The "A1" cookery book

To Boil Pike. — Scale and clean the pike. Lay it in cold water, and when it boils throw in 4 oz. of salt to every gallon of water, and a tablespoonful of vinegar. A middling-sized pike will take about half an hour, a larger one longer. Drain well and serve on a dish which has been already garnished with alternate heaps of very finely chopped parsley, the whites of two hardboiled eggs minced, and the yolks rubbed through a sieve. A little of each of these ingredients should be put on every plate of fish when it is carved. A sauce of oiled butter should be served with this fish. To Boil Salmon. — Scale and clean the salmon with great care, and be especially careful to cleanse all the blood from the inside. Put 4 oz. of salt into each gallon of water and put it on the fire to boil, as salmon, unlike other fish, is cooked in boiling water to preserve the colour and set the curd. When the water boils put in the fish, and if it be a small one let it boil rather FISH. fast, but if it is thick let it only boil gently. Be quite sure it is sufficiently cooked before you send it to table : 2 to 3 lbs. will take about half an hour to cook, 8 to 10 lbs. one hour and a quarter, small or thin fish less time. Cucumber should be served with salmon, and for sauce either oiled butter, lobster sauce, Tartar sauce, or plain melted butter and anchovy. Salmon Cutlets.— To every 6 oz. of cold boiled salmon add 2 oz. mashed potatoes, some white pepper, cayenne, salt and mace to taste, one egg, fine bread-crumbs, 1 oz. of butter. See that the fish is perfectly free from skin and bones, and pound it in a mortar ; add the seasoning and potatoes, and the butter. Form the mixture into the shape of small cutlets, brush each one over with yolk of egg and bread-crumbs, and fry. Potted Salmon. — I lb. cold boiled salmon, 2 oz. clarified butter, white pepper, cayenne, salt, and mace. Pick the salmon from the bones with two silver forks, warm the butter, add the seasoning, and pound all together in a mortar till it is a smooth paste. Press into little pots, and, cover with clarified butter. Scallop-shells of Cooked Fish. — Remains of cold fish. For every half-pound allow 3 oz. of grated bread-crumbs seasoned with salt, cayenne and pepper, and grated nutmeg. Break the fish into small pieces with two forks, season it, and mix with it either some cold white sauce or one ounce of clarified butter ; butter some scallop-shells, place a layer of seasoned crumbs at the bottom, lay in the fish, and sprinkle more crumbs on the top. Lay little pieces of butter on the top, and put the shells into a brisk oven. They will take about a quarter of an hour to do. Some people find it a very great improvement to sprinkle the top of the fish with Parmesan cheese instead of bread-crumbs. In any case butter must be put on the top. Smelts. — Draw them at the gills, as they must not be opened. Wash and thoroughly dry in a cloth. Dredge them with flour, dip into the beaten yolk of an egg, and then into finest bread- PISH. crumbs. Fry them in a fish-basket in a saucepan of boiling lard. Dry them before the fire on a sieve on which several layers of kitchen paper have been laid. Serve with plain melted butter.