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Baked Shad

A historical recipe from Margaret Brown's French Cookery Book, by Margaret Brown (1886).

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A historical recipe

Margaret Brown's French Cookery Book, by Margaret Brown (1886). Project Gutenberg eBook #44915.

From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards.

France

Known as a French recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.

Ingredients 4 ingredients

  1. 2 slices of baker's bread
  2. one teaspoonful each of salt
  3. 1 pint of water
  4. 1/2 pint of gravy

Cook safely

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

  • Oven and hot trays. Use dry oven gloves for trays and dishes: a hot tray looks just like a cold one. Open the oven door away from your face and let the first rush of heat out.
  • Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.

Method

  1. Clean the shad;
  2. cut off the head;
  3. split it half way down the back;
  4. scrape inside clean.
  5. To make stuffing, cut 2 slices of baker's bread;
  6. spread each with butter and sprinkle on pepper and salt, pounded sage;
  7. moisten it with hot water;
  8. fill the inside of the fish with this;
  9. tie a cord around it to keep stuffing in;
  10. dredge outside with flour;
  11. stick bits of butter all over outside;
  12. mix one teaspoonful each of salt and pepper over surface;
  13. then lay fish on muffin ring in dripping pan;
  14. put in 1 pint of water to taste with;
  15. if this is used up while baking, add more hot water;
  16. bake 1 hour in quick oven;
  17. baste often.
  18. When the fish is done there should be 1/2 pint of gravy in pan;
  19. if not, add more hot water;
  20. dredge in a full teaspoonful of flour with a bit of butter, a lemon sliced thin;
  21. stir this smooth, then pour in gravy-boat;
  22. lay slices of lemon over fish and serve with mashed potatoes.

Plating

Cookware for this recipe

  • Chef's knife
  • Cutting board
  • Wooden spoon
  • Pastry brush
Source Public domain in the USA
Credit

From Margaret Brown's French Cookery Book, by Margaret Brown (1886). Digitised by Project Gutenberg, eBook #44915 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/44915). Public domain in the USA; its status may differ elsewhere.

What was changed: As printed, from the book's text; Project Gutenberg's header and licence removed. Ingredient lines were read out of the text by a program. A historical recipe, not current advice.