5. Haddock and Potato.
Get a good sized smoked haddock; put it in the oven for a few minutes till it is cooked enough to handle, remove the skin and bone, flake it, and mix it with mashed potatoes, three ounces of butter, the grated peel of half a lemon, a little lemon thyme, some grated nutmeg, and salt and Nepaul pepper to taste. Put it in a greased pie dish; smooth the top, and score it with a fork, and bake a nice brown.
6. Skate Fricassee.
Cut up an onion into rings, chop one bead of garlic, fry in two ounces of butter with twelve cloves and two bay-leaves, a pale yellow. Add half a pint of milk, draw it aside, and let the milk cook very gently ten minutes; strain. Now mix smooth a tablespoon of flour with a little cold milk; pour it into the other just as it is boiling up; stir till it thickens. Add one pound of filleted skate, the grated rind of half a lemon, a grated nutmeg; let it cook gently till the fish is done. When a little cool, i.e., when it is off the boil, add the yolk of an egg well beaten, and salt and Nepaul pepper to taste. Stir well, and thoroughly warm it, taking care the egg does not curdle; it is best to put the pan into a larger one containing hot water; this prevents the curdling of the egg. Serve this with a dish of mashed potatoes, or potato snow. It is a delicate and delicious dish and, skate being very nutritious, it is well suited for an invalid.
7. Skate Stew (Brown).
Cut up an onion into thin rings, chop two beads of garlic, and fry, in three ounces of butter with one tablespoon of flour and twelve cloves, a nice brown, quite a rich colour, then add half a pint of water, a blade of mace, a stick of cinnamon, the grated rind of half a lemon, three bay-leaves; stir, and let it thicken well, then add two tablespoons of mushroom ketchup, Nepaul pepper and salt to taste; let it simmer very gently for half an hour; strain, put it back in the pan, and add one pound of nicely crimped skate to the sauce; let the fish cook very gently until done, which will take from twenty minutes to half an hour. Serve with sippets of fried bread and parsley round the dish.
8. Brown Oyster Stew.
Make the sauce just the same as in preceding recipe, only add the juice of the oysters to it; strain, and add the oysters themselves. A few drops of tarragon and Chili vinegar are an improvement, and the juice of half a lemon. This is a delicate dish, and much liked.
9. Lobster Cutlets.
Well pound the flesh of a good fresh lobster in a mortar (the best brand of tin lobster will answer as well), mix with it about two ounces of butter, one small cup of bread crumbs, salt and Nepaul pepper to taste, the grated rind of a lemon and half a nutmeg grated, mix all together with two well beaten eggs; form into cutlet shapes, and egg and bread crumb them, fry a golden brown in boiling fat or butter. Lay them on a sieve to drain off any fat there may be. Serve neatly on a dish, and decorate with fried bread and parsley.