Page:A New System of Domestic Cookery (1824 edition).pdf/56

xlvi A Cod's Head.—Fish in general requires very little carving, the fleshy parts being those principally esteemed. A cod's head and shoulders, when in season, and properly boiled, is a very genteel and handsome dish. When cut, it should be done with a fish-trowel, and the parts about the back-bone on the shoulders are the most firm and best. Take off a piece quite down to the bone, in the direction a, b, c, d, putting it in the spoon at a, c, and with each slice of fish give a piece of the sound, which lies underneath the backbone and lines it, the meat of which is thin, and a little darker coloured than the body of the fish itself: this may be got by passing a knife or spoon underneath, in the direction d, f. About the head are many delicate parts, and a great deal of the jelly kind. The jelly part lies about the jaw, bones, and the firm parts within the head. Some are fond of the palate, and others the tongue, which likewise may be got by putting a spoon into the mouth.

Edge-bone of Beef.—Cut off a slice an inch thick all the length from a to b, in the figure opposite, and then help. The soft fat which resembles marrow lies at the back of the bone, below c; the firm fat must be cut in horizontal slices at the edge of meat d. It is proper to ask which is preferred, as tastes differ. The skewer that keeps the meat properly together when boiling is here shown at a. This should be drawn out before it is served up; or, if it necessary to leave the skewer in, put a silver one.

Sirloin of Beef may be begun either at the end, or by cutting into the middle. It is usual to inquire whether the outside or the inside is preferred. For the outside the slice should be cut down to the bones; and the same