Page:Art of Cookery 1774 edition.djvu/156



WHEN you salt a tongue, cut off the root, and take some ox palates, wash them clean, cut them into six or seven pieces, put them into an earthen pot, just cover them with water, put in a blade or two of mace, twelve whole pepper-corns, three or four cloves, a little bundle of sweet-herbs, a small onion, half a spoonful of raspings; cover it close with brown paper, and let it be well baked. When it comes out of the oven, season it with salt to your palate.

As to boiled fish of all sorts, you have full directions in the Lent chapter. But here we can fry fish much better, because we have beef-dripping, or hog's lard. Observe always in the frying of any sort of fish; first that you dry your fish very well in a clean cloth, then flour it. Let your stew-pan your fry them in be very nice and clean, and put in as much beef-dripping, or hog's lard, as will almost cover your fish; and be sure it boils before you put in your fish. Let it fry quick, and let it be of a fine light brown, but not too dark a colour. Have your fish-slice ready, and if there is occasion turn it: when it is enough, take it up, and lay a coarse cloth on a dish, on which lay your fish, to drain all the grease from it; if your fry parsley, do it quick, and take great care to whip it out of the pan as soon as it is crisp, or it will lose its fine colour. Take great care that your dripping be very nice and clean. You have directions in the eleventh chapter, how to make it fit for use, and have it always in readiness. Some love fish in batter; then you must beat an egg fine, and dip your fish in just as you are going to put it in the pan; or as good a batter as any, is a little ale and flour beat up, just as you are ready for it, and dip the fish, to fry it.

FOR salmon or turbot, broiled cod or haddock, &c. nothing is better than fine butter melted thick; and take a lobster, bruise the body of the lobster in the butter, and cut the flesh