Soyer's standard cookery

This fish is rather coarse, but very surfeiting. It is best very fresh, and should be very thick and not in spawn. It may be •either baked, fried, or sauted in oil, in which case the fillets should not be thicker than one inch. Herrings Broiled, Sauce Dijon. The delicacy of these fish prevent their being dressed in any other way than boiled or broiled; they certainly can be bread-crumbed and fried, but I prefer them dressed in the following way: Wipe them well with a cloth, and cut three incisions slantwise upon each side, dip them in flour, and broil slowly over a moderate fire; when done, sprinkle a little salt over, dress them upon a napkin, garnish with parsley, and serve the following sauce in a boat: — Put eight tablespoonfuls of melted butter in a stewpan, with two of French mustard, or one of English, an ounce of fresh butter, and a little pepper and salt; when upon the point of boiling, serve. Herrings, Sauce Dijon. (Another Method.) Procure six fresh herrings, trim and score, dust with salt and pepper, roll in flour and grill in a very hot oven. When ready, place on a hot well-buttered dish and serve with a sauce prepared as follows: — Put in a stewpan one ounce of butter, one small tablespoonful of flour, a little salt, pepper and a touch of cayenne, together with half a pint of boiling milk. Place on fire and stir well, adding meanwhile one good teaspoonful of French mustard, the juice of a lemon and a teaspoonful of cream. (If no French mustard substitute with the same quantity of dissolved English mustard.) When very hot serve either by pouring over the fish or separately in a sauce-boat, together with plain baked potatoes. A cheap dish but exquisite enough for a gourmet. John Dories, Boulogne Fashion. John Dories, though not very handsome, are very delicate eating; choose them from four to six pounds in weight, the thicker the better, and boil as directed for turbot; one of the above size would require about three-quarters of an hour; if any remain, dress like turbot, or with caper sauce, etc. Mackerel are generally served plain boiled; put them in a kettle containing boiling water, well salted, let simmer nearly half an hour, take them up, drain and dish them upon a napkin; serve melted butter in a boat, with which you have mixed a tablespoonful of chopped fennel, boiling it a few minutes. Mackerel a la Maitre d'Hotel. Split the mackerel open at the back, making it quite flat, season with a little pepper and salt, and butter it all over, lay it upon a gridiron over a moderate fire, turning it when half done, for about a quarter of an hour, when place it upon a dish without a napkin; then put six ounces of fresh butter in a stewpan, which place over a sharp fire until the butter becomes black, but not burnt, when throw in about fifty leaves of chopped parsley, which fry crisp, and pour over the fish; put three tablespoonfuls of common vinegar into the stewpan. which boil half a minute, season with pepper and salt, pour this also over the fish, which put into the oven five minutes, and serve very hot. To Stew Mackerel.