Home › The Principles of Cookery › Lamprey, Stewed

Lamprey, Stewed

Rub a moderate-sized lamprey with salt, wash it in warm water to cleanse it from slime, cut off its head, tail, and gills, season with pepper, salt, and nutmeg, and cut it into pieces about three inches in length. Put these pieces into a stewpan with three or four small onions, a dozen button-mushrooms, a bay-leaf, a table-spoonful of chopped parsley, a small piece of thin lemon-rind, three-quarters of a pint of boiling stock or water, and a glass of sherry. A larger proportion of wine may be used, if liked. Simmer very gently until done enough. Thicken the gravy with a piece of butter rolled in flour, and boil for a few minutes longer. Take out the fish, place it on a hot dish, squeeze the juice of half a lemon over it, and strain the sauce upon it. Garnish with cut lemon. Time, an hour and a half. Probable cost, uncertain, lampreys being seldom offered for sale. Sufficient for four or five persons.