How to Cook Fish Part 17

MATELOTE OF EELS--I

Prepare and cut up the fish according to directions previously given. Put into a saucepan with one cupful each of stock and Claret, a bruised clove of garlic, a whole pepper, a sliced onion, a bay-leaf, and a pinch each of thyme, cloves, parsley, and salt. Take out the fish, strain the sauce, add to it a tablespoonful each of b.u.t.ter and flour cooked together, and pour over the fish.

MATELOTE OF EELS--II

Cut a pound and a half of prepared eels into two-inch pieces and fry for two minutes in b.u.t.ter. Add a winegla.s.sful of Claret, and three tablespoonfuls each of stock and mushroom liquor. Season with salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg, and a pinch of powdered sweet herbs. Add six small onions and six b.u.t.ton mushrooms. Cook for half [Page 125]

an hour and thicken with a tablespoonful each of b.u.t.ter and flour cooked together.

MATELOTE OF EELS--III

Prepare two eels and cut them into two-inch lengths. Cover with cold salted water and bring to the boil. Add an onion, a dozen cloves, and two tablespoonfuls of vinegar. Boil for fifteen minutes, drain, dry, roll in flour and fry brown in b.u.t.ter. Add two cupfuls of boiling water, and salt, pepper, and fine herbs to season. Add a cupful of b.u.t.ton onions peeled and fried brown in b.u.t.ter and sugar. Cover and simmer for one hour. If the sauce should evaporate, add more boiling water. When done, add half a cupful of wine and serve.

MATELOTE OF EELS a LA PARISIENNE

Clean and cut the eels into four-inch pieces. Cover with white wine and season with sliced carrot and chopped mushrooms. Add also the liquor from three dozen parboiled oysters. Simmer until the eels are done and drain. Add to the liquor half a cupful of white stock, and thicken with flour cooked in b.u.t.ter. Add two winegla.s.sfuls of white wine and boil until thick, stirring constantly. Take from the fire, and add the yolks of four eggs beaten [Page 126]

smooth with the juice of half a lemon, a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, and a grating of nutmeg. Add the parboiled oysters, and a handful of b.u.t.ton mushrooms. Reheat, pour over the fish, and serve.

MATELOTE OF EELS a LA GENOISE

Prepare the eels and cut into four-inch lengths. Cover with Claret or Burgundy and add sliced carrot, onion, minced parsley, chopped mushrooms, thyme, a bay-leaf, mace, cloves, and pepper-corns to season. Simmer until done and drain. Add to the liquor half a cupful of beef stock and thicken it with browned flour. Strain through a fine sieve, add a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, a little anchovy paste, a teaspoonful of minced parsley, a grating of nutmeg; and a little lemon-juice. Bring to the boil, pour over the fish, and serve.

MATELOTE OF EELS a LA BORDELAISE

Cut the eels into three-inch lengths, and cover with a bottle of Claret. Season with carrot, onion, parsley, chopped mushrooms, thyme, bay-leaf, mace, cloves, and peppercorns. Simmer for half an hour and drain. Thicken the liquor with browned flour rubbed smooth with b.u.t.ter, add two winegla.s.sfuls [Page 127]

of Claret, and bring to the boil. Skim, add a teaspoonful of capers, a pounded clove of garlic, a little b.u.t.ter, grated nutmeg, and anchovy paste to season. Reheat, pour over the fish, and serve.

BOILED EELS

Cut into short pieces a pound and a half of eels which have been skinned and cleaned. Put into a saucepan, cover with cold water, add a tablespoonful of salt, six whole peppers, one red onion, and a cupful of vinegar. Simmer for half an hour; drain and serve on a platter with melted b.u.t.ter, lemon-juice, and minced parsley.

PICKLED EELS

Clean and cut three pounds of eels into six-inch lengths. Cover with salt, let stand for three hours, then rinse thoroughly. Boil together for fifteen minutes one cupful of vinegar, one cupful of water, a sliced onion, two bay-leaves, three allspice, and a slice of lemon. Put in half of the eels and simmer until tender, take out, and cook the remaining half. Let the vinegar cool before pouring over the eels.

GREEN EELS

Boil together an onion, a bunch of parsley, [Page 128]

a pinch of celery seed, and a teaspoonful of mixed spices in a little water. Add two cleaned and cut eels with water to cover and simmer until done. Strain the sauce, thicken with b.u.t.ter and flour cooked together, and pour over the eels. Serve with boiled potatoes and cuc.u.mber salad.

BAKED EELS

Skin and parboil, cut into two-inch pieces, and put into a baking-pan.

Dredge with flour, season with salt and pepper and add half a cupful of water. Bake for twenty minutes and take out. Thicken the gravy with a tablespoonful of flour rubbed smooth with a little of the liquid. Add a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, a teaspoonful of Worcestershire sauce, and enough boiling water to make the sauce of the proper consistency. Bring to the boil and pour around the eels.

BAKED EELS WITH TARTAR SAUCE

Clean and skin two large eels. Wrap in a wet cloth and simmer for fifteen minutes in court bouillon. Cook in the liquor. Take out, wipe dry, and cover with seasoned crumbs. Spread with two eggs beaten with one tablespoonful of olive-oil and sprinkle with crumbs.

Put into a baking-pan with two tablespoonfuls [Page 129]

of b.u.t.ter, and bake for half an hour, basting twice. Serve with Tartar Sauce.

ENGLISH EEL PIE

Skin, clean, and cut up two large eels. Cook with one tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, half a cupful of chopped mushrooms, a tablespoonful of chopped parsley, a minced onion, a bay-leaf, salt, pepper, the rind of a lemon, a winegla.s.sful of Sherry and a cupful of beef stock. Cook until the eels are tender, strain the sauce, and thicken with b.u.t.ter and flour. Line a baking-dish with pastry, put the eels in it, and pour the sauce over, with sliced hard-boiled eggs on top. Cover with pastry, brush with yolk of egg, and bake for an hour in a moderate oven. Serve either hot or cold.

COLLARED EELS

Clean, split, and bone one large eel, and season with salt and pepper. Chop together three hard-boiled eggs, a beet, a tablespoonful of capers, two pickles, one onion, and three anchovies. Add salt and pepper, cover the eel with the mixture, tie in a cloth, and cook with a bay-leaf for half an hour in equal parts of vinegar and water. Drain, untie, and put into a mould with aspic jelly, or with beef stock to which sufficient dissolved gelatine has been added. Serve cold with Mayonnaise.

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EELS EN BROCHETTE

Boil the eel in a court bouillon and cut into two-inch pieces.

Dip into egg and crumbs and string on steel skewers, alternating with squares of bacon. Bake in the oven and serve on toast.

CREAMED EELS

Clean and cut up the eels, and stew according to directions previously given. Pour over a Cream Sauce, seasoned with salt, paprika, onion juice, and minced parsley.

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FIFTEEN WAYS TO COOK FINNAN-HADDIE

BOILED FINNAN-HADDIE--I

Divide into convenient pieces, cover with boiling water, add a teaspoonful of sugar, and boil for fifteen minutes. Take up on a hot platter, remove the skin, and dot with b.u.t.ter.

BOILED FINNAN-HADDIE--II

Cover the fish with boiling water, boil for five minutes, drain, cover with melted b.u.t.ter, and serve with plain boiled potatoes.

BROILED FINNAN-HADDIE--I

Brown a haddie on a greased broiler. Cover with hot water, let stand for ten minutes and drain. Spread with b.u.t.ter and sprinkle with pepper.

BROILED FINNAN-HADDIE--II

Cut the haddie into small squares, skin and parboil it. Wipe dry, broil on a b.u.t.tered gridiron and serve with melted b.u.t.ter.

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BROILED FINNAN-HADDIE--III

Wash the fish thoroughly, and let stand in cold water for three quarters of an hour, then cover with boiling water for five minutes, wipe dry, rub with b.u.t.ter and lemon-juice, and broil for fifteen minutes. Serve with melted b.u.t.ter or Tartar Sauce.

BROILED FINNAN-HADDIE--IV

Wash the fish and soak for half an hour in cold water, skin side up. Cover with water just below the boiling point, and let stand for fifteen minutes. Wipe dry, brush with olive-oil, and broil slowly. Serve with melted b.u.t.ter and lemon-juice.