Otter in fine herbs

(Recipe #6, page 149)

Prepare the otter and let it stand overnight as described above. Then take a few shallots or another onion, a bit of garlic, some parsley, 1 ounce of capers, 4 anchovies, a little thyme and basil, mince them all, stew them in a casserole with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, add the pieces of otter and stew them, turning once, then pour a glass of white wine over them.

Baked flounder

(Recipe #95, page 146)

After cleaning the flounder, make an incision on one side, place them in a shallow tin pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, pour a bit of melted butter over them, sprinkle with finely chopped onion and parsley along with fine bread crumbs, and dot with a few small pieces of butter.

Crayfish (alt. crab)

(Recipe #92, page 145)

An expert has recommended the following method of preparation as the best: The crayfish must be alive. First clean them carefully in cold water using a hand brush. Melt a small piece of butter in a kettle of boiling water, add a little vinegar, a bunch of parsley and tarragon, ground pepper, and salt.

Boiled lobster

(Recipe #88, page 142)

The lobster’s mouth opening must be stoppered with a pointed piece of wood to prevent too much water from entering. Boil the lobster in rapidly boiling water with lots of salt, like the water used for boiling fish. When the lobster is put in the pot, put a red-hot poker in the water to assure that the water continues to boil; take it out a few minutes later.

Anchovy canapés Stettin style (after the soup)

(Recipe #77, page 142)

Prepare anchovies as in section I, no. 21. Cut milk rolls (not slit before baking) into slices the width of a finger and toast them lightly on the grill or in the oven. (If the slices are too thin, the heat will deform them.)

Anchovy canapés (popular after the soup)

(Recipe #76, page 142)

Toast slices of wheat bread (preferably made with milk) or brown them in butter, or else dip them in milk and egg and quickly fry them lightly in melted butter. Then brush the slices with the sauce described below and cover them with anchovies prepared as in section I, no. 21.

Fish fritters (using leftovers)

(Recipe #74, page 142)

Remove all the bones from leftover fish and mince the flesh; use it to make a forcemeat with a knob of creamed butter, a bit of nutmeg and salt, a few eggs, lemon peel, grated stale white bread, and water.

Fried sole with sauce

(Recipe #69, page 141)

For frying and fricassees, it is better to skin both sides. [See above regarding sides of sole.] The easiest way is to hold the tip of the tail in the flame of a burning lantern for a minute; use a sharp knife to loosen the tail a bit and then quickly strip the entire skin. Cut the fish into pieces straight or on the diagonal, salt the pieces for 1–2 hours and dry them thoroughly.

Boiled sole

(Recipe #68, pages 140 – 141)

One side of sole is gray, the other white. Scale the latter and skin the former from the tail toward the head. Cut off the head, the tip of the tail, and the fins, remove the viscera, wash the fish several times with cold water, and let them rest for an hour in salt water.

Boiled turbot

(Recipe #64, pages 139 – 140)

Turbot is considered the crown jewel of fish; many consider its head, tail, and fins the most delicious parts of the fish. Scale the turbot and eviscerate it very carefully so that the gall bladder can be separated whole from the liver. Cut out the small stones found under the skin on the black side of the fish, wash the fish with salt and water, cut off about 6 inches of the tail, and cut off the head leaving at least ½ inch of flesh around it. Each piece provides 1 portion.