FoodNetArchive

The thorough good cook

1895

Page 107 · 4 recipe records on this page

Presented as published in 1895. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Having skinned, gutted, and washed your eels, dry them with a cloth. Sprinkle them Avith pepper, salt, and a little dried sage ; turn them backwards, and skewer them. Rub your gridiron with beef suetTo Spitchcock Eels, broil them of a good brown ; put them on your dish with melted butter, and garnish with fried parsley. 90. Another way to Spitchcock Eels. Skin, slit up the eel, and bone it ; wash and dry it, cut it in pieces three or four inches long; dredge these with flour, which is to be wiped off so as to leave all dry. Dip the pieces in a thick batter made of melted butter, yolk of eggs, minced parsley, sage, shallot (very little shallot), pepper, and salt. Roll them next in fine breiid-crnmbs. Dip them in the batter ao-ain, and roll them asfain in the bread-crumbs. The pieces may now, to justify the name of spitchcock, be impaled on small spits. But whether thus impaled or not, they are to be broiled on or before a clear lire to a light FISH 179 brown tint. Let them be sent to table garnished with parsley fried crisp, .and with a sauce-boat of English biitter-saiice, sharpened with lemon-juice. 91. To Stew Eels. Having skinned, gutted, and washed your eels very clean in six or eight waters, cut them in pieces about as long as your finger; add just water enough for sauce, and put in a small onion stuck Avith cloves, a small bundle of sweet herbs, a blade or two of mace, and some whole pepper in a thin muslin rag. Cover close, and let the whole stew very softly. Put in a piece of butter rolled in flour, and a little chopped parsley. When you find the flesh is quite tender and Avell done, take out the onion, spice, and sweet herbs. Put in salt enough to season itTo Stew Eels, and then dish it up with the sauce. Will be all the better for a glass of fruity port wine ; and I am one of those who prefer to retain the onions with the eels, when served. 92. Collops of Eels Broiled a la Tartare. Skin the eels as above, cut the collops about four inches long, make a marinade or gentle stew, Stew them in this marinade, and, when they are done, let them cool ; then brush them over with yolk of eggs mixed with a little salt, and dip them into crumbs of bread ; then into clarified butter, and strew over them crumbs of bread again. Broil them of a fine colour, or bake them, and serve them up with a Remoulade, made as follows : — Put into a mortar a spoonful of very fine chopped shallots, the yolks of two boiled eggs, a spoonfid of mustard, salt, pepper, and a little cayenne. M 2 180 THE THOIWUGR GOOD COOK. Pound the whole well ; then rub gently one or two spoonfuls of line Lucca oilCollops of Eels Broiled a la Tartare and a little vineo-ar. Pass this sauce throusrh a fine tammy, and add the yolk of a raw egg, to prevent it turning oily. If you wish the sauce to be green, use extract of spinach (see p. 352), and some scented vinegar, such as tarraofon or elder. 93. Collops of Eels a la Poulette. There are some peojDle who cook eels "a la poulette" in the same manner as a fricassee of chickens ; it is better, however, to stew them in a marinade, and then to make the sauce separately. On taking them from the marinade, drain them, put them into the sauce, and keep them there for ten minutes before you send the dinner up to table.