A guide to modern cookery

fish are plunged into it. Previous to this operation, however, the whitebait ought to be thoroughly dredged with flour and placed in a special sieve or frying basket, either of which should be well shaken, in order to rid the fish of any superfluous flour. They are then plunged into the smoking frying-medium, in small quantities at a time, and one minute’s stay therein suffices to render them sufficiently crisp. Draining is the next operation, effected upon a spread piece of linen, that the fish may be easily seasoned with table-salt and cayenne, mixed. This done, the whitebait are dished upon a napkin and sent to the table with very green, fried parsley. VARIOUS PREPARATIONS OF FISH 1037—MATELOTE AU VIN ROUGE The fish used for the Matelote are eel, carp, tench, bream, perch, &c. It may be prepared from one or many kinds of fish. Put the fish, cut into sections, into a sautépan. For two lbs. of it, add one minced onion, one faggot, two cloves of garlic, one pint of red wine, a pinch of salt, and another of pepper or four peppercorns. Set to boil; add three tablespoonfuls of heated and burnt brandy; cover the sautépan, and complete the cooking of the fish. This done, transfer the pieces to another saucepan; strain the cooking-liquor, reduce it by a third, and thicken it with _manied_ butter (consisting of one and one-half oz. of butter and one tablespoonful of flour), cut into small pieces. When the leason has been properly effected, pour the resulting sauce over the pieces of fish; heat, and dish in a timbale. 1038—MATELOTE AU VIN BLANC Prepare the fish as above, but use white wine instead of red, and burn the brandy as before. When the pieces of fish are cooked, transfer them to another saucepan with small onions, previously cooked in butter, and small, cooked mushrooms. Strain the cooking-liquor, reduce it to a little less than half, thicken it with fish velouté, and finish with one oz. of butter. Pour this sauce over the fish and the garnish; dish the whole in a timbale