Tench, Matelote of
INGREof port wine, 1 dozen button onions, a few mushrooms, 1 faggot of herbs, 2 blades of parsley, thyme, 1 shalot, 2 anchovies, 1 teamace, 1 oz. of butter, 1 teaspoonful of minced cupful of stock, flour, 1 dozen oysters, the juice if 1/2 lemon; the number of tench, according to size.
Scale and clean the tench, cut them into pieces, and lay them in a stewpan; add the stock, wine, onions, mushrooms, herbs and into another stewpan all the remaining mace, and simmer gently for 1/2 hour. Put ingredients but the oysters and lemon juice, and boil slowly for 10 minutes, when add the strained liquor from the tench, and reduced. Rub it through a sieve, pour it keep stirring it over the fire until somewhat over the tench with the oysters, which must be previously scalded in their own liquor, squeeze in the lemon-juice, and serve.
Garnish with croûtons.
TIME. hour.
SEASONABLE from October to June.
TENCH, STEWED.