European and American cuisine

Where founds etc. — Pike is the common name of the softrayed abdominal fishes of the family Esocida. Their principal location is in North America, only one species being found in Europe and in the temperate zone in Asia ; it is confined to fresh water, and to the northern hemisphere. The body is elongated and scaly ; it rarely exceeds 3 feet in length or a weight of 12 to 20 pounds ; young pikes or pickerels are of a greenish hue, their color varying at all ages. The pike inhabits most of the rivers and lakes in Europe. The common pike of the Northern States attains a length of 1 to 2 PIKB. 217 feet; the long or shoyel^nosed pickerel attains a length of 1 to 2 feet. The color varies in different localities, bat the body is mostly greenish above and golden yellow on the sides. Pike^ Boiled. — Select a fresh fish weighing from 8 to 4 pounds, clean and wash it, lay it on the drainer in a fish kettle, cover with cold water ; add 2 tablespoonfuls salt, V4 cup white vinegar, 1 finecut onion, a bouquet, and 12 whole peppers ; set the kettle over the fire ; as soon as it begins to boil, draw the kettle to side of stove, and let simmer till the fish is done ; then lift the pike out of kettle, slide it on to a warm dish ; garnish with parsley and cut lemon. Serve with horseradish or mustard sauce. Plke^ Collared. — ^Scale and clean the pike, and fasten its tail in its mouth by means of a skewer ; lay it in a thickly buttered pan, sprinkle with salt ; add 7g pint white wine, 1 bay leaf, a little thyme, and 2 onions. Set the pan in the oven, baste freely, and let the fish bake until done ; serve with oyster sauce. Pike. Stewed. — Take a fresh fish weighing 3 pounds, clean, wash, and cut it into pieces; season with 1 heaping tablespoonful salt, and let it lie 1 hour. Place the fish in a saucepan, add 1 pint white wine, 1 pint water, 3 fine-cut onions, 2 bay leaves, 4 cloves, 6 whole peppers, 1 lemon cut into slices and freed from the pits; place over the fire ; as soon as it commences to boil, draw the saucepan to side of stove, ^nd let simmer slowly (about 15 minutes) till done. Remove the fish to a warm dish ; melt 2 ounces butter in a saucepan, add 1 tablespoonful flour, stir and cook 3 minutes ; strain the fish broth, add to the butter and fiour, boil 5 minutes ; mix the yolks of 2 eggs with 1 tablespoonful sugar, add a little of the sauce to the yolks, then add the yolks to the sauce, and pour it over the fish. Perch or weakfish can be prepared in the same way. Pike Farci. — Procure a medium-sized fresh pike, clean and wash it, split the fish through the back, remove the back bone, wash and wipe it dry; season the fish inside with salt, and set aside. Melt 1 ounce of butter in a saucepan, add 1 fine-chopped onion. 218 SEA FOOD, ETC.