English and French cookery

Sprats, Fried. — After the sprats are washed, wipe them dry in a cloth ; sprinkle a little salt over, and let them lie for an hour ; then put them on paper with flour, and turn them about until lightly coated with it. Put as many of the sprats into a wire frying-basket as will cover the bottom of it ; plunge this into hot fat, and keep gently moving until the fish are crisp. When done, turn the sprats on to a sheet of paper to free them from grease, and serve instantly with cayenne, cut lemon, and brown bread and butter. Salmon, Boiled. — Put as much cold water into the fish-kettle as will entirely cover the fish, and with it 2 ounces of salt to each quart of water. Bring quickly to the boil, and skim ; then put in the fish, and simmer gently. Take it up as soon as it is done. To ascertain whether it is done, press the flesh lightly with the finger, and if it leaves the bone easily it is done ; as a general rule, 8 minutes per pound may be allowed for thick salmon, 6 minutes per pound for thin salmon. Serve on a folded napkin, garnish with lemon and parsley, horseradish and fennel, or fennel and red currants, and send shrimp, lobster, parsley, anchovy, or Dutch sauce to table with it. A dish of sliced cucumber is usually served with boiled salmon. To Keep Fish Fresh.— If fish is found to be slightly touched or tainted the best thing is to steep it for a short time in dilute Condy’s Fluid, which destroys the tainted particles, and leaves the fish perfectly sweet and wholesome, and with its natural flavour unimpaired- When restored to freshness, cook it at once. Condy’s Fluid leaves neither taste nor smell of its own, so that its use cannot be detected, while its action is easily verified. Turbot, Boiled. — Four hours before cooking, soak the fish in salt and water; then cleanse it, and make an incision down the middle of the back with a knife, to prevent the skin of the belly from cracking. Lay the fish in a clean kettle, cover with cold salted water, salt in the above proportion. Let it gradually boil, skim, and keep gently simmering. When the meat separates easily from the bone, take it out, drain well, and dish, garnish with parsley and cut lemon. Send up with lobster or shrimp sauce. Time, after the water boils, about 1 hour for a large turbot; middling size, about 20 minutes. Average cost, large turbot, from 10s. to 21s. ; middling size, from 8s. to 15s. Seasonable at any time. Sufficient, 1 middling-sized turbot for 8 persons. Water Soucby. — Dabs, plaice, flounders, or any freshwater fish, are good for a souchy. Boil the fish in about 2 quarts water ; stand aside the largest, and boil down 1 or 2 to rags in the liquor ; boil in it also some parsley. Pulp the fish which is boiled down, and chop the parsley fine. Return them to the liquor, heat the fish in it, and serve it in a deep dish accompanied by thin slices of brown bread and butter. Whiting aux Fines Herbes. — Fasten the fish with its tail in its mouth. Place it on a dish, season with pepper and salt, and sprinkle over it a teaspoonful of mixed sweet herbs in powder. Lay little pieces of butter thickly upon it, cover with another dish, and bake in a moderately-heated oven till done enough. Turn it once or twice that it may be equally cooked, and serve with the sauce poured over it. Time to bake the fish, 20 to 30 minutes.