The encyclopaedia of practical cookery

The Lamprey visits certain rivers during the spring for the purpose of spawning, and remains there for a short time before it returns to the sea. It is in season during March, April, May, and the early part of J une ; but after that it becomes so exceedingly scarce that a single Lamprey in winter is valued at a guinea ; for which reason it may be supposed that the city of Gloucester has elected to send a Lamprey pie at Christmas to the Royal table. The best fish and the greatest numbers are caught in the Severn, those of the Thames being usually much smaller, and scarcer. The flesh of the Lamprey is soft and glutinous, and though esteemed a delicacy is extremely difficult of digestion ; hence the story that attributes the death of King Henry I. to a surfeit of them. Lampreys should always be supplied alive, as they soon dry and lose flavour after death. The cook kills the Lamprey by making a cut at each side of the tail and letting it bleed, saving the blood for sauce ; after a little time the head and tail can be cut off, the gristle or “ string,” which answers for a backbone, removed, and the fish thoroughly cleaned. Baked Lampreys. — (1) Skin and draw the fish, and split it lengthwise down the back, remove the string from the back, and truss it round. Put the fish into a saucepan with a lump of salt, water to cover, and a bunch of sweet herbs, and partially boil it. Drain, ieave until cold, then dust over with salt, pepper, and a small quantity of grated nutmeg. Butter a pie-dish, line it with paste, put in the Lamprey, with a few well-washed currants, two or three peeled and sliced onions, four cloves, and two or three small lumps of butter ; pour in i, pint of boiling claret, cover the dish with a flat of paste, trim it off neatly round the edges, moisten and press them together, and bake in a moderate oven. Serve either hot or cold. (2) Remove the skin from a Lamprey, carefully draw it, split the back from mouth to tail, taking out the string at the back, and tie it round. Put it into a saucepan with salted water to cover, a seasoning of powdered herbs, grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste, and parboil it. In the meantime, line a pie-dish with suitable paste, place a few lumps of butter at the bottom, then put in the parboiled Lamprey, with two or three onions cut up into pieces, and a few cloves and currants ; cover the dish with more of the paste, make a hole in the centre, fill up the dish with warmed butter, place the pie in the oven, and bake until done. Take it out and serve. Should it be desired, this fish may be baked in an earthenware jar, and if required to be kept for any length of time a seasoning of cloves, pepper, and salt should be added. When baked in this way no crust is required. Boiled Lamprey. — Cut the head and the end of the tail off a Lamprey, then divide the body in pieces, put them in a stewpan with cold water and vinegar, and let them gradually heat till the skin can be easily removed. Then drain Fig. 1040. Lamprey. For details respecting Culinary Processes, Utensils, Sauces, Jbc., referred to, see under their special heads. 82fi Lampreys — continued.