EIGHT WAYS TO COOK BLACKFISH
BLACKFISH À L'AMERICAINE
Draw two large blackfish, trim, and clean thoroughly. Put into a baking-dish with two chopped onions fried in butter. Add two cupfuls of cold water and half a cupful of Port wine. Season with salt and pepper, a pinch of powdered cloves, mace, allspice, and thyme, two bay-leaves, a small bunch of parsley, and two leeks. Cover tightly and cook for an hour. Lift out the fish and strain the liquid. Thicken it with a tablespoonful of butter, blended with an equal quantity of flour. Bring to the boil, add two tablespoonfuls of butter, and minced parsley and lemon-juice to season. Pour over the fish and serve.
BLACKFISH WITH FINE HERBS
Put the cleaned fish into a baking-dish with chopped onions, parsley and mushrooms. Gash the fish and fill the incisions with butter and chopped onion. Moisten with equal parts of white wine and stock, cover with buttered paper, and cook in a moderate oven for half an hour, basting frequently. Take out the fish, strain the sauce, and add stock to make the necessary quantity. Thicken with a tablespoonful of butter rolled in flour, and pour over the fish. Cover with crumbs, dot with butter, and brown in the oven. Sprinkle with lemon-juice before serving.
BROILED BLACKFISH WITH CHILLI SAUCE
Clean the fish, season with salt and pepper, rub with oil, and broil slowly. Fry in butter a chopped shallot and two chilli peppers. Add two chopped tomatoes, a wineglassful of Catawba wine, and a cupful of stock. Boil to the consistency of a thick sauce, add two tablespoonfuls of butter and a little chopped parsley. Spread over the fish.
MATELOTE OF BLACKFISH
Cover four pounds of cleaned blackfish with equal parts of Claret and water. Add salt and pepper to season, two small cloves of garlic, two onions sliced, and a bunch of parsley. Boil for half an hour and strain the liquid. Thicken it with two tablespoonfuls of butter blended with a little flour. Add two tablespoonfuls of butter, a tablespoonful of anchovy paste, and lemon-juice to season. Strain over the fish and garnish with fresh fried mushrooms and small white onions sprinkled with sugar and fried brown in clarified butter.