FIFTEEN WAYS TO COOK PERCH

FRIED PERCH--I

Clean the fish, dip in flour, then in beaten egg, then in crumbs, and fry in plenty of fat. Drain and garnish with lemon and parsley.

FRIED PERCH--II

Dip the cleaned perch in flour and fry brown in salt pork fat.

FRIED PERCH--III

Prepare and clean the fish, season with salt and pepper, dip in egg and corn-meal, and fry in deep fat.

BROILED PERCH

Rub the prepared fish with butter, season with salt and pepper, and broil. Garnish with fried parsley and lemon.

BOILED PERCH

Boil the cleaned fish with parsley, a tablespoonful [Page 236] of butter, and salt and pepper to season. Drain, strain the liquid, thicken with butter and flour, season to taste, pour over the fish, and serve.

BOILED PERCH WITH OYSTER SAUCE

Prepare and clean the fish and simmer until done in salted and acidulated water. Drain and serve with Oyster Sauce.

PERCH A L'ALLEMANDE

Put two large cleaned perch into a saucepan with two chopped carrots, a sprig of parsley, a celery root, a sliced onion and a pinch of salt. Cover with white wine and simmer for twenty minutes. Drain and keep warm. Take out the onion, parsley and celery root, add half a cupful of chopped mushrooms, and cook for five minutes. Cook with a tablespoonful each of butter and flour thickened together, take from the fire, add a tablespoonful of butter and the juice of two lemons. Pour over the fish and serve.

STEWED PERCH A LA BATELIERE

Put four pounds of cleaned perch into a saucepan with salt and pepper to season, two sliced onions, a bunch of parsley, and Claret [Page 237] and water in equal parts to cover. Simmer for half an hour, drain, remove the parsley and thicken the sauce with two tablespoonfuls each of butter and flour cooked together. Add a tablespoonful of anchovy essence, the juice of half a lemon, and two tablespoonfuls of butter. Pour over the fish and serve.

PERCH A LA FRANCAISE

Boil the perch in white wine, and when cooked, skin and arrange on a serving-dish. Pour over a Cream Sauce to which has been added chopped cooked carrots and mushrooms and a tablespoonful of minced parsley. Add also to the sauce a tablespoonful of butter and grated nutmeg and lemon-juice to season.

PERCH A LA MAITRE D'HOTEL

Prepare according to directions given for Mullet a la Maitre d'Hotel.

PERCH A LA NORMANDY

Prepare and clean the fish and put into a stewpan with a chopped onion, a bunch of parsley, a pinch of salt, and enough white wine to cover. Simmer for fifteen minutes, take up the fish, and strain the liquid. Add one cupful of oyster liquor and boil the liquid [Page 238] until reduced half. Take from the fire, add one tablespoonful of butter and two of flour, cooked together, stir until smooth, return to the fire, and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Take from the fire and add slowly the yolks of three eggs well beaten. Bring to the boil, pour over the fish, and serve.

PERCH A LA SICILY

Cook three or four large perch for twenty minutes with a bunch of parsley in salted and acidulated water. Put into a saucepan one tablespoonful of malt vinegar, one tablespoonful of tarragon vinegar, a teaspoonful of minced parsley, a small chopped onion, a bay-leaf, and four pepper-corns. Boil for ten minutes, strain, and cool. Cook together four tablespoonfuls of butter and two of flour. When brown, add a pint of beef stock and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Take from the fire, add the strained vinegar, the beaten yolks of six eggs, and two tablespoonfuls of grated horseradish. Bring to the boil, pour over the fish, and serve.

PERCH A LA STANLEY

Clean four large perch, put into a saucepan with a tablespoonful of butter, a small bunch of parsley, a pint of Rhine wine, a pint [Page 239] of white stock, and salt and pepper to season. Simmer slowly until done, drain, and keep warm. Thicken the sauce with two tablespoonfuls each of butter and flour cooked together, take from the fire, add the yolks of four eggs beaten with the juice of a lemon and three tablespoonfuls of butter. Bring to the boil, add a dozen parboiled oysters, pour over the fish, and serve.

BAKED PERCH

Prepare and clean the fish, stuff with seasoned crumbs, and sew up. Bake with a little white wine and melted butter.

PERCH SALAD

Clean and boil the fish, drain, and cool. Serve very cold on lettuce with Mayonnaise.