A guide to modern cookery

the English market; only prized for its liver. 767—MOSTELE, only caught in the region of Monaco; cannot bear transport; especially served à la Meunière or à l’Anglaise. 768—MUSSELS, only used as garnish. 769—NONAT, replaced in England by whitebait, which it greatly resembles. 770—PERCH, very moderately appreciated; chiefly served fried, when small, and boiled with some fish sauce when large. 771—SKATE, generally served boiled, with caper sauce; occasionally with brown butter. The smaller specimens are better fried. Often offered for sale, crimped. 772—SARDINES, generally of inferior quality; used in the preparation of sprats. 773—STERLET, almost unknown in England. 774—TURTLE, with the exception of those firms which make this their speciality, is almost exclusively used in preparing Turtle Soup. The flippers are sometimes served braised au Madère. I do not think it at all necessary to lay any further stress upon the series of preparations bearing the names of _Croquettes_, _Cromesquis_, _Côtelettes_ (côtelettes here only mean those prepared from cooked fish, and which are really but a form of croquettes), _Coquilles_, _Bouchées_, _Palets_, &c., which may be made from any kind of cooked fish. These preparations are so well known that it would be almost superfluous to repeat their recipes. 775—DIVERS WAYS OF COOKING FISH The divers ways of cooking fish are all derived from one or another of the following methods:— (1) Boiling in salted water, which may be applied equally well to large pieces and slices of fish. (2) Frying, particularly suited to small specimens and thin slices of larger ones. (3) Cooking in butter, otherwise “à la Meunière,” best suited to the same pieces as No. 2. (4) Poaching, with short moistening, especially suited to fillets or small specimens. (5) Braising, used particularly for large pieces. (6) Grilling, for small specimens and collops. (7) Cooking au Gratin, same as grilling. 776—THE BOILING OF FISH IN SALTED WATER The procedure changes according as to whether the fish is to be cooked whole or in slices. If whole, after having properly cleaned, washed, and trimmed it, lay it on the drainer of the utensil best suited to its shape; _i.e._, a