Split a cod’s head, and put it, with two haddocks, into a
kettle containing two quarts of cold water, and an onion chopped
fine. When it has boiled a quarter of an hour, take out all the
fish, cut off the heads, trim and fillet the haddocks, pick out the
best part of the cod’s head, such as under-jaw, tongue, etc., and
lay them aside. Put back into the kettle the remains of the
cod’s head and trimmings of the haddocks, and let them boil
until the liquor is reduced to a pint and a half, and then strain
off. Thicken the soup with the yolks of two eggs well beaten up.
Add some chopped parsley and a little salt✪ Captain Marryat’s Fish Soup. Then put in the
fillets of haddocks (each cut into four pieces), with the portions
of the cod’s head. Boil till sufficiently done, and you will have
not only a capital soup but a very good bargain.
“Baars,” the Dutch Water Souehy.— The much-vaunted
Bouillabaisse of Southern France with its “ hotch-potch of all
sorts of fishes,” its garlic, oil, capsicums, wine, spices, and
saffron, is not always suited to English palates when at home.
But the Dutch Baars, cooked in the same way but omitting the
rich seasoning, is excellent. The English name of this dish.
Water Souehy, is misleading, and the weak broth served under
that name is distasteful. Baars can be made of any small fish ;
those too small to cook in other ways answer perfectly. And
it can be made of either sea or fresh water fish. For a Baars
of sea fish use the small soles called slips, and whitings, or
62
FISH SOUPS
flounders. A fresli water Boars can be made of small trout or
gudgeons. Eels and perch can also be used. Wyvern's recipe
is : Fillet tbe fisli neatly in small fillets ; set these aside,
and put the whole of the remnants, heads, skin, bones, fins,
and trimmings, into a stewpan, adding for each pound weight
of such stock-stuff four ounces of onion sliced thinly, a handful
of curled parsley shredded, a dessertspoonful of horseradish
shavings (a tablespoonful of parsley roots about an inch long),
twelve peppercorns, a good teaspoonful of salt (a pinch of mace
or mixed spice) ; cover with cold water, bring slowly to the boil,
skim, then simmer for half an hour, and strain. Into this hot
broth, using another stewpan for the purpose, put the fillets of
fish, with six freshly-cut pieces of parsley blanched for three
minutes in scalding water, and cook gently for about ten
minutes until the fillets are tender. Now empty the contents
of the pan into a deep dish (for the Boars is both soup and
fish), and serve with thin brown bread and butter. Boars is
eaten -with a fork and spoon, and served in soup-plates.
What is wanted in a Boars is a strong fish broth, quite
apart from the little fillets afterwards served in it. Probably
the horseradish will be found sufficient without the parsley
roots, and the spice may be omitted if not liked. If the fish
broth is not strong enough the head of a cod will greatly
improve it.*
Page 35 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1898. 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
Split a cod’s head, and put it, with two haddocks, into a kettle containing two quarts of cold water, and an onion chopped fine. When it has boiled a quarter of an hour, take out all the fish, cut off the heads, trim and fillet the haddocks, pick out the best part of the cod’s head, such as under-jaw, tongue, etc., and lay them aside. Put back into the kettle the remains of the cod’s head and trimmings of the haddocks, and let them boil until the liquor is reduced to a pint and a half, and then strain off. Thicken the soup with the yolks of two eggs well beaten up. Add some chopped parsley and a little salt. Then put in the fillets of haddocks (each cut into four pieces), with the portions of the cod’s head. Boil till sufficiently done, and you will have not only a capital soup but a very good bargain.
“Baars,” the Dutch Water Souehy.— The much-vaunted Bouillabaisse of Southern France with its “ hotch-potch of all sorts of fishes,” its garlic, oil, capsicums, wine, spices, and saffron, is not always suited to English palates when at home. But the Dutch Baars, cooked in the same way but omitting the rich seasoning, is excellent. The English name of this dish. Water Souehy, is misleading, and the weak broth served under that name is distasteful. Baars can be made of any small fish ; those too small to cook in other ways answer perfectly. And it can be made of either sea or fresh water fish. For a Baars of sea fish use the small soles called slips, and whitings, or
FISH SOUPS
flounders. A fresh water Baars can be made of small trout or gudgeons. Eels and perch can also be used. Wyvern's recipe is : Fillet the fish neatly in small fillets ; set these aside, and put the whole of the remnants, heads, skin, bones, fins, and trimmings, into a stewpan, adding for each pound weight of such stock-stuff four ounces of onion sliced thinly, a handful of curled parsley shredded, a dessertspoonful of horseradish shavings (a tablespoonful of parsley roots about an inch long), twelve peppercorns, a good teaspoonful of salt (a pinch of mace or mixed spice) ; cover with cold water, bring slowly to the boil, skim, then simmer for half an hour, and strain. Into this hot broth, using another stewpan for the purpose, put the fillets of fish, with six freshly-cut pieces of parsley blanched for three minutes in scalding water, and cook gently for about ten minutes until the fillets are tender. Now empty the contents of the pan into a deep dish (for the Baars is both soup and fish), and serve with thin brown bread and butter. Baars is eaten -with a fork and spoon, and served in soup-plates.
What is wanted in a Baars is a strong fish broth, quite apart from the little fillets afterwards served in it. Probably the horseradish will be found sufficient without the parsley roots, and the spice may be omitted if not liked. If the fish broth is not strong enough the head of a cod will greatly improve it.*
Records on this page
Captain Marryat’s Fish Soup