CHAP. X.] THE THIRD DAY. 435 



Take your trout, wash, and dry him with a clean napkin j 1 

 then open him, and having taken out his guts, and all the 

 blood, wipe him very clean within, but wash him not ; and 

 give him three scotches with a knife to the bone, on one 

 side only. After which take a clean kettle, and put in as 

 much hard stale beer, (but it must not be dead) vinegar, 

 and a little white wine, and water, as will cover the fish you 

 intend to boil : then throw into the liquor a good quantity 

 of salt, the rind of a lemon, a handful of sliced horse-radish- 

 root, with a handsome little fagot of rosemary, thyme, and 

 winter-savory. Then set your kettle upon a quick fire of 

 wood, and let your liquor boil up to the height before you 

 put in your fish : and then, if there be many, put them in 

 one by one, that they may not so cool the liquor, as to make 

 it fall. And whilst your fish is boiling, beat up the butter 

 for your sauce with a ladle-full or two of the liquor it is 

 boiling in. And, being boiled enough, immediately pour the 

 liquor from the fish : and, being laid in a dish, pour your 

 butter upon it ; and, strewing it plentifully over with shaved 

 horse-radish, and a little pounded ginger, garnish your sides 

 of your dish, and the fish itself with a sliced lemon or two, 

 and serve it up. 2 



1 The following is an excellent method of crimping a trout, if put very 

 small. Keep your trout alive, if you can, until about two hours before 

 you want to dress it ; then kill it, and with a sharp knife score it or notch 

 it from head to tail on each side nearly to the bone, each notch being 

 about one and a half or two inches apart, according to the size of the fish. 

 When this has been done, pump on the fish for ten minutes (a hard water- 

 pump is the best), till the curd begins to harden ; then rub a very little 

 salt on the curd, and hang the fish in a draught of air till it is wanted. 

 Have a kettle of boiling-water ready, and put in it two or three large 

 handfuls of salt, and when all boils up put in the fish. 



The sauce for the trout may be made as follows : Stew a handful or 

 more of the skins of shrimps in a small quantity of water for an hour ; 

 strain off the liquor, and add it to good melted butter (no flour in it), some 

 picked shrimps, and a large table-spoonful of lobster spawn, well rubbed 

 up in a mortar, with a tea-spoonful of Chetna sauce. This is one of the 

 best sauces I am acquainted with ; and as a proof of it, I can only say 

 that it has met with general approbation from a pretty large circle of 

 dining friends. ED . 



2 Only very large trouts should be boiled ; the smaller ones are always 

 much better broiled or fried. Lamb gives directions for boiling them in 

 champaign, very similar to the above recipe of Cotton. RENNIE. 



