228. To stew Mackerel

The Modern Housewife · Soyer, Alexis · 1849

Source: The Modern Housewife
Time: Cook: 20 min Total: 20 min
Yield: 3.0 – 4.0 fish
Status: success · extracted 12 days ago
Not a recipe: No

Ingredients (15)

three or four of them ↝ Fish, mackerel, spanish, raw [Finfish and Shellfish Products]
a lump of butter, the size of a walnut, to each fish ↝ Butter, stick, unsalted [Dairy and Egg Products]
a teacupful of water ↝ Water, tap [Tap water]
a tablespoonful of finely-chopped onions ↝ Onions, raw [Vegetables and Vegetable Products]
the same of chopped parsley ↝ Parsley, raw [Not included in a food category]
a blade or two of mace ↝ Spices, mace, ground [Spices and Herbs]
a little pepper ↝ Spices, pepper, black [Spices and Herbs]
salt ↝ Salt, table, iodized [Spices and Herbs]
a tablespoonful of anchovy essence ↝ Fish, anchovy [Fish]
a small teacupful of ale or porter (if not bitter) ↝ Beverages, carbonated, ginger ale [Beverages]
A tablespoonful of grated bread-crust, not burnt, but a light brown ↝ Bread, Italian [Baked Products]
the yolks of three eggs, well-beaten ↝ Egg, yolk only, raw [Eggs and omelets]
the soft roes ↝ Fish, roe, mixed species, raw [Finfish and Shellfish Products]
more grated crust ↝ Bread, Italian [Baked Products]
a glass of sherry, if liked

Instructions (13)

Prepare the mackerel: take off the heads, fins, and tails. Open the fish, remove the hard roes, dry them with a cloth, and dredge lightly with flour.
Place three or four mackerel in a stewpan. Add a walnut-sized lump of butter to each fish.
In a small basin, combine a teacupful of water, a tablespoonful of finely-chopped onions, a tablespoonful of chopped parsley, 1-2 blades of mace, a little pepper and salt, a tablespoonful of anchovy essence, and a small teacupful of ale or porter (if not bitter).
Add a tablespoonful of grated bread-crust (light brown, not burnt) to the basin mixture.
Pour the basin mixture over the fish in the stewpan.
Stew gently for twenty minutes.
In the meantime, have ready the yolks of three eggs, well-beaten.
When the fish is sufficiently done, take some of the gravy and gradually mix it with the beaten egg yolks.
Pour the egg mixture over the fish in the stewpan.
Shake the stewpan gently over the fire to thicken the sauce, being careful not to curdle the eggs.
Add the soft roes if desired.
Place the fish whole in the serving dish.
Shake a little more grated bread-crust over the fish to create a handsome brown topping.

Original Text

228. To stew Mackerel.—Take off the heads, the fins, and tails, and, having opened the fish and taken out all the hard roes, dry them with a cloth and dredge them lightly with flour; place three or four of them in a stewpan, with a lump of butter, the size of a walnut, to each fish; put into a small basin a teacupful of water, a tablespoonful of finely-chopped onions, the same of chopped parsley, a blade or two of mace, a little pepper and salt, a tablespoonful of anchovy essence, and a small teacupful of ale or porter (if not bitter). Add a tablespoonful of grated bread-crust, not burnt, but a light brown; pour all these ingredients over the fish, and let them stew gently for twenty minutes; have ready the yolks of three eggs, well-beaten, and when the fish is sufficiently done, take some of the gravy and mix gradually with the eggs, and, pouring them on the fish, shake the stewpan a little over the fire to thicken the whole, but not to curdle the eggs; the soft roes added are an improvement: have ready more grated crust, and having placed the fish whole in the dish, shake a little of the grated crust over the whole, so as to make it of a handsome brown. The Receipt requires to be carefully followed. If the gravy is too thick, more water may be added; also a glass of sherry, if liked.

Notes

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