Boiled Cod
Wash the fish (about 2 to 3 pounds cod), and put into a fish-kettle, containing enough boiling water to cover it. Add some salt, bring quickly to boil; then draw pan to side of fire, and let it stay in hot water until cooked. Do not let water boil or simmer again. Cod cooked in this way has a much finer flavor than if it is allowed to simmer or boil. Take up fish on drainer, slide it on to a hot dish on a folded napkin, and serve garnished with sprigs of crisp parsley. Send to table with oyster sauce, which is made as follows: 4 tablespoons Crisco, 6 tablespoons flour, 1 small onion, 1/2 carrot, 12 whole peppers, 1/2 bay leaf, 1 clove, 1 bouquet garni, small blade mace, salt, and ten oysters. Peel the onion, scrape carrot; put them into saucepan with bay leaf, whole pepper, bouquet garni, and clove; add milk, and bring to boil. When milk boils take out mace and bay leaf. Melt Crisco in small saucepan; mix in flour smoothly; whisk into this hot milk. Stir until it boils, then let it simmer from 10 to 15 minutes. Take out bouquet; rub sauce through a sieve. Take 10 oysters and their liquor and put into a saucepan and bring to boiling point. Then take the oysters and cut each in quarters. Heat the sauce and add the oyster liquor, reduce well, strain and return to saucepan; stir in 1 yolk of egg, bind, and then add oysters and lemon juice. Stir till hot, but it must not boil. Season to taste and serve.