<Emph Rend= Bold >FISH (Poisson).</Emph>

<emph rend="bold">FISH (Poisson).</emph>

<emph rend="bold">(1094). ANGEL FISH À LA BAHAMA (Poisson Ange à la Bahama).</emph>

Prepare a wine court bouillon (No. 39), dress an angel or moon fish, tying down the head. Place this fish on a fish kettle grate; just cover it with the cold court bouillon, and allow the liquid to come to a boil, then set it on one side of the range; cover the top with a buttered paper and let cook without boiling; the time it will take depends entirely upon the size of the fish; if it weighs six to eight pounds, it will certainly take from one hour to one hour and a quarter. When finished, drain, and slide it on a dish; surround with clusters of cooked shrimps and cooked mushrooms and cover the garnishing with a lean velouté sauce (No. 416) with white wine, the court bouillon and two cloves of garlic added; reduce this to the consistency of a sauce, then take out the garlic and add some powdered, sweet Spanish peppers; serve the remainder of the sauce separately.

<emph rend="bold">(1095). BLACK BASS À LA NARRAGANSETT (Bass Noir à la Narragansett).</emph>

Cut the bass through its entire length in two; suppress the fillet skin and remove the back bone; divide each fillet in two lengthwise pieces, then into slices, half an inch thick; have twelve of these paring them all into half-hearts; range them in a well buttered sautoir, one beside the other, moistening to their height with a mirepoix stock (No. 419). Cover over with a sheet of buttered paper, and set this into a slow oven to cook, then transfer the fillets on a dish, and strain the broth over the fillets; when cold remove them entirely from what now should be a jelly; reduce some velouté sauce (No. 415) with this jelly and mushroom essence (No. 392); when reduced quite thick, add chopped mushrooms and fine herbs and set it aside to get partially cold; cover the entire fillets with this, leave them until perfectly cold, then pare nicely and dip in beaten eggs, roll in bread crumbs and fry to a fine color in clarified butter; dress crown shaped on a folded napkin with fried parsley in the center and quartered lemon around. Serve a separate sauce-boat of the following sauce: Chop up one shallot, fry it in butter, add to it twelve small finely minced clams without any liquor, and moisten with a pint of unsalted béchamel (No. 409). Season to taste; when ready to serve thicken with egg-yolks and cream, incorporating a good sized piece of fresh butter, lemon juice and chopped parsley.

<emph rend="bold">(1096). BLACK BASS AIGUILLETTES WITH OYSTER CRABS (Aiguillettes de Bass Noir aux Crabes d'Huîtres).</emph>

Pare twelve fillets of black bass free of skin, shaping into aiguillettes; season with salt and pepper, then put them into a sautoir, and moisten with fish stock (No. 195) and the oyster crab broth; cook in a slow oven, basting them frequently while they are cooking, then drain off the liquid and reduce it with the same quantity of velouté sauce (No. 415). Just when prepared to serve, incorporate into it a good sized piece of butter, then strain through a tammy. Put the oyster crabs into a sautoir with a little white wine, set it on the fire, and at the first boil drain them well. Dress the fish in two straight rows on a long dish; set the oyster crabs between these two rows, and cover the whole with half of the sauce, serving the other half separately.

<emph rend="bold">(1097). BLACK BASS WITH SWEET PEPPERS (Bass Noir aux Poivrons Doux).</emph>

Split the bass lengthwise on the belly side to the back, but do not separate the pieces; take out the backbone; season with salt, baste with a little oil, besprinkle with fresh bread-crumbs, and broil over a slow fire, turning it once only; when done dress on a hot dish. Garnish around with sweet peppers fried in oil with a little crushed and chopped garlic, salt, black and prepared red pepper (No. 168), fine herbs and lemon juice.

<emph rend="bold">(1098). RED BASS. WATER FISH (Bass Rouge. "Water Fish").</emph>

Cut into short Julienne some carrots, leeks, parsley root and celery root; slice or cut some onions into squares, and put all into a saucepan to moisten with fish broth (No. 195); boil and reduce to a glaze; moisten again with water, add salt and the fish whole, cooking it in this court bouillon. Drain, reduce the stock, thickening it with a little velouté sauce (No. 415), the juice of a lemon, and butter; mix in with it blanched parsley leaves. Dress the fish on a folded napkin, surround with sprigs of parsley and serve the sauce separate.

<emph rend="bold">(1099). SEA BASS À LA VILLEROI (Bass de Mer à la Villeroi).</emph>

Remove the fillets, bones, and skin from a sea bass; pare the fillets into half-heart shapes and season each piece with salt and pepper; sauté these in butter with lemon juice, and take them out singly to place on a baking sheet; set a light weight on top; when cold pare them exactly alike and cover over with a well reduced allemande sauce (No. 407) and a little jelly, into which has been added finely chopped mushrooms and parsley; let get very cold, then bread-crumb them by rolling them first in bread-crumbs, afterward in beaten eggs, and once more in the bread-crumbs; smooth the surfaces with the blade of a knife, and lay them at the bottom of a wire basket; plunge it in very hot frying fat, taking them out when a fine color; dress on napkins and serve with fried parsley as a garnishing.

<emph rend="bold">(1100). SEA BASS WITH ALMOND BUTTER (Bass de Mer au Beurre d'Amandes).</emph>

Remove the fillets from the fish; season them with salt and pepper, saturate with oil, and broil over a slow fire without browing; dress and surround the fillets with potato balls three-quarters of an inch in diameter, first boiled, then sautéd in butter. Cover the surface of the fish with slightly melted almond butter (No. 568), and besprinkle the potatoes with finely chopped parsley.

<emph rend="bold">(1101). STRIPED OR ROCK BASS À LA BERCY (Bass Rayé ou de Roches à la Bercy). </emph>

{Illustration: a bass.}

Fig. 285

Prepare two small bass each of two pounds, and when very clean cut the heads into pieces, adding a few large bones from other fish; put all these into a small saucepan and moisten to their height with a good fish court bouillon, prepared with white wine (No. 39); season, let the liquid boil for a quarter of an hour so as to extract all the essence from the bones, then strain and skim off the fat. Have a small oval baking-tin with raised edges, just large enough to hold the fillets of fish; sprinkle over with chopped up onions, shallots, and mushroom parings; lay the fillets of fish on top and moisten to its heighth with some of the above court bouillon; after the liquid has come to a boil, set the pan into a moderate oven so that the fish cooks for fifteen minutes, then drain and dress the fillets on a medium sized dish covering it with a smaller one to keep it hot.

Strain the broth, free it from fat, and pour into it two spoonfuls of good white wine, then let it reduce to the consistency of a half-glaze; take it off, stir in a piece of butter, fluishing with lemon juice; pour this sauce over the fish. Glaze this sauce immediately with an iron or gas salamander for two minutes, or if there be neither, lay the dish on a thick baking sheet and set it in a brisk oven, being careful not to disturb the sauce. The delicacy of this preparation depends entirely upon the excellence of the court bouillon.

<emph rend="bold">(1102). STRIPED BASS À LA CONTI (Bass Rayé à la Conti).</emph>

Lift the fillets of bass; suppress the skin and trim them into half inch thick slices, paring them into half-hearts, two inches by two and a half; season. Cut also from the fish small strips three inches long, and three-quarters of an inch wide, sloping the ends down to points; make five or six bias incisions through half their thickness and fill each one with a slice of very green pickled gherkin; lay these strips on the largest end of the fillet, shaping them like a horseshoe, and place the fillets in a buttered sautoir; moisten with a good white wine court-bouillon (No. 39), and cover over with a sheet of strong buttered paper; bring the liquid to a boil and finish cooking in a slow oven for ten to fifteen minutes. Dress and garnish with three-quarters of an inch ball-shaped potato croquettes (No. 2782), strain the broth and reduce it to the consistency of a glaze, finishing the sauce with a good sized piece of butter, stirring it in with a wire whisk, also the juice of a lemon and chopped parsley.

<emph rend="bold">(1103). STRIPED BASS À LA LAGUIPIERRE (Bass Rayé à la Laguipierre).</emph>

Lift off the fillets from several bass, three-quarters of a pound each; suppress the skin and beat them down with the handle of a knife, fold them in two in the center, and trim them half heart-shaped, then lay them in a buttered sautoir and moisten with a good court bouillon (No. 38). Prepare small pike quenelles (No. 90), some oysters or mussels and mushrooms; have a velouté sauce (No. 415), reduced with some of the court bouillon and thickened with egg yolks and cream; strain through a sieve and keep half of it aside; to the other half add the quenelles, mushrooms and oysters. Dress the well-drained fish crown-shaped, fill the center with the stew, and cover the fish with half of the remaining sauce, sending the other half to the table in a sauce-boat. Do not garnish the fish with potatoes, when the sauce is poured over it, serve them separately.

<emph rend="bold">(1104). STRIPED BASS À LA LONG BRANCH (Bass Rayé à la Long Branch).</emph>

After the bass has been dressed and cleaned remove the fillets and meats adhering to the skin, trimming them into half inch thick slices shaped like half-hearts, three and a half inches by two; place on a baking sheet, cover with buttered paper, and poach them in butter and a court bouillon (No. 38); let get slightly cold under the pressure of a weight; drain and pare them again. Prepare a good essence (No. 388), with the heads and bones of the fish; skim off the fat and strain, then slowly incorporate into it one quart of reduced velouté (No. 415); add a little oyster liquor and mushroom essence (No. 392), and when the sauce is properly reduced and of a sufficient succulence, thicken it with egg-yolks and finish with a piece of crawfish butter (No. 573); when partly cold cover the fillets with a thick layer of this sauce, and set them aside to get cold. Dip each piece of fish into beaten eggs, bread-crumbs, and fry of a good color in clarified butter, drain and dress on folded napkins.

<emph rend="bold">(1105). STRIPED BASS À LA MAINTENON (Bass Rayé à la Maintenon).</emph>

Procure small bass weighing from four to six ounces; cleanse and wash them well; wipe dry and remove the skin on each side; season with salt and coat over with butter; wrap them up in heavy oiled paper, then broil them for fifteen or twenty minutes; unwrap and dress them on a dish; glaze over with lobster butter (No. 580), and surround with oyster bellies and pike quenelles (No. 734). Cover these garnishings with lobster sauce (No. 488), and serve at the same time a separate bowl of the sauce.

<emph rend="bold">(1106). STRIPED BASS À LA MASSENA--WHOLE (Bass Rayé à la Masséna--Entière).</emph>

Fry colorless in butter, two ounces of onions cut in one-eighth of an inch squares, as much carrots cut the same, as much minced mushrooms, one bay leaf, the same quantity of thyme and parsley leaves, moistening with white wine and broth, half and half; cook together for twenty minutes and let get cold. Clean and dress a bass of six pounds, place it in the fish kettle, and pour over the prepared court-bouillon; boil and skim the liquid when required, then remove it from the hot fire and continue boiling slowly for forty-five minutes, drain, and strain the stock, and add part of this to an allemande sauce (No. 407), reduce the two together. When ready to serve dress the bass, glaze it with fish glaze (No. 399), mingled with lobster butter (No. 580), garnish around with sautéd mushrooms and lobster escalops sautéd with fine herbs. Incorporate into the sauce a large piece of lobster butter, pour two-thirds over the lobster and mushrooms, surround these with oysters à la villeroi (No. 698), and serve the rest of the sauce in a separate sauce-boat.

<emph rend="bold">(1107). STRIPED BASS À LA MORNAY (Bass Rayé à la Mornay).</emph>

Remove the fillets from a bass, skin and pare nicely, then lay them one beside the other (the side the skin was on being uppermost) on an oval-shaped raised edge baking pan, covering the bottom with butter and finely sliced onions and carrots; moisten to their heighth with a white wine court bouillon (No. 39), season with salt, and cover the top with a buttered paper; cook in a slow oven basting the fillets frequently. When the fish is done, drain it off and dress the pieces on a dish, covering it with another smaller one to keep it warm. Strain and reduce the gravy, incorporating into it a few spoonfuls of good béchamel (No. 409); when it appears rich and succulent, finish with some parmesan cheese, butter and a pinch of cayenne pepper; pour this sauce over the fish, dredge grated parmesan on top, and let it bake slightly in a very hot oven or brown the surface with an iron or gas salamander (Fig. 123).

&lt;Emph Rend= Bold &gt;FISH (Poisson).&lt;/Emph&gt;

<Emph Rend= Bold >FISH (Poisson).</Emph>