To Boil Au Court Bouillon.
Among professional cooks, a favorite way of boiling a fish is in water saturated with vegetables, called court bouillon; consequently, a fish cooked in this manner would be called, for instance, “Pike, au court bouillon.” It is rather a pity this way of cooking has a French name; however, if one is not unduly scared at that, one can see how simple it is.
Dubois’s Receipt.—Mince a carrot, an onion, and a small piece of celery; fry them in a little butter, in a stew-pan; add some parsley, some pepper-corns, and three or four cloves. Now pour on two quarts of hot water and a pint of vinegar. Let it boil a quarter of an hour; skim it, salt it, and use it for boiling the fish.
It is improved by using white or red wine instead of vinegar; only use then three parts of wine to one of water. These stocks are easily preserved, and may be used several times.
To boil the fish: Rub the fish with lemon-juice and salt, put it in a kettle, and cover it with court bouillon. Let it only simmer, not boil hard, until thoroughly done. Serve the fish on a napkin, surrounded with parsley. Serve a caper, pickle, or any kind of fish sauce, in a sauce-boat.