The European cookbook for American homes (from Italy, Spain, Portugal and France)

Choose a cut from a fine, thick fish, not too dry. Soak fish 24 hours in plenty of water, changing several times. Put in a saucepan with plenty of cold water, bring quickly to a boil, then simmer 15 minutes. Remove fish with a skimmer and drain. Remove bones, but leave skin, and cut in small pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil, add shallot and garlic, and slowly fry without browning. Add fish and heat without frying. Grind as fine as possible, put in a warmed bowl and work with a wooden spoon, adding warmed oil, a drop at a time at first, and then little by little, until half the oil is absorbed and a smooth paste is formed. Then alternate additions of the rest of the oil with teaspoons of warmed cream. Blend in lemon juice and seasonings. Heat over hot water or steam. Have ready rounds of bread fried in oil or butter. Lay them on a very hot dish, and pile up the Brandade on top of them, like mashed potatoes. This is a dish of great delicacy, and is worthy of the garnishings which often adorn it. It may be sprinkled with chopped truffles, and may be surrounded by oyster, or shrimp, or crayfish patties. It reappears in Italy "bacala Montebianco." Provence STINGAREE OR RAY FISH WITH CAPERS (Raie aux Câpres) i pounds ray Yi cup claret 2 small onions, halved Salt Vz clove Pepper i sprig parsley i small piece ray liver Yi bay leaf 1Y2 cups white sauce 3 tablespoons capers Wash ray well in plenty of water. Put in a saucepan with onions, clove, parsley, and bay leaf. Pour in the claret and add enough cold water to cover. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes; add the liver and cook slowly for 15 minutes. Drain the fish thoroughly, remove skin, and serve covered with white sauce mixed with capers. Provence SARTAGNADE Yi pound white bait Salt and pepper 3 tablespoons butter % tablespoon vinegar Wash fish well, pick over, drain, and dry thoroughly in a towel. Season. Melt butter in frying pan until nearly smoking. Add fish and fry, pushing them together at the side of the pan as they cook, so they will stick together but not stick to bottom of pan. When they hold together and are browned on the bottom lay a plate over them and turn pan upside down, leaving the fish in the plate. Slide fish off the plate into the pan again and brown other side. A thick pancake should have been formed which is crisp on the outside and succulent within. Heat vinegar and sprinkle over at the very last minute. A sartan in the Provencal dialect is a poele, or frying pan; and a sartagnade might be anything fried, but long usage has restricted the meaning of sartagnade to this one dish. Bordelais CRAWFISH BORDEAUX STYLE (Ecrevisses a la Bordelaise) 1 onion, minced Yi garlic clove 1 carrot, minced *4 cup fish bouillon 2 shallots, minced or oyster liquor or water !4 cup butter, melted 1 dozen large crawfish l/i cup white Bordeaux wine 3 tablespoons good brandy 1 herb bouquet Salt and cayenne Yi teaspoon minced parsley