Lamprey Matelotte

The modern cook · Charles Elmé Francatelli · 1846

Source: The modern cook
Status: success · extracted 12 days ago
Not a recipe: No

Ingredients (21)

For cleansing lampreys

plenty of salt ↝ Salt, table, iodized [Spices and Herbs]

For the sauce

the liquor in which the char have been stewed (after first being strained and skimmed)
a sufficient quantity of brown sauce
a little nutmeg ↝ Oil, nutmeg butter [Fats and Oils]
a pat of butter ↝ Butter, stick, unsalted [Dairy and Egg Products]
some lemon-juice ↝ Lemon juice, raw [Fruits and Fruit Juices]

For the ragout

some prepared button-mushrooms ↝ Mushrooms, white button [Vegetables and Vegetable Products]
button-onions ↝ Onions, raw [Vegetables and Vegetable Products]
very small quenelles of whiting ↝ Egg, white only, raw [Eggs and omelets]

For stewing lampreys

port wine

For the second sauce preparation

half the liquor in which the lampreys have been stewed
some brown sauce
a glass of port wine
a pat of butter ↝ Butter, stick, unsalted [Dairy and Egg Products]
a little essence of anchovies ↝ Fish, anchovy [Fish]
lemon-juice ↝ Lemon juice, raw [Fruits and Fruit Juices]

For the second ragout

some button-mushrooms ↝ Mushrooms, white button [Vegetables and Vegetable Products]
stewed small button-onions ↝ Onions, raw [Vegetables and Vegetable Products]
some small quenelles of perch ↝ Fish, ocean perch, Atlantic, raw [Finfish and Shellfish Products]

Garnish

a border of large crayfish ↝ Crayfish, cooked [Shellfish]
some croutons ↝ Croutons [Crackers, excludes saltines]

Instructions (10)

To cleanse lampreys, put them into a large earthen vessel with plenty of salt, scour them well, and afterwards thoroughly wash in several waters to free them from slimy mucus.
Reduce the liquor in which the char have been stewed (after first being strained and skimmed) with a sufficient quantity of brown sauce.
When the sauce is reduced, add a little nutmeg, a pat of butter, and some lemon-juice, and pass it through a tammy into a stewpan containing some prepared button-mushrooms, button-onions, and very small quenelles of whiting.
Warm the ragout, pour it over and about the char.
Garnish the matelotte with a border of large crayfish, and some croutons, and serve.

Second preparation method

Moisten the lampreys with port wine and set the whole to stew gently on the stove-fire.
When done, take half the liquor in which the lampreys have been stewed, and reduce it with some brown sauce.
Add a glass of port wine, and as soon as the sauce is reduced to a proper consistency, incorporate with it a pat of butter, a little essence of anchovies, and lemon-juice.
Pass the sauce through a tammy into a bain-marie, containing some button-mushrooms, stewed small button-onions, and some small quenelles of perch.
Drain the lampreys, place them on a dish, sauce them over with the ragout, garnish round with crayfish, and send to table.

Original Text

LAMPREY MATELOTTE.*
To cleanse lampreys, it is necessary to put them into a large earthen vessel with plenty of salt, with which they should be well scoured, and afterwards thoroughly washed in several waters: by this means they are freed from the slimy mucus which adheres to this kind of fish. Then reduce the liquor in which the char have been stewed (after first being strained and skimmed) with a sufficient quantity of brown sauce for the purpose; when the sauce is reduced, add a little nutmeg, a pat of butter, and some lemon-juice, and pass it through a tammy into a stewpan containing some prepared button-mushrooms, button-onions, and very small quenelles of whiting; warm the ragout, pour it over and about the char, garnish the matelotte with a border of large crayfish, and some croutons, and serve.
moisten it with port wine, and set the whole to stew gently on the stove-fire. When done, take half the liquor in which the lampreys have been stewed, and reduce it with some brown sauce; add a glass of port wine, and as soon as the sauce is reduced to a proper consistency, incorporate with it a pat of butter, a little essence of anchovies, and lemon-juice, and pass it through a tammy into a bain-marie, containing some button-mushrooms, stewed small button-onions, and some small quenelles of perch. Drain the lampreys, place them on a dish, sauce them over with the ragout, garnish round with crayfish, and send to table.

Notes

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