rub it over with a little vinegar, and place it on the
drainer of the fish-kettle, so that when done it may be
lifted out without risk of breaking up. Put plenty of salt,
and a dessert-spoonful of vinegar, into the water in which
the fish is to be boiled. Let the water be cold, and in
sufficient quantity to cover the fish. Place the kettle on a
brisk fire, and boil the fish as fast as possible. Skim off
all scum that rises, and take care to suspend operations,
the moment the fish is done. Overboiled fish is nasty to
eat, and ngly to look upon : underdone fish is unfit for
human food. The cookery books allow ten minutes per
pound as a fair average of the time required for this
operation; but so much depends upon the thickness of
the fish to be boiled, that the cook should test it now and
then with the point of a skewer, and as soon as the flesh
parts easily from the bone, let him decide that it is ready.
N'ever let your fish, after it is done, remain soaking in
the water in which it has been cooked ; drain it at once,
or it will become what cooks call " woolly." If ready too
soon, let it rest on the drainer over the hot kettle, and
cover it with a napkin.
If you have no fish-kettle, put your fish on a dish, tie a
napkin round it, and boil it : when done, you can then lift
the dish out of the pan without spoiling the appearance
of the fish. Be very particular to drain every drop of
water from the_fishJbefore you serve it, or the sauce you
send up with it will be ruined.
Connoisseurs in the art of cookery recommend that fish
should be boiled in a " Court bouillon,^' in which case the
process is thus described by the Gr. C. : " Having placed
the fish in the fish-kettle with enough cold-water to cover
it, add a glass of vinegar, some slices of carrots and onions,
and a clove of garlic ; then sweet herbs, and spices tied up
in a muslin bag, with pepper, salt, and parsley or celery.
56 CULINARY JOTTINGS FOR MADRAS.
The proportions of all these must depend upon the quan-
tity of fish to be boiled, the skill of the cook, and the taste
of the company." When nearly done, half di'aw the fish-
kettle from the fire, and let the fish simmer gently till the
moment of serving. A mixtui^e of white wine such as
chablis, sauterne, or hock, and water, in equal parts, may
be used instead of the vinegar and water.
Fish cooked '* an bleu'' is also considered a delicacy.
The preparation is exactly like court ho2(,illo7i, red wine
being substituted for white.
Court hoidllon a la Nanfaise is made of milk and water
in equal parts, salt, and pepper in proportion.
The art of frying fish consists in being prodigal in the use
of the medium which you employed to cook with. The fish
should be absolutely immersed in a bath of boiling fat or oil,
which should be carefully tested so that you may be convinc-
ed of its temperature. " If your fat be not sufficiently
heated," says the authority I have already quoted, " the
fish you want to fry will turn out a flabby and greasy mess,
instead of a crisp, appetising dish." For nearly all fish-
frying, the frying basket is an invaluable utensil, used, of
course, in conjunction with the deep-sided friture-ipB.ii.
Page 32
Presented as published in 1885. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
rub it over with a little vinegar, and place it on the drainer of the fish-kettle, so that when done it may be lifted out without risk of breaking up. Put plenty of salt, and a dessert-spoonful of vinegar, into the water in which the fish is to be boiled. Let the water be cold, and in sufficient quantity to cover the fish. Place the kettle on a brisk fire, and boil the fish as fast as possible. Skim off all scum that rises, and take care to suspend operations, the moment the fish is done. Overboiled fish is nasty to eat, and ugly to look upon : underdone fish is unfit for human food. The cookery books allow ten minutes per pound as a fair average of the time required for this operation; but so much depends upon the thickness of the fish to be boiled, that the cook should test it now and then with the point of a skewer, and as soon as the flesh parts easily from the bone, let him decide that it is ready.
N'ever let your fish, after it is done, remain soaking in the water in which it has been cooked ; drain it at once, or it will become what cooks call "woolly." If ready too soon, let it rest on the drainer over the hot kettle, and cover it with a napkin.
If you have no fish-kettle, put your fish on a dish, tie a napkin round it, and boil it : when done, you can then lift the dish out of the pan without spoiling the appearance of the fish. Be very particular to drain every drop of water from the fish before you serve it, or the sauce you send up with it will be ruined.
Connoisseurs in the art of cookery recommend that fish should be boiled in a "Court bouillon," in which case the process is thus described by the Gr. C. : " Having placed the fish in the fish-kettle with enough cold-water to cover it, add a glass of vinegar, some slices of carrots and onions, and a clove of garlic ; then sweet herbs, and spices tied up in a muslin bag, with pepper, salt, and parsley or celery.
The proportions of all these must depend upon the quantity of fish to be boiled, the skill of the cook, and the taste of the company." When nearly done, half draw the fishkettle from the fire, and let the fish simmer gently till the moment of serving. A mixture of white wine such as chablis, sauterne, or hock, and water, in equal parts, may be used instead of the vinegar and water.
Fish cooked '* an bleu'' is also considered a delicacy. The preparation is exactly like court bouillon, red wine being substituted for white.
Court bouillon a la Nanfaise is made of milk and water in equal parts, salt, and pepper in proportion.
The art of frying fish consists in being prodigal in the use of the medium which you employed to cook with. The fish should be absolutely immersed in a bath of boiling fat or oil, which should be carefully tested so that you may be convinced of its temperature. " If your fat be not sufficiently heated," says the authority I have already quoted, " the fish you want to fry will turn out a flabby and greasy mess, instead of a crisp, appetising dish." For nearly all fishfrying, the frying basket is an invaluable utensil, used, of course, in conjunction with the deep-sided friture-pan.