Pike, Dressing of. — The pike is at its
best from September to March. Although it
is frequently served boiled — and therefore direc-
tions are here given for boHing it — it is much
better baked or roasted. The roe should always
be removed when the fish is cleaned, as it is a
strong purgative. Pike is best for baking and
boihng when it weighs from three to eight
pounds, and for frying when it is quite small,
weighing about two pounds. A pike which is
too large to be dressed all at once may be
divided. The head and tail may be baked or
boiled, and the middle cut into thin sHces,
crimped, and fried.
Pike, Gravy for [see Gravy for Pike).
Pike (Isaac Walton's mode of dressing). —
' ' Fhst open your pike at the giUs, and, if need
be, cut also a Httle sHt towards the beUy. Out
of these take his guts, and keep his Hver, which
you are to shred very smaU, with thyme, sweet
marjoram, and a little winter savory ; to these
put some pickled oysters and some anchovies,
two or three, both these last whole, for the an-
chovies will melt and the oysters should not ;
to these you must add also a pound of sweet
butter, which you are to mix with the herbs
that are shred, and let them aU be well salted.
If the pike be more than a yard long, then you
may put into these herbs more than a pound,
or if he be less, then less butter wiH sufiice ;
these being thus mixed with a blade or two
of mace, must be put into the pike's beUy;
and then his beUy so sewed up as to keep all
the butter in the belly, if it be possible ; if not,
then as much as you possibly can. But take
not ofl: the scales. Then you are to thrust the
spit through his mouth, out at his tail. And
then take four, or five, or six spHt sticks or
very thin laths, and a convenient quantity of
tape or fiUeting ; these laths are to be tied round
about the pike's body from his head to his tail,
PIK
( 5G9 )
PIK
and the tape tied somewhat thick, to prevent
his breaking or falling oft' from the spit. Let
him be roasted very leisui-ely, and often basted
with claret inne, and anchovies and butter
mixed together, and also with what moisture
falls from him into the pan. A^Tien you have
roasted him sufficiently, you are to hold imder
him, when you unwind or cut the tape that ties
hmi, such a dish as you j^ropose to eat him out
of, and let him fall into it, with the sauce that
is roasted in his belly, and by this means the
pike will be kept unbroken and complete. Then,
to the sauce which was within, and also that
sauce in the pan, you are to add a fit quantity
of the best butter, and to squeeze the juice of
three or four oranges. Lastly, you may either
put it into the pike, with the oysters, two cloves
of garhc, and take it whole out when the pike is
cut off the spit ; or to give the sauce a haut gout,
let the dish into which you let the pike fall be
rubbed with it ; the using or not using of this
garlic is left to [your discretion. This dish of
meat," says honest Isaac to his companion,
" is too good for any but anglers, or very
honest men ; and I trust you will prove both,
and, therefore, I have trusted you with this
secret."
Pike, Larded and Baked.— Clean and ✪ Pike, Larded and Baked
Page 1211 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1892. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
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Pike, Dressing of. — The pike is at its
best from September to March. Although it
is frequently served boiled — and therefore direc-
tions are here given for boHing it — it is much
better baked or roasted. The roe should always
be removed when the fish is cleaned, as it is a
strong purgative. Pike is best for baking and
boihng when it weighs from three to eight
pounds, and for frying when it is quite small,
weighing about two pounds. A pike which is
too large to be dressed all at once may be
divided. The head and tail may be baked or
boiled, and the middle cut into thin sHces,
crimped, and fried.
Pike, Gravy for [see Gravy for Pike).
Pike (Isaac Walton's mode of dressing). —
' ' Fhst open your pike at the giUs, and, if need
be, cut also a Httle sHt towards the beUy. Out
of these take his guts, and keep his Hver, which
you are to shred very smaU, with thyme, sweet
marjoram, and a little winter savory ; to these
put some pickled oysters and some anchovies,
two or three, both these last whole, for the an-
chovies will melt and the oysters should not ;
to these you must add also a pound of sweet
butter, which you are to mix with the herbs
that are shred, and let them aU be well salted.
If the pike be more than a yard long, then you
may put into these herbs more than a pound,
or if he be less, then less butter wiH sufiice ;
these being thus mixed with a blade or two
of mace, must be put into the pike's beUy;
and then his beUy so sewed up as to keep all
the butter in the belly, if it be possible ; if not,
then as much as you possibly can. But take
not ofl: the scales. Then you are to thrust the
spit through his mouth, out at his tail. And
then take four, or five, or six spHt sticks or
very thin laths, and a convenient quantity of
tape or fiUeting ; these laths are to be tied round
about the pike's body from his head to his tail,
PIK
( 5G9 )
PIK
and the tape tied somewhat thick, to prevent
his breaking or falling oft' from the spit. Let
him be roasted very leisui-ely, and often basted
with claret inne, and anchovies and butter
mixed together, and also with what moisture
falls from him into the pan. A^Tien you have
roasted him sufficiently, you are to hold imder
him, when you unwind or cut the tape that ties
hmi, such a dish as you j^ropose to eat him out
of, and let him fall into it, with the sauce that
is roasted in his belly, and by this means the
pike will be kept unbroken and complete. Then,
to the sauce which was within, and also that
sauce in the pan, you are to add a fit quantity
of the best butter, and to squeeze the juice of
three or four oranges. Lastly, you may either
put it into the pike, with the oysters, two cloves
of garhc, and take it whole out when the pike is
cut off the spit ; or to give the sauce a haut gout,
let the dish into which you let the pike fall be
rubbed with it ; the using or not using of this
garlic is left to [your discretion. This dish of
meat," says honest Isaac to his companion,
" is too good for any but anglers, or very
honest men ; and I trust you will prove both,
and, therefore, I have trusted you with this
secret."
Pike, Larded and Baked.— Clean and