Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/246

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Ingredients.—1 medium-sized onion, 1 oz. dripping or butter, 1 skinned eel, 3 pints stock or water, 1 tablespoonful of crushed tapioca or sago, salt, pepper, chopped parsley.

Method.—Peel and slice the onion, and fry it in hot fat till pale-brown, but not burnt. Cut up a skinned eel, put it into the pan containing the fried onion, add 3 pints of stock or water, boil, skim, and simmer gently for about 1 hour. 20 minutes before serving, strain, replace in the stewpan, sprinkle in the tapioca or sago, and season with salt and pepper. Serve with a little chopped parsley put in at the last moment.

Time.—1 to 1¼ hours. Average Cost, if made with stock, 2s. per quart. Sufficient for 6 persons. Seasonable from September to May.

Ingredients.—2 lb. of eels, 1 onion, 2 ozs. of butter, 3 blades of mace, 1 bunch of sweet herbs, ¼ an oz. of peppercorns, salt to taste, 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, ¼ of a pint of cream, 2 quarts of water.

Method.—Wash the eels, cut them into small pieces, and put them in the stewpan with the butter; let them simmer for a few minutes, then add the water, the onion cut in thin slices, the herbs, mace, and seasoning. Simmer till the eels are tender, but unbroken. Dish carefully and keep hot. Mix the flour to a batter with a little water, stir it into the soup, and boil. Add the cream, pour over the eels and serve.

Time.—1 hour, or rather more. Average Cost, 2s. Seasonable from June to March. Sufficient for 8 persons.

Ingredients.—1 fresh haddock, 2 ozs. of butter or dripping, 1 oz. of flour, 1 pint of stock or water, 1 pint of milk, 1 onion, seasoning.

Method.—Wipe the fish, remove the fins and eyes, and cut it into pieces. Boil it in stock or water, and add the milk and onion (peeled and stuck with a clove). Melt the butter or dripping, stir in the flour, and cook for a few minutes without browning. To this add by degrees the fish stock and fish, and let the preparation simmer for 30 minutes. Pass the soup through a sieve, return to the stewpan, season to taste with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg. Serve with fried bread croûtons.

Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 1s. Sufficient for 5 persons. Seasonable at all times.

Ingredients.—1 large lobster, 1 quart of stock (preferably fish), ½ a