Practical West African cookery

1. Prepare the mixture in the same way as for the croquettes. Put it into the small pie dish, spread over the bread crumbs and place in the oven till the top is slightly brown. This is a good dish for breakfast. Kedgeree. (I). I teacupful cold boiled fish. 1} tablespoonfuls rice. 1 hard-boiled egg. 1 teaspoonful butter or lard or ground nut oil if no- thing else. $ teaspoonful salt. 1 pinch black or red pepper. (A teaspoon ful chopped pars- ley, a fresh tomato or half a tatassa.) FISH. 55 1. Throw the rice into a pint of boiling water and keep boiling till the rice is cooked but not mashy ; this will take about twenty minutes for English rice and about eight minutes for native rice. Strain off all the water and leave the rice to dry in the colander at the door of the oven. 2. With a fork break up the fish, freed from skin and bones ; break the hard-boiled egg. (If the tomato or tatassa (or both) are obtainable, cut them into small pieces, put them in the small frying pan, and turn them for a few moments over the fire with half-a -teaspoonful of butter, just to get rid of the moisture.) 3. Mix together the fish, egg, rice, salt, pepper (the fried tomato and tatassa if available). 4. Put the teaspoonful of butter, lard or ground nut oil into the flat saucepan, add the mixture and toss on a slow fire until all the fat is absorbed. This will take about five minutes, the saucepan being shaken the whole time until the mixture is perfectly dry. Serve very hot. Fish au Gratin. (II). 4 or 5 fillets of freshly boiled fish. 1 teacupful white sauce (see index.) A pinch of salt and pepper. 1 tablespoonful oreadcrumbs or crushed biscuit. 1 teaspoonful butter or lard. 1 teaspoonful chopped pars- ley and the same of finely chopped onion. 1. Divide the boiled fish into fillets as if for frying. Grease a pie dish, sprinkle the chopped parsley and onion at the bottom, lay in the fillets dusted with the salt and pepper, pour over the white sauce (if you have any leftover from the day before, it will do quite well) and cover with the breadcrumbs. Put the butter in three little dabs on top. 2. Bake in the oven for seven or eight minutes and serve when it is a good brown colour. Note. If you have any cheese, a tablespoonful of it grated and added to the white sauce is a great improvement. Fish au gratin makes a nice change from plain boiled fish. 56 FISH. Grilled Fish. (II). The karpassa is really the only fish that can be grilled whole. If you have a larger fish, it is best to cut off a good slice from the middle about 2£ inches thick. Rub in salt and pepper and place on the grill over a good fire for about ten minutes, turning it once over carefully. When done put a dab of butter on top, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with quarters of lime and, if liked, a sauce hollandaise (see index) or melted butter (see index). A dessertspoonful of chopped parsley, another of tatassa, a teaspoonful of dried thyme, a pinch of nutmeg and two cloves. 1. Cut eight or ten fillets off a large piece of fish as if for frying. 2. Boil the bones, trimmings, head and tail of the fish in two pints of salted water. When the liquid has boiled down to one pint, take it off the fire and strain it.