inward
Fibers. Then put it into water (which may be a little warmed) to soak, and
infuse so during twelve or fourteen hours (or more, if it be not yet
pierced into the heart by the water, and grown tender.) Then put it to boil
very gently, (and with no more water, then well to cover it, which you must
supply with new hot water as it consumeth) for six or seven hours at least,
that it may be very tender and loose and swelled up. Then press and drain
out all the water from it; and heat it again in a dish, with store of
melted Butter thickened; and if you like it, you may season it also with
Pepper and Mustard. But it will be yet better, if after it is well and
tender boiled in water, and that you have pressed all the water you can out
of it, you boil it again an hour longer in Milk; out of which when you take
it, to put it into the dish with butter, you do not industriously press out
all the Milk, as you did the water, but only drain it out gently, pressing
it moderately. In the stewing it with butter, season it to your taste,
with what you think fitting.

ANOTHER WAY TO DRESS STOCK-FISH

Beat it exceeding well with a large woodden Mallet, till you may easily
pluck it all in pieces, severing every flake from other, and every one of
them in it so being loose, spungy and limber, as the whole fish must be,
and plyant like a glove, which will be in less then an hour. Pull then the
bones out, and throw them away, and pluck off the skin (as whole as you
can; but it will have many breaches and holes in it, by the beating) then
gather all the fish together, and lap it in the skin as well as you can,
into a round lump, like a bag-pudding, and tye it about with cords or
strings (like a little Collar of Brawn, or souced fish) and so put it into
lukewarm water (overnight) to soak, covering the vessel close; but you need
not keep it near any heat whiles it lyeth soaking. Next morning take it out
that water and vessel, and put it into another, with a moderate quantity of
other water, to boil; which it must do very leisurely, and but simpringly.
The main care must be, that the vessel it boileth in, be covered so
exceeding close, that not the least breath of steam get out, else it will
not be tender, but tough and hard. It will be boiled enough, and become
very tender in about a good half hour. Then take it out, unty it, and throw
away the skin, and lay the flaky fish in a Cullender, to drain away the
water from it. You must presently