Breakfast, Luncheon and Tea. Marion Harland
them, now and then, while you prepare the rest.
Pound the minced meat or fish very fine in a Wedgewood mortar, mixing in, as you go on, the yolks of the eggs, the parsley, and pepper and salt to taste. When all are reduced to a smooth paste, mould with your hands into small, egg-shaped balls. Heap in the centre of a dish, arrange the shred eggs around them, in imitation of a nest, and pour over all the hot sauce.
A simple and delightful relish.
Omelettes.
For omelettes of various kinds, please see “Common Sense in the Household, No. 1,” page 259.
FISH.
ENTRÉES AND RELISHES OF FISH.
What to do with Cold Fish.
1 cup drawn butter with an egg beaten in.
2 hard-boiled eggs.
Mashed potato—(a cupful will do.)
1 cupful cold fish—cod, halibut or shad.
Roe of cod or shad, and 1 table-spoonful of butter.
1 teaspoonful minced parsley.
Pepper and salt to taste.
Dry the roe, previously well boiled. Mince the fish fine, and season. Work up the roe with butter and the yolks of the boiled eggs. Cut the white into thin rings. Put a layer of mashed potato at the bottom of a buttered deep dish—then, alternate layers of fish, drawn butter (with the rings of white embedded in this), roe—more potato at top. Cover the dish and set in a moderate oven until it smokes and bubbles. Brown by removing the cover for a few minutes. Send to table in the baking-dish, and pass pickles with it.
Fried Roes of Cod or Shad.
2 or three roes. If large, cut them in two.
1 pint of boiling water.
1 table-spoonful of vinegar.
Salt and pepper.
1 raw egg, well beaten.
½ cup fine bread-crumbs.
3 table-spoonfuls sweet lard, or dripping.
Wash the roes and dry with a soft, clean cloth. Have ready the boiling water in which should be put the vinegar, salt, and pepper. Boil the roes in this for ten minutes, then plunge at once into very cold water, slightly salted. Wipe dry again; when they have lain about two minutes in this, roll in the beaten egg, then the bread-crumbs, and fry to a fine brown in the fat.
Sauce for the above.
1 cup drawn butter, into which beat a teaspoonful of anchovy sauce, juice of half a lemon, and a pinch of cayenne pepper, with a little minced parsley. Boil up once, and send around in a gravy-boat.
Roes of Cod or Shad Stewed.
Wash the roes, and parboil in water with a little vinegar, pepper, and salt added. It should be at a hard boil when the roes go in. Boil five minutes, lay in very cold water for two, wipe, and transfer to a clean saucepan, with enough melted butter to half cover them. Set it in a vessel of boiling water, cover closely, and let it stew gently ten minutes. Should it boil too fast the roes will shrink and toughen. While they are stewing prepare the—
Sauce.
1 cup of boiling water.
2 teaspoonfuls corn-starch, or rice flour, mixed in cold water.
1 table-spoonful of butter.
1 teaspoonful chopped parsley.
1 teaspoonful anchovy sauce, or good catsup.
Juice of half a lemon.
Beaten yolks of two eggs.
Salt and cayenne pepper.
Stir the corn-starch smoothly into the boiling water, and set it over the fire, stirring constantly until it thickens up well. Add pepper, salt, butter, and parsley; mix well together, put in the lemon-juice and catsup, lastly the roes, which should have been frequently turned in the melted butter. Set within a vessel of boiling water for about eight minutes, but do not let the roes and sauce boil fast. Take them up, lay on a flat, hot dish; add to the sauce the beaten yolks, stir fast and well over the fire for two minutes, pour over the roes, and serve.
Should the receipt for so simple a dish seem needlessly prolix, I beg the reader to remember that I have made it minute to save her time and trouble.
Scalloped Roes.
3 large roes.
1 cup of drawn butter and yolks of 3 hard-boiled eggs.
1 teaspoonful anchovy paste or essence.
1 teaspoonful of parsley.
Juice of half a lemon.
1 cup of bread-crumbs.
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste.
Boil the roes in water and vinegar, as directed in former receipts; lay in cold water five minutes, then wipe perfectly dry. Break them up with the back of a silver spoon, or in a Wedgewood mortar, but not so fine as to crush the eggs. When ready, they should be a granulated heap. Set aside while you pound the hard-boiled eggs to a powder. Beat this into the drawn butter, then the parsley and other seasoning; lastly, mix in, more lightly, the roes. Strew the bottom of a buttered dish with bread-crumbs, put in the mixture, spread evenly, and cover with very fine crumbs. Stick bits of butter thickly over the top, cover and bake in a quick oven, until bubbling hot. Brown, uncovered, on the upper grating of the oven.
Fish-Balls.
2 cupfuls cold boiled cod—fresh or salted.
1 cupful mashed potato.
½ cup drawn butter, with an egg beaten in.
Season to taste.
Chop the fish when you have freed it of bones and skin. Work in the potato, and moisten with the drawn butter until it is soft enough to mould, and will yet keep in shape. Roll the balls in flour, and fry quickly to a golden-brown in lard, or clean dripping.