English and French cookery

Lobster Cutlets. — Take the meat of a lobster out of the shell and cut into small pieces; 1 ounce of butter, flour, and 1 pint of water, milk, or stock made from odds and ends of fish are then placed in a saucepan and stirred until the liquid boils and thickens. Then take off the fire and add the pieces of lobster with the juice of half a lemon, a little cayenne pepper, 2 tablespoonfuls of cream, some anchovy, and whatever coral the lobster had. Set this aside for several hours until 4—2 cool. Then sift some breadcrumbs through a sieve, and coat with egg. Flour a paste-board, knife, and hands, to cut your fish mixture into neat and rather thick little cutlets ; cover them thoroughly with egg and breadcrumbs, and fry in a saucepan. Serve on white paper, garnish with parsley, and stick into each cutlet a piece or two of the lobster’s feelers, or a small bit of curled parsley. Mackerel, Boiled. — Put into a fish-kettle of cold water with a large tablespoonful of salt, bring gradually to a boil, and simmer for about 20 minutes if the fish is large, if small, 15 minutes. Remove the scum as it rises, and when done serve on a napkin with fennel garnish, and send fennel sauce or melted butter. By many mackerel is boiled 2 to 3 hours, which is said to much improve the flavour. Mackerel, Baked with Vinegar.— Cut off the heads and tails, open and clean the fish, and lay them in a deep pan with a few bayleaves, whole pepper, J a teaspoonful of cloves, and 1 teaspoonful of allspice, pour over them equal quantities of vinegar and water, bake for 1.5 hours in a slow oven, and serve when cold. Sprats and herrings are also nice prepared in this way. Mackerel, Rolled. — The fish being cleansed, and the head and backbone removed, split into halves, pepper, salt, and sprinkle with flour, then roll up tightly, tail outward. Others being also prepared, set in a row close together in a deep baking-dish, Eoused in a pickle made of vinegar and water, pepper and salt, in which they are baked. Mackerel, Stewed. — Clean and cut a fresh mackerel into 4 pieces, and take out the bone. Have ready a pint of melted butter, seasoned with a little salt, mace, or cayenne. Throw in the thin rind of 1 a lemon, and the juice also. Stew the fish in the sauce 20 minutes, and, just before serving, add a dessertspoonful of anchovy sauce and a little mustard. Marinade for Fish. — Fry in butter 6 shallots, 3 middle-sized onions, a couple of carrots, a bunch of parsley, a bunch of sweet herbs, and a clove of garlic. Cut the carrots, shallots, and onions small ; pick and mince the herbs. When they have simmered in the butter 5 or 6 minutes, pour in any light wine or cider — about 3 pints — and add a dessertspoonful of peppercorns, the same of allspice, and 2 cloves. When the mixture has simmered for li hours, strain for use. Insipid fish boiled in this marinade will acquire an agreeable flavour. If, after use, the marinade be carefully strained, it null serve several times. Beer or vinegar, with the addition of a glass of soy, and the same of essence of anchovy and ketchup, may be substituted for the wine or cyder, etc. Mussels, Pickled, — Shell and remove the beards with care, put them in their own liquor, with whole pepper, ginger, mace, white pepper, and salt. Boil for 5 minutes, and when cold serve with a little vinegar. The mussels should be quite fresh.