Cod's Head

The housekeeper's instructor; or, uni... · William Augustus Henderson · 1791

Source: The housekeeper's instructor; or, universal family cook
Status: success · extracted 12 days ago
Not a recipe: No

Ingredients (18)

a little salt ↝ Salt, table, iodized [Spices and Herbs]
a little nutmeg ↝ Oil, nutmeg butter [Fats and Oils]
cloves beat fine ↝ Garlic, raw [Vegetables and Vegetable Products]
mace beat fine ↝ Spices, mace, ground [Spices and Herbs]
salt ↝ Salt, table, iodized [Spices and Herbs]
butter ↝ Butter, stick, unsalted [Dairy and Egg Products]
crumbs of bread ↝ Bread, crumbs, dry, grated, seasoned [Baked Products]

for the sauce

melted butter ↝ Butter, stick, unsalted [Dairy and Egg Products]
an anchovy
some of the liver of the fish boiled and bruised fine ↝ Fish oil, cod liver [Fats and Oils]
two yolks of eggs beat fine ↝ Eggs, Grade A, Large, egg whole [Dairy and Egg Products]
a few shrimps ↝ Crustaceans, shrimp, raw [Finfish and Shellfish Products]
pickled cockles
two spoonsful of red wine ↝ Wine, red [Wine]
the juice of a lemon ↝ Lemon juice, raw [Fruits and Fruit Juices]

for garnish

fried fish ↝ Fish, bass, fried [Fish]
lemon ↝ Lemon, raw [Citrus fruits]
scraped horse-radish ↝ Radishes, raw [Vegetables and Vegetable Products]

Instructions (20)

Wash the cod's head thoroughly clean.
Score it with a knife.
Strew a little salt on it.
If you have a large tin oven, put it in there; if not, lay it in a stew-pan before the fire, with something behind the pan to ensure the fire has its proper effect on the meat.
Throw away all the water that comes from it the first half hour.
Then strew over it a little nutmeg, finely beaten cloves and mace, and salt.
Flour it and baste it with butter.
When it has lain some time thus, turn, season, and baste the other side the same.
Turn it often, continue the basting frequently, and strew on it some crumbs of bread.
If it is a large head, it will take four or five hours.

Sauce Preparation

Have ready some melted butter mixed with an anchovy, some of the boiled and bruised liver of the fish, and two fine beaten yolks of eggs.
When these boil, strain them through a sieve and put them into the saucepan again.
Add a few shrimps or pickled cockles, two spoonfuls of red wine, and the juice of a lemon.
Simmer for a minute or two.
Put the sauce into the pan in which the head was roasted and stir it well together.
Put it again into the saucepan and keep stirring until it boils.

Serving

Put the head into a large dish.
Pour the sauce into a bason.
Serve both up hot to table.
Garnish the head with fried fish, lemon, and scraped horse-radish.

Original Text

Cod's Head.
WHEN the head is washed thoroughly clean, score it with a knife, strew a little salt on it, and if you have it, put it into a large tin oven; if not, lay it in a stew-pan before the fire, with something behind the pan, that the fire may have its proper effect on the meat. Throw away all the water that comes from it the first half hour, and then strew over it a little nutmeg, cloves, mace beat fine, and salt. Flour it and baste it with butter; when it has lain some time thus, turn, season, and baste the other side the same. Turn it often, continue the basting frequently, and strew on it some crumbs of bread. If it is a large head, it will take four or five hours. Have ready some melted butter, with an anchovy, some of the liver of the fish boiled and bruised fine, and mix it well with the butter, and two yolks of eggs beat fine. When these boil, strain them through a sieve, and put them into the saucepan again, with a few shrimps or pickled cockles, two spoonsful of red wine, and the juice of a lemon. When this has simmered for a minute or two, put it into the pan in which the head was roasted, and stir it well all together; then put it again into the saucepan, and keep stirring it till it boils. Being thus ready with your sauce, put the head into a large dish, pour your sauce into a bason, and serve both up hot to table. Garnish the head with fried fish, lemon, and scraped horse-radish.

Notes

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