My best 250 recipes

Wash and cut in squares one pound of any white fish; pare, cut in dice three medium-sized potatoes; chop fine one large onion; put in the bottom of a kettle a layer of the potatoes ; then a layer of fish, then tomatoes; add a tablespoonful of onion, half a teaspoonful of powdered thyme, a saltspoonful of salt, a dash of pepper, half a teaspoonful of celery seed, and so continue until the materials are all used. Have the last layer potatoes. Pour over a pint of boiling water, cover the kettle and cook over a moderate fire, without stirring, for twenty minutes. Meantime heat a pint of milk in a double boiler ; take the chowder from the fire, and cover the top with crushed water-crackers. Pour over the milk, add a tablespoonful of butter cut in bits, and serve. 2 2 My Best 250 Recipes CODFISH BALLS AND CODFISH SOUFFLE Pick apart half a pound of salt cod, cover with cold water, bring to boiling point and drain. Cover it again with boiling water and. let stand for five minutes; drain and press; add a pint of hot mashed potatoes, a rounding tablespoonful of butter, a saltspoonful of pepper and the yolks of two eggs; mix thoroughly; form in balls, dip in beaten egg, roll in breadcrumbs and fry in deep, hot fat. Serve plain or with tomato sauce. Persons who do not eat fried foods may change the recipe into codfish soufflé by adding the well-beaten whites of the eggs and baking the mixture until a golden brown. JERUSALEM FISHBALLS Carefully remove the skin and then pick the flesh from a good-sized rock or haddock. Wash the skin, the head and the other rough pieces ; put them in a saucepan; add a quart of water, a bay leaf, a slice of onion, a blade of mace, four cloves and two cloves of garlic, mashed ; cover and simmer for one hour. While this is cooking chop the flesh of the fish very fine, adding about twelve blanched and dried almonds, a level teaspoonful of salt, a tablespoonful of grated onion, a saltspoonful of black pepper. Mix thoroughly, form in balls the size of an English walnut, and drop My Best 250 Recipes 23 them in the pot with the fish that is cooking ; cover and cook for thirty minutes. Lift the balls with a skimmer and stand them at once in a very cold place. Strain the stock. Beat six eggs until thoroughly mixed, add to them gradually the boiling stock, which should now measure three-quarters of a pint; stand the mixture over hot water, stir constantly until thick and jelly-like, take from the fire and press through a fine sieve. Add gradually the juice of three lemons, or half lemon juice and half tarragon vinegar. When ready to serve roll each ball in the dressing ; form them in a pyramid on a square dish or plate, put over the remaining quantity of dressing, garnish with parsley and serve. FISH TIMBALE Remove the skin and bone from half a pound of halibut or other white fish. Put it twice through a meat-chopper. Add a pint of soft breadcrumbs to a gill of milk; cook to a smooth paste and add it gradually to the fish; add six tablespoonfuls of cream, a level teaspoonful of salt and a saltspoonful of white pepper. Press this mixture through a sieve and then stir in carefully the well-beaten whites of five eggs. Grease a large mould. Garnish the bottom with chopped parsley or chopped truffles or mushrooms, or nicely cooked green peas; fill the mixture in the 24 My Best 250 Recipes mould and stand it in a baking-pan half filled with water ; cover with oiled paper and bake in a moderate oven for three-quarters of an hour. When done, turn out on the serving-dish. Pour around either cream, lobster or shrimp sauce.