The encyclopædia of practical cookery

Cod-and-Oyster Pie. — Remove the skin and bone from 21b. of cooked Cod, and divide the flesh into flakes. Scald a dozen oysters in their own liquor, drain (reserving the liquor), beard them, and cut in halves. Put loz. each of butter and flour into a saucepan, stir well over the fire for a minute or two, pour in the oyster liquor and 1 teacupful of fish stock, stir well until they boil, and add 1 teacupful of milk ; then boil up once more, taking care to remove any lumps, add ½ table-spoonful each of anchovy sauce and chopped parsley, teaspoonful of salt, and a little pepper. Put this sauce on one side. Put into a pie-dish about half of the fish, cover over with half of the oysters and half the sauce, and sprinkle over a little grated nutmeg, salt and pepper, and next a few breadcrumbs, continuing in this way with the remainder of the ingredients ; then cover with a few small lumps of butter, put a thin covering of paste over all, and bake in a slow oven. Take it out when done, and serve hot or cold, as required. The crust may be omitted, and the pie merely covered with breadcrumbs and baked. Cod Pie. — Take a thick slice from the middle of a small Cod, put it in a dish, sprinkle plenty of salt over, and leave it for the night. On the following day wash the fish, rub it well with a mixture of salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg, put it in a pie-dish, place two or three small lumps of butter on it, pour in a small quantity of any kind of broth, cover with a good crust, and bake in a moderate oven. Put loz. of butter in a saucepan with 1 table-spoonful of flour, and stir it over the fire till well mixed, but do not let it brown ; then mix in gradually 1 teacupful of cream and 1 table-spoonful of broth, and season with grated lemon-peel, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, continuing to stir it over the fire till it boils. Oysters may be added to the sauce if liked. When cooked, take the pie out of the oven, and serve it with the sauce in a sauceboat. Cod with Saffron Sauce (Spanish). — Pour 1 gill of oil into a saucepan and mix in a little chopped parsley and garlic, the juice of a lemon, a blade of saffron, a small quantity of flour, and salt to taste. Let the whole brown slightly, taking care to keep it well stirred. Cut the Cod (or part of one) into slices or pieces, put them into the pan, and continue stirring gently until the fish is evenly and well coloured on both sides. Then pour in a sufficient quantity of water to form the sauce, boil up once, turn the whole on to a dish, and serve. Cod Saute. — Take a piece of fish that has been boiled, but not overdone, remove the skin and bones, pick it into flakes, and put these into a saute-pan with a little butter, pepper, salt, finely-minced parsley, cayenne, and the juice of a lemon. Put the pan on the fire and toss freely, and when the contents are quite hot, the fish is ready to serve. Cod Toast. — Take some pieces of cooked Cod and put them into water for ten or twelve hours to refresh ; then take them out, pick them to pieces, and add some cream with an egg beaten up in it and made quite hot. Have ready some slices of toast, and pour the mixture over them. Beat up two or three eggs, add them to some gravy, seeing that it does not curdle, pour this also over the toast, and serve.