Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/1757

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Ingredients.—2 or 3 lbs. of white fish, 1 onion finely-chopped, 2 tablespoonfuls of oil, 1 pint of water, 1 tablespoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ground ginger, nutmeg, salt and pepper. For the balls: ½ a lb. of fish liver (or equal parts of liver and fish) finely chopped, 2 ozs. of breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley, 1 egg, ginger, nutmeg, pepper and salt to taste. For the sauce: the juice of 3 lemons, 2 eggs, a pinch of saffron.

Method.—Cook the onion in the oil without browning, drain off the oil, leave three parts of the onion in the stewpan, and put aside the rest. Mix together the ingredients for the balls, add the onion taken out of the stewpan, ginger, nutmeg, pepper and salt to taste, form into small balls, and roll them lightly in flour. Divide the fish into conveniently shaped pieces, place them in the stewpan, add the water, parsley, and a good sprinkling of ginger, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Lay the balls on the top, cover closely, and stew very gently until the fish is done. Beat the 2 eggs, strain over them the lemon-juice, pour this over the fish a few minutes before serving, and afterwards stir occasionally, but do not let it actually boil, else it will curdle. When ready, transfer the fish to a hot dish and garnish, then place the balls round the base, stir the saffron into the sauce, and serve strained over the fish.

Time.—About 50 minutes. Average Cost, 6d. to 9d. per lb. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.

Ingredients.—3 lbs. of salmon, mackerel or any other oily fish, 3 medium-sized sliced onions, 6 ozs. of golden syrup, 2d. worth of gingerbread, ½ a pint of cold water, 1½ gills of vinegar, cayenne, salt.

Method.—Cook the onions in the water until barely tender, then add the fish, cayenne and salt to taste. Crumble the gingerbread, pour over it the vinegar, stir until smooth, and add the golden syrup. When the fish is about half-cooked add the above mixture, and continue to cook slowly until done, stirring frequently meanwhile. Serve hot or cold.

Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 6d., exclusive of the fish. Sufficient for 6 or more persons.

Ingredients.—2 or 3 lbs. of fish (haddock, cod, or whiting), 1 egg, 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, salt, frying-oil, fried parsley.

Method.—Wash and dry the fish (bone it if liked), and cut it into pieces convenient for serving. Sprinkle liberally with salt, let it remain for 15 minutes, then dry well on a cloth, and dip it first into flour, and afterwards into beaten egg. Fry in a deep pan of hot oil until nicely browned, or, if more convenient, in a frying-pan containing