À la mode cookery

The centre can be filled with either a mayonnaise or cucumber cut into pea-shapes and masked with green mayonnaise. (See Plate XIV.) Mackerel k la Venitienne Remove the heads, tails, and centre bones of a couple of mackerel, cut them into neat pieces and * These moulds are to be obtained at Jones Brothers, Down St , Piccadilly, W. bake them in a buttered tin. Arrange them en couronne on a dish when cooked. Take some pale stock, add a dessert-spoonful of mushroom ketchup, stir in the yolk of an egg, some butter and a little lemon-juice to taste ; stir over the fire till it is hot, but not boiling ; add some chopped parsley and tarragon leaves and a table-spoonful of claret and pour over the fish. Mussels k la Gourmet Take some good veal gravy and a piece of butter the size of a pigeon's egg, a spoonful of walnut ketchup and a table-spoonful of claret. Season with cayenne or salt. Then stew the mussels in this sauce till done. Serve in little china or silver shells garnished with beetroot. Mussels Stewed They must be washed in several waters, then put in a stewpan and covered close. Let them stew till the shells open, then pick out the fish and look under their tongues to see if there be a small crab, and if there be one throw it away ; the tough membrane under the tongue must be picked off. Then the mussels are put into a stewpan, adding to every quart of fish half a pint of the liquor which has been strained through a sieve. Roll some butter and flour and stew gently. Lay toasted bread in the dish, and pour the mussels on to it. Oyster Aigrettes Take some oysters, cut off the beards and cover them with batter made as follows : — Beat up a tablespoonful of lemon-juice, one of salad oil, and a little cold water, with the yolk of one egg, a small teaspoonful of anchovy sauce and a dust of cayenne pepper ; then work in sufficient flour to make, with the addition of more water, as much batter as required. The batter should be of the consistency of thick cream. Beat up the whites of two eggs to a froth and stir into the batter. Roll each oyster in this and fry, and send to table very hot and few at a time. Instead of using water in the first instance, the strained liquor from the oysters may be used. (See Plate IV.) Oyster Baskets Make some puff paste and line thinly some dariole moulds (as many as are required), and bake them ; when ready, put in the following mixture : — Take as many oysters as will be required according to the number of cases — the deep-sea oysters are very good for this dish ; reserve the oyster liquor, cut off the hard pieces and beard, and put them into the liquor and bring to the boil ; then strain off the liquor. Take a gill of milk and mix with it two large tablespoonfuls of flour till smooth, then add the oyster liquor, a tea-spoonful of anchovy, a tea-spoonful of lemon-juice, one gill of cream, a little cayenne ; place on the fire and cook till nearly boiling ; keep Stirring all the time till it is of the consistency of cream. Stir in a pat of butter quickly and then place the oysters in the hot sauce and fill the baskets. Have some of the paste mixed with fine parsley twisted into the shape of handles ; bake, and put over the baskets. Oyster Patties a la Napoli