Jane Grigson's Fish Book Part 1

JANE GRIGSON'S FISH BOOK.

by Jane Grigson.

FOREWORD by Caroline Waldegrave

There are two cookery writers that most cooks put in a cla.s.s of their own: Elizabeth David, sadly whom I never knew, and Jane Grigson, who I wished I'd known better. Jane was the queen of her subject and yet was completely unintimidating. She was clever, interesting and kind. She had a terrific sense of fun, a real love of life and an amazing sense of humour. Her laugh, which was sometimes a rather wicked giggle, was infectious. She always cheered everyone up.

Jane invited my husband and me to lunch with her at Broad Town after I'd only met her once, very briefly. I was nervous: I thought it would be like going to see the Headmistress, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Both William and I loved her on sight and didn't want to leave.

I have always admired Jane, and am endlessly dipping into her books. Anything that I know that I find riveting about food has usually come from her. However, until I was most flatteringly asked to write the foreword to this book, I'd never sat down and read so much of her at one sweep. One thing I find interesting is that these days we all talk about the need for books to be user-friendly but Jane invented all that years ago. The fascinating introductions to sections or recipes continually answer half-asked unspoken questions. None of the writing is contrived so often in books you feel that the publisher has said to the author, can you write a 'bit of an intro'. Not so with Jane.

The introductions in the Fish Book Fish Book are a combination of fun and intellect. They are so alive that you can hear Jane telling you about Romesco peppers or the Marquis of Goulaine's cook, Clemence. The recipes themselves a.s.sume a certain amount of basic knowledge but also give encouraging remarks like 'don't despair' should the sauce curdle; she suggests some simple and effective remedies. are a combination of fun and intellect. They are so alive that you can hear Jane telling you about Romesco peppers or the Marquis of Goulaine's cook, Clemence. The recipes themselves a.s.sume a certain amount of basic knowledge but also give encouraging remarks like 'don't despair' should the sauce curdle; she suggests some simple and effective remedies.

This book is filled with fascinating information. It is not written by someone who has simply researched the subject; it is written by someone who for twenty years or so lived lived the subject and must have kept copious notes. It is a timeless book. I do not believe it could ever be out of date as I doubt it was ever 'in date'. It is a very generous book. Most of us forget from whose original recipe a new idea has been developed but not Jane. She knows the history of the cla.s.sic dishes and, although she has invented many new recipes herself, she constantly credits originators of recipes or stories. She is occasionally sharp with the reader. She remarks, for instance, that in 1826 a Mrs Johnston, writing on behalf of Meg Dods, noted that curried halibut is 'good as long as you make up your own blend of spices'. Jane says that it 'is rather daunting to think that, 160 years later, cookery writers are still saying the same thing. Are lazy practices eternal?' the subject and must have kept copious notes. It is a timeless book. I do not believe it could ever be out of date as I doubt it was ever 'in date'. It is a very generous book. Most of us forget from whose original recipe a new idea has been developed but not Jane. She knows the history of the cla.s.sic dishes and, although she has invented many new recipes herself, she constantly credits originators of recipes or stories. She is occasionally sharp with the reader. She remarks, for instance, that in 1826 a Mrs Johnston, writing on behalf of Meg Dods, noted that curried halibut is 'good as long as you make up your own blend of spices'. Jane says that it 'is rather daunting to think that, 160 years later, cookery writers are still saying the same thing. Are lazy practices eternal?'

Jane constantly flatters us she a.s.sumes that we know so much more about poetry and history than probably many of us do. She is a great teacher because she gradually leads us in to new topics. And she writes so well that the book becomes almost unputdownable. The introduction to the section on eels makes one of the most charming stories I have read. If that sounds unlikely, read it. It begins with the discovery by the Danish biologist Johannes Schmidt who, after twenty-five years of research back-tracking eel larvae, eventually arrived right over their sp.a.w.ning ground. She recounts the epic journey of the eel to and from the Sarga.s.so Sea. The trouble is that, by the end, you are so moved by the tenacity of the eels that Jane's clear instructions on their preparation and cooking has a quality of somewhat Roald Dahl-like ruthlessness.

I love the constant, almost throwaway, bits of information. How many cookery books tell you that 18 fathoms is 118 feet, that the Venetians invented double-entry bookkeeping, a.s.sume that the reader knows all about the great Brazilian balloonist Alberto Santos Dumont, tell you that akee is properly the name of a tree originally from West Africa, and was introduced to Jamaica from Guinea by Captain Bligh of the Bounty Bounty? (You must read on to find out more about its poisonous potential.) Who but Jane would know that Grimod de la Reyniere discovered brandade? Do you know why red mullet is sometimes called sea woodc.o.c.k? Because, like woodc.o.c.k, the red mullet is cooked with its liver. You must read about the scavenging life of a shrimp and discover that tempura was originally brought to j.a.pan by the Jesuit missionaries with Francis Xavier in the sixteenth century.

Jane destroys myths John Dory cannot really be St Peter's fish as John Dory is a salt water fish that could not survive in the Sea of Galilee. St Peter's fish is more probably a kind of trout that flourishes in Galilee 'a pleasant but not outstanding fish'. Unfortunately, it has no finger marks nor a coin in its mouth.

At Leith's School we divide into two camps those of us who love coriander and those of us who hate it. Jane explains that to some people it can taste like soap and that this is a chemical effect and cannot be changed. I will now be much more sympathetic to those who loathe a herb I love.

Sole is one of her favourite fish. She writes sadly that its behaviour and lifestyle is not that interesting. 'The most dramatic episode of its life is when the left eye of the perfectly normal, fish-shaped larva moves up and over the head to the right side, as the sole flattens into its characteristic shape.' That is how to write about cooking, or anything else: clear, funny, interesting and learned. Don't let me keep you from reading Jane Grigson's work for another moment.

Caroline Waldegrave is closely involved with the Jane Grigson Trust, and is Managing Director of Leith's School of Food and Wine, which she opened with Prue Leith in 1975. In May 1991 the proceeds of a Leith's School fund-raising dinner were used to set up the Jane Grigson Library at Guildhall Library. Caroline Waldegrave was a member of the Health Education Authority from 1985 to 1988 and, as Chairman of the Guild of Food Writers for two years, until March 1993, she was actively involved in the Guild's campaign to improve inst.i.tutional food, specifically in hospitals. She is the author, or co-author with Prue Leith, of numerous cookery books. She is married to William Waldegrave MP; they have four children.

NOTE.

The sections of this book that Jane Grigson revised before her death in 1990 are indicated by a dagger next to the chapter t.i.tle. Although the chapters without a dagger were not revised by her, they have been updated to include material from her books and articles which were published after Fish Cookery Fish Cookery first came out in 1973. first came out in 1973.

Asterisks that appear in the text refer to recipes in the chapter Court Bouillons, Batters, b.u.t.ters & Sauces at the beginning of the book.

INTRODUCTION.

The problem with a book on fish is how to stop writing it. To start with, there are fifty-two species of edible fish (including many different varieties) listed by the White Fish Authority. This does not include either sh.e.l.lfish or freshwater fish. It leaves out the extensive choice of cured fish, as well as fish imported from abroad to be sold to foreigners living and working here.

Think of this when you next visit your fishmonger. Count the choice of fish for sale. And count how many different kinds you have eaten in the last few months. You may then agree with me that fish is one of the great untapped areas of exploration, for curiosity, and for the delight of the cook and her family and friends.

Compare this abundance with the choice of meat. How often do you come across an animal you have never heard of before? At least, heard of in culinary terms. For me, the answer is, 'once', and that was when I visited the strange shop of Monsieur Paul Corcellet in Paris he had ready-prepared elephant's trunk, python, crocodile and monkey for sale. Yet with fish one never seems to come to the end of perfectly reasonable possibilities.

To begin with, we eat too little of the best fish. We know about them, we may order them in restaurants on occasion, but we buy and cook them rarely. I am talking about sole, lobster, eel, scallops, oysters, clams, trout and salmon trout, monkfish or squid. We think they are too expensive, and go off and buy steak instead, or a large joint. Partly, this is convention. I read a statement one day which struck me as particularly foolish. The writer remarked that fish could not be served as a main course when men were present, as they needed steak or some other good red meat.

Why? The protein content of fish is as high as the protein content of meat. It is more easily digested, too a point which concerns more men, I suspect, than women. And in the cooking of sole with its sauces, or of lobster, there is far more implied compliment to the guests than in grilling even the finest Scottish steak.

I suppose, too, that most of us grow up with the firm impression that fish means cod and plaice, overcooked and coated with greasy batter or coloured substances of unpleasant flavour. Certainly I was startled, when I first crossed the Channel, to find out that there were far more fish to eat than anyone had allowed me to believe. Later on, as we spent longish periods working in Europe, I discovered that many of the 'exotic' fish we had been enjoying swam in quant.i.ty and quality around the coasts of Great Britain, as well as in the Mediterranean and the Bay of Biscay, and off the Breton coast. Squid, for instance, and monkfish two of the great delicacies of Italian and French cookery.

At the weekly stall in our local market at Montoire, forty-four miles north-west of Blois and 150 miles from the sea at Nantes, we can usually count between thirty and thirty-five different kinds of fish to buy. They are stiff-alive, as fishmongers say, with freshness. The owner's wife, Madame Soares, took our education in hand, persuaded us into trying new fish, and told us how to cook them. With gestures and vivid phrases, she described the sauces, the flavours, the pleasure we would have at supper that night.

I wish I could take our fishmongers in England to that stall in Montoire, and keep them there for a few months! Some of them have increased their range of fish to sell to our new communities of Chinese and Italians and so on, but few of them can tell a doubtful English customer how to cook these new creatures, or what they taste like. One has the idea that they have never tried them themselves at home. They lack the warm enthusiasm of Madame Soares 'Here's some parsley for you. Have a lemon, too. And why not buy a handful of shrimps they'll make a finish to the sauce! Extra! Extra!'

The main fish authorities could be more help. They are anxious that we should eat more fish, it is true, but only more of the same few kinds. Their interest is in shifting the gluts of plaice and cod. They do not think of pointing out the special virtues of huss, let alone of the rarer John Dory. In the end it is up to the customers who enjoy good food to insist, and complain, and learn about fish, and complain again but more knowledgeably, so that things can be changed a little more rapidly.

Jane Grigson (1973)

CHOOSING, CLEANING & COOKING FISH.

CHOOSING FISH.

General advice if you see a fish at the fishmonger's that is strange to you, buy it, but do not expect much advice on how to cook it. Ask the name and look it up in the index at the back of this book when you get home.

More specifically choose fresh fish, fish with a bright eye, red gills and no more than a seaweedy smell. Stale fish will look miserable; the eyes will be sunken or opaque, the skin gritty or dry or blobbed with yellow slime, it will smell, and you will be able to push the flesh in easily with your finger. As you may have concluded already, the buyer of fish needs character for all this sniffing and prodding. Getting good fish is easier once you find a fishmonger you can trust, but if he sells you poor fish, go back and tell him so go back and tell him so.

The naming of fish is a tricky business. One name may be used for quite different species. Local names abound. There are misleading inducements: certain fish which bear labels saying 'rock salmon' and 'rock turbot' have nothing in common with 'salmon' and 'turbot'. When you go on holiday, foreign names add to the confusion. Because of this intricately knotted muddle, the United Nations has produced the Multilingual Dictionary of Fish and Fish Products Multilingual Dictionary of Fish and Fish Products, an international compilation with names from fifteen languages, which attempts to straighten matters out with an elegant system of indexing. Local names are there, as well as the Latin ones. A book to be recommended to anyone who enjoys eating fish. (I can also recommend the Atlas of the Living Resources of the Seas Atlas of the Living Resources of the Seas, published by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations in 1972, again with an index but this time in three languages English, French and Spanish; from her Majesty's Stationery Office.) CLEANING FISH.

Although the fishmonger should do this for you, it is as well to know what to do. Cut off spiky fins and other extrusions first. Remove scales by pushing them up the wrong way with the blunt edge of a knife spread newspaper round to catch the scales which fly about. Rinse quickly. Remove innards through the gills, or by slitting up the belly. Retain the livers and roes; they are often good to eat. Rub any stubborn traces of blood with a little salt. Cut off heads or not, as you please.

SKINNING AND BONING FLATFISH If you have to skin the fish yourself, make a cut across, just above the tail. Raise a corner of it and with salted fingers salt gives a better grip pull the skin slowly at first and then with a quick tug. Do the same thing with the other side. If you have to skin the fish yourself, make a cut across, just above the tail. Raise a corner of it and with salted fingers salt gives a better grip pull the skin slowly at first and then with a quick tug. Do the same thing with the other side.

I have a preference, with flatfish, for cooking them whole, on the bone, complete with head, but there are times when they must be filleted. This is easy with flatfish. Run a small, sharp knife along the central division of one side. Then sc.r.a.pe gently from the head end of the centre towards the side, keeping the knife close to the bone, until the whole fillet is raised. Repeat on the other side of the central division. Turn the fish over, and remove the last two fillets the same way. Therefore, four fillets come off one flatfish.

BONING WHOLE FISH, HERRING HERRING, ETC ETC Cut off the head, slit the belly, and clean. Lay the fish on a board, cut side down, and press along the backbone steadily. Turn it over and pick out the backbone and the other small bones, which will be sticking up. Cut off the head, slit the belly, and clean. Lay the fish on a board, cut side down, and press along the backbone steadily. Turn it over and pick out the backbone and the other small bones, which will be sticking up.

COOKING FISH.

BOILING A method only suitable for soups, when every sc.r.a.p of flavour is to be extracted from the fish for the benefit of the liquid. A method only suitable for soups, when every sc.r.a.p of flavour is to be extracted from the fish for the benefit of the liquid.

BRAISING, BAKING AND ROASTING BAKING AND ROASTING This includes all methods of cooking fish in the oven; sometimes on a bed of herbs and vegetables; sometimes with fish stock or wine, as well as b.u.t.ter and oil. Instructions are given with each recipe, as they can vary a great deal. This includes all methods of cooking fish in the oven; sometimes on a bed of herbs and vegetables; sometimes with fish stock or wine, as well as b.u.t.ter and oil. Instructions are given with each recipe, as they can vary a great deal.

COOKING IN FOIL For large fish For large fish Few of us have the s.p.a.ce to store an enormous fish kettle that may be used only once or twice a year. Foil solves the problem and we can wrap the fish up without the least worry that it will lose flavour to the water or bouillon. And it cannot become too dry either. Few of us have the s.p.a.ce to store an enormous fish kettle that may be used only once or twice a year. Foil solves the problem and we can wrap the fish up without the least worry that it will lose flavour to the water or bouillon. And it cannot become too dry either. See See the method for cooking salmon in foil on the method for cooking salmon in foil on p. 306 p. 306.

For medium fish Place the foil on a baking sheet, and the fish on the foil. Pour over 46 tablespoons of good dry white wine, or put a lump of b.u.t.ter forked up with herbs into the cavity. Fold the foil round the fish, making a baggy parcel; finally, twist the edges into a firm seal. Place the foil on a baking sheet, and the fish on the foil. Pour over 46 tablespoons of good dry white wine, or put a lump of b.u.t.ter forked up with herbs into the cavity. Fold the foil round the fish, making a baggy parcel; finally, twist the edges into a firm seal.

For the method of cooking fish in paper, en papillote, see see p. 60 p. 60.

FRYING For finer fish, shallow-fry in clarified b.u.t.ter* or olive oil. Unclarified b.u.t.ter mixed with oil is a second best expedient, but the flavour will not be so good. Unclarified b.u.t.ter on its own burns easily. For finer fish, shallow-fry in clarified b.u.t.ter* or olive oil. Unclarified b.u.t.ter mixed with oil is a second best expedient, but the flavour will not be so good. Unclarified b.u.t.ter on its own burns easily.

Keep deep-frying for fish in batter and for whitebait. The temperature should be gas 5, 185190C (365375 F).

GRILLING Slash small plump fish, such as herring, mackerel, and mullet diagonally two or three times, brush with clarified b.u.t.ter or olive oil, and grill for 48 minutes a side. Slash small plump fish, such as herring, mackerel, and mullet diagonally two or three times, brush with clarified b.u.t.ter or olive oil, and grill for 48 minutes a side.

Flatfish Brush with clarified b.u.t.ter and seasoning. Allow 46 minutes a side, but timing depends on the thickness of the fish; chicken turbot will take longer than sole, for instance. Brush with clarified b.u.t.ter and seasoning. Allow 46 minutes a side, but timing depends on the thickness of the fish; chicken turbot will take longer than sole, for instance.

Fish steaks These need not be turned while grilling. Set them in a well-b.u.t.tered grill pan, brush the tops with clarified b.u.t.ter, season, and cook for up to 15 minutes. They are done when the flesh turns opaque and the central bones can be moved easily. These need not be turned while grilling. Set them in a well-b.u.t.tered grill pan, brush the tops with clarified b.u.t.ter, season, and cook for up to 15 minutes. They are done when the flesh turns opaque and the central bones can be moved easily.

Boned fish and fillets Always grill the fleshy, cut side first, brushing with b.u.t.ter and sprinkling with salt and pepper. When it is almost done, the fish can be turned over to give the skin a chance to be become brown and crisp. Always grill the fleshy, cut side first, brushing with b.u.t.ter and sprinkling with salt and pepper. When it is almost done, the fish can be turned over to give the skin a chance to be become brown and crisp.

POACHING This is the correct way of cooking fish in water or other liquids, which should be kept just below boiling point. For timing and court bouillon recipes, This is the correct way of cooking fish in water or other liquids, which should be kept just below boiling point. For timing and court bouillon recipes, see see p. 7 p. 7.

Even sh.e.l.lfish such as crabs and lobsters should not be boiled hard. See See relevant sections. relevant sections.

STEAMING The fish is laid on a b.u.t.tered plate, or piece of foil, and set over a pan of simmering water until cooked. For success, the fish must be fresh, really fresh, and well seasoned. It is a method much better exploited by Chinese than by European cooks: they add aromatics such as spring onion, ginger and soy sauce. In the West, steamed fish has the dull sound of sick-room cookery, which is unfair as it can be delicious. The fish is laid on a b.u.t.tered plate, or piece of foil, and set over a pan of simmering water until cooked. For success, the fish must be fresh, really fresh, and well seasoned. It is a method much better exploited by Chinese than by European cooks: they add aromatics such as spring onion, ginger and soy sauce. In the West, steamed fish has the dull sound of sick-room cookery, which is unfair as it can be delicious.

TO KNOW WHEN FISH IS COOKED Pierce the thickest part with a larding needle or skewer ( Pierce the thickest part with a larding needle or skewer (not a fork). The flesh should be opaque, and part easily from the bone. Never overcook fish. It is surprising how little time it takes compared with meat. Take into account the fact that it will continue to cook slightly while keeping warm in the oven, and while being dished up and brought to the table.

COURT BOUILLONS, BATTERS, b.u.t.tERS & SAUCES.

COURT BOUILLONS.

Until the introduction of kitchen foil, whole fish, or large pieces, were always cooked in a flavoured liquid or court bouillon. When the liquid was no more than salted water, the result was frequently a disaster, particularly if the fish had been allowed to boil rapidly. Few dishes are more disgusting than cod cooked in this way (the French call fish boiled in water poisson a l'anglaise poisson a l'anglaise). In religious households it cast additional gloom over Good Friday, and many other Fridays as well. I think that it has been the main reason for the general unpopularity of fish.

Now that foil has superseded the fish kettle things are better. Appropriate seasonings and aromatics are parcelled up with the fish, which cooks in its own juices plus a little b.u.t.ter or white wine. The flavour stays where it should, in the fish itself, and in the small amount of essence left in the foil as sauce. (See sauce Bercy*.) sauce Bercy*.) Sometimes though, a court bouillon is essential for fish soup, for a sauce requiring a fair amount of the liquid in which the fish was cooked, for poaching turbot or skate, or for boiling live sh.e.l.lfish. Generally, vegetables and spices are simmered in the liquid for half an hour to extract their maximum flavour. When cool or just tepid the liquid is strained over the fish, which it should just cover. The pan, set over a moderate heat, comes slowly to the boil and is then allowed to do no more than simmer or shake slightly for the appropriate length of time, which is as follows: 1 kg (12 lb) fish 710 minutes 2 kg (4 lb) 15 minutes 3 kg (6 lb) 20 minutes 45 kg (810 lb) 30 minutes

If the fish is to be eaten cold, ignore these times. Instead, bring the pan slowly to the boil, give it time for a couple of strong bubblings, then remove it from the heat and allow it to cool. Because larger quant.i.ties of bouillon take longer to come to the boil and longer to cool down, this method is successful with large as well as small fish.

When cooking salmon, I combine the foil and bouillon methods. The fish is wrapped up in greased foil (use b.u.t.ter for hot salmon, oil for cold, to avoid congealed fat ruining the flavour and appearance), with a seasoning of salt and pepper. The parcel goes into enough cold water to cover it well. If you want it hot, follow the times given above: I use the second method for cold salmon. This is quicker than baking the salmon in the oven, yet it has the advantages of keeping all the flavour and moistness in the fish itself.

1. GENERAL PURPOSE COURT BOUILLON GENERAL PURPOSE COURT BOUILLON This makes an excellent start to fish soups. This makes an excellent start to fish soups.

2 carrots, sliced 2 leeks, sliced [image]

or 2 mild onions 2 mild onions 2 shallots, sliced

16 lightly crushed black peppercorns1 heaped teaspoon pickling spicesbouquet garni of appropriate herbs600 ml (1 pt) water600 ml (1 pt) dry white wine or or dry cider dry cider1 tablespoon white wine vinegar Simmer vegetables and spices in the liquid for half an hour. Allow it to cool and cook the fish according to instructions above. If you want to make a fish soup with the bouillon afterwards, tomatoes can be added, with a little sugar; cream and a couple of egg yolks make a final thickening. Fish cooked in the bouillon can be cut up or liquidized to give the soup body or it can be left whole and served as the next course with bread and b.u.t.ter, or potatoes and b.u.t.ter, in the Breton style. Sh.e.l.lfish such as prawns or mussels can provide a final garnish. In other words a court bouillon can be the start of many good meals, from the homely to the luxurious.

2. SIMPLE COURT BOUILLON SIMPLE COURT BOUILLON For salmon, skate, salt cod. For salmon, skate, salt cod.

1 carrot sliced1 onion, sliced12 lightly crushed black peppercornssalt to taste1 litres (2 pt) water2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 3. SALTY COURT BOUILLON SALTY COURT BOUILLON For crab and lobster, prawns, shrimps, etc. For crab and lobster, prawns, shrimps, etc.

seawater, plus salt or plain salted water (an egg should be able to float in it) 4. WHITE COURT BOUILLON WHITE COURT BOUILLON For turbot, brill, smoked haddock. For turbot, brill, smoked haddock.

600 ml (1 pt) milk600 ml (1 pt) water [image]

or 1 litres (2 pt) milk 1 litres (2 pt) milk

1 thick slice lemonsalt, pepper (for smoked haddock, omit salt) 5. WHITE WINE COURT BOUILLON WHITE WINE COURT BOUILLON For marinaded herring, mackerel, jellied trout, ecrevisses a la nage ( For marinaded herring, mackerel, jellied trout, ecrevisses a la nage (p. 464).

1 bottle dry white wine3 medium carrots, sliced4 onions, sliced or or 6 shallots 6 shallotsbouquet garni1 rounded teaspoon black peppercornssaltextra flavourings: chilli, aniseed, celery, tarragon chilli, aniseed, celery, tarragon For whole fish, reduce by rapid boiling to half quant.i.ty and leave until tepid. Put in fish, bring to the boil, allow two bubblings, then remove pan from heat and leave to cool. For ecrevisses and other small sh.e.l.lfish put into boiling reduced bouillon, cook for 10 to 12 minutes and leave them to drain in a colander: for a la nage dishes, serve a little bouillon with the sh.e.l.lfish.

FISH STOCK (Fumet de poisson) The delightful name of fumet de poisson fumet de poisson means scent or bouquet of fish. In reality, it is no more than fish stock, and the good thing about it is that it is simple and cheap to make. There are now fish stock cubes available and some fish stock ready made up by certain manufacturers, but there is nothing quite like one's own fumet de poisson. means scent or bouquet of fish. In reality, it is no more than fish stock, and the good thing about it is that it is simple and cheap to make. There are now fish stock cubes available and some fish stock ready made up by certain manufacturers, but there is nothing quite like one's own fumet de poisson.

Most fishmongers will give you the necessary tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs. Ask especially for turbot and sole bones because they have a high proportion of gelatine which improves the texture of the stock; monkfish, whiting, cod and haddock are all suitable. Avoid oily fish debris such as mackerel, herring, etc.

Makes 2 litres (3 pt)11 kg (23 lb) fish bones and headsl onion, slicedl carrot, slicedwhite part of 1 small leek, sliced1 stalk celery, slicedbouquet garni10 black peppercorns450 ml (15 fl oz) dry white wine or good dry cider2 teaspoons white wine vinegar2 litres (3 pt) water Put all the ingredients in a large pan, adding the water last. Bring slowly to the boil, skimming until the liquid is clear. Cover the pan and simmer it fish stock should never boil for about 30 minutes. Do not be tempted to cook it longer or the stock will taste gluey. Strain the stock through a double-muslin-lined sieve. Salt is not added, since the stock may well need to be reduced if you are making a sauce.

NOTE Any left over can be stored in two ways: either in conveniently sized pots in the freezer or else in the form of a fish glaze that can be kept for weeks in the refrigerator. Any left over can be stored in two ways: either in conveniently sized pots in the freezer or else in the form of a fish glaze that can be kept for weeks in the refrigerator.

To make fish glaze Strain the stock into a wide, shallow pan and boil it down to a tenth or even a twentieth of its original volume, depending on how concentrated it was in the first place. When the liquid is thick and syrupy, pour it in a little container and cover it when cold. A teaspoonful will add flavour to many fish sauces without you having to make stock. Strain the stock into a wide, shallow pan and boil it down to a tenth or even a twentieth of its original volume, depending on how concentrated it was in the first place. When the liquid is thick and syrupy, pour it in a little container and cover it when cold. A teaspoonful will add flavour to many fish sauces without you having to make stock.

Aspic Jelly Leave the strained fish fumet of the main recipe to cool. You will then be able to see how much extra gelatine it requires to achieve a firm set: this will depend on the bones used, the quant.i.ty of skin, etc. Clarify with the sh.e.l.l and white of an egg (see ingredients which follow). ingredients which follow).

To get the jelly to brushing consistency, stand the bowl of fumet in a bowl of warm water until it begins to melt. Brush it over the fish, which should be placed on a wire tray. When the first coat is dry, put decorations in place with a dab of jelly, then brush over again until the desired thickness is obtained. Left-over jelly can be chopped and placed round the fish.

If you don't wish to make a fish fumet, an ordinary aspic jelly will do instead. Put into a saucepan: 450 ml (15 fl oz) water90 ml (3 fl oz) white wine vinegar onion, chopped carrot, chopped stalk celery, choppedrind and juice of lemon30 g (1 oz) gelatinecrushed sh.e.l.l and white of 1 egg Bring all the ingredients slowly to the boil, whisking to dissolve the gelatine. A thick white foam will develop on top. Remove from heat when boiling, leave 10 minutes, then strain through a cloth. When the stock is tepid, add either 120 ml (4 fl oz) dry white wine, or 90 ml (3 fl oz) Madeira, Marsala or sweet sherry these two amounts may be adjusted to taste: the flavour should be strong, not overpowering.

NOTE For coating cold fish, many people prefer the flavour of jellied mayonnaise*. For coating cold fish, many people prefer the flavour of jellied mayonnaise*.

Sh.e.l.lFISH STOCK.

This robust stock I find handy to have in the freezer, along with more cla.s.sic fish stocks, as a spicy base for soups and stews. Adjust the quant.i.ty of tomato to what you are likely to need 1 or 2 ripe tomatoes will just help the sweetness without being too identifiable, whereas a medium can or 4 huge ripe tomatoes will give a more definite accent. You can use wine as part of the stock, or 2 or 3 tablespoons of sherry vinegar: on the whole I stick to water then add reduced red or white wine or a little sherry vinegar when the stock comes into use.

It is prudent to ask the fishmonger in advance to save you lobster, crab and other sh.e.l.lfish debris, as well as the heads and bones of the best white fish, otherwise he will fling them into the dustbin as he prepares his display and may have nothing to give you when you turn up at the shop.

Makes about 3 litres (6 pt)2 kg (5 lb) mixed sh.e.l.lfish and fish debris5 cloves garlic, in their skins2 large onions in their skins, each stuck with 1 clove then quartered2 medium leeks, sliced24 tomatoes or or a medium can a medium can (see (see above above)1 medium to large carrot, coa.r.s.ely grated2 outer stalks celery, sliced30 g (1 oz) parsley23 bay leaves23 sprigs of basil or or fennel branches fennel branches4 sprigs of fresh thyme or or 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon dried thyme1 or more hot red chillies1 good pinch of saffron strands or or 1 piece of dried orange peel 1 piece of dried orange peelsalt, freshly ground black pepper Put the large sh.e.l.lfish and fish debris into a large pot. Crush the garlic with the blade of a knife and add it, with the skin still attached, to the pot. Put in all the other ingredients, plus 4 litres (7 pt) of water. Bring to the boil, then continue to boil steadily but not too vigorously for 30 minutes. Strain through a double layer of muslin. Add seasoning according to your proposed use for the stock.