Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Fish Soup.— Slice two middle-sized onions, fry them of a light brown in butter, and fry also three pounds of eels — they should not be skinned. When just browned (five minutes will do them), add three quarts of boUing water, and while boiling skim carefully. Throw in allspice and black pepper, two drachms, half an ounce of the leaves of lemon, thyme, and winter savourj' mixed, and a good bunch of parsley (aU green) . When the soup has boiled slowly about two hours, during which time it should have been well skimmed, strain and thicken. Melt three ounces of butter, and stir into it as much flour as will absorb the butter. When quite dry, pour some of the soup to it and stir until smooth ; then add the remainder by degrees, and simmer altogether for a few minutes, when the soup should be strained into a clean saucepan over neatly-cut pieces of fish, such as soles, eels, plaice, flounder, skate, &c., all fried, and forcemeat balls. Keep hot, and serve in about ton minutes after the soup has been poured over the fish. Good fish soup may be made with a skate, a flounder, and a couple of small eels cut into pieces, and fried in butter with an onion sliced, then boUed with half a gallon of water to a jeUy, and flavoured with salt and pepper. This stock will keep several days in cold weather ; add required water, &c. Fish Soup (another way).— Boil down the trumnings and bones of any fish intended for this soup ; put them, with three pints of fish stock, into a saucepan, and add three middle-sized onions halved, two lemons sliced, and the rind of one grated, a bunch of parsley, and some chervil. When well stewed, strain through a tamis. Have ready fillets of fish, about six pounds of sole, carp, or perch, and when fried, put them into the soup. Season it with a teaspoonful of salt and haK the quantity of mace and cayenne mixed ; and put into the soup six ounces of butter rolled in flour, and a couple of glasses of white wine. Simmer ten minutes, and serve with quenelles of fish. Time, one hour to stew trimmings. Sufficient for six persons. Fish Soup (another way). — Cut in pieces a skate, a fiounder, and two small eels ; fry them in butter a rich brown ; cover with water ; add an onion stuck with cloves, three carrots, three turnips, a head of celery, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. BoU to a jelly. This stock will keep two days ; add required quantity of water. Fish Soup, Brown. — Proceed as for white soup {see Fish Soup, White), leaving out the cream, and substituting a browning of butter, sliced onion, and flour. Toast also some thin slices of bread — let them be a dark brown ; put them into the tureen with the eggs, nicely fried in butter. Season with salt and black pepper. Time, one hour to simmer. Sufficient, half a pint for each person. Fish Soup Quenelles. — Pick out the meat from a lobster, and pound it, together with three ounces of butter. Season with salt and a quarter of a tea-spoonful of mace and cayenne pepper mixed together ; blend the meat to a l)aste with the yolk of a raw egg, and add while mixing the yolks of two hard-boiled eggs and two table-spoonfuls of fine bread-crumbs. Mould in a tea-spoon and poach the quenelles f for two or three minutes, or fry in butter a i