The Toronto Cook Book

Procure a nice fresh fish, boiled, and the bones picked out; season with salt and pepper ; to one quart of milk add a good teacup of flour; put with this a sprig of thyme, a small bunch of parsley, four or five small onions, salt a small quantity of white pepper. Place this on the stove, make into a paste; then remove, and add half a pound of butter and yolks of two eggs. Mix well, and pass through a sieve; pour some of this sauce into a baking dish, then a layer of the fish alternately until it is all used. Pour some of this sauce on the top, and lastly put a layer of grated cheese and bread crumb. Bake thirty or forty minutes. Bass with Dutch Sauce Take the bass and tie it in a cloth, after cleaning and wiping it dry. Lay it in a fish kettle, cover it with cold water and two tablespoons of vinegar, salt, an onion, a piece of celery and a little parsley. Let it boil and then put it to one side to just simmer. Serve it with Dutch sauce. Sauce — Put three yolks of eggs in a saucepan ; add a dessertspoon of flour, two tablespoons of butter, a pinch of salt and a dash of nutmeg ; moisten it with a quarter of a pint of cold water and stir over the fire until just ready to boil. Put the saucepan to one side and add, by degrees, a tablespoon of butter, stirring all the time. Add the juice of a lemon and serve. Broiled Fresh Mackerel Clean, wash and wipe dry. Split it open, sprinkle slightly with salt, lay it in a buttered gridiron and broil the inside first, then turn and do the other. When cooked lay it on a platter, butter it well and sprinkle chopped parsley over; let it stand in the oven to melt the butter and serve. Salmon Pie Take one can of salmon and one pint of oysters. Cover the bottom of a baking dish with small pieces of the salmon, season with salt and pepper; then put a layer of oysters, season and put bits of butter over; continue until the dish is full. Pour in the oyster juice and cover the dish with a light paste. SAUCES FOR FISH Drawn Butter Sauce (for Boiled Fish) One pint of boiling water, two tablespoons butter, two tablespoons sifted flour, pepper and salt. Put a saucepan on the fire; put in the butter and flour; mix them with a spoon (wooden one is preferable) into a smooth paste ; pour over very gradually the boiling water, stirring it well in. Boil up once, season, and serve. If an acid taste is desired, add a few drops of vinegar. Pickle Sauce Add to a drawn butter sauce two or more tablespoons of minced pickled cucumbers. Gravy for Baked Fish After the fish is taken from the pan put the pan on the fire and stir into it gradually two tablespoons of blended brown flour. Boil up once, season with pepper and salt, remove any black specks, and pour it over the fish. White Sauce Put two tablespoons of butter in saucepan, stir until bubbling, add two tablespoons of flour, one-half teaspoon salt and a little pepper. Stir thoroughly until blended. Pour on gradually two cups of warm milk, adding about one- third at a time, beating constantly until smooth and creamy. Brown Sauce