Soon after the casting of the
roe they feed fast, and in a month or more have recovered
all their wasting, when no more are caught now in the fish-
ery. But the mackerel season comes in, and by chance sev-
eral herrings are taken with them ; these are large, juicy,
and in fine order ; and these are the herrings for boiling,
and now we shall boil them.
To Boil Herrings Plain.
Set a pan of clear cold water on the dresser, clean half
a dozen herrings, throw them into the cold water, stir
them about, and change the water once, pouring it off and
VIRGINIA COOKERT-BOOK. 65
pumping on some fresh. Set on a stewpan and put in a
sufficient quantity of water ; boil the herrings, and while
they are doing melt some butter, put into it some boiled
fennel, chopped fine, and when the herrings are done pour
it over them in a dish ; garnish them with boiled fennel,
and send up a quantity of the same in a sauce-boat.
BoiLBD Herrings, with Mustard Saucb.
Choose half a dozen large, fine herrings ; clean them ;
throw them into a pan of cold water just pumped ; put
into another pan a handful of pure salt; pump some fresh
water upon it; drain the herrings from the first water and
throw them into this ; set on a stewpan with two quarts
of water, a pint of vinegar, two ounces of salt ; boil the
herrings in this; skim it from time to time, not letting it
boil too fast, or it is apt to break them to pieces. Wash,
bone, and mince a fine anchovy; melt a quarter of a pound
of butter, with a little vinegar, in the water you put to it,
and a small dust of flour; put in the anchovy and stir it
about; then put in the eg^ and shake it, so as to be well
mixed; then take up the herrings; boil some fennel with
them, by way of garnish ; lay some of this upon the her-
rings, and on the sides of the dish; finish the sauce by
adding some mustard and squeezing in a lemon. Send
this up in a sauce-boat, hot.
To Fry Perch.
Choose middle-sized perch; clean them, scale and wash
them; then with a very sharp penknife score them on the
sides, but not very deep nor very close; dredge them with
flour; then fry them in oiled butter. When they are well
done and brown serve them up garnished with fried pars-
ley, and send up with them plain melted butter✪ To Fry Perch. This
66 VmOINIA COOKERT-BOOK.
gives the perch its true flavor, and many, for that rea-
son, prefer it to any other way of dressing that excel-
lent flsh.
To Broil Perch.
Choose for this dish perch of a moderate size, fresh
from the water; scale them, clean them, and dry them in
a napkin; melt a good quantity of butter, with some salt;
let it be thick when it is cooled a little; dip the perch in
it; roll it about till the butter sticks well to every part of
it; then set a gridiron over a very clear and brisk fire, but
let it stand at a very great height above the fire, for the
perch must be soaked well before it is brown.
Perch, with Caper Sauce.
Choose large perch for this way of dressing ; scale,
wash, and dry them ; cut them deep into the sides and
back, and dredge them with flour, with a little salt in it;
fry them, as before directed, till they are thoroughly done
and perfectly brown. When the fish is ready make the
sauce by melting in a saucepan two ounces of butter; put
in some flour and brown it; put in some chives chopped
fine, some parsley chopped fine, a few mushrooms shred
fine; add a little boiling water; lay the perch taken out
of the pan into a small stewpan; pour this over them; let
them simmer in it two or three minutes; then take them
out, lay them on a warm dish, and put to the sauce two
large spoonfuls of capers cut small; thicken it up, and
then pour over the perch. There is no way in which they
eat better than this. The frying gives them a firmness
and a crispness.
Page 35 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1884. 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
Soon after the casting of the roe they feed fast, and in a month or more have recovered all their wasting, when no more are caught now in the fishery. But the mackerel season comes in, and by chance several herrings are taken with them ; these are large, juicy, and in fine order ; and these are the herrings for boiling, and now we shall boil them.
To Boil Herrings Plain.
Set a pan of clear cold water on the dresser, clean half a dozen herrings, throw them into the cold water, stir them about, and change the water once, pouring it off and
pumping on some fresh. Set on a stewpan and put in a sufficient quantity of water ; boil the herrings, and while they are doing melt some butter, put into it some boiled fennel, chopped fine, and when the herrings are done pour it over them in a dish ; garnish them with boiled fennel, and send up a quantity of the same in a sauce-boat.
BoiLBD Herrings, with Mustard Saucb.
Choose half a dozen large, fine herrings ; clean them ; throw them into a pan of cold water just pumped ; put into another pan a handful of pure salt; pump some fresh water upon it; drain the herrings from the first water and throw them into this ; set on a stewpan with two quarts of water, a pint of vinegar, two ounces of salt ; boil the herrings in this; skim it from time to time, not letting it boil too fast, or it is apt to break them to pieces. Wash, bone, and mince a fine anchovy; melt a quarter of a pound of butter, with a little vinegar, in the water you put to it, and a small dust of flour; put in the anchovy and stir it about; then put in the egg and shake it, so as to be well mixed; then take up the herrings; boil some fennel with them, by way of garnish ; lay some of this upon the herrings, and on the sides of the dish; finish the sauce by adding some mustard and squeezing in a lemon. Send this up in a sauce-boat, hot.
To Fry Perch.
Choose middle-sized perch; clean them, scale and wash them; then with a very sharp penknife score them on the sides, but not very deep nor very close; dredge them with flour; then fry them in oiled butter. When they are well done and brown serve them up garnished with fried parsley, and send up with them plain melted butter. This
gives the perch its true flavor, and many, for that reason, prefer it to any other way of dressing that excellent flsh.
To Broil Perch.
Choose for this dish perch of a moderate size, fresh from the water; scale them, clean them, and dry them in a napkin; melt a good quantity of butter, with some salt; let it be thick when it is cooled a little; dip the perch in it; roll it about till the butter sticks well to every part of it; then set a gridiron over a very clear and brisk fire, but let it stand at a very great height above the fire, for the perch must be soaked well before it is brown.
Perch, with Caper Sauce.
Choose large perch for this way of dressing ; scale, wash, and dry them ; cut them deep into the sides and back, and dredge them with flour, with a little salt in it; fry them, as before directed, till they are thoroughly done and perfectly brown. When the fish is ready make the sauce by melting in a saucepan two ounces of butter; put in some flour and brown it; put in some chives chopped fine, some parsley chopped fine, a few mushrooms shred fine; add a little boiling water; lay the perch taken out of the pan into a small stewpan; pour this over them; let them simmer in it two or three minutes; then take them out, lay them on a warm dish, and put to the sauce two large spoonfuls of capers cut small; thicken it up, and then pour over the perch. There is no way in which they eat better than this. The frying gives them a firmness and a crispness.
Records on this page
To Fry PerchTo Boil Herrings Plain