Page:Art of Cookery 1774 edition.djvu/416

380 prepared, the small fish as whiting, tusk, and such like, are flowered and laid on the gridiron; and when a little hardened on the one side, must be turned and basted with oil upon a feather; and when basted on both sides, and well hot through, taken up, always observing, that as sweet oil supples, and supplies the fish with a kind of artificial juices, so the fire draws out those juices and hardens them; therefore be careful not to let them broil too long; no time can be prescribed, because of the difference of fires, and various bigness of the fish. A clear charcoal fire is much the best, and the fish kept at a good distance to broil gradually: the best way to know when they are enough is, they will swell a little in the basting, and you must not let them fall again.

The sauces are the same as usual to salt-fish, and garnish with oysters fried in batter.

But for a supper, for those that like sweet oil, the best sauce is oil, vinegar, and mustard beat up to a consistence, and served up in saucers.

If boiled as the great fish usually are, it should be in milk and water, but not so properly boiled as kept just simmering over an equal fire; in which way, half an hour will do the largest fish, and five minutes the smallest. Some people broil both sorts after simmering, and some pick them to pieces, and then toss them up in a pan with fried onions and apples.

They are either way very good, and the choice depends on the weak or strong stomach of the eaters.

FOR though a large fish, they do not require more steeping than a whiting; and when laid on the gridiron, should be moderately peppered.

INSTEAD of milk and water, should be steeped the like time as the whiting, in small beer; and to which, as to all kind of broiled salt-fish, sweet oil will always be found the best basting, and no way affect even the delicacy of those who do not love oil.

ARE very different from those before-mentioned; they being dried in the frost without salt, are in their kind very insipid,