Crimp a small pike, it must not weigh more than two pounds, but smaller if you can get it, and proceed exactly as for Sole à la meunière (No. 260), but allow it more time.
No. 348. Pike with caper sauce.
Boil the fish as before, and have ready caper sauce made as follows: put fifteen tablespoonfuls of melted butter in a stewpan, and when it boils add a quarter of a pound of fresh butter; when it melts, add two tablespoonfuls of liaison (No. 119); let it remain on the fire to thicken, but do not let it boil; moisten with a little milk if required, then add two tablespoonfuls of capers, and pour over the fish.
No. 349. Pike à la Maître d’Hôtel.
Boil the fish as usual, and dish it without a napkin; then put twelve tablespoonfuls of melted butter in a stewpan; and when it is upon the point of boiling, add a quarter of a pound of maître d’hôtel butter, and when it melts pour over and round the fish; serve very hot.
No. 350. Pike à l’Egyptienne.
Cut two onions, two turnips, one carrot, one head of celery, and one leek into slices; put them into a large stewpan with some parsley, thyme, bay-leaves, and a pint of port wine; then have your fish ready trussed, with its tail in its mouth; put it into the stewpan, with the vegetables; add three pints of broth, and set it on a slow fire to stew, with some live charcoal upon the lid; try, when done, by running the knife close in to the back bone; if the meat detaches easily, it is done; take it out, and place on a baking sheet; dry it with a cloth, then egg and bread-crumb it; put it in the oven, and salamander it a light brown; then put twenty tablespoonfuls of white sauce (No. 7) in a stewpan, with eight of milk, and reduce it five minutes; then add four gherkins, the whites of four hard-boiled eggs, and two truffles, cut in very small dice; finish with two tablespoonfuls of essence of anchovies, the juice of half a lemon, and four pats of butter; dress the fish without a napkin, and sauce over.
No. 351. Fillets of Pike à la Maître d’Hôtel.
Fillet three small pike and dress them in the manner described in Fillets of mackerel à la Vénitienne (No. 307); dress them round on a dish without a napkin, and sauce over with the same sauce as Pike à la maître d’hôtel.