The Ideal cook book

40. Cod's Head and Shoulders—Ingredients—1 bunch parsley, 1 lemon, horse-radish, milt, roe and liver. Tie it up, and put on the fire in cold water which will completely cover it; throw a handful of salt into it. Great care must be taken to serve it without the smallest speck of black or scum. Garnish with a large quantity of double parsley, lemon, horse-radish, and the milt, roe and liver, and fried smelts if approved. If with smelts, be careful that no water hangs about the fish ; or the beauty of the smelts will be taken off, as well as their flavor. Serve with plenty of oyster or shrimp sauce, and anchovy and butter. It will eat much finer by having a little salt rubbed down the bone, and along the thick part, even if to be eaten the same day. Though it is important to buy fresh codfish, itis not quite so well to cook it immediately, as, when freshly caught, it is apt to be watery; but when rubbed with salt and kept a day or two, it acquires the firmness and creaminess so much prized. Cod is better crimped than when cooked whole, the operation of boiling being more successfully performed under these conditions. The fish may be partially crimped by scoring it at equal distances, without absolutely cutting it through into slices ; but the effect of the operation is always to improve the fish. When thoroughly cleaned the cod should be scored or sliced at regular intervals of about one and a half or two inches, then washed clean in spring-water, and laid in a pan of spring- rey ea s a mess qe iis a ee ody mal bor pr fi Bile ar = Pa fi Cone ay xs TRE SS Ty org Geen we ve PO aah Syke ue? i Wiserass ‘Re ge ‘ & # gad: Fis. 7 : 24 water in which a handful of salt has been allowed to dissolve. After about two hours’ soaking in this brine, the fish,may be washed and set to drain. Some people boil the cod whole; but a large head and shoulders contain all the fish that is proper to ‘help, the thinner parts being overdone and tasteless, before the thick are ready. But the whole fish may be purchased at times more reasonably; and the lower half, if sprinkled and hung up, will be in high perfection in one or two days. Or it may be made salter, and served with egg-sauce, - potatoes and parsnips. 41. Salt God—Ingredients—Cod, vinegar (1 glass), parsnips, cream, butter, flour. Soak and clean the piece you mean to dress, then lay it all night i in water, with a glass of vinegar. Boil it enough, then break it into flakes on the dish ; pour over it parsnips boiled, beaten in a mortar, and then boiled up with cream anda large piece of butter rubbed with a little flour. It may be served as above with egg sauce instead of the parsnip, and the rest sent up whole; or the fish may be boiled and sent up without flaking, and sauces as above. 42. Curry of Cod—lIngredients--Salt and cayenne, cod, onions, white gravy, curry powder, butter, flour, 3 or 4 spoonfuls of cream. Should be made of sliced cod, that has been either crimped or sprinkled a day to make it firm. Fry it of a fine brown with onion ; and stew it with a good white gravy, a little curry powder, a piece of butter and flour, three or four spoonfuls of rich cream, salt, and cayenne, if the powder be not hot enough. 43. Coci’s Roes—lIngredients—1 or more cod’s roes, 11% oz. of butter, 2 eggs, I teaspoonful of salt, 1 pinch of cayenne pepper, I grate of