Matelotte Sauce

Cut in slices one pound of pike, half a pound of eels, and half a pound of carp; put these into a saucepan with minced carrots and onions, two ounces of each, half a handful of parsley and basil, two small cloves of garlic, bay leaf, thyme, salt and allspice; pour in half a bottleful of Bordeaux wine, and half a pint of fish broth or water; let boil for ten minutes, then drain and add to the liquid either half a pint of espagnole sauce (No 414), or some kneaded butter; reduce, dilute with a gill of Bordeaux wine, and finally incorporate into it, two ounces of fresh butter. Just when ready to serve throw into the sauce, half a pound of mushrooms, and twenty-four small white onions lightly browned in a pan and cooked in broth.

A More Simple Way, is to fry a little minced onions and shallot in butter, and when a nice color drain off the butter and moisten the onions with two gills of Burgundy wine; let the liquid reduce to half and then incorporate four gills of espagnole sauce (No. 414); let reduce once more, and after the sauce is properly done, strain it through a sieve, and keep it warm.