch thick, and season them with pepper and salt; butter a sheet of white paper, lay each slice on a separate piece, with their ends twisted; broil gently over a clear fire, and serve with anchovy or caper sauce. When higher seasoning is required, add a few chopped herbs and a little spice.
_Time_.–5 to 10 minutes.
SALMON A LA GENEVESE.
307. INGREDIENTS.–2 slices of salmon, 2 chopped shalots, a little parsley, a small bunch of herbs, 2 bay-leaves, 2 carrots, pounded mace, pepper and salt to taste, 4 tablespoonfuls of Madeira, 1/2 pint of white stock (No. 107), thickening of butter and flour, 1 teaspoonful of essence of anchovies, the juice of 1 lemon, cayenne and salt to taste.
_Mode_.–Rub the bottom of a stewpan over with butter, and put in the shalots, herbs, bay-leaves, carrots, mace, and seasoning; stir them for 10 minutes over a clear fire, and add the Madeira or sherry; simmer gently for 1/2 hour, and strain through a sieve over the fish, which stew in this gravy. As soon as the fish is sufficiently cooked, take away all the liquor, except a little to keep the salmon moist, and put it into another stewpan; add the stock, thicken with butter and flour, and put in the anchovies, lemon-juice, cayenne, and salt; lay the salmon on a hot dish, pour over it part of the sauce, and serve the remainder in a tureen.
_Time_.–1-1/4 hour. _Average cost_ for this quantity, 3s. 6d.
_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.
PICKLED SALMON.
308. INGREDIENTS.–Salmon, 1/2 oz. of whole pepper, 1/2 oz. of whole allspice, 1 teaspoonful of salt, 2 bay-leaves, equal quantities of vinegar and the liquor in which the fish was boiled.
_Mode_.–After the fish comes from table, lay it in a nice dish with a cover to it, as it should be excluded from the air, and take away the bone; boil the liquor and vinegar with the other ingredients for 10 minutes, and let it stand to get cold; pour it over the salmon, and in 12 hours this will be fit for the table.
_Time_.–10 minutes.
TO CURE SALMON.–This process consists in splitting the fish, rubbing it with salt, and then putting it into pickle in tubs provided for the purpose. Here it is kept for about six weeks, when it is taken out, pressed and packed in casks, with layers of salt.
POTTED SALMON.
309. INGREDIENTS.–Salmon; pounded mace, cloves, and pepper to taste; 3 bay-leaves, 1/4 lb. butter.
_Mode_.–Skin the salmon, and clean it thoroughly by wiping with a cloth (water would spoil it); cut it into square pieces, which rub with salt; let them remain till thoroughly drained, then lay them in a dish with the other ingredients, and bake. When quite done, drain them from the gravy, press into pots for use, and, when cold, pour over it clarified butter.
_Time_.–1/2 hour.
AN AVERSION IN THE SALMON.–The salmon is said to have an aversion to anything red; hence, fishermen engaged in catching it do not wear jackets or caps of that colour. Pontoppidan also says, that it has an abhorrence of carrion, and if any happens to be thrown into the places it haunts, it immediately forsakes them. The remedy adopted for this in Norway, is to throw into the polluted water a lighted torch. As food, salmon, when in perfection, is one of the most delicious and nutritive of our fish.
BAKED SEA-BREAM.
310. INGREDIENTS.–1 bream. Seasoning to taste of salt, pepper, and cayenne; 1/4 lb. of butter.
_Mode_.–Well wash the bream, but do not remove the scales, and wipe away all moisture with a nice dry cloth. Season it inside and out with salt, pepper, and cayenne, and lay it in a baking-dish. Place the butter, in small pieces, upon the fish, and bake for rather more than 1/2 an hour. To stuff this fish before baking, will be found a great improvement.
_Time_.–Rather more than 1/2 an hour.
_Seasonable_ in summer.
[Illustration: THE SEA-BREAM.]
_Note_.–This fish may be broiled over a nice clear fire, and served with a good brown gravy or white sauce, or it may be stewed in wine.
THE SEA-BREAM.–This is an abundant fish in Cornwall, and it is frequently found in the fish-market of Hastings during the summer months, but it is not in much esteem.
MR. YARRELL’S RECIPE.
“When thoroughly cleansed, the fish should be wiped dry, but none of the scales should be taken off. In this state it should be broiled, turning it often, and if the skin cracks, flour it a little to keep the outer case entire. When on table, the whole skin and scales turn off without difficulty, and the muscle beneath, saturated in its own natural juices, which the outside covering has retained, will be of good flavour.”
TO DRESS SHAD.
311. INGREDIENTS.–1 shad, oil, pepper, and salt.
_Mode_.–Scale, empty and wash the fish carefully, and make two or three incisions across the back. Season it with pepper and salt, and let it remain in oil for 1/2 hour. Broil it on both sides over a clear fire, and serve with caper sauce. This fish is much esteemed by the French, and by them is considered excellent.
_Time_.–Nearly 1 hour.
_Average cost_.–Seldom bought.
_Seasonable_ from April to June.
[Illustration: THE SHAD.]
THE SHAD.–This is a salt-water fish, but is held in little esteem. It enters our rivers to spawn in May, and great numbers of them are taken opposite the Isle of Dogs, in the Thames.
POTTED SHRIMPS.
312. INGREDIENTS.–1 pint of shelled shrimps, 1/4 lb. of fresh butter, 1 blade of pounded mace, cayenne to taste; when liked, a little nutmeg.
_Mode_.–Have ready a pint of picked shrimps, and put them, with the other ingredients, into a stewpan; let them heat gradually in the butter, but do not let it boil. Pour into small pots, and when cold, cover with melted butter, and carefully exclude the air.
_Time_.–1/4 hour to soak in the butter.
_Average cost_ for this quantity, 1s. 3d.
BUTTERED PRAWNS OR SHRIMPS.
313. INGREDIENTS.–1 pint of picked prawns or shrimps, 3/4 pint of stock No. 104, thickening of butter and flour; salt, cayenne, and nutmeg to taste.
_Mode_.–Pick the prawns or shrimps, and put them in a stewpan with the stock; add a thickening of butter and flour; season, and simmer gently for 3 minutes. Serve on a dish garnished with fried bread or toasted sippets. Cream sauce may be substituted for the gravy.
_Time_.–3 minutes.
_Average cost_ for this quantity, 1s. 4d.
[Illustration: THE SHRIMP.]
THE SHRIMP.–This shell-fish is smaller than the prawn, and is greatly relished in London as a delicacy. It inhabits most of the sandy shores of Europe, and the Isle of Wight is especially famous for them.
BOILED SKATE.
314. INGREDIENTS.–1/4 lb. of salt to each gallon of water.
_Mode_.–Cleanse and skin the skate, lay it in a fish-kettle, with sufficient water to cover it, salted in the above proportion. Let it simmer very gently till done; then dish it on a hot napkin, and serve with shrimp, lobster, or caper sauce.
_Time_.–According to size, from 1/2 to 1 hour. _Average cost_, 4d. per lb.
_Seasonable_ from August to April.
CRIMPED SKATE.
315. INGREDIENTS.–1/8 lb. of salt to each gallon of water.
_Mode_.–Clean, skin, and cut the fish into slices, which roll and tie round with string. Have ready some water highly salted, put in the fish, and boil till it is done. Drain well, remove the string, dish on a hot napkin, and serve with the same sauces as above. Skate should never be eaten out of season, as it is liable to produce diarrhoea and other diseases. It may be dished without a napkin, and the sauce poured over.
_Time_.–About 20 minutes. _Average cost_, 4d. per lb.
_Seasonable_ from August to April.
TO CHOOSE SKATE.–This fish should be chosen for its firmness, breadth, and thickness, and should have a creamy appearance. When crimped, it should not be kept longer than a day or two, as all kinds of crimped fish soon become sour.
[Illustration: THORNBACK SKATE.]
THE SKATE.–This is one of the ray tribe, and is extremely abundant and cheap in the fishing towns of England. The flesh is white, thick, and nourishing; but, we suppose, from its being so plentiful, it is esteemed less than it ought to be on account of its nutritive properties, and the ease with which it is digested. It is much improved by crimping; in which state it is usually sold in London. The THORNBACK differs from the true skate by having large spines in its back, of which the other is destitute. It is taken in great abundance during the spring and summer months, but its flesh is not so good as it is in November. It is, in regard to quality, inferior to that of the true skate.
SKATE WITH CAPER SAUCE (a la Francaise)
316. INGREDIENTS.–2 or 3 slices of skate, 1/2 pint of vinegar, 2 oz. of salt, 1/2 teaspoonful of pepper, 1 sliced onion, a small bunch of parsley, 2 bay-leaves, 2 or 3 sprigs of thyme, sufficient water to cover the fish.
_Mode_.–Put in a fish-kettle all the above ingredients, and simmer the skate in them till tender. When it is done, skin it neatly, and pour over it some of the liquor in which it has been boiling. Drain it, put it on a hot dish, pour over it caper sauce, and send some of the latter to table in a tureen.
_Time_.–1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 4d. per lb.
_Seasonable_ from August to April.
_Note_.–Skate may also be served with onion sauce, or parsley and butter.
SMALL SKATE FRIED.
317. INGREDIENTS.–Skate, sufficient vinegar to cover them, salt and pepper to taste, 1 sliced onion, a small bunch of parsley, the juice of 1/2 lemon, hot dripping.
_Mode_.–Cleanse the skate, lay them in a dish, with sufficient vinegar to cover them; add the salt, pepper, onion, parsley, and lemon-juice, and let the fish remain in this pickle for 1-1/2 hour. Then drain them well, flour them, and fry of a nice brown, in hot dripping. They may be served either with or without sauce. Skate is not good if dressed too fresh, unless it is crimped; it should, therefore, be kept for a day, but not long enough to produce a disagreeable smell.
_Time_.–10 minutes. _Average cost_, 4d. per lb.
_Seasonable_ from August to April.
OTHER SPECIES OF SKATE.–Besides the true skate, there are several other species found in our seas. These are known as the _white_ skate, the long-nosed skate, and the Homelyn ray, which are of inferior quality, though often crimped, and sold for true skate.
TO BAKE SMELTS.
318. INGREDIENTS.–12 smelts, bread crumbs, 1/4 lb. of fresh butter, 2 blades of pounded mace; salt and cayenne to taste.
_Mode_.–Wash, and dry the fish thoroughly in a cloth, and arrange them nicely in a flat baking-dish. Cover them with fine bread crumbs, and place little pieces of butter all over them. Season and bake for 15 minutes. Just before serving, add a squeeze of lemon-juice, and garnish with fried parsley and cut lemon.
_Time_.–1/4 hour. _Average cost_, 2s. per dozen.
_Seasonable_ from October to May.
_Sufficient_ for 6 persons.
TO CHOOSE SMELTS.–When good, this fish is of a fine silvery appearance, and when alive, their backs are of a dark brown shade, which, after death, fades to a light fawn. They ought to have a refreshing fragrance, resembling that of a cucumber.
THE ODOUR OF THE SMELT.–This peculiarity in the smelt has been compared, by some, to the fragrance of a cucumber, and by others, to that of a violet. It is a very elegant fish, and formerly abounded in the Thames. The _Atharine_, or sand smelt, is sometimes sold for the true one; but it is an inferior fish, being drier in the quality of its flesh. On the south coast of England, where the true smelt is rare, it is plentiful.
TO FRY SMELTS.
319. INGREDIENTS.–Egg and bread crumbs, a little flour; boiling lard.
_Mode_.–Smelts should be very fresh, and not washed more than is necessary to clean them. Dry them in a cloth, lightly flour, dip them in egg, and sprinkle over with very fine bread crumbs, and put them into boiling lard. Fry of a nice pale brown, and be careful not to take off the light roughness of the crumbs, or their beauty will be spoiled. Dry them before the fire on a drainer, and servo with plain melted butter. This fish is often used as a garnishing.
_Time_.–5 minutes.
_Average cost_, 2s. per dozen.
_Seasonable_ from October to May.
[Illustration: THE SMELT.]
THE SMELT.–This is a delicate little fish, and is in high esteem. Mr. Yarrell asserts that the true smelt is entirety confined to the western and eastern coasts of Britain. It very rarely ventures far from the shore, and is plentiful in November, December, and January.
BAKED SOLES.
320. INGREDIENTS.–2 soles, 1/4 lb. of butter, egg, and bread crumbs, minced parsley, 1 glass of sherry, lemon-juice; cayenne and salt to taste.
_Mode_.–Clean, skin, and well wash the fish, and dry them thoroughly in a cloth. Brush them over with egg, sprinkle with bread crumbs mixed with a little minced parsley, lay them in a large flat baking-dish, white side uppermost; or if it will not hold the two soles, they may each be laid on a dish by itself; but they must not be put one on the top of the other. Melt the butter, and pour it over the whole, and bake for 20 minutes. Take a portion of the gravy that flows from the fish, add the wine, lemon-juice, and seasoning, give it one boil, skim, pour it _under_ the fish, and serve.
_Time_.–20 minutes. _Average cost_, 1s. to 2s. per pair.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.
TO CHOOSE SOLES.–This fish should be both thick and firm. If the skin is difficult to be taken off, and the flesh looks grey, it is good.
[Illustration: THE SOLE.]
THE SOLE.–This ranks next to the turbot in point of excellence among our flat fish. It is abundant on the British coasts, but those of the western shores are much superior in size to those taken on the northern. The finest are caught in Torbay, and frequently weigh 8 or 10 lbs. per pair. Its flesh being firm, white, and delicate, is greatly esteemed.
BOILED SOLES.
321. INGREDIENTS.–1/4 lb. salt to each gallon of water.
_Mode_.–Cleanse and wash the fish carefully, cut off the fins, but do not skin it. Lay it in a fish-kettle, with sufficient cold water to cover it, salted in the above proportion. Let it gradually come to a boil, and keep it simmering for a few minutes, according to the size of the fish. Dish it on a hot napkin after well draining it, and garnish with parsley and cut lemon. Shrimp, or lobster sauce, and plain melted butter, are usually sent to table with this dish.
_Time_.–After the water boils, 7 minutes for a middling-sized sole.
_Average cost_, 1s. to 2s. per pair.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
_Sufficient_,–1 middling-sized sole for 2 persons.
SOLE OR COD PIE.
322. INGREDIENTS.–The remains of cold boiled sole or cod, seasoning to taste of pepper, salt, and pounded mace, 1 dozen oysters to each lb. of fish, 3 tablespoonfuls of white stock, 1 teacupful of cream thickened with flour, puff paste.
_Mode_.–Clear the fish from the bones, lay it in a pie-dish, and between each layer put a few oysters and a little seasoning; add the stock, and, when liked, a small quantity of butter; cover with puff paste, and bake for 1/2 hour. Boil the cream with sufficient flour to thicken it; pour in the pie, and serve.
_Time_.–1/2 hour. _Average cost_ for this quantity, 10d.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
_Sufficient_ for 4 persons.
SOLES WITH CREAM SAUCE.
323. INGREDIENTS.–2 soles; salt, cayenne, and pounded mace to taste; the juice of 1/2 lemon, salt and water, 1/2 pint of cream.
_Mode_.–Skin, wash, and fillet the soles, and divide each fillet in 2 pieces; lay them in cold salt and water, which bring gradually to a boil. When the water boils, take out the fish, lay it in a delicately clean stewpan, and cover with the cream. Add the seasoning, simmer very gently for ten minutes, and, just before serving, put in the lemon-juice. The fillets may be rolled, and secured by means of a skewer; but this is not so economical a way of dressing them, as double the quantity of cream is required.
_Time_.–10 minutes in the cream.
_Average cost_, from 1s. to 2s. per pair. _Seasonable_ at any time.
_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.
This will be found a most delicate and delicious dish.
THE SOLE A FAVOURITE WITH THE ANCIENT GREEKS.–This fish was much sought after by the ancient Greeks on account of its light and nourishing qualities. The brill, the flounder, the diamond and Dutch plaice, which, with the sole, were known under the general name of _passeres_, were all equally esteemed, and had generally the same qualities attributed to them.
FILLETED SOLES A L’ITALIENNE.
324. INGREDIENTS.–2 soles; salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg to taste; egg and bread crumbs, butter, the juice of 1 lemon.
_Mode_.–Skin, and carefully wash the soles, separate the meat from the bone, and divide each fillet in two pieces. Brush them over with white of egg, sprinkle with bread crumbs and seasoning, and put them in a baking-dish. Place small pieces of butter over the whole, and bake for 1/2 hour. When they are nearly done, squeeze the juice of a lemon over them, and serve on a dish, with Italian sauce (see Sauces) poured over.
_Time_.–1/2 hour. _Average cost_, from 1s. to 2s. per pair.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
_Sufficient_ for 4 or 6 persons.
WHITING may be dressed in the same manner, and will be found very delicious.
THE FLAVOUR OF THE SOLE.–This, as a matter of course, greatly depends on the nature of the ground and bait upon which the animal feeds. Its natural food are small crabs and shell-fish. Its colour also depends on the colour of the ground where it feeds; for if this be white, then the sole is called the white, or lemon sole; but if the bottom be muddy, then it is called the black sole. Small-sized soles, caught in shallow water on the coasts, are the best in flavour.
FRICASSEED SOLES.
325. INGREDIENTS.–2 middling-sized soles, 1 small one, 1/2 teaspoonful of chopped lemon-peel, 1 teaspoonful of chopped parsley, a little grated bread; salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste; 1 egg, 2 oz. butter, 1/2 pint of good gravy, 2 tablespoonfuls of port wine, cayenne and lemon-juice to taste.
_Mode_.–Fry the soles of a nice brown, as directed in recipe No. 327, and drain them well from fat. Take all the meat from the small sole, chop it fine, and mix with it the lemon-peel, parsley, bread, and seasoning; work altogether, with the yolk of an egg and the butter; make this into small balls, and fry them. Thicken the gravy with a dessert-spoonful of flour, add the port wine, cayenne, and lemon-juice; lay in the 2 soles and balls; let them simmer gently for 6 minutes; serve hot, and garnish with cut lemon.
_Time_.–10 minutes to fry the soles.
_Average cost_ for this quantity, 3s.
_Seasonable_ at any time. _Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.
HOW SOLES ARE CAUGHT.–The instrument usually employed is a trawl net, which is shaped like a pocket, of from sixty to eighty feet long, and open at the mouth from thirty-two to forty feet, and three deep. This is dragged along the ground by the vessel, and on the art of the fisherman in its employment, in a great measure depends the quality of the fish he catches. If, for example, he drags the net too quickly, all that are caught are swept rapidly to the end of the net, where they are smothered, and sometimes destroyed. A medium has to be observed, in order that as few as possible escape being caught in the net, and as many as possible preserved alive in it.
FRIED FILLETED SOLES.
326. Soles for filleting should be large, as the flesh can be more easily separated from the bones, and there is less waste. Skin and wash the fish, and raise the meat carefully from the bones, and divide it into nice handsome pieces. The more usual way is to roll the fillets, after dividing each one in two pieces, and either bind them round with twine, or run a small skewer through them. Brush over with egg, and cover with bread crumbs; fry them as directed in the foregoing recipe, and garnish with fried parsley and cut lemon. When a pretty dish is desired, this is by far the most elegant mode of dressing soles, as they look much better than when fried whole. (_See_ Coloured Plate A.) Instead of rolling the fillets, they may be cut into square pieces, and arranged in the shape of a pyramid on the dish.
_Time_.–About 10 minutes. _Average cost_, from 1s. to 2s. per pair.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
_Sufficient_,–2 large soles for 6 persons.
FRIED SOLES.
327. INGREDIENTS.–2 middling-sized soles, hot lard or clarified dripping, egg, and bread crumbs.
_Mode_.–Skin and carefully wash the soles, and cut off the fins, wipe them very dry, and let them remain in the cloth until it is time to dress them. Have ready some fine bread crumbs and beaten egg; dredge the soles with a little flour, brush them over with egg, and cover with bread crumbs. Put them in a deep pan, with plenty of clarified dripping or lard (when the expense is not objected to, oil is still better) heated, so that it may neither scorch the fish nor make them sodden. When they are sufficiently cooked on one side, turn them carefully, and brown them on the other: they may be considered ready when a thick smoke rises. Lift them out carefully, and lay them before the fire on a reversed sieve and soft paper, to absorb the fat. Particular attention should be paid to this, as nothing is more disagreeable than greasy fish: this may be always avoided by dressing them in good time, and allowing a few minutes for them to get thoroughly crisp, and free from greasy moisture. Dish them on a hot napkin, garnish with cut lemon and fried parsley, and send them to table with shrimp sauce and plain melted butter.
_Time_.–10 minutes for large soles; less time for small ones.
_Average cost_, from 1s. to 2s. per pair.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.
SOLES WITH MUSHROOMS.
328. INGREDIENTS.–1 pint of milk, 1 pint of water, 1 oz. butter, 1 oz. salt, a little lemon-juice, 2 middling-sized soles.
_Mode_.–Cleanse the soles, but do not skin them, and lay them in a fish-kettle, with the milk, water, butter, salt, and lemon-juice. Bring them gradually to boil, and let them simmer very gently till done, which will be in about 7 minutes. Take them up, drain them well on a cloth, put them on a hot dish, and pour over them a good mushroom sauce. (_See_ Sauces.)
_Time_.–After the water boils, 7 minutes.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
_Sufficient_ for 4 persons.
SPRATS.
329. Sprats should be cooked very fresh, which can be ascertained by their bright and sparkling eyes. Wipe them dry; fasten them in rows by a skewer run through the eyes; dredge with flour, and broil them on a gridiron over a nice clear fire. The gridiron should be rubbed with suet. Serve very hot.
_Time_,–3 or 4 minutes. _Average cost_, 1d. per lb.
_Seasonable_ from November to March.
TO CHOOSE SPRATS.–Choose these from their silvery appearance, as the brighter they are, so are they the fresher.
SPRATS FRIED IN BATTER.
330. INGREDIENTS.–2 eggs, flour, bread crumbs; seasoning of salt and pepper to taste.
_Mode_.–Wipe the sprats, and dip them in a batter made of the above ingredients. Fry of a nice brown, serve very hot, and garnish with fried parsley.
Sprats may be baked like herrings. (_See_ No. 268.)
DRIED SPRATS.
331. Dried sprats should be put into a basin, and boiling water poured over them; they may then be skinned and served, and this will be found a much better way than boiling them.
[Illustration: THE SPRAT.]
THE SPRAT.–This migratory fish, is rarely found longer than four or five inches, and visits the shores of Britain after the herring and other kinds of fish have taken their departure from them. On the coasts of Suffolk, Essex, and Kent, they are very abundant, and from 400 to 500 boats are employed in catching them during the winter season. Besides plentifully supplying the London market, they are frequently sold at sixpence a bushel to farmers for manuring purposes. They enter the Thames about the beginning of November, and leave it in March. At Yarmouth and Gravesend they are cured like red herrings.
BAKED STURGEON.
332. INGREDIENTS.–1 small sturgeon, salt and pepper to taste, 1 small bunch of herbs, the juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/4 lb. of butter, 1 pint of white wine.
_Mode_,–Cleanse the fish thoroughly, skin it, and split it along the belly without separating it; have ready a large baking-dish, in which lay the fish, sprinkle over the seasoning and herbs very finely minced, and moisten it with the lemon-juice and wine. Place the butter in small pieces over the whole of the fish, put it in the oven, and baste frequently; brown it nicely, and serve with its own gravy.
_Time_.–Nearly 1 hour. _Average cost_, 1s. to 1s. 6d. per lb.
_Seasonable_ from August to March.
[Illustration: THE STURGEON.]
THE STURGEON.–This fish commences the sixth of Linnaean order, and all the species are large, seldom measuring, when full-grown, less than three or four feet in length. Its flesh is reckoned extremely delicious, and, in the time of the emperor Severus, was so highly valued by the ancients, that it was brought to table by servants crowned with coronets, and preceded by a band of music. It is an inhabitant of the Baltic, the Mediterranean, the Caspian, and the Black Sea, and of the Danube, the Volga, the Don, and other large rivers. It is abundant in the rivers of North America, and is occasionally taken in the Thames, as well as in the Eske and the Eden. It is one of those fishes considered as royal property. It is from its _roe_ that _caviare_, a favourite food of the Russians, is prepared. Its flesh is delicate, firm, and white, but is rare in the London market, where it sells for 1s. or 1s. 6d. per lb.
THE STERLET is a smaller species of sturgeon, found in the Caspian Sea and some Russian rivers. It also is greatly prized on account of the delicacy of its flesh.
ROAST STURGEON.
333. INGREDIENTS.–Veal stuffing, buttered paper, the tail-end of a sturgeon.
_Mode_.–Cleanse the fish, bone and skin it; make a nice veal stuffing (see Forcemeats), and fill it with the part where the bones came from; roll it in buttered paper, bind it up firmly with tape, like a fillet of veal, and roast it in a Dutch oven before a clear fire. Serve with good brown gravy, or plain melted butter.
_Time_.–About 1 hour. _Average cost_, 1s. to 1s. 6d. per lb.
_Seasonable_ from August to March.
_Note_.–Sturgeon may be plain-boiled, and served with Dutch sauce. The fish is very firm, and requires long boiling.
ESTIMATE OF THE STURGEON BY THE ANCIENTS.–By the ancients, the flesh of this fish was compared to the ambrosia of the immortals. The poet Martial passes a high eulogium upon it, and assigns it a place on the luxurious tables of the Palatine Mount. If we may credit a modern traveller in China, the people of that country generally entirely abstain from it, and the sovereign of the Celestial Empire confines it to his own kitchen, or dispenses it to only a few of his greatest favourites.
MATELOT OF TENCH.
334. INGREDIENTS.–1/2 pint of stock No. 105, 1/2 pint of port wine, 1 dozen button onions, a few mushrooms, a faggot of herbs, 2 blades of mace, 1 oz. of butter, 1 teaspoonful of minced parsley, thyme, 1 shalot, 2 anchovies, 1 teacupful of stock No. 105, flour, 1 dozen oysters, the juice of 1/2 lemon; the number of tench, according to size.
_Mode_.–Scale and clean the tench, cut them into pieces, and lay them in a stewpan; add the stock, wine, onions, mushrooms, herbs, and mace, and simmer gently for 1/2 hour. Put into another stewpan all the remaining ingredients but the oysters and lemon-juice, and boil slowly for 10 minutes, when add the strained liquor from the tench, and keep stirring it over the fire until somewhat reduced. Rub it through a sieve, pour it over the tench with the oysters, which must be previously scalded in their own liquor, squeeze in the lemon-juice, and serve. Garnish with croutons.
_Time_. 3/4 hour.
_Seasonable_ from October to June.
[Illustration: THE TENCH.]
THE TENCH.–This fish is generally found in foul and weedy waters, and in such places as are well supplied with rushes. They thrive best in standing waters, and are more numerous in pools and ponds than in rivers. Those taken in the latter, however, are preferable for the table. It does not often exceed four or five pounds in weight, and is in England esteemed as a delicious and wholesome food. As, however, they are sometimes found in waters where the mud is excessively fetid, their flavour, if cooked immediately on being caught, is often very unpleasant; but if they are transferred into clear water, they soon recover from the obnoxious taint.
TENCH STEWED WITH WINE.
335. INGREDIENTS.–1/2 pint of stock No. 105, 1/2 pint of Madeira or sherry, salt and pepper to taste, 1 bay-leaf, thickening of butter and flour.
_Mode_.–Clean and crimp the tench; carefully lay it in a stewpan with the stock, wine, salt and pepper, and bay-leaf; let it stew gently for 1/2 hour; then take it out, put it on a dish, and keep hot. Strain the liquor, and thicken it with butter and flour kneaded together, and stew for 5 minutes. If not perfectly smooth, squeeze it through a tammy, add a very little cayenne, and pour over the fish. Garnish with balls of veal forcemeat.
_Time_.–Rather more than 1/2 hour.
_Seasonable_ from October to June.
A SINGULAR QUALITY IN THE TENCH.–It is said that the tench is possessed of such healing properties among the finny tribes, that even the voracious pike spares it on this account.
The pike, fell tyrant of the liquid plain, With ravenous waste devours his fellow train; Yet howsoe’er with raging famine pined, The tench he spares, a medicinal kind; For when by wounds distress’d, or sore disease, He courts the salutary fish for ease; Close to his scales the kind physician glides, And sweats a healing balsam from his sides.
In our estimation, however, this self-denial in the pike may be attributed to a less poetical cause; namely, from the mud-loving disposition of the tench, it is enabled to keep itself so completely concealed at the bottom of its aqueous haunts, that it remains secure from the attacks of its predatory neighbour.
STEWED TROUT.
336. INGREDIENTS.–2 middling-sized trout, 1/2 onion cut in thin slices, a little parsley, 2 cloves, 1 blade of mace, 2 bay-leaves, a little thyme, salt and pepper to taste, 1 pint of medium stock No. 105, 1 glass of port wine, thickening of butter and flour.
_Mode_.–Wash the fish very clean, and wipe it quite dry. Lay it in a stewpan, with all the ingredients but the butter and flour, and simmer gently for 1/2 hour, or rather more, should not the fish be quite done. Take it out, strain the gravy, add the thickening, and stir it over a sharp fire for 5 minutes; pour it over the trout, and serve.
_Time_.–According to size, 1/2 hour or more.
_Average cost_.–Seldom bought.
_Seasonable_ from May to September, and fatter from the middle to the end of August than at any other time.
_Sufficient_ for 4 persons.
Trout may be served with anchovy or caper sauce, baked in buttered paper, or fried whole like smelts. Trout dressed a la Genevese is extremely delicate; for this proceed the same as with salmon, No. 307.
[Illustration: THE TROUT.]
THE TROUT.–This fish, though esteemed by the moderns for its delicacy, was little regarded by the ancients. Although it abounded in the lakes of the Roman empire, it is generally mentioned by writers only on account of the beauty of its colours. About the end of September, they quit the deep water to which they had retired during the hot weather, for the purpose of spawning. This they always do on a gravelly bottom, or where gravel and sand are mixed among stones, towards the end or by the sides of streams. At this period they become black about the head and body, and become soft and unwholesome. They are never good when they are large with roe; but there are in all trout rivers some barren female fish, which continue good throughout the winter. In the common trout, the stomach is uncommonly strong and muscular, shell-fish forming a portion of the food of the animal; and it takes into its stomach gravel or small stones in order to assist in comminuting it.
BOILED TURBOT.
337. INGREDIENTS.–6 oz. of salt to each gallon of water.
_Mode_–Choose a middling-sized turbot; for they are invariably the most valuable: if very large, the meat will be tough and thready. Three or four hours before dressing, soak the fish in salt and water to take off the slime; then thoroughly cleanse it, and with a knife make an incision down the middle of the back, to prevent the skin of the belly from cracking. Rub it over with lemon, and be particular not to cut off the fins. Lay the fish in a very clean turbot-kettle, with sufficient cold water to cover it, and salt in the above proportion. Let it gradually come to a boil, and skim very carefully; keep it gently simmering, and on no account let it boil fast, as the fish would have a very unsightly appearance. When the meat separates easily from the bone, it is done; then take it out, let it drain well, and dish it on a hot napkin. Rub a little lobster spawn through a sieve, sprinkle it over the fish, and garnish with tufts of parsley and cut lemon. Lobster or shrimp sauce, and plain melted butter, should be sent to table with it. (See Coloured Plate E.)
_Time_.–After the water boils, about 1/2 hour for a large turbot; middling size, about 20 minutes.
_Average cost_,–large turbot, from 10s. to 12s.; middling size, from 12s. to 15s.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
_Sufficient_, 1 middling-sized turbot for 8 persons.
_Note_.–An amusing anecdote is related, by Miss Edgeworth, of a bishop, who, descending to his kitchen to superintend the dressing of a turbot, and discovering that his cook had stupidly cut off the fins, immediately commenced sewing them on again with his own episcopal fingers. This dignitary knew the value of a turbot’s gelatinous appendages.
GARNISH FOR TURBOT OR OTHER LARGE FISH.
338. Take the crumb of a stale loaf, cut it into small pyramids with flat tops, and on the top of each pyramid, put rather more than a tablespoonful of white of egg beaten to a stiff froth. Over this, sprinkle finely-chopped parsley and fine raspings of a dark colour. Arrange these on the napkin round the fish, one green and one brown alternately.
TO CHOOSE TURBOT.–See that it is thick, and of a yellowish white; for if of a bluish tint, it is not good.
[Illustration: THE TURBOT.]
THE TURBOT.–This is the most esteemed of all our flat fish. The northern parts of the English coast, and some places off the coast of Holland, produce turbot in great abundance, and in greater excellence than any other parts of the world. The London market is chiefly supplied by Dutch fishermen, who bring to it nearly 90,000 a year. The flesh is firm, white, rich, and gelatinous, and is the better for being kept a day or two previous to cooking it. In many parts of the country, turbot and halibut are indiscriminately sold for each other. They are, however, perfectly distinct; the upper parts of the former being marked with large, unequal, and obtuse tubercles, while those of the other are quite smooth, and covered with oblong soft scales, which firmly adhere to the body.
[Illustration: TURBOT-KETTLE.]
FISH-KETTLES are made in an oblong form, and have two handles, with a movable bottom, pierced full of holes, on which the fish is laid, and on which it may be lifted from the water, by means of two long handles attached to each side of the movable bottom. This is to prevent the liability of breaking the fish, as it would necessarily be if it were cooked in a common saucepan. In the list of Messrs. Richard and John Slack (see 71), the price of two of these is set down at 10s. The turbot-kettle, as will be seen by our cut, is made differently from ordinary fish-kettles, it being less deep, whilst it is wider, and more pointed at the sides; thus exactly answering to the shape of the fish which it is intended should be boiled in it. It may be obtained from the same manufacturers, and its price is L1.
BAKED FILLETS OF TURBOT.
339. INGREDIENTS.–The remains of cold turbot, lobster sauce left from the preceding day, egg, and bread crumbs; cayenne and salt to taste; minced parsley, nutmeg, lemon-juice.
_Mode_.–After having cleared the fish from all skin and bone, divide it into square pieces of an equal size; brush them over with egg, sprinkle with bread crumbs mixed with a little minced parsley and seasoning. Lay the fillets in a baking-dish, with sufficient butter to baste with. Bake for 1/4 hour, and do not forget to keep them well moistened with the butter. Put a little lemon-juice and grated nutmeg to the cold lobster sauce; make it hot, and pour over the fish, which must be well drained from the butter. Garnish with parsley and cut lemon.
_Time_.–Altogether, 1/2 hour.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
_Note_.–Cold turbot thus warmed in the remains of lobster sauce will be found much nicer than putting the fish again in water.
FILLETS OF TURBOT A L’ITALIENNE.
340. INGREDIENTS.–The remains of cold turbot, Italian sauce. (See Sauces.)
_Mode_.–Clear the fish carefully from the bone, and take away all skin, which gives an unpleasant flavour to the sauce. Make the sauce hot, lay in the fish to warm through, but do not let it boil. Garnish with croutons.
_Time_.–5 minutes.
_Seasonable_ all the year.
THE ANCIENT ROMANS’ ESTIMATE OF TURBOT.–As this luxurious people compared soles to partridges, and sturgeons to peacocks, so they found a resemblance to the turbot in the pheasant. In the time of Domitian, it is said one was taken of such dimensions as to require, in the imperial kitchen, a new stove to be erected, and a new dish to be made for it, in order that it might be cooked and served whole: not even imperial Rome could furnish a stove or a dish large enough for the monstrous animal. Where it was caught, we are not aware; but the turbot of the Adriatic Sea held a high rank in the “Eternal City.”
TURBOT A LA CREME.