Put two medium-sized cleaned sea-ba.s.s into a fish-kettle with a bunch of parsley. Cover with salted and acidulated water, bring to the boil, simmer for half an hour, drain, garnish with lemon and parsley, and serve with a parsley sauce.

FRIED SEA-Ba.s.s WITH TARTAR SAUCE

Clean and wipe small sea-ba.s.s, score the sides deeply, dip in milk, roll in flour, fry in deep fat, drain, sprinkle with salt, and garnish with quartered lemons and fried parsley. Serve with Tartar Sauce.

MATELOTE OF SEA-Ba.s.s

Clean three pounds of sea-ba.s.s and cut in convenient pieces for serving. Put into a saucepan with a bunch of parsley, salt and pepper to season, and a teaspoonful of sweet herbs. Add two onions, sliced, and two small cloves of garlic. Cover with equal parts of stock and Claret and simmer slowly until the fish is done. Move the fish carefully to a serving-dish and strain the liquid into [Page 56]

another saucepan. Brown two tablespoonfuls of flour in as much b.u.t.ter as is required to make a smooth paste, add the liquid, and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Add to the sauce three tablespoonfuls of essence of anchovy and some mushrooms and small b.u.t.ton onions fried brown in b.u.t.ter. Pour over the fish and serve.

BROILED SEA-Ba.s.s

Select a large fish, clean, and split. Season with salt and pepper, rub with olive-oil, and broil carefully. Serve with Maitre D'Hotel Sauce and garnish with lemon and parsley.

SEA-Ba.s.s a LA BUENA VISTA

Prepare and clean a large sea-ba.s.s. Cut a long, deep incision lengthwise on each side. Place in a b.u.t.tered baking-dish with a chopped onion, a bunch of parsley, a pinch of sweet herbs, half a can of tomatoes and a small green pepper, shredded. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add two cupfuls of stock and one cupful of Port wine. Dot with b.u.t.ter and bake in a moderate oven for forty minutes, basting freely.

Take up the fish, and strain the sauce. Melt a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, brown in it a tablespoonful of flour, add two cupfuls of well-seasoned beef stock and cook until [Page 57]

thick, stirring constantly. Combine these two sauces, cover the fish with broiled tomatoes, pour the sauce over, sprinkle with parsley and lemon-juice, and serve.

BOILED SEA-Ba.s.s WITH MELTED b.u.t.tER SAUCE

Boil the fish in acidulated water according to directions previously given. Drain, garnish with parsley, and serve with a sauce made by melting half a cupful of b.u.t.ter with the juice of a lemon, and seasoning with white pepper and a little grated nutmeg.

SEA-Ba.s.s a LA FRANCAISE

Clean and trim two large sea-ba.s.s. Put into a saucepan, with salt and pepper to season, three tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter, two large onions, sliced, a bunch of parsley, and enough Claret to cover the fish. Simmer for forty minutes, drain, and place on a serving-dish.

Take out the parsley and keep the liquid warm. Brown two tablespoonfuls of flour in two tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter, add the onions and liquid and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Add stock or water if there is not enough liquid. Add a tablespoonful each of melted b.u.t.ter and minced parsley, pour over the fish, and serve.

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SEA-Ba.s.s WITH BLACK b.u.t.tER

Boil medium-sized sea-ba.s.s in salted and acidulated water, drain, and marinate with salt, pepper, and vinegar. Brown a cupful of b.u.t.ter in a saucepan, skim, pour the top part over the fish, leaving the sediment in the pan, garnish with fried parsley, and serve.

STRIPED Ba.s.s WITH SHAD ROE

Clean a four-pound striped ba.s.s and soak the soft roes of four shad in cold water. Put the ba.s.s into a fish-kettle with an onion, salt and pepper to season, a small bunch of parsley, a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, two winegla.s.sfuls of white wine, and enough white stock to cover. Cover, cook for half an hour or more, basting as required, and drain. Strain the liquid and add it to a tablespoonful each of b.u.t.ter and flour cooked together. Cook until it thickens, stirring constantly. Add the juice of a lemon and two tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter. Cook the roes for five minutes in salted and acidulated water, drain, cut in two, and arrange around the fish. Pour the sauce over, sprinkle with minced parsley, and serve.

FILLETS OF STRIPED Ba.s.s a LA BORDELAISE

Clean two striped ba.s.s and cut into fillets.

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Cover the tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs with water, add one cupful of white wine, two cupfuls of white stock, a sliced onion, a bay-leaf, a sprig of thyme, a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, and salt and pepper to season.

Skin the fillets, season with salt, and marinate for half an hour in oil and lemon-juice. Drain, sprinkle with flour, dip in egg yolks beaten smooth with a little melted b.u.t.ter, then in crumbs.

Broil carefully, basting with melted b.u.t.ter as required. Fry a tablespoonful of chopped onion in two tablespoonfuls of flour and cook to a smooth paste. Add the liquid strained from the fish tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Add half a cupful of stewed and strained tomato, a tablespoonful of minced parsley, and two tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter. Season with red pepper and lemon-juice, pour over the fish, and serve.

FILLETS OF STRIPED Ba.s.s a LA MANHATTAN

Clean and trim a four-pound ba.s.s, skin, remove the bones, and chop very fine. Add four tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter, season with salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg, and add enough cream to make a stiff paste. Shape into cutlets, dip in egg and crumbs and fry in deep fat, or saute in clarified b.u.t.ter. Drain. and serve with Tomato Sauce.

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STRIPED Ba.s.s WITH CAPER SAUCE

Clean and trim a large striped ba.s.s, cut two incisions across the back, tie in a circle, and boil slowly in salted and acidulated water for forty minutes. Drain, pour over a Caper Sauce, garnish with parsley, and serve.

STRIPED Ba.s.s a LA DAUPHINE

Clean and trim a striped ba.s.s. Put into a fish-kettle with salt, pepper, a bunch of parsley, a pinch of sweet herbs, a sliced onion, two cupfuls of white wine, two cupfuls of water, and four tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter. Cook for forty minutes in a moderate oven, basting frequently. Drain the fish, strain the liquor, and add enough white stock or oyster liquor to make the required quant.i.ty of sauce.

Cook two tablespoonfuls of flour in one tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, add the liquid, and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Add three egg yolks well beaten with four tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter, a tablespoonful of anchovy essence, the juice of half a lemon, and a pinch of paprika. Bring to the boiling point, pour over the fish, and serve. Garnish with fried mushrooms.

STRIPED Ba.s.s a LA CARDINAL

Clean and trim a striped ba.s.s. Cook in a [Page 61]

fish-kettle with two cupfuls of water, one cupful of white wine, four tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter, a bunch of parsley, an onion, and a carrot, sliced, and salt and pepper to season. Simmer for forty minutes and drain. Add two cupfuls of white stock to the liquid, strain, and skim off the fat. Cook two tablespoonfuls of flour in a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, add the strained liquid and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Take from the fire and add the yolks of four eggs, beaten with the juice of a lemon, four tablespoonfuls of melted b.u.t.ter, and a pinch of paprika. Bring to the boil, then take from the fire, add sufficient dried and pounded lobster coral to color, pour over the fish, and serve.

STRIPED Ba.s.s a LA HOLLANDAISE

Clean and trim a striped ba.s.s and simmer half an hour in salted and acidulated water to cover. Drain, garnish with parsley, and serve with Hollandaise Sauce.

STRIPED Ba.s.s a LA COMMODORE

Clean and stuff a striped ba.s.s. Put into a fish-kettle with a bunch of parsley, a cupful of mixed vegetables cut fine, a cupful of white wine, a cupful of oyster liquor, and enough water or stock to cover. Simmer for forty [Page 62]

minutes and drain. Strain the gravy, skim off the fat, and set aside. Brown two tablespoonfuls of flour in one tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, add one cupful of stock and cook until very thick, stirring constantly. Add the strained sauce and reheat, stirring until smooth.

Add a tablespoonful of anchovy essence, four tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter, and lemon-juice to taste. Pour over the fish and serve.

STRIPED Ba.s.s a L'AMERICAINE

Cook together one tablespoonful each of b.u.t.ter and flour, add a pint of oysters, with their liquor, and the yolks of two eggs, well beaten. Cook until thick, stirring constantly. Prepare and trim a striped ba.s.s, fill with the oyster mixture, season, and sew up. Put into a fish-kettle with enough white wine and water, in equal parts, to cover. Add a sliced onion, a bunch of parsley, a little salt and pepper and a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter. Simmer for an hour and drain. Strain the gravy and skim off the fat. Cook together two tablespoonfuls of flour and one of b.u.t.ter, add the strained liquid and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Take from the fire, add the yolks of four eggs beaten with four tablespoonfuls of melted b.u.t.ter, the juice of a lemon, and a tablespoonful of minced parsley. Bring to the boil, pour [Page 63]

over the fish, and serve. Garnish with fried oysters.

STRIPED Ba.s.s a LA Ma.r.s.eILLES

Clean a large striped ba.s.s and divide into fillets. Put into a fish-boiler with three tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter, two large onions, sliced, a bunch of parsley, a bay-leaf, salt and pepper to season, and red wine and water, in equal parts, to cover. Simmer for an hour, drain the fish, take out the parsley, strain the liquid, and spread the cooked onions over the fish. Cook three tablespoonfuls of flour in two tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter, add the strained liquid and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Take from the fire, add the juice of a small lemon, a tablespoonful of anchovy essence, and two tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter. When the b.u.t.ter is melted, pour over the fish and serve.

STRIPED Ba.s.s a LA CONTI

Clean and trim a large striped ba.s.s. Put into a baking-pan with four tablespoonfuls of olive-oil, a small onion, chopped fine, salt and pepper to season, a bunch of parsley, and two cupfuls each of white wine and white stock. Cover and cook for an hour in a moderate oven, basting often. Drain the fish and remove the parsley. Strain the sauce. Brown [Page 64]

two tablespoonfuls of flour in one of b.u.t.ter, add the strained liquid, and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Add the juice of half a lemon and a tablespoonful of minced parsley. Pour over the fish and serve.

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EIGHT WAYS TO COOK BLACKFISH

BLACKFISH a L'AMERICAINE

Draw two large blackfish, trim, and clean thoroughly. Put into a baking-dish with two chopped onions fried in b.u.t.ter. Add two cupfuls of cold water and half a cupful of Port wine. Season with salt and pepper, a pinch of powdered cloves, mace, allspice, and thyme, two bay-leaves, a small bunch of parsley, and two leeks.

Cover tightly and cook for an hour. Lift out the fish and strain the liquid. Thicken it with a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, blended with an equal quant.i.ty of flour. Bring to the boil, add two tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter, and minced parsley and lemon-juice to season. Pour over the fish and serve.