Part 57 (2/2)

_Another most excellent way to stew a Carp._

Take a carp and scale it, being well cleansed and dried with a clean cloth, then split it and fry it in clarified b.u.t.ter, being finely fryed put it in a deep dish with two or three spoonfuls of claret wine, grated nutmeg, a blade or two of large mace, salt, three or four slices of an orange, and some sweet b.u.t.ter, set it on a chafing dish of coals, cover it close, and stew it up quick, then turn it, and being very well stew'd, dish it on fine carv'd sippets, run it over with the sauce it was stewed in, the spices, beaten b.u.t.ter, and the slices of a fresh orange, and garnish the dish with dry manchet grated and sea.r.s.ed.

In this way you may stew any good fish, as soles, lobsters, prawns, oysters, or c.o.c.kles.

_Otherways._

Take a carp and scale it, sc.r.a.pe off the slime with a knife and wipe it clean with a dry cloth; then draw it, and wash the blood out with some claret wine into the pipkin where you stew it, cut it into quarters, halves, or whole, and put it into a broad mouthed pipkin or earthen-pan, put to it as much wine as water, a bundle of sweet herbs, some raisins of the sun, currans, large mace, cloves, whole cinamon, slic't ginger, salt, and some prunes boiled and strained, put in also some strained bread or flour, and stew them all together; being stewed, dish the carp in a clean scowred dish on fine carved sippets, pour the broth on the carp, and garnish it with the fruit, spices, some slic't lemon, barberries, or grapes, some orangado or preserved barberries, and sc.r.a.pe on sugar.

_Otherways._

Do it as before, save only no currans, put prunes strained, beaten pepper, and some saffron.

_To stew a Carp seven several ways._

1. Take a carp, scale it, and sc.r.a.pe off the slime, wipe it with a dry cloth, and give it a cut or two cross the back, then put it a boiling whole, parted down the back in halves, or quarters, put it in a broad mouthed pipkin with some claret or white-wine, some wine-vinegar, and good fresh fish broth or some fair water, three or four blades of large mace, some slic't onions fryed, currans, and some good b.u.t.ter; cover up the pipkin, and being finely stewed, put in some almond-milk, and some sweet herbs finely minced, or some grated manchet, and being well stewed, serve it up on fine carved sippets, broth it, and garnish the dish with some barberries or grapes, and the dish with some stale manchet grated and sears'd, being first dryed.

2. For the foresaid broth, yolks of hard eggs strained with some steeped manchet, some of the broth it is stewed in, and a little saffron.

3. For variety of garnish, carrots in dice-work, some raisins, large mace, a few prunes, and marigold flowers, boil'd in the foresaid broth.

4. Or leave out carrots and fruit, and put samphire and capers, and thicken it with French barley tender boil'd.

5. Or no fruit, but keep the order aforesaid, only adding sweet marjoram, stripped tyme, parsley, and savory, bruise them with the back of a ladle, and put them into the broth.

6. Otherways, stewed oysters to garnish the carp, and some boil'd bottoms of artichocks, put them to the stewed oysters or skirrets being boil'd, grapes, barberries, and the broth thickned with yolks of eggs strained with some sack, white wine, or caper liquor.

7. Boil it as before, without fruit, and add to it capers, carrots in dice-work, mace, f.a.ggot of sweet herbs, slic't onions chopp'd with parsley, and boil'd in the broth then have boil'd colliffowers, turnips, parsnips, sparagus, or chesnuts in place of carrots, and the leire strained with yolks of eggs and white wine.

_To make French Herb Pottage for Fasting Days._

Take half a handful of lettice, as much of spinage, half as much of Bugloss and Borrage, two handfuls of sorrel, a little parsley, sage, a good handful of purslain, half a pound of b.u.t.ter, some pepper and salt, and sometimes, some cuc.u.mbers.

_Other Broth or Pottage of a Carp._

Take a carp, scale it, and sc.r.a.pe off the slime, wash it, and wipe it with a clean cloth, then draw it, and put it in a broad mouthed pipkin that will contain it, put to it a pint of good white or claret wine, and as much good fresh fish broth as will cover it, or as much fair water, with the blood of the carp, four or five blades of large mace, a little beaten pepper, some slic't onions, a clove or two, some sweet herbs chopped, a handful of capers, and some salt, stew all together, the carp being well stewed, put in some almond paste, with some white-wine, give it a warm or two with some stewed oyster-liquor, & serve it on French bread in a fair scowr'd dish, pour on the liquor, and garnish it with dryed grated manchet.

_To dress a Carp in Stoffado._

Take a carp alive, scale it, and lard it with a good salt eel, steep it in claret or white-wine, in an earthen pan, and put to it some wine-vinegar, whole cloves, large mace, gross pepper, slic't ginger, and four or five cloves of garlick, then have an earthen pan that will contain it, or a large pipkin, put to it some sweet herbs, three or four sprigs of rosemary, as many of time and sweet marjoram, two or three bay-leaves and parsley, put the liquor to it into the pan or pipkin wherein you will stew it, and paste on the cover, stew it in the oven, in an hour it will be baked, then serve it hot for dinner or supper, serve it on fine carved sippets of French bread, and the spices on it, with herbs, slic't lemon and lemon peel; and run it over with beaten b.u.t.ter.

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