METHODS OF COOKING PERCH. 157 



than a perch of Rhine." Dr. Badham tells us that 

 on the Continent perch are generally stewed in 

 vinegar, fresh grape juice, orange, or some other 

 sour sauce ; but on Lago Maggiore they are roasted 

 in their scales and basted with an acid sauce ; 

 while in Holland butter is added. Among our- 

 selves some cooks simply boil ; some broil ; some 

 fillet and fry them with egg and bread crumbs. 



Split down the back and laid in the form of a 

 spread-eagle (spatchcocked), with the scales in- 

 tact, on a gridiron, and broiled with a suggestion 

 of butter and cayenne, served piping hot, with a 

 squeeze of lemon, the fish is very good ; or baked 

 whole in his jacket ; as also, skinned and broiled 

 delicately in buttered paper. Perch may be cooked 

 by the riverside (as gipsies do a hedgehog), by 

 taking the fish as caught, not drawn or otherwise 

 cleaned, and procuring some clay and with it coat- 

 ing the fish about one-eighth of an inch thick ; or, 

 failing clay, enveloping in several coatings of paper 

 (newspaper does very well) ; thoroughly saturate 

 the paper by holding it in the water, having pre- 

 viously lighted a fire of wood or sticks, and making 

 a quantity of hot embers, in which place the fish, 

 and bake it. Perch done in this way are exceedingly 

 nice. An angler who is frequently punt-fishing 

 should get a small charcoal stove with a grating 

 on top like a gridiron ; this can be kept in the punt 

 and fish cooked, as fancied or required. 



A small species of the Percidas family (Acerina 

 inilgaris] and very much resembling the The pope 

 perch in appearance is the Pope or Ruffe. or ruffe 

 The distinctive mark is in the back fins, which in a 

 pope are joined together, but in the perch are 

 clearly separated ; neither has the pope transverse 



