The century cook book

• The Cod is generally cooked in salted water, and plunged in while boiling; but if the fish is entire, it is only necessary to plunge it into lukewarm water well salted. An entire cod takes very long boiling, for it must be cooked without ebullition; that is to say, that at the first boiling of the liquid, the kettle must be placed on the side of the fire, so that the liquid may simmer only, without the ebullition making itself evident. With boiled cod nothing but a good sauce and boiled potatoes, ought to be served; other garnishes do not harmonize well with this sort of fish. Oyster sauce is most in use; but in Holland it is served simply with good melted butter. This dish, so delicate, if the fish is quite fresh and properly cooked, is far from possessing the same merit, if stale and negligently cooked; these two obstacles are easily removed, if the cook is intelligent, and is aware of the responsibility attached to his or her office. The Trout represented in [illustration: The Trout] the drawing is stuffed, and trussed, then fixed on the drainer of a fish-kettle, taking care to place it on its belly; it is covered with a good "courtbouillon," and cooked in it; the liquor must be poured out cold on the fish; it is afterward brought to ebullition, but immediately removed from the fire. A salmon-trout of about ten pounds must remain an hour and a quarter in its liquor kept at the same degree of heat, but without any visible ebullition. The trout is dished immediately, resting on its belly; but, for more safety, it must be kept in equilibrium by means of fried bread crusts put on the dish, so as to keep the fish upright ; this bread must be masked with raw force-meat, and poached in the oven. The garnish which surrounds the fish, is composed on one side of mushroom-heads, whole truffles, small quenelles, shaped with a tea-spoon, as well as ornamented quenelles; on the other side it is composed of carp-milts, crayfish tails, or a whole crayfish with the tails trimmed, and lastly with quenelles. All these garnishes are slightly masked with "genevoise" or "matelote"-sauce; the remainder is served up in a sauce-boat. REMOVES, ENTREES AND ROASTS See Plates Nos. 2, 3 and 4. Lobster Cutlets a la Victoria. This entree is dished up on a croustade, made of fried bread, composed of two pieces. When the top of the croustade is fried, the upper surface is slightly hollowed out, the empty space masked with a coating of force-meat, which afterward is poached in the oven, or in the hot closet. The cutlets are composed of cooked lobster flesh, cut in small dice, and mixed with an equal quantity of blanched oysters, and as many truffles as lobsters, cut in the same manner. This salpicon is mixed with a Béchamel sauce well reduced, finished with crayfish butter; it is afterward spread on a baking-sheet, the coating being about three-quarters of an inch ; let it cool there ; then it is divided into the shape of cutlets, which are immediately masked with a thin coat of raw quenelle force-meat, dipped in beaten eggs, crumbed, and fried in a sauté pan with clarified butter. When well drained, each gets a small frill, and they are dressed in a circle, the cavity of which is garnished with crayfish tails. A matelote or Normande sauce is served separately.