chopped herbs, 3 tablespoonfuls of medium stock, No. 105, 3
tablespoonfuls of béchamel (_see_ Sauces); salt, cayenne, and
lemon-juice to taste.
_Mode_.--Clean the fish, and fillet it; scald the herbs, chop them fine,
and put them with the butter and stock into a stewpan. Lay in the
mackerel, and simmer very gently for 10 minutes; take them out, and put
them on a hot dish. Dredge in a little flour, add the other ingredients,
give one boil, and pour it over the mackerel.
_Time_.--20 minutes. _Average cost_ for this quantity, 1s. 6d.
_Seasonable_ from April to July.
_Sufficient_ for 4 persons.
_Note_.--Fillets of mackerel may be covered with egg and bread crumbs,
and fried of a nice brown. Serve with _maître d'hôtel_ sauce and plain
melted butter.
THE VORACITY OF THE MACKEREL.--The voracity of this fish is very
great, and, from their immense numbers, they are bold in
attacking objects of which they might, otherwise, be expected to
have a wholesome dread. Pontoppidan relates an anecdote of a
sailor belonging to a ship lying in one of the harbours on the
coast of Norway, who, having gone into the sea to bathe, was
suddenly missed by his companions; in the course of a few
minutes, however, he was seen on the surface, with great numbers
of mackerel clinging to him by their mouths. His comrades
hastened in a boat to his assistance; but when they had struck
the fishes from him and got him up, they found he was so
severely bitten, that he shortly afterward expired.
PICKLED MACKEREL.