3 lbs. fish, 2 small onions, 2 tablespoonfuls sweet oil, 1 pint cold water, nutmeg and ginger, pepper and salt to taste, a pinch of powdered saffron, juice of 3 lemons, 1 tablespoonful flour, 2 eggs; (for the balls) a piece of cod’s-liver, chopped parsley, bread-crumbs.
Chop the onions, stew till tender in the oil in a stew-pan, take out one-third for balls, add the fish and water, season with salt, pepper, ginger and nutmeg. When the liquor boils, place the balls (see below) on the top of the fish and cook ¼ hour, then draw the stew-pan to the side of the fire. Mix the flour to a smooth paste with a little cold water in a separate basin, add the lemon-juice, 1 whole egg and 1 yolk beaten, the saffron, and mix all well together. Take a pint of the fish-liquor from the stew-pan, add this gradually to the contents of the basin, stirring all the time. When thoroughly mixed, pour it back into the stew pan, from which must previously be taken some of the fish-liquor, if there seem too much. Tilt the stew-pan backwards and forwards till the sauce has thickened sufficiently. Serve hot or cold, with the sauce poured over the fish and balls, and garnish with parsley and slices of lemon.
To make the balls: Chop the cod’s-liver very fine; add the remainder of the onion chopped fine, parsley, white of egg beaten, pepper, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and sufficient bread-crumbs to make them the right stiffness.
SIMPLE WAYS OF USING COLD COOKED FISH.
Curried Fish. Time—1 hour.
1 lb. cold cooked fish, 1 apple or stick of rhubarb, 2 oz. butter, 2 onions, 1 pint water or fish liquor, 1 tablespoonful curry powder, 1 tablespoonful flour, 1 teaspoonful lemon-juice or vinegar; salt and pepper to taste.
Peel and cut up the onions and apple, or rhubarb; fry till brown in hot butter. Add the curry powder, flour, salt and pepper, and stir the water or fish-liquor in gradually; boil this all up and simmer gently for half-an-hour, then add the lemon-juice or vinegar; strain, and return to the saucepan with the fish cut into neat pieces to get thoroughly hot. Serve the curry in a border of boiled rice (see [page 35]).
A Fish Cake. Time—1 hour.
½ lb. cold cooked fish, 2 oz. bread-crumbs, 1 onion, ½ oz. butter; pepper and salt to taste; ½ gill milk or fish-liquor, 1 teaspoonful chopped parsley, 1 egg, raspings (see [page x].).