199. Sturgeon

If for boiling take off the skin, which is very rich and oily; cut in slices; season with pepper and salt; broil over a clear fire; rub over each slice a bit of butter, and serve with no other accompaniment than lemon; or the slices may be dipped in seasoning or force meat, twisted in buttered white paper, and so broiled, for sauce, serve melted butter with catsup. Garnish with sliced emon, as the juice is generally used with the fish.

200. Roast Sturgeon

A piece of sturgeon may be tied securely on a spit, and roasted. Keep it constantly basted with butter, and when nearly done dredge with bread crumbs. When the flakes begin to separate, it is done. It will take about half an hour before a brisk fire. Serve with good gravy, thickened with butter and flour, and enriched with an anchovy, a glass of sherry wine, and the juice of half a Seville orange or lemon.

201. Stewed Sturgeon

Take enough gravy to cover the fish; set it on with a table-spoonful of salt, a few corns of black pepper, a bunch of sweet herbs, an onion or two, scraped horse-radish, and a glass of vinegar. Let this boil a few minutes; then set it aside to become pretty cool; then add the fish; let it come gradually to boil; and then stew gently till the fish begins to break. Take it off immediately; keep the fish warm; strain the gravy, and thicken with a good piece of butter; add a glass of port or sherry wine, a grate of nutmeg, and a little lemon juice. Simmer till it thickens, and then pour over the fish. Sauce, anchovy.

202. Mackerel, Boiled

Put them on with cold water and salt. When the kettle boils, set it aside, but watch it closely, and take up the moment the eyes begin to start, and the tail to split. Sauce, parsley and butter (fennel), or roe sauce, or gooseberry sauce. Garnish, fennel and slices of lemon.

205. Skate And Thornback

These fish (like cod) are frequently crimped, that is, slashed in slices, by which means the meat contracts, and becomes more firm as the watery particles escape. Cut them in pieces, and boil in salt and water; serve with anchovy sauce; or they may be fried with egg and bread crumbs, as soles; or stewed as soles.

206. Smelts, Gudgeons, Sprats, Or Other Small Fish, Fried

Clean and dry them thoroughly in a cloth, fry them plain, or beat an egg on a plate, dip them in it, and then in very fine bread crumbs, that have been rubbed through a sieve: the smaller the fish, the finer should be the bread crumbs - biscuit powder is still better; fry them in plenty of clean lard or dripping; as soon as the lard boils and is still, put in the fish; when they are delicately browned, they are done; this will hardly take two minutes. Drain them on a hair sieve, placed before the fire, turning thorn till quite dry.

207. Trout is sometimes fried, and served with crisp parsley and plain melted butter. This answers best for small fish. They are sometimes broiled, which must be done over a slow fire, or they will break. While broiling, sprinkle salt and baste with butter; serve with anchovy sauce, to which may be added a few chopped capers and a little of the vinegar. The sauce is generally poured over the fish.