Paper-bag cookery

Fish Croquettes. — Mix 1 lb. of cooked fish of any variety with two large tablespoonfuls of white sauce, season with salt, pepper, and cayenne, and a little chopped parsley. Form into croquettes, roll them in egg and breadcrumbs in the usual way, place them in a well-greased paper-bag, and cook for 20 minutes in a very hot oven. Salmon Croquettes are made in the same way, but should be served with Tartare sauce. Smoked Haddock. — Clean a smoked haddock weighing about 2 lbs., season with cayenne pepper to taste, but do not use any salt. Pour two large tablespoonfuls of milk over the fish, and cover it with a little white sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, a few breadcrumbs, and enough melted butter to moisten. Place the whole in a well-buttered paper-bag, seal up, and cook for 20 minutes in a very hot oven. Stuffed Fresh Haddock. — Chop a cooked onion and mix it with three tablespoonfuls of breadcrumbs. Add 1 oz. of butter, salt, and pepper to taste, a little chopped parsley, and one egg. When thoroughly mixed stuff the fish with the mixture, butter a paper-bag, roll the fish in flour, place in the bag, dot over with small pieces of butter, seal up, and cook for 20 minutes. Haddock a la Royale. — Take from four to six fillets of fresh haddock. Spread them with butter. Dip in seasoned flour, and then in grated cheese. Put into a well-greased bag, and add to them a little more than a gill of milk. Cook gently for from 15 to 20 minutes, according to thickness of fillets. Dish up on a hot dish and serve. Haddock k la Princesse. — Take two filleted haddocks. Rub them over gently with butter with a silver fish-knife. Dip them in flour and then squeeze a little lemon juice over each, and dust lightly with pepper and salt. Place them carefully in a well-greased bag. Add to them half-a-wineglassful each of sherry, and Worcester sauce and water. Fold and seal in bag, and cook in a moderately hot oven from 15 to 18 or 20 minutes, according to the thickness of the fillets. Dish up on a hot dish, pour the liquor in which they were cooked over them, and serve as hot as possible. Cod. — Slice 3 lbs. of fish, season with salt and pepper, add a small chopped onion and a few sweet herbs. Mix 1 oz. of butter or dripping with a large tablespoonful of flour, add three parts of a glass of milk and stir to a smooth paste. Place all these ingredients with the fish in a well-buttered paper-bag and cook for 20 minutes. Any sauce can be added as flavoring if desired. Cod a la Valeska. — Take a cutlet; spread each side well with butter, dip into sea- soned flour, then sprinkle very thickly with finely grated cheese. A mixture of Parmesan and Gruyere is the best, but any kind, even Dutch, will do ; grease a bag well with butter. Put in the fish and add to it a gill of either good fish stock or flavored milk ( i.e milk in which a slice each of onion, turnip, and carrot and a bit of celery have simmered for 15 minutes), and cook for from 20 to 30 minutes, according to the thickness of the cutlet, in a moderately hot oven. Turn out gently onto a hot dish. Pour the sauce over, sprinkle flaked shrimps on top and serve. The shrimps should be made hot, not cooked, in a little roll of well-greased Soyer paper separately.