THE great excellence of English fish, and the fresh state in which it is, in London, generally brought to table, combined with the simplicity of our national tastes in cookery, render it unnecessary to resort to much art in the preparation of the finer kinds, which are usually preferred simply boiled, broiled, or fried; but this only holds good with the superior varieties, whereas skate, halibut, ling, plaice, flounders, mackerel, and many others, may be much improved by the method of dressing them.

There is perhaps no article of eatables in which imposition is more practised in London than in fish; and if you are not yourself a good judge, you will be almost sure to be deceived unless you always deal with the same fishmonger, and he is of respectable character; for the lower class of petty dealers never have in their shops any of the finer sorts of good quality. You must therefore either pay a good price, or confine yourself to those ordinary species which are in common use and plentiful in the market. The following hints may, however, be useful in forming a judgment of the different

sorts :

Preparatory to the dressing, the fish should be carefully gutted by the fishmonger, and afterwards cleaned thoroughly by the cook from all appearances of blood, particularly scraping the blood that lodges about the back-bone, and cutting the fish open for some distance below the vent. If, however, the fishmonger does not clean it, fish is seldom very nicely done, for common cooks are apt not to slit the fish low enough, by which, and not thoroughly washing the blood, &c., from the bone, a very disgusting mass is left within, and mistaken for liver; but fishmongers generally wash it beyond what is necessary for cleaning, and by perpetual watering diminish the flavour. It should, in fact, be handled as little as possible,

and never left in the water a moment after it is washed. In washing it, the best way is to hold the fish firmly by the head with your left hand, and scrape off the scales or slime; wash it once in clean cold water, and either dry it with a towel or hang it up and leave it to drain.

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Some kinds of fish will bear keeping better than others, but few are improved by it; some kinds are said to lose much of their delicacy and peculiar flavour every hour after the tide in which they were caught is lost. Turbot is stated to improve by keeping for a day or two;a but the acknowledged superiority of the Dublin Bay turbot is said to arise from its being dressed immediately upon being caught, as it then tastes as if it had been boiled in cream." Salmon, in losing a tide, loses a portion of the fine white curd which intervenes between each flake, and subsequently becomes more rich, but changes its character, the large flakes disappearing with the curd with which they are amalgamated. "Much also depends upon knowing in what way each particular fish may be cooked so as to make its appearance to the greatest advantage. Many there are that are unpalatable when dressed in one particular way, but very good if another mode of cooking be adopted. A stewed carp affords a really splendid dish, a boiled carp one of the worst that can be brought to table. The merits of a sur-mullet broiled, baked, or fried, enveloped in white paper, with its liver for sauce, are too well known to require any comment; and yet, when simply boiled and gutted as you would a whiting, it is a sad woolly and insipid affair." The crimping of fish causes it to eat crisp, and so improves the firmness if it be woolly; but it is unnecessary to perform the operation while the animal is alive, though it should be done soon afterwards.

Fish that is to be boiled must be put on the fire in cold hard water; when it boils, skim with the greatest care; throw in a little cup of cold water to check the extreme of heat, then keep it simmering only, lest the outside break before the thick and inner part be done; but "crimped fish" should be put into boiling water, and simmered a few minutes. A large handful of coarse salt, with a small piece of saltpetre, and a

a Ude-who ought to be a good judge-states, in his 'Cookery,' from his many years' observation, "that a turbot kept two or three days is much better eating than a fresh one."-p. 238.

b Piscator on Fish, p. 8.

little horseradish, should be also put into the water in which fish is boiled; and it is rendered firmer by the addition of 2 or 3 spoonfuls of vinegar. In France they add to this a quantity of spice, thyme, laurel-leaves, and garlic; and, as wine is there cheap, they sometimes use vin ordinaire instead of water. This, however, is not thrown away, for it is equally good when reboiled. Cod, haddock, and whiting eat firmer if a little salt be put into their gills, and they be hung up a few hours before dressing.

Care must be taken to preserve the roe, milt, and liver whole; to let them be sufficiently dressed; and to place them conspicuously when served. The sound adhering to the bone must be left there, but very carefully cleaned. When the fish is dished up, it should be placed at once upon the table. To judge if a large fish be sufficiently boiled, draw up the fishplate, and with a thin knife try if the fish easily divides from the bone in the thick parts, which it will when done enough. Keep it hot, not by letting it sodden in the water, but by laying the fish-plate crossways on the kettle, and covering with a thick cloth wetted with hot water; for if left in the water after it is ready, it loses its firmness, and becomes woolly. Always serve boiled fish on a double napkin, and put the white side of flat fish upwards. On this subject, although aware of the more fashionable mode being to lay the fish on a silver drainer, we still hold to the antiquated folded napkin, the neat whiteness of which equals silver in appearance, while its texture better drains the moisture from the fish. The dish certainly looks more complete if fried fish be served round the boiled; but this should be confined to the small fry of smelts or gudgeons, alternately placed with the roe or milt, merely as a garnish. Great care is necessary to drain the water from the boiled fish, that their dryness and colour may not be lessened.

In the frying of fish, one great point is to prepare it properly. Take, for instance, a sole, lay it on a cloth, wipe it thoroughly dry on both sides, then dredge it with flour, beat up an egg, and lay it on with a brush, strewing on it finelygrated bread or biscuit crumbs; have the fat so boiling hot that all the hissing and bubbling must have subsided before the fish is put in, and let the quantity not be stinted, or the fish, when taken out, will be greasy. The fryingpan must be put upon a clear cinder fire, and not left for a moment until

the fish is done at a moderate rate, neither too quick nor too slow; and when done, lay it upon a cloth or writing-paper to drain off the fat.

Hog's-lard and butter are the materials most generally used, as are also the drippings from roast meat; for a great prejudice exists in England against frying with oil, arising no doubt partly from expense as well as dislike, although it is more delicate than any fatty substance that can be employed for that purpose. Throughout the southern countries of Europe nothing else is ever used in the frying of either fish or meat of any kind, and dishes thus dressed ever appear superior on the foreign tables to those of our own. The oil, if skimmed when done with, may be employed again until entirely used; and lard, if poured into cold water when melted, will harden on the surface. The largeness of quantity does not therefore occasion additional cost; and even should meat be fried in it after fish, it will occasion no unpleasant flavour.

In broiling fish, care should be taken to make the gridiron very hot, and to rub the bars with butter previously to using. Fish prepared for broiling, after it is washed, should be rubbed well with vinegar, dried in a cloth, and floured—the vinegar preserving the skin entire, and the flour preventing it sticking to the bars. A cinder or a charcoal fire is the best, but a little salt thrown on a coal fire will check the smoke, and cause it to burn like embers.

In the dressing of flat fish as cutlets, the fillets should be lifted from the bones, and the spine which runs through the centre of the round sorts should be extracted.

The stewing of fish, and dressing it in fillets or cutlets, requires considerably more care in the cookery, as well as cost in the ingredients, than either of the previous modes; and as a preliminary to the operation, a gravy should be got ready, to be made in the following manner :-Take out all the bones, cut off the heads and tails, and, if this should not be sufficient, add a flounder, an eel, or any small common fish; stew them with an onion, pepper, salt, and sweet herbs; strain it, and thicken it to the consistence of cream, flavouring with a slight addition of wine or any other sauce. The French employ the commonest sorts of their wine as a marinade, or sauce, both for the boiling and stewing of fish; and that of English growth may be substituted in this country, if the cheaper kinds of foreign wine should be thought too expensive. Families who

have no home-made wine of their own may use cider instead, but it will not afford the flavour of wine of even an inferior description. Indeed, those who look closely to economy, and who are satisfied with a more homely style of cookery, frequently substitute a quart of ale instead of the wine or cider, together with a small quantity of chili vinegar, a glass of soy or essence of anchovy, to which fennel, chives, thyme, and bay-leaves may be added according to fancy; and an excellent sauce may thus be prepared, if mixed with the judgment of a good palate.

MARINADE

240.-Is commonly used in France for the purpose of boiling fish, which imbibes from it a more pleasant flavour than it naturally possesses, and has been so generally adopted by English professed cooks that we here insert the receipt :-Cut up 2 carrots, 3 onions, half a dozen shalots, a single clove of garlic, and put them into a stewpan with a piece of butter, a bunch of parsley, and a bundle of sweet herbs; fry the whole for a few minutes, then add, very gradually, 2 bottles of any light wine or of cider. Put in a handful of salt, two dozen of peppercorns, the same quantity of allspice, and a couple of cloves. Simmer the whole together for 1 hour, strain the liquor, and put it by for use.

This marinade, if carefully strained after the fish has been taken out, will serve several times for the same purpose, adding a little water each time. Fish dressed in it should simmer very gently, or rather stew than boil, as it affords to mackerel, fresh herrings, perch, roach, and any of the small river fish, the advantage of dissolving, or so thoroughly softening their bones as to render them more agreeable in eating. For large fish, they should be cut into steaks before being marinaded. Instead of the wine or cider, a quart of table-beer, a glass of soy, 1 of essence of anchovies, and 1 of ketchup, may be used; or a pint of vinegar and these sauces, fennel, chives, thyme, and bay-leaves, may be added with the wine, cider, &c. Or, choose a kettle that will suit the size of the fish, into which put 2 parts water, 1 of light (not sweet) white wine, a good piece of butter, some stewed onions and carrots, pepper, salt, 2 or 3 cloves, and a good bunch of sweet herbs; simmer of an hour, let it become cold, then boil the fish therein. Serve with anchovy-sauce and a squeeze of lemon.