FORTY-FIVE WAYS TO COOK BASS Pt.5

SEA-BASS A LA FRANCAISE

Clean and trim two large sea-bass. Put into a saucepan, with salt
and pepper to season, three tablespoonfuls of butter, two large
onions, sliced, a bunch of parsley, and enough Claret to cover the
fish. Simmer for forty minutes, drain, and place on a serving-dish.
Take out the parsley and keep the liquid warm. Brown two tablespoonfuls
of flour in two tablespoonfuls of butter, add the onions and liquid
and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Add stock or water if
there is not enough liquid. Add a tablespoonful each of melted
butter and minced parsley, pour over the fish, and serve.


SEA-BASS WITH BLACK BUTTER

Boil medium-sized sea-bass in salted and acidulated water, drain,
and marinate with salt, pepper, and vinegar. Brown a cupful of
butter in a saucepan, skim, pour the top part over the fish, leaving
the sediment in the pan, garnish with fried parsley, and serve.

STRIPED BASS WITH SHAD ROE

Clean a four-pound striped bass and soak the soft roes of four
shad in cold water. Put the bass into a fish-kettle with an onion,
salt and pepper to season, a small bunch of parsley, a tablespoonful
of butter, two wineglassfuls of white wine, and enough white stock
to cover. Cover, cook for half an hour or more, basting as required,
and drain. Strain the liquid and add it to a tablespoonful each of
butter and flour cooked together. Cook until it thickens, stirring
constantly. Add the juice of a lemon and two tablespoonfuls of
butter. Cook the roes for five minutes in salted and acidulated
water, drain, cut in two, and arrange around the fish. Pour the
sauce over, sprinkle with minced parsley, and serve.

FILLETS OF STRIPED BASS A LA BORDELAISE

Clean two striped bass and cut into fillets.

Cover the trimmings with water, add one cupful of white wine, two
cupfuls of white stock, a sliced onion, a bay-leaf, a sprig of
thyme, a tablespoonful of butter, and salt and pepper to season.
Skin the fillets, season with salt, and marinate for half an hour
in oil and lemon-juice. Drain, sprinkle with flour, dip in egg
yolks beaten smooth with a little melted butter, then in crumbs.
Broil carefully, basting with melted butter as required. Fry a
tablespoonful of chopped onion in two tablespoonfuls of flour and
cook to a smooth paste. Add the liquid strained from the fish trimmings
and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Add half a cupful of
stewed and strained tomato, a tablespoonful of minced parsley,
and two tablespoonfuls of butter. Season with red pepper and
lemon-juice, pour over the fish, and serve.

FILLETS OF STRIPED BASS A LA MANHATTAN

Clean and trim a four-pound bass, skin, remove the bones, and chop
very fine. Add four tablespoonfuls of butter, season with salt,
pepper, and grated nutmeg, and add enough cream to make a stiff
paste. Shape into cutlets, dip in egg and crumbs and fry in deep
fat, or saute in clarified butter. Drain. and serve with Tomato
Sauce.

stRIPED BASS WITH CAPER SAUCE

Clean and trim a large striped bass, cut two incisions across the
back, tie in a circle, and boil slowly in salted and acidulated
water for forty minutes. Drain, pour over a Caper Sauce, garnish
with parsley, and serve.