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.

Turtle soup

(Recipe #1, pages 146 – 147)

Medium-size turtles are preferable to large ones, because the flesh of the latter is usually hard and tough. Hang the turtle by its hind feet on the morning of the preceding day; when the turtle stretches its head out of its shell, grasp it and cut it off with a sharp knife.

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.

To pickle salt herring

(Recipe #84, page 143)

Remove the milt and scale the herring, but without cutting the body open, wash them well, and soak them for two days in cold water or better in milk to extract all the salt.

Pickled fresh herring

(Recipe #81, page 143)

Scale, gut, and clean the herring, brush them with good olive oil, sprinkle them with salt and ground pepper, and grill them on both sides until they are done and golden brown.

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.

Pickled mackerel

(Recipe #73, pages 141 – 142)

Prepare and boil the fish as in the preceding recipe, but use equal parts of water and vinegar with the herbs listed. When it is done, remove it from the broth and replace it when the broth has cooled. Any kind of fish left to cool in the broth sacrifices some flavor.

To serve, place the fish on a platter garnished with parsley sprigs and pass olive oil, vinegar, pepper, and mustard on the side, or serve it with unpeeled potatoes and butter.

Translated by David Green.

Boiled mackerel

(Recipe #72, page 141)

The mackerel is a delicate, fatty fish. It should be gutted as closely as possible to the head, washed, and placed for an hour in heavily salted water with a generous admixture of vinegar. Mackerel may be cooked whole or cut into pieces. If cooked whole, place it curled on a platter and pour hot vinegar over it.

Cold carp with a sauce

(Recipe #24, page 131)

Scale the carp, gut it as usual, rinse it well, and salt it for 1 hour. Then place it in a frying pan, add ¼ quart of wine or Weißbier [wheat beer], some seasoning, tarragon, parsley, and about 3 ounces of butter, and cook the fish slowing until tender, basting frequently. Then let it cool, place remoulade or à la diable sauce on a platter, lay the carp on the sauce, and decorate the rim with eggs and parsley.

Translated by David Green.

Pickled salmon

(Recipe #5, page 127)

Without washing the salmon or removing its skin, cut 2 pounds of salmon into slices 1 inch thick, brine them for 1 hour, and dry them with a towel. Brush them with oil and fry them until they brown, preferably on a gridiron. Then place the slices in an earthenware jar.

Boil 1¹/₈ quarts of mild vinegar with 2 ounces of salt, two lemon slices, 2 bay leaves, tarragon, and 1 dram of white pepper; when it has cooled, pour it over the salmon, which can be kept in a covered jar until needed. Salmon can also be pickled in the same way as eel (see no. 16).

Translated by David Green.