To Bake Tench. From Lady G.
Take your Tench, fresh from the Pond, gut them, and clean them from the Scales; then kill them, by giving them an hard stroke on the back of the Head, or else they will live for many Hours, and even jump out of the Pan in the Oven, when they are half enough. Then lay them in a Pan, with some Mushroom Katchep, some strong Gravey, half a Pint of pickled Mushrooms, as much White-Wine as Gravey, three or four large Shallots, an Anchovy or two, two or three slices of fat Bacon, some Pepper, Cloves, and Nutmeg, at pleasure, a little Salt, some Lemon-Peel, and a bunch of sweet Herbs; then break some bits of Butter, and lay them on your Fish, then cover all as close as you can, and give them an Hour’s baking.
When they are enough, lay them in a hot Dish, and pour off the Liquor, and strain it, only preserving the Mushrooms; then add to it a spoonful of Lemon-Juice, and thicken your Sauce with the Yolks of four Eggs, beaten with Cream, and mix’d, by degrees, with the Sauce. Pour this over your Fish, and serve it hot with a Garnish of BeetRoots sliced, some slices of Lemon-Peel, and some Horse-Radish scraped.
To roast a Westphalia-Ham. From the same.
Boil a Westphalia-Ham, as tender as it will be, with the Gravey in it; then strip off the Skin, put it on a Spit, and having done it over with the Yolk of an Egg, strew it all over with raspings or chippings of Bread finely sifted, and mixt with a little Lemon-Peel grated. Baste it well when it is before the Fire, and drudge it frequently with the above Mixture till it is enough. Some, instead of Roasting it, will prepare it, with a good covering of the aforesaid Mixture, and set it an Hour in the Oven, which answers full as well. Then serve it, with boiled Pidgeons, Russia Cabbages, if you can get them, or Sprouts of Cabbages, curll’d, as big as Tennis-Balls, or Collyflowers, or Brocoli. This is an excellent Dish, especially, if the Cabbages, or Collyflowers, are toss’d up with Butter and Cream, but the Brocoli must only have the Butter pour’d over them.