The Book of Household Management Part 35

_Seasonable_ from September to April.

_Sufficient_ for 3 persons.

EXCELLENCE OF THE ENGLISH OYSTER.--The French a.s.sert that the English oysters, which are esteemed the best in Europe, were originally procured from Cancalle Bay, near St. Malo; but they a.s.sign no proof for this. It is a fact, however, that the oysters eaten in ancient Rome were nourished in the channel which then parted the Isle of Thanet from England, and which has since been filled up, and converted into meadows.

BOILED PERCH.

292. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of salt to each gallon of water.

_Mode_.--Scale the fish, take out the gills and clean it thoroughly; lay it in boiling water, salted as above, and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

If the fish is very large, longer time must be allowed. Garnish with parsley, and serve with plain melted b.u.t.ter, or Dutch sauce. Perch do not preserve so good a flavour when stewed as when dressed in any other way.

_Time_.--Middling-sized perch, 1/4 hour.

_Seasonable_ from September to November.

_Note_.--Tench may be boiled the same way, and served with the same sauces.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE PERCH.]

THE PERCH.--This is one of the best, as it is one of the most common, of our fresh-water fishes, and is found in nearly all the lakes and rivers in Britain and Ireland, as well as through the whole of Europe within the temperate zone. It is extremely voracious, and it has the peculiarity of being gregarious, which is contrary to the nature of all fresh-water fishes of prey. The best season to angle for it is from the beginning of May to the middle of July. Large numbers of this fish are bred in the Hampton Court and Bushy Park ponds, all of which are well supplied with running water and with plenty of food; yet they rarely attain a large size. In the Regent's Park they are also very numerous; but are seldom heavier than three quarters of a pound.

FRIED PERCH.

293. INGREDIENTS.--Egg and bread crumbs, hot lard.

_Mode_.--Scale and clean the fish, brush it over with egg, and cover with bread crumbs. Have ready some boiling lard; put the fish in, and fry a nice brown. Serve with plain melted b.u.t.ter or anchovy sauce.

_Time_.--10 minutes.

_Seasonable_ from September to November.

_Note_.--Fry tench in the same way.

PERCH STEWED WITH WINE.

294. INGREDIENTS.--Equal quant.i.ties of stock No. 105 and sherry, 1 bay-leaf, 1 clove of garlic, a small bunch of parsley, 2 cloves, salt to taste; thickening of b.u.t.ter and flour, pepper, grated nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoonful of anchovy sauce.

_Mode_.--Scale the fish and take out the gills, and clean them thoroughly; lay them in a stewpan with sufficient stock and sherry just to cover them. Put in the bay-leaf, garlic, parsley, cloves, and salt, and simmer till tender. When done, take out the fish, strain the liquor, add a thickening of b.u.t.ter and flour, the pepper, nutmeg, and the anchovy sauce, and stir it over the fire until somewhat reduced, when pour over the fish, and serve.

_Time_.--About 20 minutes.

_Seasonable_ from September to November.

BOILED PIKE.

295. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of salt to each gallon of water; a little vinegar.

_Mode_.--Scale and clean the pike, and fasten the tail in its mouth by means of a skewer. Lay it in cold water, and when it boils, throw in the salt and vinegar. The time for boiling depends, of course, on the size of the fish; but a middling-sized pike will take about 1/2 an hour.

Serve with Dutch or anchovy sauce, and plain melted b.u.t.ter.

_Time_.--According to size, 1/2 to 1 hour.--_Average cost_. Seldom bought.

_Seasonable_ from September to March.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE PIKE.]

THE PIKE.--This fish is, on account of its voracity, termed the freshwater shark, and is abundant in most of the European lakes, especially those of the northern parts. It grows to an immense size, some attaining to the measure of eight feet, in Lapland and Russia. The smaller lakes, of this country and Ireland, vary in the kinds of fish they produce; some affording trout, others pike; and so on. Where these happen to be together, however, the trout soon becomes extinct. "Within a short distance of Castlebar," says a writer on sports, "there is a small bog-lake called Derreens. Ten years ago it was celebrated for its numerous well-sized trouts. Accidentally pike effected a pa.s.sage into the lake from the Minola river, and now the trouts are extinct, or, at least, none of them are caught or seen. Previous to the intrusion of the pikes, half a dozen trouts would be killed in an evening in Derreens, whose collective weight often amounted to twenty pounds." As an eating fish, the pike is in general dry.

BAKED PIKE.

296. INGREDIENTS.--1 or 2 pike, a nice delicate stuffing (_see_ Forcemeats), 1 egg, bread crumbs, 1/4 lb. b.u.t.ter.

_Mode_.--Scale the fish, take out the gills, wash, and wipe it thoroughly dry; stuff it with forcemeat, sew it up, and fasten the tail in the mouth by means of a skewer; brush it over with egg, sprinkle with bread crumbs, and baste with b.u.t.ter, before putting it in the oven, which must be well heated. When the pike is of a nice brown colour, cover it with b.u.t.tered paper, as the outside would become too dry. If 2 are dressed, a little variety may be made by making one of them green with a little chopped parsley mixed with the bread crumbs. Serve anchovy or Dutch sauce, and plain melted b.u.t.ter with it.

_Time_.--According to size, 1 hour, more or less.

_Average cost_.--Seldom bought.

_Seasonable_ from September to March.

_Note_.--Pike _a la genevese_ may be stewed in the same manner as salmon _a la genevese_.

FRIED PLAICE.

297.--INGREDIENTS.--Hot lard, or clarified dripping; egg and bread crumbs.

_Mode_.--This fish is fried in the same manner as soles. Wash and wipe them thoroughly dry, and let them remain in a cloth until it is time to dress them. Brush them over with egg, and cover with bread crumbs mixed with a little flour. Fry of a nice brown in hot dripping or lard, and garnish with fried parsley and cut lemon. Send them to table with shrimp-sauce and plain melted b.u.t.ter.

_Time_.--About 5 minutes. _Average cost_, 3d. each.

_Seasonable_ from May to November.

_Sufficient_, 4 plaice for 4 persons.

_Note_.--Plaice may be boiled plain, and served with melted b.u.t.ter.

Garnish with parsley and cut lemon.

STEWED PLAICE.

298. INGREDIENTS.--4 or 5 plaice, 2 onions, 1/2 oz. ground ginger, 1 pint of lemon-juice, 1/4 pint water, 6 eggs; cayenne to taste.

_Mode_.--Cut the fish into pieces about 2 inches wide, salt them, and let them remain 1/4 hour. Slice and fry the onions a light brown; put them in a stewpan, on the top of which put the fish without was.h.i.+ng, and add the ginger, lemon-juice, and water. Cook slowly for 1/2 hour, and do not let the fish boil, or it will break. Take it out, and when the liquor is cool, add 6 well-beaten eggs; simmer till it thickens, when pour over the fish, and serve.