Handbook of Fish Cookery — Tested Recipes, part 4
Skate may also be fried, curried, or stewed, according to directions given for other fish.
=Smelts.
=--Smelts should be handled as little as possible; not washed, but wiped with a cloth.
The inside should be pulled out with the gills, as they must not be opened.
It is most usual to fry smelts.
Boiling is not to be recommended, unless for an invalid, in which case they should be put into boiling water which contains a few parsley leaves and a lump or two of sugar as well as salt; four minutes cooking is ample time.
A little of the liquor in which they were boiled should receive the addition of cream and chopped parsley, and be served with them.
For frying, smelts should be first dipped into beaten egg, then into mixed flour and breadcrumbs, afterwards fried in a good depth of boiling fat.
Lift them out with a slice, drain well, and garnish with cut lemon.
Smelts are delicious as a breakfast relish if laid on a gridiron and broiled lightly on both sides, then placed on a hot dish, sprinkled with pepper and salt, lemon juice squeezed over, and a pat of butter placed on each.
They may also be baked _au gratin_, and served in the same dish.
=Soles.
=--The popular method of cooking this favourite fish is to fry them.
Some persons declare it to be the best method.
If it be so or not, certain it is that the following ways, when fairly tried, will be found to compete very closely in favour.
_Very_ large soles may be boiled whole, and will be found most agreeable eating, not unlike turbot in flavour.
When practicable, soles should be cleansed a couple of hours before they are wanted for cooking, wrapped in a towel and laid in a cool place to stiffen.
The fishmonger will generally skin them; if not, it is easy to draw the skin off the back beginning at the head, gut them, and take out the roe, if any.
=Soles, Fried.
=--Medium sized fish are the best for frying whole, or if large they should be filleted.
After cleansing them be careful to wipe _very_ dry, then dip them first into flour, next into beaten egg, and cover with bread raspings.
Fry quickly in plenty of boiling fat.
From five to ten minutes is the time a moderate sized sole will require--but when of a rich colour it is generally cooked sufficiently.
Lay on a wire sieve or blotting-paper to drain before putting on to a dish.
Garnish with cut lemons and parsley, either fresh or fried.
=Sole, Boiled.
=--Let the sole be large, thick, and firm; it should not weigh less than two pounds.
Wrap it in a clean white cloth (a napkin which is too old for table use is best), plunge it into boiling salted water with a tablespoonful of vinegar, let it boil very gently for about seven or eight minutes, according to size, then drain well, lay carefully on a clean napkin.
Garnish with sliced tomatoes and lemons, and tufts of parsley.
Send to table either melted butter, shrimp, or anchovy sauce.
=Soles, Baked au Gratin.
=--Melt an ounce of butter in a gratin-dish, or tin baking dish.
Chop finely two or three shallots, a small bunch of parsley, and few herbs, grate a slice of stale bread.
Sprinkle half the quantity of these at the bottom of the dish, lay the sole upon that and cover with the remainder.
Pour either a glass of white wine or the juice of a lemon over all, lay a few bits of butter at the top, and bake in a quick oven for twenty minutes.
Serve in the same dish, sprinkled with salt and pepper.
Or soles are very nice if laid in a buttered dish, having rubbed them with flour, more butter placed on the top, and baked till lightly browned.
They may be lifted on to another dish, but the butter should be served with them.
=Sole à la Normande.
=--This is an epicure's dish.
After skinning and cleaning a large sole, dry it thoroughly and rub with flour.
Take a gratin-dish, or a porcelain one which will stand fire.
Slice two shallots very thinly, brown them in butter, and lay at the bottom of the dish with more butter.
Lay the sole in the dish, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and cover with a glass of white wine.
Bake in a gentle oven until tender through.
Meanwhile make some rich white sauce with cream; if possible, take a few oysters, beard them, and put them into the sauce with their liquor; let the sauce merely simmer after this.
Open a small tin of button mushrooms, mince them finely, and strew them over the sole, let them get hot through, then pour the oyster sauce over all.
Garnish with a few shrimps, and place tiny croutons of fried bread round the edge.
Cider may be used instead of wine.
=Soles, Filleted.
=--Fillet a large sole by slitting it down the middle of the back, and with a sharp knife raising the flesh from the bone on each side.
Divide the meat into convenient sized pieces, say two inches broad and three long, make a marinade of salt, pepper, vinegar, and oil, lay the fillets in this, turning them often, and let them lie an hour or so.
Prepare a frying batter--a heaped spoonful of flour mixed smooth with a little oil and cold water, a pinch of salt, and the whites of two eggs--it should be fairly thick.
Well coat each fillet with this, then drop into boiling fat, and fry till a nice brown.
Garnish prettily, and serve with tomato sauce.
The fillets of sole may be dipped into egg and bread raspings, fried, then laid in the following sauce to heat through, before serving altogether: half a pint of clear stock thickened with a tablespoonful of flour, mixed smooth with butter, a tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup, a teaspoonful of curry powder, the same of tarragon vinegar, and a pinch of salt.
Let the sauce be well cooked before putting in the fillets.
The fillets, or small soles whole, may be gently simmered in butter till tender, then laid on a hot dish, and white sauce seasoned with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, be poured over them.
If the soles be _boiled_ for two minutes only before putting them in the butter, and the sauce be made with cream, this will be found a most delicious way of dressing them for invalids.
=Sprats.
=--Sprats resemble herrings very closely.
They are abundant on the North British coasts, particularly in the Firth of Forth.
In Edinburgh and Glasgow they are known as "garvies."
They may be cooked in any of the ways prescribed for herrings, but are best broiled over the fire, and lemon juice improves the flavour of them.
=Sturgeon.
=--The sturgeon is somewhat of a rarity in English markets, although common enough in Russia.
It is regarded as a royal fish, and is proportionately costly.
Its flesh is delicious, and the caviare which the Russians prepare from the roe is justly esteemed a great delicacy.
The Russian method of dressing it is to par-boil it in water with onions, herbs, and baysalt, then to drain it, dredge it with flour, and pour melted butter liberally over it, then to lay it before a bright fire to roast, serving with a rich sauce, either poured over it, or in a tureen.
Sturgeon is very good if simply roasted before the fire, taking care to baste frequently with butter.
Of course all the skin and spikes are previously stripped off, and the fish well cleansed.
=Sturgeon, Stewed.
=--This is one of the best ways of cooking a portion of this fish.
Take two or three slices about an inch thick, let them steep in vinegar awhile.
Dry them, dip in flour, and place in some frothing butter in a covered stewpan.
Let them brown on both sides, then remove the fish, and in its place put a few shallots, half a small carrot cut into dice, and some button mushrooms.
When these have browned, cover them with half a pint of clear veal broth, a good tumblerful of claret, a teaspoonful of salt and pepper mixed, then replace the slices of sturgeon.
Let all stew together for upwards of an hour, when remove the fish on to a dish, strain the sauce from the vegetables, thicken it with a little flour rolled in butter, and add a spoonful of some sharp sauce.
Pour over the fish on the dish.
=Tench.
=--River tench are the best for the table.
They somewhat resemble carp, but are smaller in size and of a richer flavour.
They should lie in salt water for a few hours, then be turned into clear spring water, to rid them of the slight muddy flavour which they are apt to have.
The cold winter months are their best season.
Empty and scale the tench very carefully, always removing the gills, as they are most apt to retain the muddy flavour.
After the fish is cleansed it is a good plan to rub it well over with lemon juice.
It may then be baked _au gratin_, or boiled in salt water, or broiled over the fire.
If the last-named method be chosen, let the fish be steeped in oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and wrapped in oiled paper before laying on the gridiron.
Great care is needed not to let the paper catch fire.
Remove the paper before bringing to table, lay the fish on a hot dish and serve a _sauce piquante_ over it.
The time it takes to cook will depend entirely on the size of the fish.
Broiling will require about ten minutes to the pound; boiling and baking rather less time.
Tench is also good if fried.
After scaling and cleaning it should be dipped into vinegar and water, dried, and split open; dredge it with flour, and plunge into boiling fat.
Serve garnished with parsley and lemons.
=Trout, Baked.
=--One of the nicest ways of dressing trout is to simply bake them with butter.
Wash, empty, and dry the trout, sprinkle them with seasoned flour, lay in a baking tin in which a little butter has been melted, place several pats of butter over them, and bake about twenty minutes.
Lift them out on to a dish, garnish with parsley, thicken the butter slightly, stir in a spoonful of chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice, and pour the sauce round the fish.
=Trout, Boiled.
=--Fresh trout is excellent if boiled in "court-bouillon" for ten to fifteen minutes, then drained and served with Dutch sauce or melted butter.
This method is similar to that recommended by the great Izaak Walton.
=Turbot.
=--The turbot is the king of flat fish, and is justly held in high estimation.
It is rather an expensive fish, and is mostly sold by size.
At its best from February to August.
It will keep good for a day, or even two, if slightly salted.
Salt should be rubbed all over to help to remove the slime.
The fins should not be cut off, but an incision should be made all the way down the middle of the backbone on the _dark_ side to prevent the white side cracking.
Lemon juice rubbed over it helps to preserve the colour.
Any unsightly spots on the white side may be removed by rubbing with salt and lemon juice.
=Turbot, Boiled.
=--After preparing the turbot according to the directions given above, lay it in the turbot kettle and cover with cold water to the depth of an inch.
Allow a good handful of salt to a gallon of water.
Bring it up to boiling point as quickly as possible, and remove the scum as it rises.
When it boils draw it aside to simmer gently, watch it carefully, and as soon as it shows signs of the flesh shrinking from the bone, lift it out on the drainer, let it drain a minute, then slide it carefully on to a clean napkin.
Garnish with parsley, cut lemons, and if a few crayfish are obtainable they add greatly to the beauty of the dish.
A sprinkling of lobster coral on the white surface is very pretty.
Whatever sauce accompanies boiled turbot, it should be brought to table in a tureen.
A pretty way of garnishing boiled turbot in summer time is to surround it with a border of nasturtium flowers.
=Turbot, with Anchovy Cream.
=--Boil a medium sized turbot according to the last recipe--by the way, a turbot ought to be thick and of a creamy white colour; if thin and bluish looking it is not a good one.
Lay the fish on a hot dish without a napkin, cover to keep it hot.
Then into half a pint of plain melted butter, stir in a good teaspoonful of essence of anchovies, and a quarter of a pint of rich cream; let it nearly boil, then pour over the turbot.
Chop small a few pickled gherkins and capers, strew them over the surface.
Before bringing to table, make a border round this of new kidney potatoes, well boiled but not broken; garnish the outer edge with parsley.
=Turbot à la Béchamel.
=--This is one of the best ways of dressing cold turbot.
Make a pint of Béchamel sauce by boiling together equal quantities of good white stock and cream in an enamelled saucepan, also a strip of fresh lemon rind and two or three shallots.
Add a mixed teaspoonful of salt and pepper, thicken with a spoonful of arrowroot, and let it boil well.
Remove the lemon rind and shallots, and put in the pieces of turbot to heat through, all skin and bone removed.
When quite hot, pour all together on to a hot dish; if liked, a few oysters may be added to the sauce just before turning it out.
Some potato croquettes are a nice addition to this dish.
=Turbot Salad.
=--The remains of cold turbot will make an excellent salad.
Free it from all skin and bone, and divide into pieces about an inch square.
Sprinkle the pieces with salt and pepper and a little vinegar.
Take two large fresh lettuces, let them be quite clean and dry.
Make a dressing for the salad of the beaten yolks of two eggs, a teaspoonful of made mustard, salt and pepper, four spoonsful of oil, and one of tarragon vinegar.
Arrange the salad in a bowl or dish by making a layer of shred lettuce leaves, then one of fish, and a few spoonsful of the dressing, and continue thus until the material is used up.
Garnish the top with sliced beetroot, hard-boiled eggs, &c. , and let the salad stand in a cold place for half an hour.
Turbot may be cooked _au gratin_ if of a small size, allowing white wine or cider to it.
French cooks generally prefer to par-boil it in "court-bouillon," then to take it out and finish cooking it in white sauce.
=Whitebait.
=--Whitebait are genuine Cockney fish, being found alone in the Thames in perfection.
They make their appearance early in the year, but the season _par excellence_ is the month of May.
They cannot be had too fresh; if not used instantly they are brought in, they should lie in ice-water until required.
It is generally thought that only a "professional" can cook whitebait, but if due care be given there is no reason why they should be beyond the skill of the amateur.
The principal thing to observe is the _drying_ of the fish.
After well draining them they should be thrown on to a floured cloth--a cloth containing flour an inch in depth.
When thus dosed, the fish should be put into a sifter and lightly shaken to remove all superfluous flour.
They should next be put into a wire basket, a few at a time, and plunged into a pan containing a good depth of boiling fat.
A minute generally suffices to cook them, then they should be laid on a hot dish, garnished with fried parsley, and sent to table instantly.
It is absolutely needful to fry the whitebait the moment after it is floured; if allowed to remain on one side for only a few minutes, it becomes flabby and spoilt.
Thin brown bread and butter and slices of lemon are an indispensable accompaniment to whitebait.
For "Devilled Whitebait" lift out the basket of fish when only half cooked, pepper them with black or cayenne pepper and return to the fat to finish cooking.
=Whiting.
=--Whiting are excellent fish when fresh, the flesh being light, tender, and easy of digestion.
The firmness of the flesh, and its silvery hue, are the signs by which to judge of its freshness.
It is more or less in season all the year, but at its best in the winter months.
Occasionally they attain to a considerable size, but are mostly from one to two pounds in weight.
Those about nine inches in length are the best in point of flavour.
Whiting are best broiled or fried.
=Whiting, Broiled.
=--Wash in salted water, split them open, and dry thoroughly.
Dip them in oil, sprinkle with seasoning, dredge with flour, and then lay on a greased gridiron, and broil lightly on both sides.
Place them on a hot dish, put a pat of butter on each, and serve smoking hot.
=Whiting, Fried.
=--Empty, and wash the fish, skin it, and then draw the tail through the mouth.
Dip each one first into flour, then in beaten egg and breadcrumbs, drop into boiling fat, and fry to a golden brown.
Garnish the dish with fried parsley, and send sauce to table in a tureen.
A large whiting may be split open, floured, and then fried in a smaller quantity of fat.
When done, lay it on a dish and pour the following sauce over it: A tablespoonful of minced herbs, the same of parsley, a pinch of seasoning, an ounce of fresh butter, and small glass of white wine all boiled together.
PART IV.
