The household gas cookery book

Whiting au Gratin. — A most delicate, light, and tender fish. They must be selected perfectly fresh, and not more than eight or nine inches long. They must be emptied and skinned, which the fishmonger will generally do. Make some incisions on each side of the fish, with a sharp knife, about an eighth of an inch deep. Take a shallow dish and thickly butter it. Place the whitings in the same, and sprinkle some pepper and salt over them, and two tablespoonfuls of grated breadcrumbs. Spread a little butter thinly over the fish, and pour over them two wineglasses of any white wine. Chop up finely half a dozen mush¬ rooms and a teaspoonful of parsley, and sprinkle over the fish. Place the dish in the oven on the solid shelf, and cover with a greased paper, and bake for twenty minutes, basting occasionally. Remove from the oven, and serve in the same dish in which the fish were cooked, with some cut lemon. Whiting aux Fines Herbes. — Place the fish, after being prepared, on a fireproof dish. Sprinkle over them some salt and pepper to taste, and a teaspoonful of mixed herbs and chopped parsley. Cover over with small pieces of butter, and cover with another dish, and bake in a moderately-heated oven for 25 minutes. Serve on the dish in which they are cooked, with shrimp, anchovy, or plain butter sauce. Gurnet (Boiled). — Empty and cleanse the fish thoroughly. Cut off all the fins and gills, and place it in cold salted water, which bring very gently to the boil. The moment the flesh starts from the bones the fish is done. Drain, and place on a folded napkin, and serve with some plain melted butter. Fried Ling.— This fish is both cheap and nourishing, similar to the hake, but should never be boiled. In the North of England it is served as a pie, but it is preferred fried ; it should be cut into slices about an inch thick, rub over with a little salt, pepper, and flour, egg and breadcrumb, and drop it into boiling fat; when of a golden-brown colour, take from the pan and let it drain, and serve on a fish paper with parsley and cut lemon. Perch. — In season, from July to February; is one of our commonest fresh water fish, and taken in the rivers and lakes of all parts of Great Britain and Ireland. Fried Perch. Scale, clean, and wash thoroughly ; wipe dry, flour them all over and dip them into beaten egg and afterwards into breadcrumbs. Have ready some boiling fat, put the fish in, and fry until they are a nice golden brown. Dish on fish papers, and send to table with plain melted butter or shrimp sauce. Oysters, Casino. — Open some oysters, completely detach, and keep in the deep shells with their own liquor, hinely chop some shallots, and sprinkle them over the oysters. Cut a small piece of lean bacon and spread over each oyster. Sprinkle each with breadcrumbs. Place each on a tin and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and place each oyster and shell on a dish. Serve with quarters of lemon.