Boiled John Dorey

Ingredients

• John Dorey
• three ounces of onion
• some parsley
• plenty of pepper
• plenty of salt
• milk
• water

Method

1. 1

   Boil the John Dorey in a broth made from its head and trimmings for about twenty minutes.

2. 2

   Serve with Dutch sauce.

3. 3

   Alternatively, fillet the fish, simmer in a strained broth for fourteen minutes.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated from matched ingredients across 2 servings.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Mrs. Roundell's Practical cookery book (1898) by Roundell, Charles Mrs, page 49. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

water (it should be iced salt and water), and they must be lifted out with a perforated slice. Flour a cloth with fine flour, as this is more absorbent than coarse flour. Lay the Whitebait on the cloth, and with a fork gently separate them from each other. Sprinkle more flour over them, so that they may be floured all over, and let them rest and dry. Turn them out on a wire-sieve, shake it to remove superfluous flour, but do not let the Whitebait touch each other. Have ready a bath of boiling clarified suet at least three inches deep, and see that it is at a fierce heat, 400 degrees. (See Frying1.) Put the Whitebait into the frying-basket with a slice, and be careful to put in only as many as can be thoroughly immersed at once. Fry them for three minutes, lift up the basket, drain the Whitebait over the hot suet, shake them, and turn them out to dry on a hot sieve, or a hot cloth, or on blotting-paper. Do this two hour’s before the Whitebait are wanted. When time to serve them fry them S2 SEA FISH a second time for two minutes, dust a little salt over them, and drain and dry as before. The Whitebait must not be allowed to turn brown. Whitebait are much best when fried “at twice” in this way, as they are sure to be crisp. But if it is not convenient to fry them twice let them remain motionless in the boiling suet for three minutes, then shake the basket or stir the Whitebait apart, leave them quiet for two minutes more, and then give another shake or stir. Five minutes ought quite to cook the Whitebait. Be most careful as to the heat of the suet, or the Whitebait will be flabby. Serve with quarters of lemon, brown bread and butter, and cayenne pepper. If any Whitebait are left they can be again fried for a minute, and served at breakfast. It seems a pity to devil Whitebait, as to do so destroys their flavour. But if liked, prepare the Whitebait as above, drain and dry them, and when very hot dust them well with black pepper and Nepaul pepper, and sprinkle them with salt. Sprats. — Sprats are in season from Lord Mayor’s Day until April. They are seldom more than five inches long, and are often mistaken for young herrings. However, Sprats can always be recognised by their having no teeth on their palate. Fresh Sprats are very good, cooked like whitebait, and served in the same way. They will take ten minutes to fry, and must be scaled before they are cooked. Or Sprats can be threaded on a skewer and broiled over a clear fire, turning them occasionally. Unlike whitebait, Sprats must be cleaned, and this is done by pulling out the gills and what comes with them, as with smelts. Dried Spi'ats are sometimes liked. To cook these, rub them with a soft cloth, cut off the heads and tails, and fry them. Fry one side for two minutes, then turn and fry the other side. Serve very hot. Potted Sprats always taste of garlic (see Garlic), and few people like them. Pilchards or Sardines. — Pilchards, as they are called in England, and Sardines, as they are called in France, are a species of Herring. Sardines are young Pilchards. Pilchards are found in immense quantities in the English Channel (where the Pilchard Fishery in July, August and September, is of PILCHARDS OR SARDINES 33 great importance), but they do not come further north. A Pilchard is full grown at three years of age, and is then ten inches long ; it is distinguished from the herring by its tooth- less palate, and by several other characteristics. Fresh Pilchards are cooked like Herrings, but they are very oily. Salted Pilchards are a necessary of life in Cornish households during the winter. Cornishmen now do a large trade in Cornish Sardines, having learnt the French method of preparing them. Vast shoals of Pilchards visit Japan, and the coasts of Otago in the Southern Island of New Zealand during the early spring. There is no reason why both these countries should not have valuable Sardine manufactories of their own. (For Sardines see chapter on Savouries.) John Dorey. — The colours of this fish are beautiful, although it has a large and ugly head. It is also called St. Peter’s Fish, as the prominent dark spot upon its side is supposed by the Mediterranean fishermen to represent the piece of tribute-money which Peter took from the mouth of a fish. Northern fishermen, however, say that it was the Haddock, which has a round black spot near its head, which Peter caught. The name John Dorey is a corruption of Janitore, or Janitor , St. Peter’s title as the keeper of the gate of heaven. It is a mistake to suppose the name to be taken from the French words Jaune Doree,'on account of the golden yellow colour of the fish. Jobn Dorey is not a very abundant fish in northern seas, although it is frequently met with off the coast of Cornwall and Devonshire. It sometimes weighs twelve pounds, but the flesh is then coarse. The Dorey is best when under eight pounds. It is in season from July to the spring, but is best in February and March. John Dorey is best plainly cooked. It can be boiled in a broth made of its own bony head and other trimmings, and will take about twenty minutes. Serve Dutch sauce with it. Or it can be filleted. For this make a strong broth of the bones and trimmings, with three ounces of onion, some parsley, and plenty of pepper and salt. Simmer this for half an hour, cover with milk

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.