Eels.
Kill them by knocking their heads upon a block or anything hard; then take the head in your hand with a cloth, and just cut through the skin round the neck, and turn it down about an inch; then pull the head with one hand and the skin with the other, it will come off with facility; open the belly and take out the inside; cut off the fins and those bristles that run up the back; if the eel is large and oily, hold it over a charcoal fire, moving it quickly all the while; but the small ones will not require it. Nothing is harder to kill than eels; and it is only by killing, or rather stunning them in the manner above described that they suffer the least.
Lampreys
Are cleaned in the same manner as eels, but do not require skinning.
POISSONS.
No. 203. Turbot, to boil.
A turbot must be well rubbed over with salt and lemon before it is put in the water; have ready a large turbot-kettle half full of cold water, and to every six quarts of water, put one pound of salt, lay the fish in and place it over a moderate fire; a turbot of eight pounds may be allowed to simmer twenty minutes or rather more, thus it will be about three quarters of an hour altogether in the water; when it begins to crack very slightly, lift it up with the drainer and cover a clean white napkin over it; if you intend serving the sauce over your fish, dish it up without a napkin; if not, dish it upon a napkin and have ready some good sprigs of double parsley to garnish it with, and serve very hot.
No. 204. Turbot à la Crème.
Cook the turbot as above and dish it without a napkin, (but be careful that it is well drained before you place it on the dish, and absorb what water runs from the fish with a napkin, for that liquor would spoil your sauce, and cause it to lose that creamy substance which it ought to retain; this remark applies to all kinds of fish that is served up with the sauce over it); then put one pint of cream on the fire in a good sized stewpan, and when it is nearly simmering add half a pound of fresh butter, and stir it as quickly as possible until the butter is melted, but the cream must not boil; then add a liaison of three yolks of eggs, season with a little salt, pepper, and lemon juice, pour as much over the turbot as will cover it, and serve the remainder in a boat; or if not approved of, dish the fish on a napkin, garnish with parsley, and serve the sauce in a boat. This sauce must not be made until the moment it is wanted.