Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/41

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FISH.

of oil depends on individual taste; some people like a lot of oil. When half the oil is well mixed, put in in the same way some good vinegar, and keep adding oil and vinegar in these proportions until you get sauce the thickness of thick cream, then add pepper and more salt, if necessary. The oil and vinegar must be added by degrees or they will not blend smoothly and the amount of both will depend upon the quantity of sauce, and also the consistency you like it. Mayonnaise sauce is best served separately in a tureen or sauce boat with the salad either cut up or the lettuce in pieces.

Mint Sauce.

Ingredients: Mint, vinegar and sugar.

Mode: Well wash the mint, pick the leaves from the stalks and mince them very fine, mix with vinegar and sugar.

Horse Radish Sauce.

Ingredients: 4 or 5 tablespoonsful

grated horseradish, 1 teaspoonful sugar, ½ teaspoonful salt, 2 teaspoonsful of good made mustard, pepper and vinegar.

Mode: Mix the grated horseradish with the sugar, salt, pepper, and mustard. Moisten with enough vinegar to give it the consistency of cream. Serve in a small tureen with cold meat.

Sauce for Cold Meat.

Peel and slice some ripe tomatoes, and three or four eschalots into a sauce tureen. Pepper and salt to taste. Mix half a teaspoonful of mustard with four tablespoonsful of vinegar, and a little salad oil, or butter if preferred. While stirring, add about half a cup of sweet milk. This makes a very pleasant sauce for any cold joint. Tomatoes are useful in a great many ways, and they are a pleasant addition to all stews, curries, etc.



FISH.


COOK as fresh as possible. If obliged to keep, scale, clean, wipe dry and hang in a cool place. On no account leave them in water. Fish caught some hours can be scaled quite easily, if dipped quickly into boiling water.

To boil large fish allow from five to eight minutes per pound, according to size. If possible, leave the heads on, there are nice pickings in the head. The South Sea Islanders always cook the heads alone, many of them preferring them to any other part of the fish.

Garnish fried fish with fried parsley. Pour white sauce over boiled fish,and sprinkle thickly with hard-boiled egg chopped fine.


FRYING FISH.

Fish should be fried in oil in preference to either lard or dripping, but failing oil which must be really good and fresh, it is quite possible to fry successfully with lard or dripping. The