Roes of Cod or Shad Stewed.
Wash the roes, and parboil in water with a little vinegar, pepper, and salt added. It should be at a hard boil when the roes go in. Boil five minutes, lay in very cold water for two, wipe, and transfer to a clean saucepan, with enough melted butter to half cover them. Set it in a vessel of boiling water, cover closely, and let it stew gently ten minutes. Should it boil too fast the roes will shrink and toughen. While they are stewing prepare the—
Sauce.
1 cup of boiling water.
2 teaspoonfuls corn-starch, or rice flour, mixed in cold water.
1 table-spoonful of butter.
1 teaspoonful chopped parsley.
1 teaspoonful anchovy sauce, or good catsup.
Juice of half a lemon.
Beaten yolks of two eggs.
Salt and cayenne pepper.
Stir the corn-starch smoothly into the boiling water, and set it over the fire, stirring constantly until it thickens up well. Add pepper, salt, butter, and parsley; mix well together, put in the lemon-juice and catsup, lastly the roes, which should have been frequently turned in the melted butter. Set within a vessel of boiling water for about eight minutes, but do not let the roes and sauce boil fast. Take them up, lay on a flat, hot dish; add to the sauce the beaten yolks, stir fast and well over the fire for two minutes, pour over the roes, and serve.
Should the receipt for so simple a dish seem needlessly prolix, I beg the reader to remember that I have made it minute to save her time and trouble.