EIGHT WAYS TO COOK BLACKFISH

BLACKFISH A L'AMERICAINE

Draw two large blackfish, trim, and clean thoroughly. Put into
a baking-dish with two chopped onions fried in butter. Add two
cupfuls of cold water and half a cupful of Port wine. Season with
salt and pepper, a pinch of powdered cloves, mace, allspice, and
thyme, two bay-leaves, a small bunch of parsley, and two leeks.
Cover tightly and cook for an hour. Lift out the fish and strain
the liquid. Thicken it with a tablespoonful of butter, blended
with an equal quantity of flour. Bring to the boil, add two
tablespoonfuls of butter, and minced parsley and lemon-juice to
season. Pour over the fish and serve.

BLACKFISH WITH FINE HERBS

Put the cleaned fish into a baking-dish with chopped onions, parsley
and mushrooms. Gash the fish and fill the incisions with butter
and chopped onion. Moisten with equal parts

of white wine and stock, cover with buttered paper, and cook in
a moderate oven for half an hour, basting frequently. Take out
the fish, strain the sauce, and add stock to make the necessary
quantity. Thicken with a tablespoonful of butter rolled in flour,
and pour over the fish. Cover with crumbs, dot with butter, and
brown in the oven. Sprinkle with lemon-juice before serving.

BROILED BLACKFISH WITH CHILLI SAUCE

Clean the fish, season with salt and pepper, rub with oil, and broil
slowly. Fry in butter a chopped shallot and two chilli peppers.
Add two chopped tomatoes, a wineglassful of Catawba wine, and a
cupful of stock. Boil to the consistency of a thick sauce, add
two tablespoonfuls of butter and a little chopped parsley. Spread
over the fish.

MATELOTE OF BLACKFISH

Cover four pounds of cleaned blackfish with equal parts of Claret
and water. Add salt and pepper to season, two small cloves of garlic,
two onions sliced, and a bunch of parsley. Boil for half an hour
and strain the liquid. Thicken it with two tablespoonfuls of butter
blended with a little flour. Add two tablespoonfuls

of butter, a tablespoonful of anchovy paste, and lemon-juice to
season. Strain over the fish and garnish with fresh fried mushrooms
and small white onions sprinkled with sugar and fried brown in
clarified butter.

STEWED BLACKFISH A LA NEWPORT

Cook four pounds of blackfish in Catawba wine and water to cover,
seasoning with parsley and onion, three cloves, salt, and half
a dozen pepper-corns. Boil for half an hour, strain the sauce,
and thicken with two tablespoonfuls of flour browned in butter.
Cook until thick, add two tablespoonfuls of butter and the juice
of half a lemon. Strain over the fish and surround with a border
of baked tomatoes.

BAKED BLACKFISH--I

Put two cleaned blackfish into a buttered baking-pan with one cupful
of Port wine and two cupfuls of water. Add salt, white and red
pepper, grated nutmeg, minced parsley, and sweet herbs to season.
Dot the fish with butter, cover with buttered paper, and bake for
forty-five minutes, basting as required. Take out the fish, strain
the sauce, and put it into a saucepan with two cupfuls of stock.
Thicken with two tablespoonfuls of butter


blended with an equal quantity of flour, and boil for ten minutes.
Skim, add two tablespoonfuls each of butter and anchovy paste,
and lemon-juice to taste. Reheat, pour over the fish, and serve.

BAKED BLACKFISH--II

Remove the skin and fins from a six-pound fish and place in a
baking-pan. Cover with two cupfuls of bread-crumbs moistened with
hot water, and seasoned with butter, salt, pepper, sage, summer
savory, and sweet marjoram. Bake for an hour and a half and serve
with any preferred sauce.

BLACKFISH WITH PORT WINE SAUCE

Put two cleaned blackfish into a pan with one cupful of Port wine,
one cupful of water, one cupful of white stock, and salt, pepper,
minced parsley, and sweet herbs to season. Cover and simmer for
forty minutes. Take out the fish, add two cupfuls of stock to the
sauce, thicken with one tablespoonful of butter blended with two
of flour, and cook until of the proper consistency. Strain through
a cloth, add two tablespoonfuls of butter, and lemon-juice and
red pepper to season. Pour over the fish and serve.