Choose the fish with a black skin, and be particular in soaking it well; to boil, put it in a fish-kettle with plenty of cold water, place it over the fire, and the moment it boils take it off, put the cover on the kettle and let it simmer a few minutes, but if it boils the fish would be hard and thready, when done dish it on a napkin, garnish with plain boiled parsnips and parsley, and serve egg sauce (No. 76) in a boat.
No. 285. Salt Cod à la Maître d’Hôtel.
Boil a nice square piece of fish as above directed, dish it without a napkin, and have ready the following sauce: put twenty tablespoonfuls of melted butter in a stewpan, and when it boils add a quarter of a pound of maître d’hôtel butter (No. 79), stir it till it becomes smooth, and pour the sauce over.
No. 286. Salt Fish à la Bourgmestre.
Boil a square piece of fish as above, dish it without a napkin, then melt a quarter of a pound of fresh butter in a stewpan over the fire, and when half melted add a little pepper, a little scraped garlic, the juice of half a lemon, and when very hot four hard-boiled eggs cut in slices, pour over the fish.
No. 287. Red Mullets à l’Italienne.
Of all fish this is one of the most recherché when in good order, it is of a nice red colour, and the eyes look very bright.
Make a paper box the length of the fish, then oil the box and lay in the fish, season it with a little pepper, salt, chopped parsley, and lemon juice, and pour two tablespoonfuls of white sauce (No. 7) over each, then put it or them, (if more than one) in a moderate oven and bake twenty minutes or half an hour, according to the size, and when done, slightly brown them with the salamander; serve them in the paper boxes with an Italian sauce (No. 31) poured over them.
No. 288. Red Mullets à la Vénitienne.
Put into a deep sauté-pan a tablespoonful of chopped eschalots, one ditto of chopped parsley, one ditto of chopped tarragon, one of chopped mushrooms, two of salad oil, and four of sherry; then lay in four nice mullets, (well cleaned), season with a little pepper and salt, cover them with a sheet of white paper, and place them in a slow oven for an hour, turn them over and dress them in a dish without a napkin; then put twelve tablespoonfuls of brown sauce (No. 1), with one of essence of anchovy, and a little sugar, boil it about ten minutes and pour over the fish.