Young lampreys (in French lamjprillons) are much fancied.
The fry are called in French sejpt-ceil, in German nine-eye,
from the gill-holes on the neck ; some declare these fish to be
a distinct species. They are prepared at Eouen and Barfleur
with a mixture of butter, pur4e of sorrel, and fine herbs,
and considered as a delicate hors d’oeuvre.
The large lampreys are to this day in France prepared in
the same manner as in the sixteenth century ; the prepara-
tion is called Vangevine. We conjecture that this word
should be spelled anchevine, and thus show its relation to,
or descent from, anchovy. The lamprey of the Thames is
much smaller than that of the Severn, and considered to be
a different sort ; it is called laniggefn, and can be obtained
from London fishmongers during the time from October
till March. The lampreys must be parboiled in salt and
water to discharge the muddy taste with which they are
552
THE SPIRIT OF COOKERY
frequently infected ; they inaj^ then be stewed, or with other
fish worked into a matelote.
The eel (French angidlle, German AaT) is the hero of many
fables. The Egyptians revered it as a deity, and Athenaeus
termed it a daughter of Jupiter. It delights to live in
muddy waters, provided it can reach the clear also. It
may attain an enormous sixe, the largest specimens having
been obtained in Scotland, Poland, and Italy. The sexes
are not easily distinguished ; the eggs are microscopically
small, and are hatched in the sea or in estuaries ; the fry
ascends rivers in continuous shoals of enormous lengths.
The eel on its back has a brownish-blue colour ; its belly is
of silvery white when it has access to flowing water; on
the other hand, eels of marshes or confined tanks have an
earthy colour on the under side. Their partiality for mud is
great, probably because they find their food in it ; this
causes them to taste muddy— that is to say, to impart a
flavour to the mouth which reminds of the smell of mud in
marshes and tanks ; to free them from it, it is necessary to
make them live for some days in clean water frequently
renewed or aerated.
The eel may be killed by pithing. It is generally skinned,
for not only is the skin hard, tough, and dark-coloured, but
there is also just underneath it an oily fat, which is not of
good taste, and not always digestible. The skin may be
pulled off after it has been loosened at the neck by a
circular incision, or been made to blister and become loose
by the eel being externally grilled over a charcoal fire. The
Jews do not eat eel, probably on account of its similai’ity
to a serpent, which they formerly worshipped, as the
Egyptians did the eel.
There are four distinct sorts of eel — the snhj, the hroud-
noscd, the grig, and the sharp-nosed ; the latter is the kind
generally known. The London markets are supplied with
eels principally from Holland.
EEL AND ITS PREPARATIONS
553
Page 348
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
Young lampreys (in French lamproillons) are much fancied. The fry are called in French sept-oeil, in German nine-eye, from the gill-holes on the neck ; some declare these fish to be a distinct species. They are prepared at Rouen and Barfleur with a mixture of butter, purée of sorrel, and fine herbs, and considered as a delicate hors d’oeuvre.
The large lampreys are to this day in France prepared in the same manner as in the sixteenth century; the preparation is called Vangevine. We conjecture that this word should be spelled anchevine, and thus show its relation to, or descent from, anchovy. The lamprey of the Thames is much smaller than that of the Severn, and considered to be a different sort; it is called lampgren, and can be obtained from London fishmongers during the time from October till March. The lampreys must be parboiled in salt and water to discharge the muddy taste with which they are
frequently infected ; they inaj^ then be stewed, or with other fish worked into a matelote.
The eel (French anguille, German Aal) is the hero of many fables. The Egyptians revered it as a deity, and Athenaeus termed it a daughter of Jupiter. It delights to live in muddy waters, provided it can reach the clear also. It may attain an enormous size, the largest specimens having been obtained in Scotland, Poland, and Italy. The sexes are not easily distinguished ; the eggs are microscopically small, and are hatched in the sea or in estuaries ; the fry ascends rivers in continuous shoals of enormous lengths. The eel on its back has a brownish-blue colour ; its belly is of silvery white when it has access to flowing water; on the other hand, eels of marshes or confined tanks have an earthy colour on the under side. Their partiality for mud is great, probably because they find their food in it ; this causes them to taste muddy— that is to say, to impart a flavour to the mouth which reminds of the smell of mud in marshes and tanks ; to free them from it, it is necessary to make them live for some days in clean water frequently renewed or aerated.
The eel may be killed by pithing. It is generally skinned, for not only is the skin hard, tough, and dark-coloured, but there is also just underneath it an oily fat, which is not of good taste, and not always digestible. The skin may be pulled off after it has been loosened at the neck by a circular incision, or been made to blister and become loose by the eel being externally grilled over a charcoal fire. The Jews do not eat eel, probably on account of its similarity to a serpent, which they formerly worshipped, as the Egyptians did the eel.
There are four distinct sorts of eel — the snig, the broadnosed, the grig, and the sharp-nosed ; the latter is the kind generally known. The London markets are supplied with eels principally from Holland.
EEL AND ITS PREPARATIONS