" I dined not long ago at the house of a man famous, and justly so, for giving good dinners, and to my
disgust some superb caviare, the genuine sea-green, unpressed, large-grained caviare was served round at the
end of the dinner as a savory dish on little round bits of toast and made hot. This struck me as actual sav-
agerv> givmg ' lumps of weight ' to the Usbegs and Turcomans. When a mere child I was acquainted with
many of the Polish and Hungarian refugees on whose head a price was set. It was from a some time artillery
officer, a Pole by birth and aide-de-camp to General Bern, that I learned how to deal with sea-green caviare.
The method is to have brown bread well buttered ready and a couple of lemons. When the pot of caviare is
opened it is necessary to judge of its consistency. If of the best quality in the season it will need little if any
addition of the finest lucca or province oil. But if the season is early to add oil to caviare is to ' throw a perfume
on the violet.' When oil — or no oil — is decided on, then comes the actual preparation which the host had bet-
ter do and perform himself. To a large soup-plate full of caviare add the juice only of two lemons and beat
with a fork. The mass will immediately become pure sea-green with white spots such as we have often seen
in caviare. This famous preparation of sturgeon roe should also be eaten as a hors d'ceuvre or ' whet ' before
dinner and not after it."
SHAD ROE WITH MASHED POTATOES.
After a shad roe has been washed in cold water wipe it dry, put it into a frying-pan
containing two tablespoons of lard, butter or drippings, season it with salt and pepper,
cover the pan to prevent the spattering of the fat while the roe is being cooked, and fry
it for about twenty minutes, turning it several times to insure its complete browning; as
soon as the roe is put over the fire peel and slice a quart of potatoes, put them over the
fire in plenty of salted boiling water, and boil them until they are tender enough to press
through a colander with a potato masher; when the potatoes are soft drain them by pour-
ing them into a colander; when all the water has run off put with them a heaping table-
spoon of butter and a palatable seasoning of salt✪ Shad Roe with Mashed Potatoes and pepper, and mash them through the
colander, letting them fall lightly upon a hot platter; lay the shad roe upon the mashed
potato and serve the dish hot. Pickled or fresh cucumbers, or any fresh salad, served
with the dish, is a great addition to it.
PHILADELPHIA PLANKED SHAD.
Boards for planking shad are for sale at most house-furnishing stores in Eastern sea-
coast cities, but when not available in this way they can be made readily. An oaken plank
two inches thick is planed smooth on both sides, and cut about eighteen inches wide by
tiirty long; small staples are driven upon one side, near the four corners, in such a way as
to permit two stout wires, or small iron rods to be crossed over the middle of the board
and have the ends slipped under the staples; sometimes the staples are dispensed with,
FISH. 89
Page 78 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1891. 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
" I dined not long ago at the house of a man famous, and justly so, for giving good dinners, and to my disgust some superb caviare, the genuine sea-green, unpressed, large-grained caviare was served round at the end of the dinner as a savory dish on little round bits of toast and made hot. This struck me as actual savagery, giving 'lumps of weight' to the Usbegs and Turcomans. When a mere child I was acquainted with many of the Polish and Hungarian refugees on whose head a price was set. It was from a some time artillery officer, a Pole by birth and aide-de-camp to General Bern, that I learned how to deal with sea-green caviare. The method is to have brown bread well buttered ready and a couple of lemons. When the pot of caviare is opened it is necessary to judge of its consistency. If of the best quality in the season it will need little if any addition of the finest lucca or province oil. But if the season is early to add oil to caviare is to ' throw a perfume on the violet.' When oil — or no oil — is decided on, then comes the actual preparation which the host had better do and perform himself. To a large soup-plate full of caviare add the juice only of two lemons and beat with a fork. The mass will immediately become pure sea-green with white spots such as we have often seen in caviare. This famous preparation of sturgeon roe should also be eaten as a hors d'ceuvre or ' whet ' before dinner and not after it."
SHAD ROE WITH MASHED POTATOES.
After a shad roe has been washed in cold water wipe it dry, put it into a frying-pan containing two tablespoons of lard, butter or drippings, season it with salt and pepper, cover the pan to prevent the spattering of the fat while the roe is being cooked, and fry it for about twenty minutes, turning it several times to insure its complete browning; as soon as the roe is put over the fire peel and slice a quart of potatoes, put them over the fire in plenty of salted boiling water, and boil them until they are tender enough to press through a colander with a potato masher; when the potatoes are soft drain them by pouring them into a colander; when all the water has run off put with them a heaping tablespoon of butter and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper, and mash them through the colander, letting them fall lightly upon a hot platter; lay the shad roe upon the mashed potato and serve the dish hot. Pickled or fresh cucumbers, or any fresh salad, served with the dish, is a great addition to it.
PHILADELPHIA PLANKED SHAD.
Boards for planking shad are for sale at most house-furnishing stores in Eastern seacoast cities, but when not available in this way they can be made readily. An oaken plank two inches thick is planed smooth on both sides, and cut about eighteen inches wide by tiirty long; small staples are driven upon one side, near the four corners, in such a way as to permit two stout wires, or small iron rods to be crossed over the middle of the board and have the ends slipped under the staples; sometimes the staples are dispensed with,
Records on this page
Shad Roe with Mashed PotatoesPhiladelphia Planked Shad