(1208). Perch, Polish Style (Perche A La Polonaise)

A species of bony fish "Thoracic," characterized by a very powerful prickly crest placed on the back. River perch have very white, firm and fine meat of an exquisite savor; it is one of the best fresh water fishes.

Fig. 295.

Select medium sized perch, clean and scale; boil them in salted water for two or three minutes until the skin detaches easily, then take from the fire and carefully lift off the skin. Roll the fish in beaten eggs into which has been mixed a little melted butter, salt, and pepper, then in bread-crumbs, and lay them on a baking tin; brown in a hot oven to finish cooking, and when a good color, serve on a tomato sauce (No. 549), adding a little grated horseradish to it.

(1209). Perch, Sauce Valois - Boiled (Perche Bouillie A La Sauce Valois)

Scale and clean two or three medium sized perch; boil sufficient water in a flat saucepan to cover the fish, adding to it salt, parsley roots with the green leaves, minced onions, and celery; after this has boiled for a few moments, plunge in the fish, and let boil merely for a few times, then set it on one side of the range to finish cooking. If the perch be required hot, serve them on a folded napkin with boiled potatoes on each side of the fish and green parsley at the ends. Serve a Valois and tarragon sauce (No. 554) separately.

(1210). Perch, Stuffed And Baked (Perche Farcie Au Four)

Split the perch through the whole length of the back, keeping on the head and tail bone; suppress the large spinal bone and fins. Season the inside and fill the space with a fish forcemeat (No. 76) and cooked fine herbs (No. 385). Set the perch on a buttered dish, season with salt and pepper, and pour over white wine and mushroom essence (No. 392); let it cook for twenty minutes in a moderately heated oven, then drain and reduce the gravy, mixing it in with a Spanish sauce (No. 414), when the sauce is ready, incorporate into it some butter, lemon-juice and chopped par-ley; dress the fish and cover with the sauce.

(1211). Perch, With Parsley Water, Celery Root And Parsnips (Perche A L'Eau De Persil, De Celeri Et De Panais)

Scrape four ounces of parsley roots, and the same quantity of parsnips and the same of celery roots; cut them up into very fine shreds. Cook these separately in salted water for twenty minutes, then drain off the water. Cook the perch in this water, and when done and dressed, surround with boiled potato balls made three-quarters of an inch in size and the roots. Serve a part of the well reduced liquid in a separate sauce-boat at the same time as the fish.

(1219). Pike With Hazelnut Butter Sauce (Brochet Au Beurre Noisette)

Cut in half pound slices and marinate for one hour in salt a medium sized scalded and cleaned pike, drain and put the pieces into a saucepan with water, salt, vinegar, cut up roots and onions, also a bunch of parsley. Put the saucepan on a good fire letting the liquid boil for five minutes then remove it on one side to keep quivering for a quarter of an hour in such a way that the fish cooks in the meantime. Put eight ounces of melted butter in a saucepan, pouring it off from its sediment, heat it to reach the degree of hazelnut butter (No. 567), then throw in an ounce of chopped parsley. Dress the fish; surround with fresh parsley leaves and send the butter to the table in a sauce-boat.