Harper's cook book encyclopædia

Fish, Croquettes of. — Mix over the fire a teaspoonful of flour, i oz. of butter, and half a gill of cream. Add, off the fire, the yolk of an egg, a little seasoning, and ^ lb, of cold, dressed fish beaten to a paste. Let the mixture cool and form it into balls ; let these be egged and breaded. Fry to a nice brown in hot fat, and serve with gravy made by boiling down the bones, fins, and tails with an onion. Add an anchovy and seasoning to taste. Fish and Cucumber Salad. — For this very delicious salad either salmon or halibut may be used. Cut it into slices a full inch thick, selecting a piece from near the tail. Tie the slices up in a piece of cheese-cloth or mosquito-netting, and plunge this into a pot of boiling water, to which you have added a dessert-spoonful of salt and a table-spoonful of vinegar. Cook for about half an hour. When the fish is done take it from the cloth, and set it aside until perfectly cold. When it is to be served, cut the slices into neat pieces of uniform size, a piece being enough for a single portion. Lay each on a lettuce leaf, and serve the fish with cucumbers sliced as thin as paper and ice-cold. Mask all with a mayonnaise dressing. This is, of course, a heavy salad, and more suitable for luncheon or supper than for dinner. Fish Cutlets (with tomato sauce). — Take any large, firm fish ; bone, skin, and slice into cutlet shape. Sprinkle with pepper and salt; dip each cutlet first in grated cracker, then in sweet milk and egg beaten together, and again in the cracker meal. Fry in hot batter. When done, take up, arrange on a dish, and pour tomato sauce around the cutlets. Serve very hot. Fish, Fried or Sauted. — Fish to be nicely fried should be wiped very dry, and floured before being put into the pan or pot of boiling fat. Next to oil, clarified dripping is the best. Shake the pan gently until hot through. If you want the fish to look very nice, dip it into egg, and sprinkle with bread-crumbs before frying. Drain before the fire, and serve on a hot napkin. Fish en Matelote. — Take any seasonable fish, clean, and cut in slices two or three inches long. Sprinkle with salt, and set aside. Peel and slice two onions, put in a saucepan, and cover with a little water; let boil until tender, drain, season with salt and pepper, pour over a teacupful of hot water and half a teacupful of sherry, put the fish in the saucepan, and set on the fire to simmer. When ready to take up, roll a table-spoonful of butter in flour and drop in; stir until boiling, and serve. Fish a la Paris. — Cut any seasonable fish into small pieces ; dredge with US Fish Pate Fish, Sauce for Boiled salt, pepper, and flour; fry brown in butter ; turn into a pot. Add a finely chopped onion. Pour over a pint of boiling water, to which add half a teacupful of vinegar, two table-spoonfuls of olive oil, and a teaspoonful each of ground cloves, mace, and allspice. Cover closely, and let simmer slowly for one hour. Take up in a heated dish, garnish with sweet fennel, and serve very hot.