The encyclopædia of practical cookery

Stewed Salted Cod. — (1) Choose a piece of salted Cod, say about lib. in weight, cut it into squares, and put into a stewpan with plenty of cold water ; place the pan on the fire, and when its contents boil remove it to the side, put on the cover, and let it remain for ten minutes. Take out the Cod, put it on a strainer to drain, remove the bones, and put it into a flat stewpan; chop ½-oz. of butter into small pieces, put these in the pan, and add a little grated nutmeg and 2 table-spoonfuls of melted butter sauce ; also add a little finely-chopped parsley and the juice of two lemons. Place the fish on a dish, and surround it with a garnish of croutons of fried bread. (2) Scrape and cut into four pieces or squares about 21b. of salted Cod. If it is a dry fish, it must be put into cold water and left for a couple of days ; but if salted in tubs, a few hours will do. Pour some cold water into a stewpan, put in the fish, and place it on a good brisk fire. When it begins to bubble, remove the pan to the side, and let it remain for twelve or fifteen minutes. Take out the fish, put the pieces on a strainer to drain, remove the bones, and break the pieces up small. In the meantime, take a medium-sized onion, chop it very fine, put it in a stewpan with a little butter, and fry gently so as not to give it a colour. Put in the pieces of Cod, take the pan off the fire, and toss the fish so as to get the butter well spread over it ; when all this butter has gone, put in some more, a little at a time, until 6oz. in all has been used. Care must be taken to turn the pan j round continuously. The mixture in the pan should by this , time be thick and creamy. Add a little grated nutmeg, finishing } up with the juice of a lemon and a little finely-chopped parsley. Place the fish on a dish, and garnish it with croutons of bread fried in butter. Codfish — continued. (3) Steep the fisli in cold water for a day or two; then drain it, put it into a fish-kettle with enough cold water to cover it, and boil gently for ten or fifteen minutes, removing the scum as it rises to the top of the water. When the fish is cooked, drain it, remove all the bones, cut the flesh into small pieces, mash it, and then put into a stewpan. Break into a basin as many eggs as there are pounds of fish, mixing in for each egg I table-spoonful of cream, and beat well together ; then pour the mixture gradually over the fish, and stir the whole over a slow fire with a wooden spoon. Allow also 1 table-spoonful of sweet oil for every pound of fish, and mix it in gradually. Let all simmer for nearly fifteen minutes ; then turn it on to a hot dish, garnish with croutons of fried bread, and serve with as little delay as possible. Vol-au-Vent of Cod with Cream Sauce. — Remove the skin and bones of some cold cooked Cod (any remains can be used up), and divide the flesh into flakes with a fork. Put 1 teacupful of bechamel sauce in a stewpan with 2oz. of butter, work it over the fire until the butter has dissolved, then put in the fish, season to taste with salt and pepper, and warm up again. Make a vol-au-vent of paste, and when baked, stand it on a folded napkin or an ornamental dishpaper spread over a dish, turn the fish into it, 'and serve quickly.