Cold dishes for hot weather

Wash and clean the smelts. Pound together half an ounce of pepper, half an ounce of mace, half an ounce of saltpetre, and the same quantity of nutmeg ; lay the smelts in layers, placing the seasoning between each layer ; add a few bay-leaves ; boil some red wine, and pour over the fish enough to cover it. When cold cover well. PICKLED STURGEON Cut the sturgeon into small pieces ; wash it well, and tie in a cloth. To 3 quarts of water add 1 quart of strong beer, salt, 1 ounce of ginger, 2 ounces of pepper, 1 ounce of cloves, and 1 ounce of Jamaica pepper ; when the liquor boils put in the sturgeon ; when done take it from the fire and allow to stand overnight ; add a quart of strong vinegar and salt. Cover closely. POTTED EEL Skin and clean a large eel ; dry and cut into small pieces about four inches in length ; season with mace, pepper, and salt ; lay in a pan and cover with melted butter ; bake for half an hour in a quick oven. When done take it out and place on a cloth to drain. Pack closely in a pot; melt the butter it was baked in, and pour it over the eel. POTTED HERRINGS Cut the heads off the herrings and lay in an earthen pot ; sprinkle a little salt between each layer; add cloves, mace, pepper, and sliced nutmeg ; fill up the vessel with vinegar, water, and white wine; cover it and place in the oven. When cold take out the herrings and put into well-covered vessels. POTTED LOBSTER (1.) Parboil the lobster ; cut it into small pieces, and season with mace, white pepper, nutmeg, and salt ; press into a pot and cover it with buttef ; bake for half an hour ; put in the spawn. When cold take out the lobster and put it into covered vessels with a little of the butter ; beat the rest of the butter with some of the spawn, and cover the lobster with it. (2.) Take out the meat from the lobster without breaking; season with mace, nutmeg, white pepper, salt, and cloves. Put a little butter at the bottom of a pan, and lay the lobster over it, placing between the layers a few bay-leaves ; cover with butter, and bake in a slow oven ; when done strain, lay in potting-pans, and add the seasoning. When cold pour clarified butter over it. POTTED MACKEREL Clean, season, and bake the mackerel in a pan, with plenty of spices, bay-leaves, salt, and butter. When cold put them into a pot and cover with butter. POTTED SALMON Split, scale, and clean the salmon, but do not wash ; rub with salt, and drain off the moisture ; season with pounded mace, cloves, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Cut the salmon into small pieces, lay them in a pan, and cover with melted butter. Bake, drain from the fat, put the pieces into pots and cover with clarified butter. SALMAGUNDI Wash and open 2 pickled herrings; remove the meat from the bones, being careful not to break the skin, and keeping the head, tail, and fins on it ; mince the fish with the breast of a chicken, the yolks of 2 hard-boiled eggs, an onion, a boned an- chovy, a little grated ham or tongue; season with oil, vinegar, red pepper, and salt ; fill up the herring-skins so that they may look plump, and shape carefully. Garnish with parsley, and serve with mustard. SALMON JELLY Break the salmon into flakes ; season with allspice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper; fill a mould with alternate layers of the salmon and aspic jelly. Turn out on a flat dish, and garnish with lettuce - leaves and hard-boiled eggs. CEVICHE DE CAMARONES (cRAWFISH)