Pike a la Godard

Ingredients

• a fine pike
• fine twine
• buttered paper
• cold water
• one hundred crayfish
• two tablespoons butter
• seasoning of pepper, spices, etc.

Method

1. 1

   Remove the inside of the pike, scald in water to strip the skin.

2. 2

   Tie the head with twine, wrap in buttered paper, and cover with cold water in a fish kettle.

3. 3

   Prepare quenelles with bread-crumbs, herbs, oysters, anchovies, suet, cream, and eggs, pound together, mold into balls, and poach in salted boiling water.

4. 4

   Garnish the pike with crayfish and quenelles.

As published

This recipe was extracted from The new practical housekeeping (1890) by Estelle Woods Wilcox, page 208. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

Pi&e a la Godard. — The inside of a fine pike must be removed through the gills, and the fish put into scalding water in order that the skin may be stripped off easily ; also tie the head with fine twine. Wrap the fish in buttered paper, put it into a fish-kettie and cover with cold water. When pike la done, which can be told by touching it gently, drain it and garnish with cray-fish, which are simply the homely craw-fish, and quenelles of forcemeat made a» follows : Take one teacup bread-crumbs, one teaspoon minced savory herbs, eight oysters, two anchovies (or omit the latter), two ounces suet ; salt, pepper, end pounded mace to taste ; six table- spoons of cream or mnk, and two egea) Beard and mince the oys- ters, prepare and mix the other ingredients, and when properly pre- pared, pound all together in a mortar for some time; for the more qnenellea are pounded, the more delicate they are. Now moisten with the eggs, whites and yolks, and continue pounding, adding a seasoning of pepper, spices, Ac. When the whole is well blended together, mold into baJls, roll in flour, and poach in boiling water FISH. 249 ' to which a little salt has been added. If the quenelles are not firm ■enough, add the yolk of another egg, but omit the white, which only makes them hollow and puflfy inside, and whites may be omitted altogether. In the preparation of the quenelles the ingredients are to be well pounded and seasoned, foi this is the secret of the French quenelles ; when they are wished very small, extreme delicacy will be necessary in their preparation. Their flavor may be varied by using^ the flesh of rabbit, fowl, hare, pheasant or grouse, with the addition of mushroom, parsley, etc. Prepare the crayfish by throw- ing into boiling water, to which has been added a good seasoning of salt and a little vinegar. When done, which will be in fifteen minutes, take out and drain them. Let them cool, arrange around the fish as illustrated, alternately with the quenelles. This fish is also nice for garnishing boiled turkey, boiled fowl, calPs head, and all kinds of boiled fish. It should be oftener employed for the delicious soup it makes than it at present is, and housewives should excite a de- mand for it among the fishmongers and a supply would soon be forthcoming. Thev are also nice as Potted CrayAsh. Boil one hun- dred crayfish in salt and water ; pick out all the meat and pound it in a mortar to paste. Whilst pounding, add two tablespoons butter

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