RECIPES FOR COOKING FISH.
CHAPTER XII.416.—ANCHOVIES, FRIED. (Fr.—Anchois Frits.)
Ingredients.—12 anchovies. For the batter: 3 ozs. of flour, ¼ of a pint of tepid water, 1 tablespoonful of salad-oil, or clarified butter, the white of 1 egg, frying-fat.
Method.—Wipe the anchovies with a dry cloth. Sieve the flour, and mix it into a smooth batter with the water and salad oil. Whip the white of egg stiffly, and stir it lightly into the batter. Have ready a deep pan of hot frying-fat; dip the anchovies carefully into the batter, drop them into the hot fat, and fry until they acquire a golden-brown colour. This dish is more suitable for a breakfast dish, HORS D'OEUVRE, or savoury, than a dish to be served in the fish course of a dinner.
Time.—½ an hour. Average Cost, for this quantity, 10d. Sufficient for 2 or 3 if treated as a fish course, but enough for 6 or 7 if served as HORS D'OEUVRE, or savoury. Seasonable all the year.
The Anchovy (Fr. anchois) is a small fish belonging to the Clupeidae or herring family. It frequents the Mediterranean, the waters of the French and Dutch coasts, and the English Channel. It was known to the Greeks and Romans, and esteemed by them as a delicacy. The anchovy fishery is carried on during the months of May, June and July, the spawning season. Various sauces and condiments are made from this fish.
417.—BARBEL. (Fr.—Barbeau.)
Ingredients.—1 or 2 barbel, according to size, 2 anchovies, 2 onions (sliced), 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, 1 tablespoonful of salt, the juice of a lemon, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), mace and nutmeg to taste.
Method.—Soak the fish in slightly salted water for 2 or 3 hours. Put into a fish-kettle with warm water and the salt, and boil gently until done. Take 1 pint of the water, and add to it the other ingredients enumerated above. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes, then strain, and return to the saucepan. Put in the fish, and let it heat gradually in the sauce, but it must not boil again.
Time.—Altogether, 1 hour. Sufficient for 4 persons. Seasonable from September to February.
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