263. French Angler’s way of Stewing Fish

The Modern Housewife · Soyer, Alexis · 1849
Source
The Modern Housewife
Status
success · extracted 12 days ago
Not a recipe
No
Ingredients (14)
Fish
Seasoning
Liquid
Thickener
Instructions (13)
  1. Cut fish into middle-sized pieces of equal size.
  2. Put fish in a black pot or stewpan.
  3. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar.
  4. Add sliced onions.
  5. Add wine (or port/sherry) and water.
  6. Set on fire to stew gently, tossing occasionally.
  7. When fish is tender, mix flour with butter.
  8. Add the flour and butter mixture bit by bit to the pan, shaking the pan to combine.
  9. Boil a few minutes longer.
  10. Serve the fish in a pyramid with sauce over.
  11. If sauce is too thin, reduce it until it adheres to the back of the spoon.
  12. Taste and add thyme or bay-leaf if highly seasoned.
  13. If some fish cook faster, remove them first and keep warm until all are done.
Original Text
263. French Angler’s way of Stewing Fish.—Take about four pounds or less of all kinds of fish, that is, carp, pike, trout, tench, eels, &c., or any one of them, cut them into nice middle-sized pieces, no matter the size of the fish—let the pieces be of equal size; put them in a black pot or stewpan, season over with nearly a tablespoonful of salt, half one of pepper, half one of sugar, four good-sized onions, sliced thin, add a half bottle of common French wine, or four glasses of port or sherry, half a pint of water, set it on the fire to stew, gently tossing it now and then; when tender, which you may easily ascertain by feeling with your finger the different pieces, mix a spoonful of flour with two ounces of butter, which put bit by bit in the pan, move it round by shaking the pan, not with any spoon; boil a few minutes longer, and serve, dishing the fish in pyramid, sauce over; if the sauce is too thin, reduce it till it adheres to the back of the spoon; taste, if it is highly seasoned, a few sprigs of thyme or bay-leaf may be added. Some of the fish may be done sooner than the others; if so, take them out first, and keep warm until all are done. The motive of mixing fish is, that it is supposed the flavor of all together is finer than one alone. Conger eel is also done in this way.
Notes
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