Whitebait is supposed to be herring fry, and is said to
have been raised to the condition of herring in an aquarium.
Dumas, in speaking of ‘ a whitebait dinner at Grennish,’
says that this little fish was called yanchette in Italy,
2>ontin at Nice, and T>oisson blane at Bordeaux. Probablj^
the only quality which the fish of the various localities
have in common is that they are young fish ; probably they
do not belong to the same species in any of these places.
If whitebait are mainly herring fry, they are at the same
time mixed with a considerable percentage of the fry of
other species. They are taken only in brackish water,
floating up and down the river with the tide ; they make
their appearance, being about an inch in length, early in
March, and last through the early summer; but becoming
large, they lose their attractive tenderness^ and colour, aud
assume an oily flavour. Whitebait is eaten fried.
Mackerel’’" was probably called scomber by the Eomans,
though the tunuy was the principal bearer of that name.
As regards the origin of the name mackerel, \ve have only
a surmise by Belou, to the effect that it w’as derived from
* Cf. Belon, Griease, Lit. Gosch., v. 093 ; cf. .'Elian, ‘ Hist. Animal.,
xiv. 1 ; ns to name of mackerel (niacuhrelli), Kitchiner, loc. at., p.
WHITEBAir AND MACKEREL
535
the Latin macularelli, little spots, the fish being marked
with black irregular spot like stripes on the back. The
skin of the French mackerel is of a sea-green colour ; their
eyes are bright and golden ; the gills are very red, and,
when they are pulled, carry the trail with them. These
fish generally make their appearance off the Land’s End
about the beginning of April, and as the weather gets warm
they gradually come round the coast, and generally arrive
off Brighton about May, and continue to remain about the
Channel until they begin to shoot their spawn. After they
have let go their roes, they are called shotten mackerel, and
are not worth eating. It is in the early season, when they
have least roe, that the flesh of these fish is in the highest
perfection. There is also an after-season, when a few fine
mackerel are taken (i.e., during the herring season, about
October). These fish, after having had time to fatten and
recover their strength, are full of high flavour, and their
flesh is firm and juicy ; they are commonly called silver
mackerel, from their beautiful appearance ; their colour is
almost as bright when they are boiled as it was when they
were taken. The roe of the male fish is soft, like the brains
of a calf ; that of the female is full of small eggs, and called
hard roe. The latter principally, but sometimes also the
former, is used in the garnishing of sundry dishes.
Mackerel is frequently AoiZed, but many prefer it in the
broiled state. Some French and English writers direct it
to be served with cjooseberry sauce {sauce cl VAncjlaise ait
groseilles a maquereato), a mixture of equal parts of goose-
berry puree with butter sauce or veloute. Now, although
this sauce is termed d V Ancjlaise, we have never met
with it in this country, nor, on inquiry, found a person who
has had it made for his table, or eaten it. Its inception is
evidently the result of the fact that the name of the fish in
French is maquereau, and the name of the gooseberry in
French is cjroseille a maquereau, probably because unripe
536
THE SPIRIT OP COOKERY
Page 337
Presented as published in 1895. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Whitebait is supposed to be herring fry, and is said to have been raised to the condition of herring in an aquarium. Dumas, in speaking of ‘ a whitebait dinner at Greenwich,’ says that this little fish was called yanchette in Italy, pontin at Nice, and Poisson blane at Bordeaux. Probablj^ the only quality which the fish of the various localities have in common is that they are young fish ; probably they do not belong to the same species in any of these places. If whitebait are mainly herring fry, they are at the same time mixed with a considerable percentage of the fry of other species. They are taken only in brackish water, floating up and down the river with the tide ; they make their appearance, being about an inch in length, early in March, and last through the early summer; but becoming large, they lose their attractive tenderness and colour, aud assume an oily flavour. Whitebait is eaten fried.
Mackerel’’" was probably called scomber by the Romans, though the tunuy was the principal bearer of that name. As regards the origin of the name mackerel, we have only a surmise by Belou, to the effect that it w’as derived from
* Cf. Belon, Griease, Lit. Gosch., v. 093 ; cf. .'Elian, ‘ Hist. Animal., xiv. 1 ; ns to name of mackerel (niacuhrelli), Kitchiner, loc. at., p.
WHITEBAir AND MACKEREL
the Latin maculatelli, little spots, the fish being marked with black irregular spot like stripes on the back. The skin of the French mackerel is of a sea-green colour ; their eyes are bright and golden ; the gills are very red, and, when they are pulled, carry the trail with them. These fish generally make their appearance off the Land’s End about the beginning of April, and as the weather gets warm they gradually come round the coast, and generally arrive off Brighton about May, and continue to remain about the Channel until they begin to shoot their spawn. After they have let go their roes, they are called shotten mackerel, and are not worth eating. It is in the early season, when they have least roe, that the flesh of these fish is in the highest perfection. There is also an after-season, when a few fine mackerel are taken (i.e., during the herring season, about October). These fish, after having had time to fatten and recover their strength, are full of high flavour, and their flesh is firm and juicy ; they are commonly called silver mackerel, from their beautiful appearance ; their colour is almost as bright when they are boiled as it was when they were taken. The roe of the male fish is soft, like the brains of a calf ; that of the female is full of small eggs, and called hard roe. The latter principally, but sometimes also the former, is used in the garnishing of sundry dishes.
Mackerel is frequently AoiZed, but many prefer it in the broiled state. Some French and English writers direct it to be served with cjooseberry sauce {sauce cl VAncjlaise ait groseilles a maquereato), a mixture of equal parts of gooseberry puree with butter sauce or veloute. Now, although this sauce is termed d V Ancjlaise, we have never met with it in this country, nor, on inquiry, found a person who has had it made for his table, or eaten it. Its inception is evidently the result of the fact that the name of the fish in French is maquereau, and the name of the gooseberry in French is cjroseille a maquereau, probably because unripe