Harper's cook book encyclopædia

Sardines, Fried. — Always use the large-sized fish ; take as many as you wish to use from the box, wipe the oil from them, and pass them through an egg, whipped, and then strew thickly with biscuit- crumbs, apd fry as you would any other fish ; serve on hot, buttered toast. A little red pepper added when eating them is a great improvement. This is an agreeable dish for luncheon or supper, and quickly prepared. Sardine Salad. — Wash the oil from a dozen sardines; remove the skin and bone. Put a head of crisp lettuce leaves in a salad-bowl, chop up two hard-boiled eggs, add the sardines to the lettuce, sprinkle with the egg, and pour over a plain salad dressing. Sheep’s-head, Baked. — Same as Bluefish. Sheep’s-head, Boiled. — Same as Bass. Sheep’s-head, Trout, Redfish, etc., au Gratin (Creole recipe). — Spread upon a dish which can be put upon the fire some butter, parsley, shallots, mushrooms, all cut up together ; salt, black pepper, small green peppers, a little oil. Place the fish upon these ; cover them with the same seasoning and butter. Add a glassful of wine (white) and a glassful of brandy ; then add a good stew of oysters and whole fresh mushrooms. Cook on top of the fire until nearly done ; then add grated bread-and-butter over it, and put it in the stove oven to finish the cooking and give a nice brown. This is really a very accurate recipe for a Creole cook to give, and with a little “ gumption,” as the Yankees say, the dish will be found easy to prepare and very delicious and new when done. Shrimp Salad. — Tear the leaves of two heads of lettuce apart, put in a salad-bowl, open a can of shrimps, put in the lettuce leaves, pour over half a cupful of mayonnaise dressing, and garnish with hard-boiled eggs cut in rings. Smelts, Broiled (with shallot sauce). — Wash in cold water and dry in a clean towel six or seven large smelts — I lbs. altogether — beat two raw eggs with one teaspoonful of salt, one salt - spoonful of pepper. Dip each fish thoroughly in it, and roll them in one pint of fine, freshly made breadcrumbs. Pass a skewer through their heads and make two brochettes ; put over the broiler on a moderate fixe ; Smelts, Fried FISH Sole a la Creme, Fillets of broil the first side six minutes, turn them carefully, and pour over each with a small spoon a little melted butter-altogether the quantity of one table - spoonful — cook five minutes more, serve on a hot platter, with a little fresh parsley and a few slices of lemon. Serve at the same time this prepared cold shallot sauce : Chop very fine two teaspoonfuls of shallots, put them in a small saucepan with half a table-spoonful of butter ; cook three minutes while stirring; do not brown. Remove from the fire ; add one teaspoonful of wine vinegar, one teaspoonful of chopped parsley. Pour in a bowl and let it cool thoroughly. When ready to serve, have one and a half table-spoonfuls of fresh butter, mix it well with the sauce, make small balls out of it, and serve with the fish — one ball for each.