Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Pike, Boiled. — Wash, scale, and empty the pike, soak it for half an hour in vinegar and water, and skewer it with its tail in its mouth. Put it into a fish-kettle with as much very hot stock or water as will cover it, and add a table-spoonful of salt, a sliced onion, a bunch of parsley, and half a cupful of idnegar. Bring it to a boil, skim carefully, and simmer it gently until done enough. The time required for boihng will, of course, depend upon the size of the fish. Lift it out carefully, serve on a folded napkin, and send either Dutch piquante or caper sauce to table in a tureen. Time to boil a moderate-sized pike, haH an hour. Suf- ficient for five or six persons. Probable cost, uncertain. Pike, Boiled (another way). — Take a pike weighing three or four pounds, which has been kept in a cool larder for two days. Cleanse it thoroughly, remove the gills, and skewer it in a ring, with its tail in its mouth. Put it in a well-tinned fish-kettle, cover with court bouillon {see Pike a la Genevoisc), and let it boil gently for forty minutes. Lift it from the fire, and leave it in the liquid until the next day. Half an hoiir before the pike is to be served, take it up carefully, drain it, preserve the Hquid, and clean the kettle thoroughly. Put the fish and the bouiUon back into the pan, and stew gently for twenty minutes. Drain the fish, dish it on a napkin, and send caper sauce to table in a tiu-een. Pike dressed in this way may be eaten cold with Maj'onnaise sauce. Of coui'se, if desired, the pike may be boiled in court bouillon and served the same day, but the taste of a fish thus dressed is not to be compared with one which has been allowed to soak in the Hquid for several hours. Suf- ficient for two or three persons. Probable cost, uncertain. Pike, Cold, Re-dressed.— Take the re- mains of a dressed pike, and cut the flesh into neat slices. Season with salt and cayenne, and fry in hot fat until the slices are lightly browned. Drain them from the fat, and dish them neatly. Send to table on a hot dish, with a sauce prepared as foUows: — Mis smoothly in a stewpan two oimces of fresh butter with an ounce of flour. Add a httle pepper and salt, the eighth of a nutmeg grated, a dessert- spoonful of strained lemon- juice, and a table- spoonful of shred parsley. Pour in half a pint of milk, and stir the sauce over the fire until it is on the point of boihng. Just before sending to table, stir half an oimce of butter into it until it is dissolved. Time, ten minutes to fry the sHces. Probable cost, 6d., exclusive of the cold fish. Sufficient for two or three persons. Pike, Crimped. — Take a very fresh pike of a good size. Cleanse and scale it, and cut it up as soon as possible after it is dead into shoes about half an inch thick. Lay these in very cold spring water to crimp them. Put them into boiling salted water, and let them boil gently until they are done enough. Take them up immediately, and serve on a hot dish, with any of the sauces recommended in the recipe, Pike, Sauces for. SHces of pike crimped in this way may be dipped in egg and bread-crumbs, and fried as weU as boiled. They wHl be foimd exceUent. Time to boil, twenty minutes. Pro- bable cost, imcertain. Sufficient for six or seven persons.