THE SUN -FISH. 



149 



never be parted with except for some special reason, there- 

 fore as a general thing, I scale my perch. But, in summer, 

 the skin of the perch is apt to acquire a slight bitter taste, or 

 a smack of the mud therefore, in summer I skin my perch." 

 " Of the Gastronomic Properties of the Perch" says 

 Elaine, " whoever has heard of the broiled perch flitches, and 

 water souchy, of Sir Bamber Gascoyne's cooking, would not 

 hold us blameless were we to be totally silent. This fish has 

 indeed stood the test of time, and has been as little subjected 

 to the mutations of fashion, perhaps as any one of the finny 

 tribe : it was highly esteemed by the Romans, as we are in- 

 formed by Aristotle, and its praises were sung by Ausonius : 



" ' Nee te delicias mensarum, perca silebo 



Amnigenos inter pisces dignande marinis ! ' " 



How to cook the Perch. The pan, in proper hands, will 

 do justice to this fish : many epicures, however, prefer broil- 

 ing. Either method, according to former directions for others 

 of the race, will give satisfaction to the Angler, particularly if 

 very tired, and on the feed. 



Of the Water Souchy, Hofland gives the following me- 

 thod: "Scale, gut, and wash your perch; put salt in your 

 water; when it boils, put in the fish with an onion cut in 

 slices, and separate it into rings; a handful of parsley ^ picked 

 and washed clean; put in as much as will turn the water 

 white ; when your fish are done enough, put them in a soup- 

 dish, and pour a little water over them, with the parsley and 

 the onions ; then serve them up with parsley and butter in a 

 boat." 



Large perch may be crimped and boiled in the same 

 way. 



THE SUN-FISH. 

 This is a small fish, that generally tenants the same pond 



