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Something Just For Hoser.....

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Joined: 21 February 2012
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    Posted: 29 October 2015 at 07:30
Well, not really. But Dave does live right beside a great source of wonderful, fresh fish and seafood. So this is something he’d probably like.

Adapting 18th century recipes is often a great adventure. Terms, methods, and ingredients are often obtuse. Measurements are all but absent, and, when present, unfamiliar.

Sometimes, however, a recipe (called “receipts” in those days) is as modern as tomorrow. This recipe for fried fish in a seafood sauce is one of them. Hard to believe it’s at least 300 years old, as I wouldn’t be surprised to find it on any upscale seafood menu.

First some background. Elizabeth Smith is the author of The Compleat Housewife: Or Accomplish’d Gentlewoman’s Companion. I don’t know exactly when it was published. The earliest extant copy I’ve been able to trace is the third edition, dated 1729. My copy is a facsimile of the 15th edition, dated 1753. There seems to have been a new edition published every year or three for 50-odd years. So we can presume the first edition was published ca 1720-1724.

Here is the original recipe for A Fricasee of Great Plaice or Floundrs:

Run your knife all along upon the bone on the back-side of your plaice, then raise the flesh on both sides from the head to the tail, and take out the bone clear; then cut your plaice in six collops, dry it very well from the water, sprinkle it with salt, flour it well, and fry it in a very hot pan of beef-dripping, so that it may be crisp; take it out of the pan, and keep it warm before the fire; then make clean the pan, and put into it oysters and their liquor, some white wine, the meat of the shell of a crab or two; mince half the oysters, some grated nutmeg, three anchovies; let all these stew up together; then put in half a pound of butter, and put in your plaice; toss them well together, dish them on sippets, and pour the sauce over them; garnish the dish with yolks of hard eggs minced, and sliced lemon. After this manner do salmon, or any firm fish.

Fairly self-explanatory. Note how she first describes how to filet the fish. “Collops” are scallops or filets. Sippets are made by breaking toast into small bits. Where you can come a cropper is with her crab reference. She’s talking about the brown crabs of the North Sea and environs, not blue claws. Those monsters can run four pounds each, so one of them produces quite a bit of meat.

I imagine most FotW members could recreate this dish just with the info given. But, fwiw, here is my adaptation:

6 four-five ounce filets of firm fleshed fish
Salt & black pepper
¼ cup flour
3-4 tbls oil for frying
12 oysters with their liquor, six of them minced
½ cup white wine
½ lb backfin or lump crabmeat
1 tsp grated nutmeg
3-4 anchovy filets, mashed
½ lb butter
6 hard cooked egg yolks for garnish
Lemon slices for garnish

Mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Dust the filets with the seasoned flour. Heat the oil until very hot. Pan fry the filets until browned and crisp on both sides. Set aside and keep warm.

Wipe the skillet. To it add the oysters with their liquor, the crab, wine, nutmeg, and anchovies. Stew together until oysters are cooked through. Add the butter. When melted return the fish to the pan and spoon the sauce over the filets to coat them well.

Transfer fish to a serving platter. Pour the sauce over it. Garnish with mashed egg yolks and lemon slices.
But we hae meat and we can eat
And sae the Lord be thanket
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hoser Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 October 2015 at 02:13
Sounds wonderful Brook....I've copied and saved it, and am looking forward to the time I try it out.
Go ahead...play with your food!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 October 2015 at 09:40
When you do, Dave, don't forget to post about how it worked for you.

I've only made it with haddock, btw. But it occurs to me that this doesn't have to be confined to salt-water fishes. Any fish that fries nicely should work. Walleye, bass, even catfish.
But we hae meat and we can eat
And sae the Lord be thanket
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