To Boil Fish.

Be very careful that the fish is thoroughly cleansed, then place it on the fish-strainer, and tie a cloth, or piece of muslin, over it. (This is to prevent any scum settling on the fish to disfigure it, or spoil its colour.) Immerse it in boiling water, to which two tablespoonfuls of salt, and two of vinegar, have been added; boil it for three minutes to set the albumen on the outside, and so form a casing to keep in the juices and flavour of the fish. Then draw the kettle to the side of the fire and simmer gently until the fish is cooked. For a thick piece of fish, six minutes to each pound, and six minutes over, is the time usually allowed; but no hard-and-fast rule can be laid down, as the time it will take to cook depends on the size and shape, as well as on the weight of the fish. When the fish is cooked, it will have an opaque appearance; and on being pulled, will leave the bone readily. Care must be taken to cook it sufficiently but not to over-boil it. Under-done fish is very unpleasant, while over-cooked fish is flavourless, and breaks to pieces.

Salt fish is put into lukewarm water for the purpose of drawing out some of the salt, and must be simmered until tender. Mackerel should also be put into lukewarm water, as the skin is very tender, and boiling water would break it.

When the fish is cooked, remove the cloth, or muslin, and place the strainer across the kettle that the fish may get well drained. Cover it with a hot cover, and leave it in that position for a few minutes. Then dish, on a folded napkin; or on a strainer, if sauce is poured over it. Garnish tastefully, and serve with an appropriate sauce. Small cod, or salmon, if boiled whole, should be trussed in the form of the letter S.

Baked Fish.

The oven should be kept at a moderate heat, that the fish may not be dried up. Small fish may be cooked with great advantage in the oven, if carefully covered with buttered paper, which will keep them moist, and prevent any baked flavour.

Fried Fish.

Small fish, such as whiting, smelts, &c., are generally fried whole. Larger fish, such as cod and salmon, are fried in the shape of cutlets. Fish to be fried, must be covered with egg and crumbs, or batter. A stewpan, half full of fat, and not a frying-pan, should be used for the purpose (see French Frying), except in the case of the sole; and for that, the new fish-fryer, with a wire strainer, is far better than the old-fashioned pan. The bread-crumbs, for fish, should be prepared by rubbing stale bread through a wire sieve.

Boiled Turbot.

Boil it according to the directions for boiling fish. It usually takes from half an hour to an hour, according to its size. It should be dished on a folded napkin, with the white side uppermost; and garnished with cut lemon, parsley, and coral. Serve with it lobster, shrimp, or anchovy sauce.

Boiled Brill.

This fish is cooked like turbot; garnished in the same way, and served with the same sauces.

Boiled Salmon.

Boil according to the directions given for boiling fish. Truss a small salmon in the form of the letter S. Dish on a folded napkin; and garnish with parsley and coral. Serve with lobster, shrimp, anchovy, or tartare sauce.

Boiled Cod.

Boil according to directions given for boiling fish. A small piece is often served with thick egg-sauce poured over it, and garnished with the yolk of an egg rubbed through a wire sieve.

Salt Cod, Haddock, Plaice, and any Fish,

May be boiled according to directions given for boiling fish, and served with egg, anchovy, or any other appropriate sauce.

Curried Fish.

• Ingredients—1½lb. of cold boiled fish.
• 1 small onion.
• 1 small apple.
• ½ pint of second stock.
• A few drops of lemon juice.
• 1oz. of butter.
• 1 dessertspoonful of curry powder.
• 1 dessertspoonful of flour.
• Salt.

Method.—Slice the onion and apple; fry them in the butter, and then rub them through a hair sieve.

Mix the flour and curry powder smoothly with the stock.

Stir over the fire and boil well.

Then add the onion, apple, lemon juice, and salt.

Break the fish into pieces, and remove the bones. Put it into the sauce, and let it warm through.

Serve with a border of rice round it.

Kedgeree.

• Ingredients—The remains of cooked fish.
• An equal quantity of boiled rice.
• 2 hard-boiled eggs.
• A little butter.
• Pepper and salt.

Method.—Break the fish into flakes, removing all the bones.

Melt a little butter in a saucepan.

Put in the rice, fish, and the whites of the eggs cut small, pepper and salt.

Stir over the fire until quite hot.

Heap it on a hot dish in the form of a pyramid, and sprinkle over it the yolks of the eggs, rubbed through a wire sieve.

Baked Herrings.

• Ingredients—A few herrings.
• Browned bread-crumbs.
• A little butter or dripping.
• Parsley.

Method.—Split open the herrings, and remove the back-bone.

Roll them up, and place them with their roes on a greased baking-sheet.

Cover them with greased paper, and put them into a moderate oven for ten or fifteen minutes until cooked.

Place the rolls on a folded napkin, and sprinkle some brown bread-crumbs in a straight line on each.

Garnish with the roes and sprigs of parsley.

Herrings baked in Vinegar.

• Ingredients—A few herrings.
• 1 dessertspoonful of finely-chopped parsley.
• 1 small onion.
• Vinegar.
• Pepper and salt.

Method.—Grease a pie-dish, and put some herrings at the bottom.

Sprinkle them with the parsley and onion finely chopped, and the pepper and salt.

Put another layer of herrings on the top, and sprinkle them similarly.

Proceed in the same way until the dish is full.

Cover them with vinegar.

Place over them a dish, and bake in a slow oven for three or four hours.

Herrings cooked in this way are used cold.

Method.—Dry the smelts well, and fix their tails in their mouths.

Cover them with egg and bread-crumbs, and fry them a golden brown in a frying-basket in hot fat (see French Frying).

Garnish with fried parsley, and serve with melted butter or other suitable sauce.

Smelts au gratin.

• Ingredients—Some smelts.
• A few button mushrooms.
• 1 shalot.
• 1 sprig of parsley.
• Lemon juice.
• Pepper and salt.
• Browned bread crumbs.
• Glaze.

Method.—Lay the smelts on a greased baking-sheet.

Sprinkle under and over them the parsley, shalot, and mushrooms, finely chopped, with lemon juice, pepper, and salt.

Cover them with browned bread-crumbs, and put little bits of butter over them.

Bake them in a moderate oven for seven or ten minutes. Put them on a hot dish, and pour melted glaze over them.

Ling and Hake.

These two fish may be cooked according to any of the recipes given for dressing cod.

Salmon À la Tartare.

• Ingredients—A piece of salmon.
• Some tartare sauce.
• Chopped parsley.
• Coral.

Method.—Boil the salmon carefully according to the directions given for boiling fish.

Garnish with coral and parsley, and serve with tartare sauce (see Sauces).

If the salmon is served cold, the tartare sauce is poured over it. If hot, it is served in a sauce-boat. A slice of salmon is frequently grilled, and served with tartare sauce.

Pickled Salmon.

• Ingredients—Some boiled salmon.
• 1 dozen peppercorns.
• 2 saltspoonfuls of salt.
• 3 bay leaves.
• Equal quantities of vinegar and the liquor the fish was boiled in.

Method.—Lay the salmon in a deep pan or pie-dish.

Boil the fish liquor, vinegar, and other ingredients for a quarter of an hour.

Let it get cold, and then pour over the salmon, which should be allowed to remain in the pickle until the next day.

Whitebait.

• Ingredients—Whitebait.
• Flour.

Method.—Put plenty of oil or fat into a stewpan, and make it hot (see French Frying). The heat of the fat for whitebait should be 400°.

Have a good heap of flour on a cloth.

As soon as the fat is hot, throw the whitebait into the flour, and, taking the cloth by each end, shake the whitebait rapidly until they are well floured.

Turn them quickly into a frying-basket.

Shake the basket well for the loose flour to drop off, and throw the whitebait into the fat for a minute.

As soon as they rise to the surface, remove them with a fish-slice, and drain them on kitchen paper.

Serve them with brown bread and butter, and slices of lemon.

Oyster Patties.

• Ingredients—6 patty cases.
• 2½ dozen oysters.
• 1oz. of butter.
• 1oz. of flour.
• ¼ pint of milk.
• ¼ pint of cream.
• A few drops of lemon juice.
• Pepper and salt.
• A little cayenne.

Method.—Beard the oysters, and cut off the hard white part; cut each oyster in two.

Strain the oyster liquor through muslin.

Put the beards into the milk, and simmer them in it to extract the flavour.

Then melt the butter in a saucepan, and mix in the flour smoothly.

Strain in the milk, and add the oyster liquor. Stir and cook well.

Then add the cream, and let it boil in the sauce.

Lastly, add the pepper, salt, cayenne, and the oysters.

Fill the patty cases with the mixture.

Put the lid on each, and decorate with powdered lobster coral.

Serve hot or cold.

Scalloped Oysters.

• Ingredients—Some oysters.
• A little butter, and bread-crumbs.

Method.—Grease some scallop shells, and place on each two or three oysters.

Cover them with broad-crumbs, and put a little piece of butter on each.

Brown them in a quick oven, and serve very hot.

Scalloped Oysters À la FranÇaise.

• Ingredients—2½ dozen oysters.
• 1oz. of butter.
• 1oz. of flour.
• ¼ pint of milk.
• 2 tablespoonfuls of cream.
• A few drops of lemon juice.
• Pepper and salt.
• Some bread crumbs.

Method.—Beard the oysters, and cut them in two.

Strain the oyster liquor through muslin.

Simmer the beards in the milk.

Melt the butter in a small stewpan, and mix in the flour smoothly.

Strain in the milk, add the oyster liquor, stir, and cook well.

Then add the cream, and let it boil in the sauce.

Lastly, add lemon juice, pepper, salt, cayenne, and oysters.

Grease some scallop shells, and sprinkle them with bread-crumbs.

Fill them with the mixture, and sprinkle some more crumbs over them.

Brown in a quick oven.

Serve on a folded napkin, and garnish with parsley and cut lemon.

Mackerel À la Normande.

• Ingredients—1 dessertspoonful of bread-crumbs.
• 2 mackerel.
• Half a shalot, chopped finely.
• 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley.
• ¼ teaspoonful dried and powdered herbs.
• ¼oz. of butter or dripping.
• Pepper and salt.

Method.—Split open the mackerel, and remove the back-bones as cleanly as possible.

Grease a baking-tin, and lay one of the mackerel, skin downwards, on it.

Mix the herbs, parsley, shalot, and bread-crumbs together with pepper and salt, and sprinkle them over the fish.

Lay the other mackerel on the top, with the skin uppermost.

Put little bits of butter or dripping about it, and bake from ten minutes to a quarter of an hour.

For serving, sprinkle over a few brown bread-crumbs.

Haddock Stuffed.

• Ingredients—1 haddock.
• 3 tablespoonfuls of bread-crumbs.
• 1 dessertspoonful of finely-chopped parsley.
• 1 teaspoonful of dried and powdered herbs.
• Pepper and salt.
• Part of an egg, or a little milk, to bind the stuffing.

Method.—Mix the crumbs, parsley, herbs, pepper and salt, with the egg or milk.

Put the stuffing in the haddock, and fasten it with a small skewer.

Then truss it with string, or two skewers, in the form of the letter S.

Place it on a greased baking-tin; and put a few pieces of butter or dripping on it.

Bake it in a moderate oven for about twenty minutes.

To serve, place it on a dish and remove the skewers.

Garnish with parsley.

Cutlets of Cod.

• Ingredients—The tail of a cod.
• 1 egg.
• Bread-crumbs.
• Pepper and salt.

Method.—Cut the tail of a cod into neat cutlets.

Season them with pepper and salt, and cover them with egg and bread-crumbs.

Fry them in a frying-basket in hot fat (see French Frying).

Serve on a folded napkin, and garnish with fried parsley.

Cutlets of Cod À l'Italienne.

• Ingredients—The tail of a cod.
• A little butter.
• Lemon juice.
• Pepper and salt.
• Some Italian sauce.

Method.—Divide the cod into neat cutlets.

Place them on a greased baking-sheet.

Sprinkle over them a few drops of lemon juice, pepper, and salt, and cover them with buttered paper.

Bake them in a moderate oven from ten to twelve minutes.

Dish them in a circle, and pour over them some Italian sauce (see Sauces).

Garnish with coral and truffle.

Cutlets of Cod À la Genoise.

Cook some cod cutlets as in preceding recipe, and serve with Genoise sauce (see Sauces). Garnish with coral and truffle.

Cod with Tomatoes.

• Ingredients—1½lb. of cod cutlets.
• 5 or 6 tomatoes.
• 1 tablespoonful of vinegar.
• Cayenne pepper and salt.

Method.—Rub the tomatoes through a hair sieve.

Then put the purÉe thus obtained into a saucepan, and lay the pieces of cod in it. There should be enough tomato purÉe to cover the cod.

Simmer gently until the cod is tender.

Add the vinegar and seasoning, dish in a circle, and pour the tomato over.

Cod Fricassee.

• Ingredients—Some boiled cod, either hot or cold.
• Plain white sauce (see Sauces).
• 2 hard-boiled eggs.

Method.—Break the fish into flakes.

Make the sauce quite hot.

Put the fish into it, and warm it through.

There should be just enough sauce to moisten the cod.

Heap it in a pyramid shape on a hot dish.

Garnish it with rings cut from the hard-boiled eggs.

Sprinkle over the top of the cod the yolks rubbed through a wire sieve or strainer.

Cod Sounds Boiled.

• Ingredients—Some cod sounds; milk; water.
• BÉchamel sauce.
• Pepper and salt.

Method.—Soak the sounds in water for about six hours.

Then boil them in milk and water for half an hour or more until quite tender. Cut them in pieces about two inches square, and make them hot in some BÉchamel sauce.

Pile them on a dish in the form of a pyramid, with slices of hard-boiled egg, cut lemon, and parsley.

Marinaded Cod Sounds.

• Ingredients—Cod sounds.
• Milk.
• Water.
• Oil.
• Vinegar.
• Shalot.
• Parsley.
• Pepper and salt.
• Butter.

Method.—Soak the cod sounds in water for about six hours, and then boil them in milk and water until tender.

Cut them in pieces an inch and a half square.

Mix together equal quantities of oil and vinegar, and add to them a shalot and some parsley, very finely chopped; pepper, and salt.

Steep the sounds in the marinade.

Just before serving, dip each one in Kromesky batter, and fry in hot fat (see French Frying).

Dish in a circle, and pour over them some piquant sauce.

Decorate with truffle and coral.

Cod Stuffed and Baked.

• Ingredients—A thick slice from the middle of the cod.
• Some veal stuffing.
• Browned bread-crumbs.

Method.—Fasten the stuffing securely in the cod.

Place it on a greased baking-sheet, and cover it with browned crumbs. Place small pieces of butter or dripping about it, and bake it in a moderate oven for about half an hour, basting occasionally.

Serve with cut lemon, and garnish with parsley.

Plaice.

This fish may be boiled, baked, or fried.

Fried Fillets of Plaice.

Fillet the plaice by cutting down the centre of the fish with a sharp knife and removing the flesh from either side.

Egg and bread-crumb the fillets, and fry in hot fat (see French Frying).

Drain on kitchen paper, serve on a folded napkin, and garnish with fried parsley.

Fried Fillets of Sole.

Prepare like the fillets of plaice, with the exception that the sole should be skinned before it is filleted.

Fish Croquettes.

• Ingredients—1lb. of cooked fish (haddock, cod, ling, or hake are the best for the purpose).
• 1oz. of butter.
• 2 or 3 eggs.
• Pepper and salt.
• Some white crumbs.
• Parsley.
• 1lb. of boiled potatoes.

Method.—Rub the potatoes through a sieve.

Break the fish into flakes, removing the bones.

Mix the fish and potatoes together; blend them thoroughly with the butter, pepper, salt, and a well-beaten egg.

Form the mixture into balls or cakes.

Egg and bread-crumb them, and fry them in hot fat (see French Frying).

Serve on a folded napkin, and garnish with fried parsley.

Fish Pudding.

Make a mixture of fish and potatoes as in preceding recipe. Put it on a dish that will stand the heat of the oven, and mould it into the form of a fish.

Bake for half an hour.

Halibut.

This fish may be cooked and served like cod or turbot.

Red Mullets À l'Italienne.

• Ingredients—4 or 6 red mullets.
• 2 dessertspoonfuls of mushroom catsup.
• A little butter.
• Lemon juice.
• Pepper and salt.
• Some Italian sauce.

Method.—Lay the mullets in a well-buttered baking-sheet; moisten them with the catsup, and sprinkle with lemon juice, pepper, and salt.

Put some little bits of butter over them.

Bake in a moderate oven for a quarter of an hour or more until cooked.

Lay them on a hot dish.

Mix the liquor from the mullets with some Italian sauce (see Sauces), and pour over.

Garnish with truffle and coral.

Red Mullets À la Genoise.

• Ingredients—Red mullets.
• ½ glass of port.
• A few drops of lemon juice.
• Pepper.
• Some Genoise sauce.
• A little butter.

Method.—Lay the mullets on a well-greased baking-sheet.

Moisten them with the port wine and lemon juice, and put little bits of butter about them.

Bake them in a moderate oven until cooked.

Lay them on a hot dish.

Mix the liquor from the mullets with the Genoise sauce, and pour over them.

Red Mullet in Cases.

• Ingredients—4 red mullets.
• 1 dozen button mushrooms.
• 1 dessertspoonful of finely-chopped parsley.
• 2 shalots.
• Lemon-juice.
• Pepper and salt.
• Salad oil.

Method.—Chop the shalots and mushrooms, and mix them with the parsley.

Oil some pieces of foolscap paper.

Lay the mullets on them; sprinkle over them the parsley, mushroom, shalot, lemon juice, pepper and salt.

Fold them in the cases, and cook on a well-greased baking-sheet, in a moderate oven, for about twenty or thirty minutes.

Boiled Whiting.

Fasten the tail in the mouth of each whiting, and lay them on a fish strainer.

Put them into boiling water, with salt in it, and cook them gently for five minutes or more.

Dish on a folded napkin, and garnish with parsley, coral, and cut lemon.

Serve with them maÎtre d'hÔtel, BÉchamel, Italian, Genoise, or any other suitable sauce.

Fried Whiting.

• Ingredients—Some whiting.
• Egg.
• Bread-crumbs.
• Parsley.
• Lemon juice.

Method.—Skin the whiting, and fasten the tail in the mouth.

Dry them well with a cloth.

Egg and bread-crumb them, and fry them in a frying-basket, in hot fat (see French Frying).

Drain them on kitchen paper, and dish on a folded napkin.

Garnish with fried parsley and cut lemon.

BÉchamel, lobster, shrimp, Italian, Genoise, or any other suitable sauce, may be served with them.

Whiting À l'Italienne.

• Ingredients—Whiting.
• Lemon-juice.
• Pepper and salt.
• A little butter.
• Italian sauce.

Method.—Skin and fillet the whiting. Lay the fillets on a well-buttered baking-sheet.

Sprinkle with lemon-juice, pepper and salt, and cover them with buttered paper.

Cook them in a moderate oven, from seven to ten minutes.

Dish in a circle, and pour Italian sauce over.

Garnish with truffle and coral.

Whiting À la Genoise.

Prepare the whiting as in preceding receipt, substituting Genoise for Italian sauce.

Lobster Cutlets.

• Ingredients—1 hen lobster.
• 1½oz. of butter.
• 1oz. of flour.
• 1 gill of cold water.
• 2 tablespoonfuls of cream.
• A few drops of lemon juice.
• Cayenne.
• Pepper and salt.
• Some spawn or coral.
• Egg and bread-crumbs.
• Parsley.

Method.—Remove the flesh from the body of the lobster, and cut it up.

Pound the coral in a mortar, with half an ounce of butter, and rub it through a hair sieve. (If spawn is used it need not be pounded.)

Melt 1oz. of butter in a stewpan.

Mix in the flour; add the water; stir until it thickens.

Then add the coral, and butter, and cook well.

Next the cream, lemon juice, cayenne, pepper, salt, and lastly the chopped lobster.

Spread the mixture on a plate to cool.

When cool, shape into cutlets. Egg and bread-crumb, and fry in hot fat in a frying-basket.

Put a piece of the feeler in each, to represent a bone.

Garnish with fried parsley.

Lobster Cutlets in Aspic.

Shape some of the lobster-cutlet mixture into cutlets.

Roll in dried and powdered coral, and put a piece of feeler in each.

Pour a little aspic jelly into a clean Yorkshire-pudding tin, or frying-pan.

When set, lay the cutlets on it, and pour in, gently, enough aspic to cover them.

When firm, cut them out with a border of aspic to each, and serve on chopped aspic.

Fried Sole.

• Ingredients—A sole.
• Egg.
• Bread-crumbs.
• Parsley.

Method.—Remove the dark skin, and notch the other, here and there, with a knife.

Dry the sole well in a floured cloth.

Brush over with egg, and cover with bread-crumbs.

Flatten them on with a broad-bladed knife, and fry the sole a golden brown in hot fat (for heat of fat see French Frying).

A fish-fryer, or a deep frying-pan, should be used for the purpose; and there should be sufficient fat to cover the sole, so that it will not require turning.

When cooked, drain on kitchen paper.

Dish on a folded napkin.

Garnish with fried parsley.

Sole À la Parisienne.

• Ingredients—1 sole.
• 1 wineglass of sherry.
• ½ pint of good second stock.
• A few drops of lemon juice.
• 1 teaspoonful of Harvey's sauce.
• 1 teaspoonful of anchovy sauce.
• Pepper and salt to taste.

Method.—Remove the dark skin, and notch the other with a knife.

Lay the sole in a baking-pan, and pour over it the stock and sherry.

Cover with a dish, and bake for twenty or thirty minutes in a moderate oven.

Place it on a hot dish.

Boil the stock rapidly down to half the quantity.

Add to it the sauces, lemon juice, and seasoning, and pour it over the sole.

Fillets of Sole À la Rouennaise.

• Ingredients—2 or more soles.
• Lemon juice.
• Lobster-cutlet mixture.
• Some white sauce.
• Chopped truffle.

Method.—Remove both skins from the soles, and fillet them.

Spread some of the lobster-cutlet mixture on the half of each fillet, and fold over.

Place on a greased baking-sheet; sprinkle over lemon juice and salt, and cover with buttered paper.

Bake in a moderate oven for about twelve minutes.

Dish in a circle, and pour over white sauce, mixed with chopped truffle.

Fillets of Sole À la MaÎtre d'HÔtel.

• Ingredients—Fillets of sole.
• Lemon juice and salt.

Method.—Roll or fold the fillets, and cook like the Sole À la Rouennaise.

Cover them with the same sauce as in the last recipe, using chopped parsley instead of truffle.

Sole au gratin.

• Ingredients—1 sole.
• 1 dessertspoonful of chopped parsley.
• 1 chopped shalot.
• 6 chopped button mushrooms.
• Lemon juice.
• Pepper and salt.
• ½oz. of butter.
• Brown bread-crumbs.

Method.—Grease a dish that will stand the heat of the oven.

Sprinkle on it half of the parsley, shalot, and mushroom, with lemon juice, pepper, and salt.

Lay the sole on the mixture, and sprinkle the remainder of the parsley, &c., over it.

Cover with brown bread-crumbs, and put half an ounce of butter about it, in small pieces.

Bake from ten to fifteen minutes, according to size, and serve-with glaze poured round it.

Gurnets baked.

• Ingredients—2 or more gurnets.
• Some veal stuffing, omitting the suet.
• A little stock.
• ½ wineglass of sherry.
• 1 or 2 dessertspoonfuls of mushroom catsup.
• Some brown sauce.
• Pepper and salt.

Method.—Remove the head and fins of the gurnets, and stuff them with veal stuffing, fastening it in with small skewers.

Lay them on a well-buttered baking-tin, and pour over them the stock, sherry, and catsup.

Bake them in a moderate oven until cooked.

Then place them on a hot dish, mix the liquor from them with the sauce and pour over.

Stewed Eels.

• Ingredients—2lb. of eels.
• 1 pint of stock.
• 1 wineglass of port.
• 1 tablespoonful of flour.
• A few drops of lemon juice.
• Pepper.
• Salt.
• Cayenne.
• 2oz. of butter.

Method.—Cut the eels in pieces about 2½ inches long.

Fry them brown in the butter.

Then put them in a stewpan with the stock.

Stew gently, until tender.

Then remove them from the stock, and put them in a hot dish.

Thicken the stock with the flour.

Add the wine, lemon juice, and seasoning.

Pour over the eels, and serve very hot.