Cookery for every household

1 blade of mace. 12 peppercorns. 6 cloves. 1 gill red wine. Juice of \ lemon. A pinch of cayenne. Choose a carp of medium size, prepare it carefully, and divide it into four or five equal-sized pieces. Dip these into flour, seasoned with salt, coating the pieces rather thickly. Put the stock into a stewpan and add to it the onion, skinned and cut in thin slices, the spices tied in a piece of muslin, the bunch of herbs and red wine. Bring this to the boil over the fire, then lay in the fish and simmer slowly until it is tender. When ready, arrange the pieces of fish neatly on a hot dish, remove the herbs and spices from the liquid in the saucepan, add the lemon juice and more seasoning, if necessary, and pour this sauce over and round the fish. Garnish with croutons of toast or fried bread. Note. — A few button mushrooms, or some stoned raisins and blanched and shred almonds may, if liked, be added to this stew. Time to stew, 30 to 40 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. 274. Carp, Stuffed and Baked (Carpe Farcie au Four) 1 carp. Fish stuffing. Egg or milk. Bread-crumbs. 2 oz. butter or dripping. 1 onion. 2 or 3 sprigs of parsley. 1 tea-cupful water. 1 tea-sp. anchovy essence. 1 tea-sp. Worcestersauce. 1 dessert-sp. flour. A squeeze of lemon juice. Pepper and salt. Choose a carp of medium size, and prepare and clean it, cutting off the head and fins. Make the stuffing as directed in Recipe 1266, put it into the opening of the fish, and sew up with a needle and cotton. Place the fish in a well-greased baking tin, brush it over with beaten egg or milk, and sprinkle it liberally with bread-crumbs. Then mix the anchovy and Worcester sauce with the water, pour them round the fish, and add the onion, finely chopped, a few sprigs of parsley, pepper and salt. Put the remainder of the butter in small pieces on the top, and bake in a moderate oven, basting several times with the liquid. When the fish is ready, lift it carefully with a fish slice on to a hot dish, add the flour, broken with a little cold water, to the liquid in the baking tin, and stir over the fire until boiling. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, cook a few minutes, and strain round the fish or serve separately in a sauce-boat. The fish itself may be garnished with sprigs of parsley and some cut lemon. , Note. — If the liquid in the tin has dried up in the cooking, a little more water must be added, or fish stock or white wine may be used. Time to bake, 30 to 40 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Eels (Angullles) There are several different kinds of eels, and they are to be found both in fresh and salt water. They cannot be eaten too fresh, and should be soaked in salt and water some time before cooking. Eels are valuable on account of their nutritive properties, and, as they are rich in themselves, they are best dressed very simply. They are obtainable all the year round, but are best during the autumn and winter months. To Shin an Ed. — First cut off the head. Then turn back the skin at the top, and draw it downwards, turning it outside in as you would draw off a stocking. 275. Eels, To Fry (Angullles Frites) Eels. Salt. I A little flour. Egg. Lemon juice. J Bread-crumbs.