Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/356

308 onion, 1 dessertspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ½ a teaspoonful of powdered mixed herbs, 1 good pinch of ground mace, salt and pepper, 2 lemons, flour, frying-fat.

Method.—Wash and clean the fish, and cut it into fillets of convenient size for serving. Melt the butter in a stewpan, add the onion, parsley, herbs, mace, the juice of ½ lemon, and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Have the fillets of fish as dry as possible, put them into the stewpan 2 or 3 at a time, and fry them very gently for 10 or 15 minutes. Drain well, and when cool dredge with flour mixed with a little salt and pepper, and fry in hot fat or butter until nicely browned. Garnish with slices of lemon, and serve with cut lemon.

Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 2s. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable from November to March.

Ingredients.—1 large carp, 1 pint of stock, 1 glass of claret, 1 tablespoonful of flour, 12 small button mushrooms, 2 ozs. butter, 2 or 3 small onions, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), a good pinch of grated nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Method.—Wash the fish in vinegar and water, and cut it into thick slices. Slice the onions, fry them until brown in about 2 ozs. of hot butter, then put in the stock, wine, mushrooms, herbs, nutmeg and seasoning, and, when warm, add the fish, and simmer gently for 30 or 40 minutes. Take out the fish and keep it hot. Have ready the flour and the remainder of the butter kneaded to a smooth paste, add it to the contents of the stewpan, and simmer and stir until the sauce is cooked smoothly. Place the fish on a hot dish, strain the sauce over, and garnish with the mushrooms (heated in sauce), fried roe, and sippets of toast.

Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 2s. 3d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable from November to March.

Cod may be boiled whole; but a large head and shoulders are quite sufficient for a dish, and contain all that is usually served, because, when the thick part is done, the tail is insipid and overdone. The latter, however, cut in slices, makes a very good dish for frying, or it may be salted and served with egg sauce and parsnips. Cod, when