This section is from the book "The Modern Housewife Or Menagere", by Alexis Soyer. Also available from Amazon: The Modern Housewife Or Menagere.
Put two onions, a carrot, and turnip, cut in slices, into a stewpan, or very small fish-kettle, with a good bouquet of parsley, a few sprigs of thyme, one bay-leaf, six cloves, a blade of mace, a little salt and pepper, and two glasses of sherry; lay your tench over (it will require four for a dish, and they may be either cooked whole or each one cut into two or three pieces), add a pint of water, cover down close, and stew rather gently over a slow lire for about half an hour; take them out, drain upon a cloth, dress upon a dish without a napkin, and pour a sauce over made as directed for sauce matelote, cream sauce, or Beyrout.
Cook the tench as in the last, but they may be plain boiled in salt and water; dress upon a dish without a napkin, then put six spoonfuls of melted butter in a stewpan, with one of milk; place it upon the fire, and, when upon the point of boiling, add an ounce of anchovy butter; shake it round over the fire until the butter is melted, when sauce over and serve.
 
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