Boiled Whitings

I think it useless to explain what is generally known, about boiling whitings, or fish of any other sort; I shall therefore only mention a particular or two, which might, have escaped the memory of some of my brethren, who are desirous of displaying variety. When you want to boil the whitings, it is better not to open the belly, as they have a better appearance on the table. Mind to keep the skins whole, otherwise they will look very bad.

How to Cook Mackarel Soup

Boiled Mackarel

Boil the mackarel as you would any other fish, and make a fennel sauce. The fennel is to be boiled in boiling water with salt; then it is to be chopped very fine, and thrown into melted butter; and serve up.

N. B. - It is necessary to observe, that in England it is the custom to send up this fish with the fennel sauce, and garnished with fennel round.

Broiled Mackarel

Pick out in preference mackarels with soft roes, which are the most delicate. Gut them, open them at the back, and marinade them in oil *, salt, and pepper. Next broil them, but unless they are done enough they are never good. The maitre d'hotel sauce is to be made separately, and served in a boat. Those who wish to have the mackarel dressed in the French fashion, must have some parsley chopped very fine, mix it with some fresh butter, salt, pepper, and lemon-juice, put this into the aperture of the mackarel's back, and when well broiled, serve very hot.

The fillets of mackarel are to be cut from the bone, and trimmed of a good shape; put them into a saute pan with some clarified butter and a little salt over them till dinner time, then put them to do into the oven, or on the stove; drain them upon a clean sheet of paper; dress them on the dish, and cover them with the maitre d' hotel sauce.

* The oil is to prevent the fish from drying, and sticking to the gridiron.

N. B. - All other methods of dressing fish, will be found in the chapter of entrees.

Boiled Haddocks

They are boiled in the same manner as soles, and served up with shrimp sauce. You may use haddocks for que-nelles, or filets, as well as whitings.

Skate With Shrimp Sauce

Skate must be boiled in water with a little salt and vinegar. The sauce is sent up separately in a boat. Skate may be served up also with caper sauce.

How to Cook Pike Soup

Boiled Pike With Dutch Sauce

Empty and scale the pike, wash it well after it has stood for an hour in cold water, to disgorge all the blood; then boil it like any other fish, and serve up with a Dutch sauce.

Baked Pike

Scale and empty the pike, without injuring the skin of the belly, into which introduce a farce, which would drop out if not well secured. This farce is made of two handfuls of crumbs of bread, one handful of chopped beef-suet, a little lemon-peel chopped likewise, parsley ditto, salt, pepper, and spices, two whole eggs, and a little fresh butter. Mix the whole together, and pound it in a mortar: then Stuff the pike with it, and turn the pike with its tail fasten-ed in its mouth by means of a skewer ; next dip it, first into an omelette, and then into crumbs of bread, and again into crumbs of bread; then baste it over with butter, before you put it into the oven. If you are to send up two, one of them is to be made of a green colour, by means of a quantity of chopped parsley being mixed with the crumbs of bread. Mind the oven must be well heated. When the pikes are of a fine brown, cover them with paper, and let them be well done through. Serve up with a Dutch sauce. (No. 68, page 30.)

Pike A La Genevoise

Scale and wash the pike, and stew it in the same manner as the salmon, No. 6, page 82.

Pike A La Chambord

Scale the pike, and let it disgorge in water for an hour or two. Then lard it in different places on one side of the back, and bake it in a marinade au vin, as you would do in the marinade a la Genevoise. That part which has been larded must stand uppermost, to prevent the part which is not larded from getting dry. Cover this with layers of bacon, and be particular in basting frequently with the seasoning. When the fish is done, glaze the parts that have been larded, and mask the others with a ragout a la Cham* bord. Observe that the quenelles must be made of fish. The garnish is generally composed of large quenelles, small pigeons (squab pigeons,) larded sweetbread of lamb, etc, Take a little of the marinade, skim off the fat, reduce it nearly to glaze, and mix it with the Chambord, which is no other thing than a financiere with the addition of a little essence of anchovies, the juice of a lemon, and a little Cayenne.