The Book of Household Management Part 41

_Seasonable_ from October to June.

A SINGULAR QUALITY IN THE TENCH.--It is said that the tench is possessed of such healing properties among the finny tribes, that even the voracious pike spares it on this account.

The pike, fell tyrant of the liquid plain, With ravenous waste devours his fellow train; Yet howsoe'er with raging famine pined, The tench he spares, a medicinal kind; For when by wounds distress'd, or sore disease, He courts the salutary fish for ease; Close to his scales the kind physician glides, And sweats a healing balsam from his sides.

In our estimation, however, this self-denial in the pike may be attributed to a less poetical cause; namely, from the mud-loving disposition of the tench, it is enabled to keep itself so completely concealed at the bottom of its aqueous haunts, that it remains secure from the attacks of its predatory neighbour.

STEWED TROUT.

336. INGREDIENTS.--2 middling-sized trout, 1/2 onion cut in thin slices, a little parsley, 2 cloves, 1 blade of mace, 2 bay-leaves, a little thyme, salt and pepper to taste, 1 pint of medium stock No. 105, 1 gla.s.s of port wine, thickening of b.u.t.ter and flour.

_Mode_.--Wash the fish very clean, and wipe it quite dry. Lay it in a stewpan, with all the ingredients but the b.u.t.ter and flour, and simmer gently for 1/2 hour, or rather more, should not the fish be quite done.

Take it out, strain the gravy, add the thickening, and stir it over a sharp fire for 5 minutes; pour it over the trout, and serve.

_Time_.--According to size, 1/2 hour or more.

_Average cost_.--Seldom bought.

_Seasonable_ from May to September, and fatter from the middle to the end of August than at any other time.

_Sufficient_ for 4 persons.

Trout may be served with anchovy or caper sauce, baked in b.u.t.tered paper, or fried whole like smelts. Trout dressed a la Genevese is extremely delicate; for this proceed the same as with salmon, No. 307.

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

THE TROUT.--This fish, though esteemed by the moderns for its delicacy, was little regarded by the ancients. Although it abounded in the lakes of the Roman empire, it is generally mentioned by writers only on account of the beauty of its colours. About the end of September, they quit the deep water to which they had retired during the hot weather, for the purpose of sp.a.w.ning. This they always do on a gravelly bottom, or where gravel and sand are mixed among stones, towards the end or by the sides of streams. At this period they become black about the head and body, and become soft and unwholesome. They are never good when they are large with roe; but there are in all trout rivers some barren female fish, which continue good throughout the winter. In the common trout, the stomach is uncommonly strong and muscular, sh.e.l.l-fish forming a portion of the food of the animal; and it takes into its stomach gravel or small stones in order to a.s.sist in comminuting it.

BOILED TURBOT.

337. INGREDIENTS.--6 oz. of salt to each gallon of water.

_Mode_--Choose a middling-sized turbot; for they are invariably the most valuable: if very large, the meat will be tough and thready. Three or four hours before dressing, soak the fish in salt and water to take off the slime; then thoroughly cleanse it, and with a knife make an incision down the middle of the back, to prevent the skin of the belly from cracking. Rub it over with lemon, and be particular not to cut off the fins. Lay the fish in a very clean turbot-kettle, with sufficient cold water to cover it, and salt in the above proportion. Let it gradually come to a boil, and skim very carefully; keep it gently simmering, and on no account let it boil fast, as the fish would have a very unsightly appearance. When the meat separates easily from the bone, it is done; then take it out, let it drain well, and dish it on a hot napkin. Rub a little lobster sp.a.w.n through a sieve, sprinkle it over the fish, and garnish with tufts of parsley and cut lemon. Lobster or shrimp sauce, and plain melted b.u.t.ter, should be sent to table with it. (See Coloured Plate E.)

_Time_.--After the water boils, about 1/2 hour for a large turbot; middling size, about 20 minutes.

_Average cost_,--large turbot, from 10s. to 12s.; middling size, from 12s. to 15s.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Sufficient_, 1 middling-sized turbot for 8 persons.

_Note_.--An amusing anecdote is related, by Miss Edgeworth, of a bishop, who, descending to his kitchen to superintend the dressing of a turbot, and discovering that his cook had stupidly cut off the fins, immediately commenced sewing them on again with his own episcopal fingers. This dignitary knew the value of a turbot's gelatinous appendages.

GARNISH FOR TURBOT OR OTHER LARGE FISH.

338. Take the crumb of a stale loaf, cut it into small pyramids with flat tops, and on the top of each pyramid, put rather more than a tablespoonful of white of egg beaten to a stiff froth. Over this, sprinkle finely-chopped parsley and fine raspings of a dark colour.

Arrange these on the napkin round the fish, one green and one brown alternately.

TO CHOOSE TURBOT.--See that it is thick, and of a yellowish white; for if of a bluish tint, it is not good.

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

THE TURBOT.--This is the most esteemed of all our flat fish. The northern parts of the English coast, and some places off the coast of Holland, produce turbot in great abundance, and in greater excellence than any other parts of the world. The London market is chiefly supplied by Dutch fishermen, who bring to it nearly 90,000 a year. The flesh is firm, white, rich, and gelatinous, and is the better for being kept a day or two previous to cooking it. In many parts of the country, turbot and halibut are indiscriminately sold for each other. They are, however, perfectly distinct; the upper parts of the former being marked with large, unequal, and obtuse tubercles, while those of the other are quite smooth, and covered with oblong soft scales, which firmly adhere to the body.

[Ill.u.s.tration: TURBOT-KETTLE.]

FISH-KETTLES are made in an oblong form, and have two handles, with a movable bottom, pierced full of holes, on which the fish is laid, and on which it may be lifted from the water, by means of two long handles attached to each side of the movable bottom.

This is to prevent the liability of breaking the fish, as it would necessarily be if it were cooked in a common saucepan. In the list of Messrs. Richard and John Slack (see 71), the price of two of these is set down at 10s. The turbot-kettle, as will be seen by our cut, is made differently from ordinary fish-kettles, it being less deep, whilst it is wider, and more pointed at the sides; thus exactly answering to the shape of the fish which it is intended should be boiled in it. It may be obtained from the same manufacturers, and its price is 1.

BAKED FILLETS OF TURBOT.

339. INGREDIENTS.--The remains of cold turbot, lobster sauce left from the preceding day, egg, and bread crumbs; cayenne and salt to taste; minced parsley, nutmeg, lemon-juice.

_Mode_.--After having cleared the fish from all skin and bone, divide it into square pieces of an equal size; brush them over with egg, sprinkle with bread crumbs mixed with a little minced parsley and seasoning. Lay the fillets in a baking-dish, with sufficient b.u.t.ter to baste with. Bake for 1/4 hour, and do not forget to keep them well moistened with the b.u.t.ter. Put a little lemon-juice and grated nutmeg to the cold lobster sauce; make it hot, and pour over the fish, which must be well drained from the b.u.t.ter. Garnish with parsley and cut lemon.

_Time_.--Altogether, 1/2 hour.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Note_.--Cold turbot thus warmed in the remains of lobster sauce will be found much nicer than putting the fish again in water.

FILLETS OF TURBOT A L'ITALIENNE.

340. INGREDIENTS.--The remains of cold turbot, Italian sauce. (See Sauces.)

_Mode_.--Clear the fish carefully from the bone, and take away all skin, which gives an unpleasant flavour to the sauce. Make the sauce hot, lay in the fish to warm through, but do not let it boil. Garnish with croutons.

_Time_.--5 minutes.

_Seasonable_ all the year.

THE ANCIENT ROMANS' ESTIMATE OF TURBOT.--As this luxurious people compared soles to partridges, and sturgeons to peac.o.c.ks, so they found a resemblance to the turbot in the pheasant. In the time of Domitian, it is said one was taken of such dimensions as to require, in the imperial kitchen, a new stove to be erected, and a new dish to be made for it, in order that it might be cooked and served whole: not even imperial Rome could furnish a stove or a dish large enough for the monstrous animal. Where it was caught, we are not aware; but the turbot of the Adriatic Sea held a high rank in the "Eternal City."

TURBOT A LA CREME.

341. INGREDIENTS.--The remains of cold turbot. For sauce, 2 oz. of b.u.t.ter, 4 tablespoonfuls of cream; salt, cayenne, and pounded mace to taste.

_Mode_.--Clear away all skin and bone from the flesh of the turbot, which should be done when it comes from table, as it causes less waste when trimmed hot. Cut the flesh into nice square pieces, as equally as possible; put into a stewpan the b.u.t.ter, let it melt, and add the cream and seasoning; let it just simmer for one minute, but not boil. Lay in the fish to warm, and serve it garnished with croutons or a paste border.

_Time_.--10 minutes.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Note_.--The remains of cold salmon may be dressed in this way, and the above mixture may be served in a _vol-au-vent_.