James Beard's New Fish Cookery Read Online Free

little salt. Bring to a boil before adding the fish. Reduce the bouillon over a fairly brisk flame after the fish is cooked and you can use it for sauces.
    COURT BOUILLON FOR COLD FISH DISHES
    If you are doing a large piece of salmon, or a whole one, or a large piece of any fish to be served cold, you then want a bouillon that has a pleasant blending of flavors and is well punctuated with herbs and seasonings. Such a court bouillon may be used as the basis for a remarkably good aspic. Reduce the court bouillon after removing the fish. Clarify by adding white of egg and eggshell to the broth. *
    For a large fish:
    3 quarts water
    1 quart white wine
    1 cup wine vinegar
    2 stalks celery
    1 bay leaf
    1 teaspoon thyme
    3 onions
    9 cloves
    4 carrots, finely cut
    4 to 5 sprigs parsley
    1 tablespoon salt
    Put 3 cloves in each onion. Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for an hour before adding the fish.
    RED WINE COURT BOUILLON
    This is really an essence of fish, for it uses the bones and heads to make a richer bouillon. It is an excellent base for aspics or sauces, or it may be cooked down to about a third of its volume and used as a flavoring agent or glaze for fish dishes.
    2 pounds fish bones and heads
    3 quarts water
    1 quart red wine
    Bouquet garni (thyme, parsley, leck)
    2 stalks celery
    1 onion stuck with cloves
    3 carrots cut in quarters
    1 tablespoon salt
    Cook the bones and heads of fish in 2 quarts of water for 30 minutes. Add the remaining water and all the other ingredients and continue cooking for 20 minutes. Add the fish and cook according to the recipe.
    RICH WHITE WINE COURT BOUILLON FOR ASPICS
    1 pound fish bones and heads
    1 quart water
    1 quart dry white wine
    1 teaspoon dried thyme
    2 onions stuck with cloves
    2 carrots, diced
    2 cloves garlic
    1 bay leaf
    Salt
    Freshly ground black pepper
    Cook the fish bones and heads in the water for 30 minutes. Strain through fine cloth. You should have about a quart of bouillon. Add all the other ingredients, bring to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes before adding the fish. For aspic, reduce the bouillon over high heat after the fish is removed. Clarify it with egg white and shells (page 18).
    COURT BOUILLON FOR SHELLFISH
    Use either the red or the white wine court bouillon for any of the shellfish. If, however, the shrimp, lobster, langouste, or crayfish are to be served with a highly flavored sauce, it is often more desirable to poach the fish in a plain salt and water bouillon — or in seawater, if available.
    FISH ESSENCE
    This can be used for flavorings, aspics, soups, and — if reduced to a heavy jelly — glazes.
    2 cups mirepoix (carrots, onions, celery)
    3 tablespoons butter
    Salt
    Freshly ground black pepper
    2 quarts white wine
    2 pounds fish bones and heads
    4 sprigs parsley
    1 teaspoon thyme
    Make the mirepoix by cutting the vegetables in very fine julienne and cooking them in the butter until they just begin to color. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the wine and the fish bones and heads. Bring to a boil, remove any surface scum, and add the parsley and thyme. Simmer for 2 hours.
    Clarify and strain through a very fine sieve or linen napkin (page 18).
    Sauces for Fish
    SAUCE VELOUTé
    2 tablespoons flour
    2 tablespoons butter
    1 cup fish stock
    Salt
    Freshly ground black pepper
    Combine the flour and butter and cook together until they are slightly browned or yellowish in color. Gradually stir in the fish stock; continue stirring until it thickens. Simmer 10 minutes and season to taste. This makes 1 cup of velouté.
    It is customary when you serve a plain velouté to add cream and egg yolks to the sauce. To 1 cup of velouté add 1 cup of cream and 3 egg yolks. Beat the cream and egg yolks together well and gradually stir into the basic sauce; continue stirring until the sauce is properly thickened and heated through. Be careful not to let the mixture boil after the egg yolks have been added. This will make 2 cups of sauce