January i6. — I shall make a little list each month of
what fish I find are most in season, for future reference, as
so many people are fond of fish as a variety, and many of
our Cape fish are excellent.
Fish. — Fish is now fast becoming a source of income
to the revenue, the Government having several steam
trawlers which go out at Simons Bay and other places
46
CAPE PISH AND FISH-CARTS
Jan.
along the coast. The fish as they are caught are put into
boxes, and when the trawler comes in, Kalk Bay is quite a
sight. The fish are all laid out on the sands — and sold by
the bunch to Malay fish-carts and private people who go
down to market for themselves. These carts drive up to
all the suburbs, and furiously blow their horn to announce
their arrival, and kitchen-maids and cooks run for all they
are worth to secure a good “ stockfish ” or “ elft,” but very
often only the commoner kinds are to be had. Soles are
very often caught by the trawler, but where they are sold
I don’t know, the ordinary householder never is fortunate
enough to buy any. There are a few shops in Wynberg
on the main road that have been enterprising enough to
retail tempting-looking fish. There is much to learn yet
before we at the Cape can compete with other places. The
best fish used all to be bought up by a company as soon
as it was caught and sent up to Johannesberg, in a cool
chamber, by train.
Well, this month we have “silver fish,” one of the
cheapest kinds ; it is very good for frying and makes excel-
lent balls or rissoles (for a good recipe see Hilda's Where
is it, pp. 69 and 206).
Then there is “ stockfish,” one of the best Cape fish,
which is also in season in the spring and summer months.
“ Crayfish,” or “ kreeft,” is also plentiful all through the
summer. We also call it “ Cape lobster.” Here is a good
recipe for cooking it.
Scalloped Kreeft. —
3 lbs. kreeft.
\ pint milk.
A little blade of mace boiled in the milk.
2 ozs. butter.
47
Jan. SCALLOPED KREEPT. SHEEP’S HEARTS
I tablespoonful fine flour, and same of chopped
parsley.
\ cup stale bread-crumbs.
^ teaspoonful or less of cayenne.
I teaspoonful of salt.✪ Scalloped Kreeft
Let the milk boil, rub the flour and butter together and
stir into the boiling milk, let it boil up nice and smooth
for a sauce. Boil the lobster, open and cut the meat into
dice-shaped pieces. Put a layer of the white sauce at
the bottom of the baking-dish— then a layer of lobster
seasoned with salt and cayenne, and a sprinkling of parsley
and bread-crumbs, adding sauce and lobster alternately till
the dish is filled ; the /as^ layer should be white sauce,
sprinkled with bread-crumbs and a little melted butter on
the top.
Put in a quick oven to brown and get thoroughly warm.
It can be replaced in the shell to be served — or left in the
pie-dish, the outside of which should be garnished with
frilled papers. (See Appendix, p. 273, as to how to kill
lobsters mercifully.)
January 20.— A Luncheon- dish.— I have been staying for
a day or two in the country with some cousins, and for
luncheon one day we had an excellent dish, of which S
afterwards gave me the recipe (Mrs. Faure’s).
Page 24 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1902. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
January i6. — I shall make a little list each month of what fish I find are most in season, for future reference, as so many people are fond of fish as a variety, and many of our Cape fish are excellent.
Fish. — Fish is now fast becoming a source of income to the revenue, the Government having several steam
trawlers which go out at Simons Bay and other places
CAPE PISH AND FISH-CARTS
Jan.
along the coast. The fish as they are caught are put into boxes, and when the trawler comes in, Kalk Bay is quite a sight. The fish are all laid out on the sands — and sold by the bunch to Malay fish-carts and private people who go down to market for themselves. These carts drive up to all the suburbs, and furiously blow their horn to announce their arrival, and kitchen-maids and cooks run for all they are worth to secure a good “ stockfish ” or “ elft,” but very often only the commoner kinds are to be had. Soles are very often caught by the trawler, but where they are sold I don’t know, the ordinary householder never is fortunate enough to buy any. There are a few shops in Wynberg on the main road that have been enterprising enough to retail tempting-looking fish. There is much to learn yet before we at the Cape can compete with other places. The best fish used all to be bought up by a company as soon as it was caught and sent up to Johannesberg, in a cool chamber, by train.
Well, this month we have “silver fish,” one of the cheapest kinds ; it is very good for frying and makes excellent balls or rissoles (for a good recipe see Hilda's Where is it, pp. 69 and 206).
Then there is “ stockfish,” one of the best Cape fish, which is also in season in the spring and summer months. “ Crayfish,” or “ kreeft,” is also plentiful all through the summer. We also call it “ Cape lobster.” Here is a good recipe for cooking it.
Scalloped Kreeft. —
3 lbs. kreeft.
\ pint milk.
A little blade of mace boiled in the milk.
2 ozs. butter.
Jan. SCALLOPED KREEPT. SHEEP’S HEARTS
I tablespoonful fine flour, and same of chopped parsley.
\ cup stale bread-crumbs.
^ teaspoonful or less of cayenne.
I teaspoonful of salt.
Let the milk boil, rub the flour and butter together and stir into the boiling milk, let it boil up nice and smooth for a sauce. Boil the lobster, open and cut the meat into dice-shaped pieces. Put a layer of the white sauce at the bottom of the baking-dish— then a layer of lobster seasoned with salt and cayenne, and a sprinkling of parsley and bread-crumbs, adding sauce and lobster alternately till the dish is filled ; the last layer should be white sauce,
sprinkled with bread-crumbs and a little melted butter on the top.
Put in a quick oven to brown and get thoroughly warm. It can be replaced in the shell to be served — or left in the pie-dish, the outside of which should be garnished with frilled papers. (See Appendix, p. 273, as to how to kill lobsters mercifully.)
January 20.— A Luncheon- dish.— I have been staying for a day or two in the country with some cousins, and for
luncheon one day we had an excellent dish, of which S
afterwards gave me the recipe (Mrs. Faure’s).
Records on this page
Scalloped Kreeft