of not too thick muslin; put sufficient salt directly
upon each fish; then roll in cloth, over which sprinkle a little
cayenne pepper; put alternate layers of fish, spice and sage in an
earthen jar; cover with the best cider vinegar; cover the jar closely
with a plate, and over this, put a covering of dough, rolled out to
twice the thickness of pie crust. Make the edges of paste, to adhere
closely to the sides of the jar, so as to make it air tight. Put the
jar into a pot of cold water and let it boil from three to five hours,
according to quantity. Ready when cold.
MAYONNAISE FISH.
Take a pound or so of cold boiled fish (halibut, rock or cod), not
chop, but cut, into pieces an inch in length. Mix in a bowl a dressing
as follows: The yolks of four boiled eggs rubbed to a smooth paste
with salad oil or butter; add to these salt, pepper, mustard, two
teaspoonfuls of white sugar, and, lastly, six tablespoonfuls of
vinegar. Beat the mixture until light, and just before pouring it over
the fish, stir in lightly the frothed white of a raw egg. Serve the
fish in a glass dish, with half the dressing stirred in with it.
Spread the remainder over the top, and lay lettuce leaves (from the
core of the head of lettuce) around the edges, to be eaten with it.
FISH CHOWDER. (Rhode Island.)
Fry five or six slices of fat pork crisp in the bottom of the pot you
are to make your chowder in; take them out and chop them into small
pieces, put them back into the bottom of the pot with their own gravy.
(This is much better than having the slices whole.)
Cut four pounds of fresh cod or sea-bass into pieces two inches
square, and lay enough of these on the pork to cover it. Follow with a
layer of chopped onions, a little parsley, summer savory and pepper,
either black or cayenne. Then a layer of split Boston, or butter, or
whole cream crackers, which have been soaked in warm water until
moistened through, but not ready to break. Above this put a layer of
pork and repeat the order given above--onions, seasoning (not too
much), crackers and pork, until your materials are exhausted. Let the
topmost layer be buttered crackers well soaked. Pour in enough cold
water to barely cover all. Cover the pot, stew gently for an hour,
watching that the water does not sink too low. Should it leave the
upper layer exposed, replenish cautiously from the boiling tea-kettle.
When the chowder is thoroughly done, take out with a perforated
skimmer and
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