pescatariannut-freeegg-freesoy-free
Stewed Eels
From Modern cookery, in all its branches, 1884
Serves 1
Very sweet thick cream is preferable to clotted cream for this dish.
Presented as published in 1884. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation below, not the original instructions.
A modern interpretation · AI-generated from the original record
Ingredients
Method
As published
This recipe was extracted from Modern cookery, in all its branches (1884) by Eliza Acton, page 101. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.
two or three fine eels, cut them into short lengths, and just cover them with cold water; add sufficient salt and cayenne to season them, and stew them very softly indeed from fifteen to twenty minutes, or longer should they require it. When they are nearly done, strew over them a teaspoonful of minced parsley, thicken the sauce with a teaspoonful of flour mixed with a slice of butter, and add a quarter of a pint or more of clotted cream. Give the whole a boil, lift the fish into a hot dish, and stir briskly the juice of half a lemon into the sauce; pour it upon the eels, and serve them immediately: Very sweet thick cream is, we think, preferable to clotted cream for this dish. The sauce should be of a good consistence, and a dessertspoonful of flour will be needed for a large dish of the stew, and from one and a half to two ounces of butter. The size of the fish must determine the precise quantity of liquid and of seasoning which they will require. RED HERRINGS, A LA DAUPHIN. Take off the heads, open the backs of the fish, and remove the back-bones : soak the herrings, should they be very dry, for two or three hours in warm milk and water, drain and wipe them. Dissolve a slice of fresh butter, and mix it with the beaten yolks of a couple of eggs and some savoury herbs minced small : dip the fish into these, and spread them thickly with fine bread crumbs ; broil them of a light brown, over a moderate fire, and serve them on hot buttered toasts, sprinkled with a little cayenne. RED HERRINGS, COMMON ENGLISH MODE. This fish is rendered infinitely more delicate by pouring boiling water on it before it is dressed, and leaving it to soak for half an hour, or more, should it be highly dried. The fresh Yarmouth bloaters do not require this. Cut off the heads and tails, open the herrings at the back, and warm them through before the fire, or upon the grid- iron. They may be rubbed with a bit of cold butter, and seasoned with a slight sprinkling of pepper or cayenne, when these are liked, or served quite plain. ANCHOVIES FRIED IN BATTER. Scrape very clean a dozen or more of fine anchovies, and soak them in plenty of spring water from two to six hours : then wipe them dry, open them, and take out the back-bones, without dividing the fish. Season the insides highly with cayenne, close the anchovies, dip them into the French batter of Chapter V., or into a light English batter, and fry them a pale amber-colour : in from fcur to five minutes they will be quite sufficiently done. CHAP. III.] FISH, 85 CHAPTER ill. Disjits of #kll-/islr- OYSTERS. [In season from September to April.] The old-fashioned plan of feeding oysters with a sprinkling of oat- meal or flour, in addition to the salt and water to which they were committed, has long been rejected by all genuine amateurs of these nutritious and excellent fish, who consider the plumpness which the oysters are supposed to gain from the process, but poor compensation for the flavour which they are sure to lose. To cleanse them when they first come up from the beds, and to keep them in good condi- tion for four or five days, they only require to be covered with cold water, with five ounces of salt to the gallon dissolved in it before it is poured on them ; this should be changed with regularity every twenty- four hours. By following this plan with exactness they may be kept alive from a week to ten days, but will remain in perfect condition scarcely more than half that time. Oysters should be eaten always the instant they are opened. Abroad they are served before the soup in the 86 MODERN COOKERY. [chap. hi. first course of a dinner, arranged usually in as many plates as there are guests at table. In England they are sometimes served after the soup. A sense of appropriateness must determine how far the variations of fashion should be followed in such matters. Obs. — We were accustomed formerly to have the brine which was supplied to oysters intended to be kept for some days, changed twice in the twenty-four hours ; but we were informed by an oyster mercham in an extensive business that once was sufficient. TO SCALLOP OYSTERS. Large coarse oysters should never be dressed in this wa}r. Select small plump ones for the purpose, let them be opened carefully, give them a scald in their own liquor, wash them in it free from grit, and beard them neatly. Butter the scallop shells and shake some fine bread-crumbs over them ; fill them with alternate layers of oysters, crumbs of bread, and fresh butter cut into small bits ; pour in the oyster-liquor, after it has been strained, put a thick, smooth layer of bread-crumbs on the top, moisten them with clarified butter,* place the shells in a Dutch oven before a clear fire, and turn them often until the tops are equally and lightly browned: send them immedi- ately to table. Some persons like a little white pepper or cayenne, and a flavour- ing of nutmeg added to the oysters ; others prefer pounded mace. French cooks recommend with them a mixture of minced mushrooms stewed in butter till quite tender, and sweet herbs finely chopped. The fish is sometimes laid into the shells after having been bearded only. SCALLOPED OYSTERS 1 LA REINE. Plump and beard the oysters, after having rinsed them well in their own strained liquor ; add to this about an equal quantity of very rich white sauce, and thicken it, if needful, with half a teaspoon- ful of flour, mixed with a small slice of butter, or with as much arrow- root only ; put in the oysters, and keep them at the point of simmering for three or four minutes : lay them into the shells, and cover the tops thickly with crumbs fried a delicate brown and well dried ; or heap over them instead, a layer of fine crumbs ; pour cla- rified butter on them, and brown them with a salamander TO STEW OYSTERS. A pint of small plump oysters will be sufficient for a quite mode- rate-sized dish, but twice as many will be required for a large one. Let them be very carefully opened, and not mangled in the slightest degree ; wash them free from grit in their own strained liquor, lay Common cooks merely stick small bits of butter on them. CHAP. III.] FISH. 87 them into a very clean stewpan or well -tinned saucepan, strain the liquor a second time, pour it on them, and heat them slowly in it. When they are just beginning to simmer, lift them out with a slice or a bored wooden spoon, and take off the beards ; add to the liquor a quarter of a pint of good cream
Read the full page as publishedCollapse the page
Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.