Recipes For Fish and Shellfish Sauces

Sauces are generally served with fish to improve their flavor and increase their nutritive value. Some kinds of fish such as salmon, shad, butterfish, Spanish mackerel, etc., contain more than 6 percent of fat, but as many of the fish that are used for food contain less than this, they are somewhat dry and are improved considerably by the addition of a well-seasoned and highly flavored sauce. Among the recipes that follow will be found sauces suitable for any method that may be used in the preparation of fish.

SAUCE FOR BOILED SALMON OR TURBOT.

Take a little mild white gravy, two or three anchovies, a spoonful of oyster or cockle pickle, a little shred lemon-peel, half a pound of butter, a little parsley and fennel shred small, and a little juice of lemon, but not too much, for fear it should take off the sweetness.

SAUCE FOR SALMON OR TURBOT.

Boil your turbot or salmon, and set it to drain; take the gravy that drains from the salmon or turbot, an anchovy or two, a little lemon-peel shred, a spoonful of catchup, and a little butter, thicken it with flour the thickness of cream, put to it a little shred parsley and fennel; but do not put in your parsley and fennel till you be just going to send it up, for it will take off the green.  The gravy of all sorts of fish is a great addition to your sauce, if
the fish be sweet.

SAUCE FOR SALMON AND OTHER FISH.

One cupful of milk heated to a boil and thickened with a tablespoonful of cornstarch previously wet up with cold water, the liquor from the salmon, one great spoonful of butter, one raw egg beaten light, the juice of half a lemon, mace and cayenne pepper to taste. Add the egg to thickened milk when you have stirred in the butter and liquor; take from the fire, season and let it stand in hot water three minutes, covered. Lastly put in lemon juice and turn out immediately. Pour it all over and around the salmon.

LEMON CREAM SAUCE

2 Tb. butter
2 Tb. flour
1 c. thin cream
Salt and pepper
Juice of 1 lemon or 1 Tb. vinegar

Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour, and continue stirring until the two are well mixed. Add to this the thin cream and stir until the mixture is thick and boils. Season with salt, pepper, and the juice of the lemon or the vinegar.

SPANISH SAUCE

2 Tb. butter
1 slice of onion
2 Tb. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 c. milk
1/4 c. tomato puree
1/4 c. chopped pimiento

Brown the butter with the onion, add the flour, salt, and pepper, and stir until well blended. Add the milk and allow the mixture to cook until it thickens. To this add the tomato and pimiento. Heat thoroughly and serve.

NUT SAUCE

1 Tb. butter
2 Tb. flour
2 Tb. peanut butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 c. meat stock

Melt the butter and add the flour and peanut butter. When they are well mixed, allow them to brown slightly. Add the salt and pepper to this mixture and pour into it the meat stock. Bring to the boiling point and serve.

HORSERADISH SAUCE

1/2 c. cream
1/4 c. boiled salad dressing
2 Tb. grated horseradish
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4  tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. mustard

Whip the cream until stiff; then add the salad dressing, horseradish, salt, paprika, and mustard. When well blended, the sauce is ready to serve.

EGG SAUCE

2 Tb. butter
2 Tb. flour
3/4 c. milk
/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 Tb. vinegar
1 egg
1 Tb. chopped parsley

Melt the butter, add the flour, and stir until well blended. Add the milk, salt, and pepper, and cook until the mixture thickens. To this add the vinegar, the egg chopped fine, and the chopped parsley. Heat thoroughly and serve.

TOMATO SAUCE

2 c. tomato puree
1 small onion, sliced
1 bay leaf
6 cloves
2 Tb. butter
2 Tb. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Strain stewed tomato to make the puree. Put this over the fire in a saucepan with the sliced onion, the bay leaf, and the cloves. Cook slowly for about 10 minutes. Strain to remove the onion, bay leaf, and cloves. Melt the butter, add the flour, salt, and pepper, and into this
pour the hot tomato. Cook until it thickens and serve.

MUSHROOM SAUCE

2 Tb. butter
1 slice of carrot
1 slice of onion
Sprig of parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 Tb. flour
1 c. meat stock
1/2 c. mushrooms
2 tsp. lemon juice

Put the butter in a frying pan with the carrot, onion, parsley, salt, and pepper, and cook together until brown. Remove the onion, carrot, and parsley. Stir in the flour, brown it slightly, and then add the meat stock. Cook together until thickened. Just before removing from the fire, add the mushrooms, chopped into fine pieces, and the lemon juice. Allow it to heat thoroughly and then serve.

DRAWN-BUTTER SAUCE

1/4 c. butter
2 Tb. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1-1/2 c. hot water
2 hard-cooked eggs

Melt the butter, and add the flour, salt, and pepper. Pour into this the hot water, and cook until the mixture thickens. Slice the eggs into 1/4-inch slices and add these to the sauce just before removing from the stove.

COCKTAIL SAUCES FOR SHELL-FISH

The various kinds of shell fish are served so frequently as cocktails that cocktail sauces are much in demand. The foundation of these sauces is always tomato catsup, but the ingredients used for seasoning usually vary according to individual taste. The following recipes make amounts sufficient for one serving:

COCKTAIL SAUCE -1

1/4 tsp. grated horseradish
Juice of 1/4 lemon
12 drops tobasco sauce
10 drops Worcestershire sauce
1 Tb. tomato catsup

COCKTAIL SAUCE -2

1 Tb. tomato catsup
1 Tb. grapefruit juice
1 tsp. spiced vinegar
Dash of tobasco sauce
Sprinkling of salt
Dusting of chopp
ed parsley

Mix the ingredients thoroughly and serve with oysters, clams, lobster, shrimp, or crab meat thoroughly chilled.

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