The Cook Book, by "Oscar" of the Waldorf

Wash thoroughly six pieces of shad's roe, wipe well with a towel, lay them on a dish and season with one good pinch of salt and two tablespoonfuls of sweet oil. Roll them gently to avoid breaking, arrange them on a broiler and broil for six- minutes on each side. Remove from the fire, lay them on a hot dish and pour over one gill of maitre d'hotel butter. Garnish with six slices of broiled bacon and six quarters of lemon and serve. Shad's Roe Croquettes. Broil the roe for fifteen minutes in salted water, then drain and mash it. Boil one pint of cream; mix four tablespoonfuls of corn starch with one- fourth pound of butter and stir it into the boiling cream; add the strained juice of two lemons, a little salt, cayenne pepper and grated nutmeg and the roe. Boil all together, then take the saucepan off the fire and leave the contents until cool. Shape the mixture into croquettes, dip them in beaten eggs and breadcrumbs, repeating the operation twice. Put the croquettes in a frying basket, plunge them into boiling fat and brown them quickly. When cooked drain the croquettes, place them on a hot dish, garnish with parsley and serve. Fried Shad's Roe. Steep the roe in cold water. (Care should be taken in removing it from the fish not to break it.) Wipe the roe dry, place it in a frying-pan with a small quantity of lard, and fry until nicely done. When cooked place the roe on a folded napkin laid on a hot dish, garnish with parsley, and serve Boiled Sheepshead. Wash and clean the fish well, rub it over with dry salt, and soak it in cold water for an hour. Remove it from the water, wipe dry, score it several times across both sides, and rub it with a lemon cut into halves. Lay the fish on a drainer over a fish kettle, cover it with cold water and milk equally mixed, add one tablespoonful of salt let it gradually boil, and then gently simmer for half an hour. In dishing the fish be careful to transfer it from the kettle to the dish without breaking it. Pour a little of the cooking liquor round and serve the balance in a sauceboat. Fried Fillets of Sheepshead. Remove the fillets and dip them in salted milk, and roll them in flour and then in egg and fresh breadcrumbs, and fry them in hot fat. Arrange them on a napkin on a hot dish, overlapping one another, and serve them with Bearnaise, Mayonnaise or Tartare sauce. Boiled Skate with Black Butter. Boil the skate till tender with small quantities of onion, thyme, parsley, bay leaves, pepper, salt and vinegar in the water. Put some fried parsley in the center of a hot dish, and place some black butter around it. Divide the skate into kite-shaped pieces, put them on the butter and serve. Baked Fillets of Skate. Skin the fish, divide it into fillets, and dry them on a cloth. Put the fillets into a saucepan with a lump of butter about the size of a walnut, two slices of lemon and a bunch of herbs. Dredge over them a small quantity of flour, then pour in one pint of milk. Add a lump of salt. When three-fourths cooked, drain the fillets, put them on a baking dish, and bake them in a slow oven until nicely browned. Place the fillets on a folded napkin, garnish with fried parsley and serve with a sauce boatful of mixed herb sauce. Skate, Italian Style. Put a skate into a saucepan with a clove of garlic, one bay leaf, one or two sprigs of thyme, a small lump of butter, two cloves, and salt and pepper ; dredge in a little flour, and cover the fish with milk. Boil gently until the skate is cooked, then remove and drain it. Put in with the cooking stock a few boiled button onions, and boil quickly for a few minutes. Sprinkle some grated cheese at the bottom of a deep dish, put the skate on it, place the onions and some fried sippets of bread round it, and strain the sauce over ; cover the top with grated cheese, and bake it for fifteen minutes in a brisk oven. When ready, serve the skate in the same dish.