After cleaning and washing the fish, let it disgorge in cold water for an hour, or less if it is quite white in a shorter time. Let it drain ; then make on the grey side an incision about an inch in length right in the middle, near the head ; tie it up, head to tail ; rub with a lemon, and place on the frame which fits into the turbot kettle ; cover with cold water in which salt and saltpetre have been dissolved ; place on the stove, and when near boiling, skim. Let it continue to n.ii - ^, Wr A?? TURBOT. 105 bubble, but not boil. Three-quarters of an hour is about the time for a turbot of 10 or 12 lbs. — rather COPPER FISH-KETTLE. more if thick. When cooked enough, if }-ou prick it with a twine needle, the liquid that comes out will be white like milk. I gallon water ; 4 ozs. salt ; \ oz. saltpetre. The appropriate sauce is Dutch sauce. Turbot au Gratin. This is prepared from turbot (or an}- white sea- fish) which has been already boiled. The remains must be separated into flakes w-ith a spoon, not cut. A cream sauce must be ready, and a little grated Parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon is to be stirred in. Mix this with the flakes of fish, place in a shallow fireproof china dish, cover with breadcrumbs which have been steeped in butter and browned✪ Turbot au Gratin, place in the oven for twenty minutes, and send to table in io6 JOHN DORY. the same dish. If the top is not brown, use a sala- mander to give it the proper tint. Brill a la Ravigotte. Take a small brill, and score it down the back ; season with salt and pepper, and either grill it over a slow fire, or wrap in buttered paper and bake in the oven ; prepare a mayonnaise sauce with the following additions — tarragon, chervil, capers, mustard, cayenne, and a little spinach green ; mix the sauce thoroughly, and serve in a tureen. Dory. The John Dory or Poisson de St. Pierre is a very ugly fish, but is highly esteemed from the firmness of its flesh ; those which are thickest across the shoulders are the best.^ Have ready a fish-kettle of spring water boiling, throw in a handful of salt, put the fish on the drainer and boil for 20 minutes — of course a small dory requires a shorter time — lift the drainer out and take care in transferring the fish to the dish, on which a napkin has been placed over the earthenware drainer. Serve Dutch sauce in a sauce-boat, or brown caper sauce, according to taste and to the other sauces of the dinner that day. Skate. Skate is boiled in the same way as turbot ; the appropriate sauce is black butter. ' Mr. F. Buckland says dorys are better for being kept one or two days. COD. 107 Gurnard. Gurnard, a heavy-headed fish, is not on that account despicable ; the flesh is firm and the flavour good. It is best stuffed with a bread-and-herbs stuffing, and baked. Any of the usual sauces for fish, or a tomato sauce, may be sent up in a sauce-boat. Cod. In boiling cod, a smaller quantity of salt is used than in boiling salmon ; I oz. salt to a quart of water is the proportion.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

After cleaning and washing the fish, let it disgorge in cold water for an hour, or less if it is quite white in a shorter time. Let it drain ; then make on the grey side an incision about an inch in length right in the middle, near the head ; tie it up, head to tail ; rub with a lemon, and place on the frame which fits into the turbot kettle ; cover with cold water in which salt and saltpetre have been dissolved ; place on the stove, and when near boiling, skim. Let it continue to TURBOT. bubble, but not boil. Three-quarters of an hour is about the time for a turbot of 10 or 12 lbs. — rather COPPER FISH-KETTLE. more if thick. When cooked enough, if }-ou prick it with a twine needle, the liquid that comes out will be white like milk. I gallon water ; 4 ozs. salt ; \ oz. saltpetre. The appropriate sauce is Dutch sauce. Turbot au Gratin. This is prepared from turbot (or an}- white seafish) which has been already boiled. The remains must be separated into flakes with a spoon, not cut. A cream sauce must be ready, and a little grated Parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon is to be stirred in. Mix this with the flakes of fish, place in a shallow fireproof china dish, cover with breadcrumbs which have been steeped in butter and browned, place in the oven for twenty minutes, and send to table in [illustration: JOHN DORY.] the same dish. If the top is not brown, use a salamander to give it the proper tint. Brill a la Ravigotte. Take a small brill, and score it down the back ; season with salt and pepper, and either grill it over a slow fire, or wrap in buttered paper and bake in the oven ; prepare a mayonnaise sauce with the following additions — tarragon, chervil, capers, mustard, cayenne, and a little spinach green ; mix the sauce thoroughly, and serve in a tureen. Dory. The John Dory or Poisson de St. Pierre is a very ugly fish, but is highly esteemed from the firmness of its flesh ; those which are thickest across the shoulders are the best.^ Have ready a fish-kettle of spring water boiling, throw in a handful of salt, put the fish on the drainer and boil for 20 minutes — of course a small dory requires a shorter time — lift the drainer out and take care in transferring the fish to the dish, on which a napkin has been placed over the earthenware drainer. Serve Dutch sauce in a sauce-boat, or brown caper sauce, according to taste and to the other sauces of the dinner that day. Skate. Skate is boiled in the same way as turbot ; the appropriate sauce is black butter. ' Mr. F. Buckland says dorys are better for being kept one or two days. COD. 107 Gurnard. Gurnard, a heavy-headed fish, is not on that account despicable ; the flesh is firm and the flavour good. It is best stuffed with a bread-and-herbs stuffing, and baked. Any of the usual sauces for fish, or a tomato sauce, may be sent up in a sauce-boat. Cod. In boiling cod, a smaller quantity of salt is used than in boiling salmon ; I oz. salt to a quart of water is the proportion.

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Turbot au Gratin

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