Mackarel Boiled

When the mackarel have been emptied and washed clean, put them into boiling water, with a handful of salt, and let them boil very fast, that they may be firmer. When they are done, drain them, and serve them on a cloth with green fennel all round. For the sauce, blanch some fennel in salt and water. When it is quite soft, drain it, chop it, and mix it with the melted butter. Gooseberries are also used for the sauce. Blanch them, when soft lay them in a hair sieve to drain. Squeeze them with a wooden spoon, and strain them through a hair sieve. Throw the puree into a stew-pan with a little sugar and butter, and when hot, send up the sauce in a boat.

Fillets Of Mackarel A La Ste. Menhoult

Take the fillets of three mackarel, cut each fillet into two. Pare them equally, season them with pepper and salt; then take the yolks of two eggs, beat them well, and rub the fillets over with the brush: dip them first into crumbs of bread, next into clarified butter, and then into crumbs of bread again. Broil them of a fine colour, and serve them up en miroton with a white sharp sauce in the middle. (No. 25, page 11.)

Fillets Of Mackarel Sautez A La Maitre D'Hotel

Take the fillets of three mackarel, cut them in two, mark them in a saute pan with some clarified butter, salt, and pepper. At dinner-time sautez them on both sides. When they are done, drain, take off the blue skin ; dish, and mask them with the maitre d'hotel.

Fillets Of Mackarel A La Ravigotte

Sautez them the same as above. For ravigotte a la crime, See page 276.

Timballe Of Soft Roes Of Mackarel A La Sefton

Take the soft roes of four large mackarel. Do not wash the fish, for the roes then would turn black and soft. Mark the roes in clarified butter, without any salt; cover them with the butter, and either bake them in the oven, or let them sweat on a stove. Take care not to break them.

When they are done, lay them on a sheet of white paper to drain: dust a little salt over them, and cut them into small dice as neatly as possible. Put these into petits pates, which keep hot, and make the following sauce, which is to be put afterwards into the petits pates. Take two spoon-. fuls of veloute, and one spoonful of consomme, which reduce. When the sauce gets thick, add a small bit of butter with pepper and salt. Refine this sauce with some thick cream. Keep it hot, fill the pates in which the soft roes are, but mind that it is liquid enough to penetrate the roes. Above all, send up quite hot. This entree is much esteemed by the daintiest epicures.

N.B. - If you have a grand dinner, four mackarel will make two entrees without any connoisseur having occasion to find fault, as they will both differ in flavour as well as in form and appearance.

Soft Roes Of Mackarel In Cases

Take six very fresh soft-roed mackarel. Broil them till well done, then take the roes from them, and put them into small cases, with parsley chopped fine, a little rasped crust of bread, salt, pepper, and a little butter; then put them into the oven ; when they are very hot, send them to table with a drop of white sharp sauce, and the juice of a lemon.

How To Cook Vive Grillee, Anchovies and Smelts

Vive Grillee. Sea-Dragon

Sea-dragon is a fish that is seldom eaten in England, although in France it is frequently sent up to table. Towards the gills there is a most venomous bone. We always broil it, and serve it up with a butter of anchovies, a maitre d'hotel, or a provencale.

How To Cook Anchovies

Anchovies are a salt fish of great utility, and of frequent necessity in cookery. Essence of anchovies is a thing which a skilful cook must use with great care, as it is not always made with the fish only, but also with the brine of it, which consequently makes it very unhealthy. Make butter of anchovies yourself, in the following manner: for a dozen of anchovies, a quarter of a pound of fresh butter will do. First wash the anchovies, so that no slime whatever may remain. Take off the bones and fins. Pound the meat with the butter. When well pounded rub the whole through a hair sieve, and secure it in a gallipot well covered. Use butter of anchovies when wanted, for either canapes, salads, fish sauce, &c; anchovies are very seldom used with meat.

How To Cook Smelts

Smelts are most generally fried. After they have been cleaned and emptied, wipe them very dry, and dip them into an omelette of two eggs, and into crumbs of bread mixed with flour. Fry them of a fine colour, and send them up with fried parsley round them.