No. 38—FISH CROQUETTES.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The fish is cut into small pieces. The butter is melted, the 3 tablespoonfuls of flour stirred in, then add cream and season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. This gravy is cooked a few minutes and must be thick, the 3 yolks of eggs are stirred in and the fish added. After this mixture has cooled off, small croquettes are formed which are dipped into the white of egg and flour or bread crumbs. Heat the lard to the boiling point, (it must be deep enough so the croquettes will float in it) and bake them to a golden yellow color.
Remarks: Fry one croquette first; if it should not hold together, add more flour.
No. 39—FISH CUTLETS.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
The preparation and ingredients are the same as under No. 38. Form small cutlets, bread them the same as the croquettes and fry them in butter to a nice color. You may improve them with champignons or crab tails.
No. 40—FISH AND POTATO PUDDING.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The boiled fish is cut up fine, the bones all taken out; the raw potatoes peeled and sliced fine. The baking dish or casserole is buttered and a layer of potatoes alternating with a layer of fish put in so that the last layer will be potatoes.
The gravy is made by heating the butter, stirring in the flour, adding the cream, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese and capers. Cook one minute, then pour over the layers of fish and potatoes. Strew a few bread crumbs on top and place the pieces of butter on, then bake slowly 1½ hours. Serve in the dish with head lettuce.
No. 41—SALTED CODFISH CROQUETTES.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
The preparation and ingredients are the same as given under No. 38, Fish Croquettes. If the codfish is too salty, soak it in water a few hours or simmer in boiling water a few minutes.
No. 42—CODFISH HASH.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The codfish is picked to pieces. If it is too salty, soak it a few hours. Heat the butter, stir in the flour, cream and fish and cook for 10 minutes. Toast slices of wheat bread and serve the fish hash on this.
No. 43—FRIED FRESH HERRING.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
For the Gravy.
Preparation: The head of the herring must have a yellow color, if it looks reddish, the herring is stale. The herring is dressed, washed, salted for 45 minutes, then it is dried and rolled in flour, that has been mixed with salt and pepper. Heat the butter or fat and fry the herring in it to a nice color, turning occasionally. For the gravy, brown the butter, add the juice of the lemon and finely chopped parsley.
Serve the herring on a hot platter and pour the gravy over it.
No. 44—TO MARINATE OR PICKLE FRIED HERRING.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
For Marinating.
Preparation: The herring are dressed, washed, salted for 45 minutes; after that they are dried, then rolled in flour mixed with salt and pepper and fried in butter or lard to a nice color.
For marinating, boil vinegar, water, pepper, cloves, bay-leaves, sliced onion and salt and cool it. The fried herring are cooled and put into a stone jar and the fluid poured over. To be prepared one day before serving.
No. 45—MARINATED SALT HERRING.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The salt herring are soaked for one day, then dressed and skinned. If you wish, you may cut them into pieces or leave them whole and put them into a dish. The gravy is then prepared.
The milt and roe, taken out of the herring, are well cleaned, chopped and beaten with vinegar, cream, grated apples and onions, pepper, cloves and bay-leaves. Pour this dressing over the herring and let stand for ½ to 1 day. Serve the herring in the gravy and potatoes in their jackets.
Remarks: Sour cream is best to use for marinating salt herring. This preparation is very good.
No. 46—MARINATED SALT HERRING.
A Simple Way.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The herring are dressed, skinned and soaked in water for ½ day, then cut into desirable pieces or left whole. Cook the vinegar with ½ pt. of water and cool. Put all the spices on the herring and pour the cold vinegar over. The milt may be put in also.
No. 47—HERRING SALAD.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The herring are soaked in water for ½ day, then dressed, skinned, the bones taken out, and cut into equal parts. Potatoes, apples, roast, sausage, eggs, onion, pickles, beets are all cut up, mixed well and seasoned with oil, salt, pepper, mustard, sugar and vinegar, then bouillon added. The salad is served in a glass dish and garnished with minced white of egg, yolk of egg, pickles and beets. You may also garnish with sardines cut in halves and rolled.
No. 48—BOILED LOBSTER.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The lobster is cleaned in water with a brush, by taking hold of its back with the left hand and using the brush with the right. In this way it is harmless. The water is brought to boil in the meantime with salt and the 12 pepper-corns, then the lobsters are put in head first, which kills them instantly. Boil 5 minutes, then set aside to simmer 45 minutes. After this time take out the lobsters, dry them and put them on a board, break off the claws and tail and split the body into halves from head to tail. Arrange these halves upright on a platter, put a bunch of parsley in the top, place lettuce leaves around and garnish neatly with the tails, cracked claws and legs.
Creamed butter or butter balls are served with it, also a mayonnaise dressing.
Remarks: Claws and legs are placed into a cloth and carefully cracked so the meat is not crushed. Large lobsters may boil 1 hour.
No. 49—COLD LOBSTER.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation and ingredients are the same as in the preceding, No. 48. When the lobster is done, pour a cupful of cold water into the hot water and let the lobster cool in it. Then take it out, dry it and press it under a heavy board for one hour. When serving, brush it with oil and prepare it like the warm lobster. A mayonnaise dressing is nice with it.
No. 50—LOBSTER CROQUETTES OR CUTLETS.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Utilizing remnants of lobsters.
The preparation and ingredients are the same as those given under No. 38 and 39, Fish Croquettes or Cutlets.
No. 51—LOBSTER RAGOUT IN SHELLS OR ON TOAST.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The lobster is prepared as given under No. 48. After the lobster is cooked, all meat is picked out, reserving the coral, which is pulverized. The ⅛ lb. of butter is browned with the flour, bouillon or water added and the coral put in. Meat extract, salt, pepper, sugar, lemon juice, cloves, bay-leaf, onion, Madeira, white wine and tomatoes added and smooth. It is strained and must be about ¾ of a pint, this is all cooked ½ hour. This gravy must be very savory. The champignons are cut into small pieces, the truffles peeled and chopped, then add the champignons, truffles and lobster to the strained gravy. This mixture is filled into buttered shells or small molds and baked in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve on slices of toast.
Remarks: This is a fine side dish.
No. 52—BAKED LOBSTER.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
The preparation and ingredients are the same as given under No. 48. When the lobster is cooked and split, hot butter is dripped on and the lobster baked in it for 10 to 15 minutes.
A mayonnaise dressing and chopped pickles are nice with it.
Remarks: It is best to bake the lobster in a gas oven.
No. 53—BOILED CRAWFISH OR CRABS.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
The Gravy.
Preparation: The crabs are cleaned like the lobster. See No. 48. The water with caraway seeds, salt and sliced onion is boiled and the crabs put in one by one. The water must boil constantly, so that the crabs are killed instantly. Boil 3 minutes, then set aside to simmer ¾ to 1 hour. Serve the hot crabs on a napkin. For gravy or dressing, take hot butter mixed with minced parsley.
No. 54—CRAB CUTLETS WITH VEGETABLES.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The crabs are prepared and cooked as given under No. 53. The meat picked out, 18 claws or legs laid aside. The meat is coarsely minced, then mixed well with creamed butter, 2 yolks of eggs, lemon juice, salt and pepper and small croquettes made from this mixture. Dip in beaten egg and roll crumbs. Heat the butter and fry these croquettes in it on both sides to a nice color. Into each put a claw or leg. Arrange the croquettes around asparagus or peas.
Remarks: A good crab dressing may be prepared from the meat of crabs.
No. 55—CRAB RAGOUT.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The crabs or crawfish are cooked the same way as given under No. 53, the meat all picked out, also out of the tails and cut into small pieces. The coral is pulverized and cooked in ¼ lb. of butter together with flour browned in it. The bouillon, the champignon juice, white wine, lemon juice, salt and pepper are added and cooked for 15 minutes in a covered pan. This gravy is then strained through a fine sieve and the crab meat and champignons put in. This mixture is filled into shells or patties and baked in oven 5 minutes. (See Chapter 3, No. 29., Veal Sweetbread Patties). You can also serve this ragout on toast.
No. 56—OYSTERS.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The oysters are opened with an oyster knife and cleaned with a small knife, then placed neatly on a platter covered with a napkin, garnishing with slices of lemon.
No. 57—OYSTER PATTIES.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The butter is melted, flour, cream, lemon juice, salt, pepper and oysters put in, then boiled up once. Small patties are made as given under Chapter 3, No. 29, Veal Sweet Bread Patties. Fill the patties with the oyster ragout, bake in oven a few minutes, then serve at once. This is a fine dish.
No. 58—FRIED OYSTERS OR CLAMS.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The prepared oysters are put into a dish, the lemon juice dripped on and breaded with crumbs, which are mixed with salt and pepper. In the meantime brown the butter and fry the oysters crisp, turning frequently. Serve them with spinage, sauerkraut and fish.
No. 59—OYSTER OR CLAM SALAD.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The oysters or clams are mixed with the other ingredients, put into a glass dish and garnished with green lettuce leaves.
No. 60—OYSTER OR CLAM PUDDING WITH RICE.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
For the Rice.
For the Gravy.
Preparation: The clams are cleaned in cold water with a brush. Change the water several times until it remains clear.
The white wine and salt are put into a dish and the clams put in and shaken over the fire until they open. The inside is then taken out, the shells thrown away. The clam liquor is used for dressing or gravy. Heat ¼ lb. of butter, stir in the flour and add cream, the liquor from the clams, chopped champignons and let it boil a few minutes, stirring constantly; then stir in the 3 yolks of eggs and set aside.
While the clams and dressing are being prepared, the rice is cooked with the bouillon to a thick mush.
A baking dish or casserole is buttered and filled with layers of rice alternating with layers of clams, rice for the top layer. The prepared gravy or dressing is then poured on, cheese strewn over, 1 tablespoonful of hot butter dripped on and then baked in the oven for 20 minutes. This dish may also be made of fresh oysters.
No. 61—SALMON STEAK.
Quantity for 6 Persons.
Preparation: The steaks should be cut in 6 neat medium-sized pieces from the middle of the fish, sprinkle with salt and pepper, pour 1½ tablespoonfuls of lemon juice on each steak, the onion must be thinly sliced, and the slices put on the steaks, also the parsley; then spread 1 tablespoonful of oil on each steak and let them lie for 1½ hours; get cooking utensil very hot, then remove the onions and parsley from each slice of fish, spread another tablespoonful of oil on each and broil for 5 minutes. Serve on a hot platter and garnish with lemon slices and parsley. An olive sauce should be served with this dish.