The Book of Household Management - Mrs. Isabella Beeton

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GREY MULLET.

284. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of salt to each gallon of water.

_Mode_.--If the fish be very large, it should be laid in cold water, and
gradually brought to a boil; if small, put it in boiling water, salted
in the above proportion. Serve with anchovy sauce and plain melted
butter.

_Time_.--According to size, 1/4 to 3/4 hour.

_Average cost_, 8d. per lb.

_Seasonable_ from July to October.

[Illustration: THE GREY MULLET.]

THE GREY MULLET.--This is quite a different fish from the red
mullet, is abundant on the sandy coasts of Great Britain, and
ascends rivers for miles. On the south coast it is very
plentiful, and is considered a fine fish. It improves more than
any other salt-water fish when kept in ponds.

RED MULLET.

285. INGREDIENTS.--Oiled paper, thickening of butter and flour, 1/2
teaspoonful of anchovy sauce, 1 glass of sherry; cayenne and salt to
taste.

_Mode_.--Clean the fish, take out the gills, but leave the inside, fold
in oiled paper, and bake them gently. When done, take the liquor that
flows from the fish, add a thickening of butter kneaded with flour; put
in the other ingredients, and let it boil for 2 minutes. Serve the sauce
in a tureen, and the fish, either with or without the paper cases.

_Time_.--About 25 minutes.

_Average cost_, 1s. each.

_Seasonable_ at any time, but more plentiful in summer.

_Note_.--Red mullet may be broiled, and should be folded in oiled paper,
the same as in the preceding recipe, and seasoned with pepper and salt.
They may be served without sauce; but if any is required, use melted
_butter_, Italian or anchovy sauce. They should never be plain boiled.

[Illustration: THE STRIPED RED MULLET.]

THE STRIPED RED MULLET.--This fish was very highly esteemed by
the ancients, especially by the Romans, who gave the most
extravagant prices for it. Those of 2 lbs. weight were valued at
about L15 each; those of 4 lbs. at L60, and, in the reign of
Tiberius, three of them were sold for L209. To witness the
changing loveliness of their colour during their dying agonies,
was one of the principal reasons that such a high price was paid
for one of these fishes. It frequents our Cornish and Sussex
coasts, and is in high request, the flesh being firm, white, and
well flavoured.

FRIED OYSTERS.

286. INGREDIENTS.--3 dozen oysters, 2 oz. butter, 1 tablespoonful of
ketchup, a little chopped lemon-peel, 1/2 teaspoonful of chopped
parsley.

_Mode_.--Boil the oysters for 1 minute in their own liquor, and drain
them; fry them with the butter, ketchup, lemon-peel, and parsley; lay
them on a dish, and garnish with fried potatoes, toasted sippets, and
parsley. This is a delicious delicacy, and is a favourite Italian dish.

_Time_.--5 minutes. _Average cost_ for this quantity, 1s. 9d.

_Seasonable_ from September to April.

_Sufficient_ for 4 persons.

[Illustration: THE EDIBLE OYSTER.]

THE EDIBLE OYSTER:--This shell-fish is almost universally
distributed near the shores of seas in all latitudes, and they
especially abound on the coasts of France and Britain. The
coasts most celebrated, in England, for them, are those of Essex
and Suffolk. Here they are dredged up by means of a net with an
iron scraper at the mouth, that is dragged by a rope from a boat
over the beds. As soon as taken from their native beds, they are
stored in pits, formed for the purpose, furnished with sluices,
through which, at the spring tides, the water is suffered to
flow. This water, being stagnant, soon becomes green in warm
weather; and, in a few days afterwards, the oysters acquire the
same tinge, which increases their value in the market. They do
not, however, attain their perfection and become fit for sale
till the end of six or eight weeks. Oysters are not considered
proper for the table till they are about a year and a half old;
so that the brood of one spring are not to be taken for sale,
till, at least, the September twelvemonth afterwards.

SCALLOPED OYSTERS.

I.

287. INGREDIENTS.--Oysters, say 1 pint, 1 oz. butter, flour, 2
tablespoonfuls of white stock, 2 tablespoonfuls of cream; pepper and
salt to taste; bread crumbs, oiled butter.

_Mode_.--Scald the oysters in their own liquor, take them out, beard
them, and strain the liquor free from grit. Put 1 oz. of batter into a
stewpan; when melted, dredge in sufficient flour to dry it up; add the
stock, cream, and strained liquor, and give one boil. Put in the oysters
and seasoning; let them gradually heat through, but not boil. Have ready
the scallop-shells buttered; lay in the oysters, and as much of the
liquid as they will hold; cover them over with bread crumbs, over which
drop a little oiled butter. Brown them in the oven, or before the fire,
and serve quickly, and very hot.

_Time_.--Altogether, 1/4 hour.

_Average cost_ for this quantity, 3s. 6d.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

II.

Prepare the oysters as in the preceding recipe, and put them in a
scallop-shell or saucer, and between each layer sprinkle over a few
bread crumbs, pepper, salt, and grated nutmeg; place small pieces of
butter over, and bake before the fire in a Dutch oven. Put sufficient
bread crumbs on the top to make a smooth surface, as the oysters should
not be seen.

_Time_.--About 1/4 hour.

_Average cost_, 3s. 2d.

_Seasonable_ from September to April.

STEWED OYSTERS.

288. INGREDIENTS.--1 pint of oysters, 1 oz. of butter, flour, 1/3 pint
of cream; cayenne and salt to taste; 1 blade of pounded mace.

_Mode_.--Scald the oysters in their own liquor, take them out, beard
them, and strain the liquor; put the butter into a stewpan, dredge in
sufficient flour to dry it up, add the oyster-liquor and mace, and stir
it over a sharp fire with a wooden spoon; when it comes to a boil, add
the cream, oysters, and seasoning. Let all simmer for 1 or 2 minutes,
but not longer, or the oysters would harden. Serve on a hot dish, and
garnish with croutons, or toasted sippets of bread. A small piece of
lemon-peel boiled with the oyster-liquor, and taken out before the cream
is added, will be found an improvement.

_Time_.--Altogether 15 minutes.

_Average cost_ for this quantity, 3s. 6d.

_Seasonable_ from September to April.

_Sufficient_ for 6 persons.

THE OYSTER AND THE SCALLOP.--The oyster is described as a
bivalve shell-fish, having the valves generally unequal. The
hinge is without teeth, but furnished with a somewhat oval
cavity, and mostly with lateral transverse grooves. From a
similarity in the structure of the hinge, oysters and scallops
hare been classified as one tribe; but they differ very
essentially both in their external appearance and their habits.
Oysters adhere to rocks, or, as in two or three species, to
roots of trees on the shore; while the scallops are always
detached, and usually lurk in the sand.

OYSTER PATTIES (an Entree).

289. INGREDIENTS.--2 dozen oysters, 2 oz. butter, 3 tablespoonfuls of
cream, a little lemon-juice, 1 blade of pounded mace; cayenne to taste.

_Mode_.--Scald the oysters in their own liquor, beard them, and cut each
one into 3 pieces. Put the butter into a stewpan, dredge in sufficient
flour to dry it up; add the strained oyster-liquor with the other
ingredients; put in the oysters, and let them heat gradually, but not
boil fast. Make the patty-cases as directed for lobster patties, No.
277: fill with the oyster mixture, and replace the covers.

_Time_.--2 minutes for the oysters to simmer in the mixture.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the patty-cases, 1s. 1d.

_Seasonable_ from September to April.

THE OYSTER FISHERY.--The oyster fishery in Britain is esteemed
of so much importance, that it is regulated by a Court of
Admiralty. In the month of May, the fishermen are allowed to
take the oysters, in order to separate the spawn from the
cultch, the latter of which is thrown in again, to preserve the
bed for the future. After this month, it is felony to carry away
the cultch, and otherwise punishable to take any oyster, between
the shells of which, when closed, a shilling will rattle.

TO KEEP OYSTERS.

290. Put them in a tub, and cover them with salt and water. Let them
remain for 12 hours, when they are to be taken out, and allowed to stand
for another 12 hours without water. If left without water every
alternate 12 hours, they will be much better than if constantly kept in
it. Never put the same water twice to them.

OYSTERS FRIED IN BATTER.

291. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 pint of oysters, 2 eggs, 1/2 pint of milk,
sufficient flour to make the batter; pepper and salt to taste; when
liked, a little nutmeg; hot lard.

_Mode_.--Scald the oysters in their own liquor, beard them, and lay them
on a cloth, to drain thoroughly. Break the eggs into a basin, mix the
flour with them, add the milk gradually, with nutmeg and seasoning, and
put the oysters in the batter. Make some lard hot in a deep frying-pan,
put in the oysters, one at a time; when done, take them up with a
sharp-pointed skewer, and dish them on a napkin. Fried oysters are
frequently used for garnishing boiled fish, and then a few bread crumbs
should be added to the flour.

_Time_.--5 or 6 minutes.

_Average cost_ for this quantity, 1s. 10d.

_Seasonable_ from September to April.

_Sufficient_ for 3 persons.

EXCELLENCE OF THE ENGLISH OYSTER.--The French assert that the
English oysters, which are esteemed the best in Europe, were
originally procured from Cancalle Bay, near St. Malo; but they
assign no proof for this. It is a fact, however, that the
oysters eaten in ancient Rome were nourished in the channel
which then parted the Isle of Thanet from England, and which has
since been filled up, and converted into meadows.

BOILED PERCH.

292. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of salt to each gallon of water.

_Mode_.--Scale the fish, take out the gills and clean it thoroughly; lay
it in boiling water, salted as above, and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
If the fish is very large, longer time must be allowed. Garnish with
parsley, and serve with plain melted butter, or Dutch sauce. Perch do
not preserve so good a flavour when stewed as when dressed in any other
way.

_Time_.--Middling-sized perch, 1/4 hour.

_Seasonable_ from September to November.

_Note_.--Tench may be boiled the same way, and served with the same
sauces.

[Illustration: THE PERCH.]

THE PERCH.--This is one of the best, as it is one of the most
common, of our fresh-water fishes, and is found in nearly all
the lakes and rivers in Britain and Ireland, as well as through
the whole of Europe within the temperate zone. It is extremely
voracious, and it has the peculiarity of being gregarious, which
is contrary to the nature of all fresh-water fishes of prey. The
best season to angle for it is from the beginning of May to the
middle of July. Large numbers of this fish are bred in the
Hampton Court and Bushy Park ponds, all of which are well
supplied with running water and with plenty of food; yet they
rarely attain a large size. In the Regent's Park they are also
very numerous; but are seldom heavier than three quarters of a
pound.

FRIED PERCH.

293. INGREDIENTS.--Egg and bread crumbs, hot lard.

_Mode_.--Scale and clean the fish, brush it over with egg, and cover
with bread crumbs. Have ready some boiling lard; put the fish in, and
fry a nice brown. Serve with plain melted butter or anchovy sauce.

_Time_.--10 minutes.

_Seasonable_ from September to November.

_Note_.--Fry tench in the same way.

PERCH STEWED WITH WINE.

294. INGREDIENTS.--Equal quantities of stock No. 105 and sherry, 1
bay-leaf, 1 clove of garlic, a small bunch of parsley, 2 cloves, salt to
taste; thickening of butter and flour, pepper, grated nutmeg, 1/2
teaspoonful of anchovy sauce.

_Mode_.--Scale the fish and take out the gills, and clean them
thoroughly; lay them in a stewpan with sufficient stock and sherry just
to cover them. Put in the bay-leaf, garlic, parsley, cloves, and salt,
and simmer till tender. When done, take out the fish, strain the liquor,
add a thickening of butter and flour, the pepper, nutmeg, and the
anchovy sauce, and stir it over the fire until somewhat reduced, when
pour over the fish, and serve.

_Time_.--About 20 minutes.

_Seasonable_ from September to November.

BOILED PIKE.

295. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of salt to each gallon of water; a little
vinegar.

_Mode_.--Scale and clean the pike, and fasten the tail in its mouth by
means of a skewer. Lay it in cold water, and when it boils, throw in the
salt and vinegar. The time for boiling depends, of course, on the size
of the fish; but a middling-sized pike will take about 1/2 an hour.
Serve with Dutch or anchovy sauce, and plain melted butter.

_Time_.--According to size, 1/2 to 1 hour.--_Average cost_. Seldom
bought.

_Seasonable_ from September to March.

[Illustration: THE PIKE.]

THE PIKE.--This fish is, on account of its voracity, termed the
freshwater shark, and is abundant in most of the European lakes,
especially those of the northern parts. It grows to an immense
size, some attaining to the measure of eight feet, in Lapland
and Russia. The smaller lakes, of this country and Ireland, vary
in the kinds of fish they produce; some affording trout, others
pike; and so on. Where these happen to be together, however, the
trout soon becomes extinct. "Within a short distance of
Castlebar," says a writer on sports, "there is a small bog-lake
called Derreens. Ten years ago it was celebrated for its
numerous well-sized trouts. Accidentally pike effected a passage
into the lake from the Minola river, and now the trouts are
extinct, or, at least, none of them are caught or seen. Previous
to the intrusion of the pikes, half a dozen trouts would be
killed in an evening in Derreens, whose collective weight often
amounted to twenty pounds." As an eating fish, the pike is in
general dry.

BAKED PIKE.

296. INGREDIENTS.--1 or 2 pike, a nice delicate stuffing (_see_
Forcemeats), 1 egg, bread crumbs, 1/4 lb. butter.

_Mode_.--Scale the fish, take out the gills, wash, and wipe it
thoroughly dry; stuff it with forcemeat, sew it up, and fasten the tail
in the mouth by means of a skewer; brush it over with egg, sprinkle with
bread crumbs, and baste with butter, before putting it in the oven,
which must be well heated. When the pike is of a nice brown colour,
cover it with buttered paper, as the outside would become too dry. If 2
are dressed, a little variety may be made by making one of them green
with a little chopped parsley mixed with the bread crumbs. Serve anchovy
or Dutch sauce, and plain melted butter with it.

_Time_.--According to size, 1 hour, more or less.

_Average cost_.--Seldom bought.

_Seasonable_ from September to March.

_Note_.--Pike _a la genevese_ may be stewed in the same manner as salmon
_a la genevese_.

FRIED PLAICE.

297.--INGREDIENTS.--Hot lard, or clarified dripping; egg and bread
crumbs.

_Mode_.--This fish is fried in the same manner as soles. Wash and wipe
them thoroughly dry, and let them remain in a cloth until it is time to
dress them. Brush them over with egg, and cover with bread crumbs mixed
with a little flour. Fry of a nice brown in hot dripping or lard, and
garnish with fried parsley and cut lemon. Send them to table with
shrimp-sauce and plain melted butter.

_Time_.--About 5 minutes. _Average cost_, 3d. each.

_Seasonable_ from May to November.

_Sufficient_, 4 plaice for 4 persons.

_Note_.--Plaice may be boiled plain, and served with melted butter.
Garnish with parsley and cut lemon.

STEWED PLAICE.

298. INGREDIENTS.--4 or 5 plaice, 2 onions, 1/2 oz. ground ginger, 1
pint of lemon-juice, 1/4 pint water, 6 eggs; cayenne to taste.

_Mode_.--Cut the fish into pieces about 2 inches wide, salt them, and
let them remain 1/4 hour. Slice and fry the onions a light brown; put
them in a stewpan, on the top of which put the fish without washing, and
add the ginger, lemon-juice, and water. Cook slowly for 1/2 hour, and do
not let the fish boil, or it will break. Take it out, and when the
liquor is cool, add 6 well-beaten eggs; simmer till it thickens, when
pour over the fish, and serve.

_Time_.--3/4 hour. _Average cost_ for this quantity, 1s. 9d.

_Seasonable_ from May to November.

_Sufficient_ for 4 persons; according to size.

[Illustration: THE PLAICE.]

THE PLAICE.--This fish is found both in the Baltic and the
Mediterranean, and is also abundant on the coast of England. It
keeps well, and, like all ground-fish, is very tenacious of
life. Its flesh is inferior to that of the sole, and, as it is a
low-priced fish, it is generally bought by the poor. The best
brought to the London market are called _Dowers plaice_, from
their being caught in the Dowers, or flats, between Hastings and
Folkstone.

TO BOIL PRAWNS OR SHRIMPS.

299. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. salt to each gallon of water.

_Mode_.--Prawns should be very red, and have no spawn under the tail;
much depends on their freshness and the way in which they are cooked.
Throw them into boiling water, salted as above, and keep them boiling
for about 7 or 8 minutes. Shrimps should be done in the same way; but
less time must be allowed. It may easily be known when they are done by
their changing colour. Care should be taken that they are not
over-boiled, as they then become tasteless and indigestible.

_Time_.--Prawns, about 8 minutes; shrimps, about 5 minutes.

_Average cost_, prawns, 2s. per lb.; shrimps, 6d. per pint.

_Seasonable_ all the year.

TO DRESS PRAWNS.

300. Cover a dish with a large cup reversed, and over that lay a small
white napkin. Arrange the prawns on it in the form of a pyramid, and
garnish with plenty of parsley.

BOILED SALMON.

301. INGREDIENTS.--6 oz. of salt to each gallon of water,--sufficient
water to cover the fish.

_Mode_.--Scale and clean the fish, and be particular that no blood is
left inside; lay it in the fish-kettle with sufficient cold water to
cover it, adding salt in the above proportion. Bring it quickly to a
boil, take off all the scum, and let it simmer gently till the fish is
done, which will be when the meat separates easily from the bone.
Experience alone can teach the cook to fix the time for boiling fish;
but it is especially to be remembered, that it should never be
underdressed, as then nothing is more unwholesome. Neither let it remain
in the kettle after it is sufficiently cooked, as that would render it
insipid, watery, and colourless. Drain it, and if not wanted for a few
minutes, keep it warm by means of warm cloths laid over it. Serve on a
hot napkin, garnish with cut lemon and parsley, and send lobster or
shrimp sauce, and plain melted butter to table with it. A dish of
dressed cucumber usually accompanies this fish.

_Time_.--8 minutes to each lb. for large thick salmon; 6 minutes for
thin fish. _Average cost_, in full season, 1s. 3d. per lb.

_Seasonable_ from April to August.

_Sufficient_, 1/2 lb., or rather less, for each person.

_Note_.--Cut lemon should be put on the table with this fish; and a
little of the juice squeezed over it is considered by many persons a
most agreeable addition. Boiled peas are also, by some connoisseurs,
considered especially adapted to be served with salmon.

TO CHOOSE SALMON.--To be good, the belly should be firm and thick, which
may readily be ascertained by feeling it with the thumb and finger. The
circumstance of this fish having red gills, though given as a standing
rule in most cookery-books, as a sign of its goodness, is not at all to
be relied on, as this quality can be easily given them by art.

SALMON AND CAPER SAUCE.

302. INGREDIENTS.--2 slices of salmon, 1/4 lb. batter, 1/2 teaspoonful
of chopped parsley, 1 shalot; salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg to taste.

_Mode_.--Lay the salmon in a baking-dish, place pieces of butter over
it, and add the other ingredients, rubbing a little of the seasoning
into the fish; baste it frequently; when done, take it out and drain for
a minute or two; lay it in a dish, pour caper sauce over it, and serve.
Salmon dressed in this way, with tomato sauce, is very delicious.

_Time_.--About 3/4 hour. _Average cost_, 1s. 3d. per lb.

_Seasonable_ from April to August.

_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.

THE MIGRATORY HABITS OF THE SALMON.--The instinct with which the
salmon revisits its native river, is one of the most curious
circumstances in its natural history. As the swallow returns
annually to its nest, so it returns to the same spot to deposit
its ova. This fact would seem to have been repeatedly proved. M.
De Lande fastened a copper ring round a salmon's tail, and found
that, for three successive seasons, it returned to the same
place. Dr. Bloch states that gold and silver rings have been
attached by eastern princes to salmon, to prove that a
communication existed between the Persian Gulf and the Caspian
and Northern Seas, and that the experiment succeeded.

COLLARED SALMON.

303. INGREDIENTS.--A piece of salmon, say 3 lbs., a high seasoning of
salt, pounded mace, and pepper; water and vinegar, 3 bay-leaves.

_Mode_.--Split the fish; scale, bone, and wash it thoroughly clean; wipe
it, and rub in the seasoning inside and out; roll it up, and bind
firmly; lay it in a kettle, cover it with vinegar and water (1/3
vinegar, in proportion to the water); add the bay-leaves and a good
seasoning of salt and whole pepper, and simmer till done. Do not remove
the lid. Serve with melted butter or anchovy sauce. For preserving the
collared fish, boil up the liquor in which it was cooked, and add a
little more vinegar. Pour over when cold.

_Time_.--3/4 hour, or rather more.

HABITAT OF THE SALMON.--The salmon is styled by Walton the "king
of fresh-water fish," and is found distributed over the north of
Europe and Asia, from Britain to Kamschatka, but is never found
in warm latitudes, nor has it ever been caught even so far south
as the Mediterranean. It lives in fresh as well as in salt
waters, depositing its spawn in the former, hundreds of miles
from the mouths of some of those rivers to which it has been
known to resort. In 1859, great efforts were made to introduce
this fish into the Australian colonies; and it is believed that
the attempt, after many difficulties, which were very skilfully
overcome, has been successful.

CRIMPED SALMON.

304. Salmon is frequently dressed in this way at many fashionable
tables, but must be very fresh, and cut into slices 2 or 3 inches thick.
Lay these in cold salt and water for 1 hour; have ready some boiling
water, salted, as in recipe No. 301, and well skimmed; put in the fish,
and simmer gently for 1/4 hour, or rather more; should it be very thick,
garnish the same as boiled salmon, and serve with the same sauces.

_Time_.--1/4 hour, more or less, according to size.

_Note_.--Never use vinegar with salmon, as it spoils the taste and
colour of the fish.

[Illustration: THE SALMON.]

THE SALMON TRIBE.--This is the Abdominal fish, forming the
fourth of the orders of Linnaeus. They are distinguished from
the other fishes by having two dorsal fins, of which the
hindmost is fleshy and without rays. They have teeth both on the
tongue and in the jaws, whilst the body is covered with round
and minutely striated scales.

CURRIED SALMON.

305. INGREDIENTS.--Any remains of boiled salmon, 3/4 pint of strong or
medium stock (No. 105), 1 onion, 1 tablespoonful of curry-powder, 1
teaspoonful of Harvey's sauce, 1 teaspoonful of anchovy sauce, 1 oz. of
butter, the juice of 1/2 lemon, cayenne and salt to taste.

_Mode_.--Cut up the onions into small pieces, and fry them of a pale
brown in the butter; add all the ingredients but the salmon, and simmer
gently till the onion is tender, occasionally stirring the contents; cut
the salmon into small square pieces, carefully take away all skin and
bone, lay it in the stewpan, and let it gradually heat through; but do
not allow it to boil long.

_Time_.--3/4 hour. _Average cost_, exclusive of the cold fish, 9d.

GROWTH OF THE SALMON.--At the latter end of the year--some as
soon as November--salmon begin to press up the rivers as far as
they can reach, in order to deposit their spawn, which they do
in the sand or gravel, about eighteen inches deep. Here it lies
buried till the spring, when, about the latter end of March, it
begins to exclude the young, which gradually increase to four or
five inches in length, and are then termed smelts or smouts.
About the beginning of May, the river seems to be alive with
them, and there is no forming an idea of their numbers without
having seen them. A seasonable flood, however, comes, and
hurries them to the "great deep;" whence, about the middle of
June, they commence their return to the river again. By this
time they are twelve or sixteen inches long, and progressively
increase, both in number and size, till about the end of July,
when they have become large enough to be denominated _grilse_.
Early in August they become fewer in numbers, but of greater
size, haying advanced to a weight of from six to nine pounds.
This rapidity of growth appears surprising, and realizes the
remark of Walton, that "the salmlet becomes a salmon in as short
a time as a gosling becomes a goose." Recent writers have,
however, thrown considerable doubts on this quick growth of the
salmon.