525. Fillets Of Pike

May be dressed in every variety in which salmon, turbot, or soles are capable of being sent to table; and the directions given under those heads will suffice. It is necessary, however, to describe here the operation of filleting pike.

The smaller-sized of this fish are best suited for this purpose; these should be filleted as follows: -

First lay the fish on the table, with its back placed toward you. insert the knife just below the gill, press with the left hand slightly on the upper part of the fillet, and then draw the knife down - close to the back-bone; when one fillet is removed, repeat the same operation on the other side. Then lay the fillets alternately on the table, with the skin downward, insert the edge of the knife close to the skin, at the extreme end, and by drawing the knife to and fro, keeping the blade clossly pressed to the skin, it will come away from the fillet. Then cut these fillets into smaller ones, according to taste or convenience, or into scollops, as the case may require.

* The easiest way is to place the pike in a sink, and then to pour some boiling water over it, by which means the scales are effectually removed by scraping them off with a knife.

526. Perch, A La Stanley

Thoroughly cleanse two or three fine bright perch, which should weigh not less than one pound and a half each ; stew them in Rhenish wine, and when done, drain them on a napkin, dish them up, and garnish with a Parisian ragout (No. 203), omitting the truffles, but containing the liquor the perch have been stewed in. Garnish round with a border of large crayfish, and send to table.

527. Perch, A La Wastrefische

Boil the perch in French white wine, and when done, after removing the skin, dish it up, and stick the red fins straight up in a row, down the centre of the fish; on each side of the fins thus placed, decorate the perch by laying on its uppermost fillets streaks of carrot and parsley-roots, shred exceedingly fine, and boiled; also in alternate rows with these, some blanched leaves of green parsley. Pour round the perch the following sauce :

Reduce the liquor in which the perch have been stewed with a proportionate quantity of white Veloute sauce; add a pat of fresh butter, some white essence of mushrooms, a little nutmeg, and lemon-juice ; mix the whole well together, and serve.

528. Perch, A La Venitienne

Boil the perch, skim and dish them up, placing the red fins in a row down the centre; moisten them over with some sauce a la Venitienne (No. 26), and send to table.

In addition to the foregoing methods for preparing perch for the table, this fish may also be dressed in the same way as pike, carp, and tench, in Matelotte, a la Dauphine, Water Souchet, a I'Allemande, a la Genoise, a la Hollandaise, a la Maitre d'Hotel, and also with Shrimp, Parsley and butter, and plain Butter sauce.

Note. - Perch should be served in fillets only, when it happens that they are small, or that they are plentiful; otherwise it is usual to dress this kind of fish whole.

529. Fillets Of Perch, A L'Ltalienne

Follow the directions given for filleting pike, divesting the fillets of the skin in like manner; trim them neatly, by rounding them atone end, and bring the other end to a point. Then lay the fillets in a circle in a sauta-pan, with some clarified fresh butter; season with a little salt, pepper, and lemon-juice. Twenty minutes before dinner-time, set the fillets on the stove-fire, or in the oven, for about ten minutes to simmer ; and when they are thoroughly done, drain them on a napkin, and dish them up in the form of a close circle; sauce them with a white or brown Italian sauce, and send to table.

Fillets of perch thus prepared, may also be sent to table with either of the following sauces, from which the dish will take its name: a la Ravi-gotte, a la Maitre d'Hotel, a la Cardinal, a la Vertpre, a la Hollandaise.