Cookery

one side, remove the principal bones ; chop finely some parsley, tarragon, a little sage and onions, and mix them with the yolks of two or three hard-boiled eggs, liub the fish well with salt and pepper, and fill it with a layer of the mixture ; tie it firmly. Boil it for half an hour or until tender in equal parts of water and vinegar with the addition of a hay-leaf, an onion, two or three cloves, salt to taste, and a few peppercorns. Put the fish, after having untied it. into a stone or earthenware vessel, strain the liquor and pour it over the eel. When coand serve with a vinaigrette or a remoulade :or if it is to he eaten hot do not trouble about the liquor, but serve it with a sauce tartare. Shale is a very useful fish, and can be deliciously prepared. Skate au Beurre Noir (Black Butter). — Boil it in the wine court-bouillon (see page 49), drain off the water, remove the head, the skin, and the tail, and keep the rest hot; meantime prepare a sauce au beurre noir, into which put two or three sprigs of parsley, sprinkle the fish with capers (or not), and pour the sauce over it. Skate (Pried). — Boil as above for ten minutes; put it into a basin with some salt and vinegar after it has become cold. After about fifteen minutes drain off the pickling mixture, dip the fish in flour, and fry as usual either whole or cut in pieces. Skate (with Sauce Blonde). — Slightly colour some butter over the fire, moisten with broth in the quantity that will be required for the sauce, stir in a tablespoonful of vinegar, add salt, pepper, a blade of FTSir. mace, and two chopped eschalots. Let this sauce simmer for about three-quarters of an hour. Have ready the fish, which can be skinned after scalding it with boiling water. Put it into the sauce, boil it till tender over a moderate fire, and serve with a sprinkling of capers and chopped tarragon. It saves time to parboil the fish in a court -bouillon before putting it into the sauce. Mackerel (Grilled). — Clean and wipe the fish, and nlit it down the back ; remove the bone or not. 1 la ve the gridiron fairly hot, lay the fish on the same, partly grill it; have ready a fireproof baking dish well gi eased, mix a little butter with pepper, salt, and chopped herbs, spread this inside the fish; put it in a brisk oven and serve when quite tender; it should not take more than ten or fifteen minutes in the oven. Serve with slices of lemon. Mackerel (Fried).— Prepare as above ; put a little of the same butter mixture just inside the opening of the gills, roll and tie the fish in buttered paper, and grill or fry it till brown and tender. Mackerel (Filleted).— Prepare as above, and after having removed the skin and the bone, fillet the fish to suitable sizes, dip them in flour, fry a golden brown, and serve with a sauce piquante. Mackerel (in Sauce).— Boil it in a wine ronrtbouillon, pound in a mortar half a dozen eschalots, two or three mushrooms, the yolks of two eggs (previously hard-boiled), salt, pepper (cayenne), the fillets of two anchovies, and a little piece of butter; stir this mixture over the fire in a pipkin, add a little stock if necessary, dish up the mackerel, sprinkle it with finely-chopped herbs, and pour the sauce over it.