The thorough good cook

FISH. £03 squeeze of lemon-juice. Great care, however, must be taken to cut off the skin before it is broiled, as the oil in the skin, if burnt, imparts a disagreeable flavour to the fish. The flesh is very fine, and comes nearer to veal, perhaps, than does even turtle. I prefer this mode of dressing it to the more savoury one of stewing it in rich gravy. This "royal" fish is, I believe, occasionally to be met with at a few West-End fishmongers', and is sold at a reasonable price ; but although I have repeatedly partaken of sturgeon (" sterlet ") in Russia, I do not remember to have ever seen it in the bill-of-fare of an English dinner-party, public or private. SECTION III.— ENTREES. In orthodox French cookery the " piece de resistance " — the joint or big poultry — should come immediately after the soup and fish. The idea Avas that the guests should " take the edge off their appetites " on the joints and big poultry, and subsequently be enabled to trifle at elegant leisure with the entrees. The Diike (when Earl) of Fife once made a gallant effort to revive the orthodox mode of serving; but his guests preferred to devour the entrees and trifle with the joint. To the same distinguished nobleman belongs the honour of having been the benefactor who provided his guests with "elevated soup plates." Only those persons who are short-sighted, or who have " two left hands," can understand the agony of having to dip your spoon into a plate a long way down at the risk of horribly staining your shirt front. It is all very well to say " Tuck a napkin under your chin," but the napkin has an uncomfortable habit of slipping off. Lord Fife put his soup-plates on silver plateaus on legs, within convenient distance of the lips of his guests. 1. Forcemeat Balls. Cut fine half a pound of veal and the same quantity of suet, and beat them in a mortar. Shred fine a few sweet herbs, a little dried mace, a small nutmeg grated, a little lemon-peel cut very fine, some pepper and salt, and the yolks of two eggs. Mix all well together, then roll some of it into small balls, and some into long pieces. KoU both in flour, and fry them of a nice brown. If they are to be used with white sauce, instead of frying them pour a little water into a stew-pan, and when it boils put them in, and they will be done in a few minutes. 2. Sausage-Meat (Plain). Take any quantity of lean beef or pork, with half the quantity of fat, and having freed the lean of every particle of skin, sinews, and gristle, mince both it and the fat as fine as possible, adding for each pound of meat a large teaspoonful of pepper and the same quantity of salt; strew this on the meat and mix the whole thoroughly together, as a stock for further seasoning. Another Way. To the meat of a leg of pork of about four pounds weight, add two pounds of fat from the fore loin; chop both very fine ; then add two nutmegs grated, twenty cloves, a teaspoonful of pounded or grated lemon-peel, two or three blades of mace pounded, one ounce of the best salt, and half an ounce of black pepper ; mix all together. This sausage-meat would be much improved by pounding the meat, and mixing it with one-third of its bulk of white bread soaked in milk and also pounded, blending the whole together with beaten egg. 3. Batter for Frying.