Lobster Chowder - 1960's (Marguerite Patten Recipe Card)

There is a distinct lack of seafood recipes on this blog.  The main reason is that I don't really do seafood, and the idea of it makes me turn a little green.

But, I know that the hundreds (HAHAHA) of emails and comments that I get on this blog each week do request that I do a few more seafood related posts.  So here is one... and as we're on a theme of soups and chowders today, this one is quite apt.

Pickwick Fish Pie - 1970's (Marguerite Patten)

From my box of index cards by Marguerite Patten.

Pickwick Fish Pie works.  It is the closest to Fish that I really like with any great degree of enthusiasm.

Roman Wine-fried Anchovies

I've had a few requests for some ancient recipes, and luckily in my collection I have a reprint of the Roman Cookery of Apicius, translated and adapted for the modern kitchen by John Edwards.  This is a quick and easy one for you fish lovers.

You need:
6oz fresh anchovies
1 raw egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon of olive oil
quarter cup white wine
Quarter cup fish stock

Wash and trim anchovies and brush them with egg.  In the frying pan, heat olive oil with wine and stock added. When pan is very hot, add the anchovies and cook lightly. Serve with sprinkling of pepper.

Victorian Limpet Soup - (1867)

This recipe appears in the book 'The edible mollusks of Great Britain and Ireland, with recipes for cooking them' by MJ Lovell, published in 1867.  It is a free eBook that is available from Google Books, and freely downloadable from from Google Books if you have a mobile device.  This book covers what sort of shelled creatures you can get away with eating in the UK.

The quantities for this bizarre recipe are very much up to you.  But I would urge you to have a go, just make sure that you don't strip the landscape of Limpets, as that would be selfish and destructive.
Limpet Soup 

1. Wash them and free the shells from seaweed etc put them into a saucepan and parboil them. 

2. Take them out of the shells chop up some parsley and put it with a tablespoonful of oil or an ounce of lard or butter into a saucepan and fry until it becomes brown 

3. Add a pint of water and when boiling throw in the limpets with a teaspoonful of anchovy sauce some pepper and boil again for half an hour or if preferred stew them before putting them into the soup.

Florentine Ring (Fish) - 1970s

It looks like a burnt curry, and its the latest card from that massive cardex that I acquired a few weeks ago.  Florentine is the name given to any dish that is paired with spinach, in this case its not obvious that this is a fish dish, but it is.

It has a cooking time of 1 hour, and will take 25 minutes to prepare.  Best to have an 8 inch ring tin handy and a sauce pan, and pre-heat your oven to 350f which is 180c.  Out of this recipe you'll get enough to serve three greedy gannets or six smallish portions.

2lb/1kg Fresh Spinach

White Sauce:
2 oz/50g butter
2 oz/50g flour
half a pint/275ml milk
seasoning
3 egg yolks
good pinch of nutmeg

Filling: 
1lb/0.5kg fish fillets
half a pint/275ml milk
2 oz/50g butter
2 oz/50g flour
3-4 oz/75-100g grated cheese
seasoning

Garnish:
1oz/25g grated cheese and tomatos

1. Cook spinach in a very little salted water.  Drain well and chop.

2. Make a thick white sauce in the usual way. (not sure how to make white sauce? see http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/whitesauce_1298)

3. Stir in the egg yolks and nutmeg.  Add the spinach, season well and blend thoroughly.

4. Pour in to greased ring tin.

5. Stand in a tin of water, bake until firm - 40 to 45 minutes.

6. Meanwhile simmer the fish in milk until cooked.  Drain and use liquid to make a white sauce with the butter and flour.

7. Season and stir in grated cheese.

8. When spinach ring is cooked, turn on to warm plate.

TO SERVE:
Fill centre of ring with flaked fish and pour over the cheese sauce.  Sprinkle with grated cheese and garnish with sliced tomatos.

Salmon Patties with Mushroom Sauce - 1960's

Salmon and mushrooms? The combination isn't unheard of but here is a recipe that is worth a thought.  If you do buy cans of Salmon make sure if you can, that it is responsibly fished.



1 8oz can of Salmon
8oz cooked mashed potato
1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
1 dessertspoon parsley
(finely chopped)
salt and pepper

To coat:
1 egg beaten
browned crumbs

1. Flake fish and mix with mashed potato.  Stir in half a can of soup, lemon juice, parsley and seasoning.
2. Leave to stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour.  Divide mixture in to eight, shape in to round patties, brush with egg and coat in browned crumbs.
3. Fry in hot fat until golden brown on both sides.

For the sauce put the remaining soup in a small pan, add 2 tablespoons of milk and seasoning and beat well.  Heat gently and serve with patties.

Anchovy Rolls and Twists - 1960's

I don't personally like Anchovy but here is a lovely little recipe for sixties party food.

Pastry (ready rolled)
1 can of flat fillets of anchovy

1. Roll out pastry into an oblong third of an inch (just over 1 cm thick)
2. Cut into two pieces 3 inches wide.
3. Lay strips of anchovy fillet at intervals across one of the 3 inch pieces of pastry, cut between and roll pastry over in quarter inch wide strips and twist the two ends together with a strip of anchovy between.
4. Place on greased baking sheet and bake until golden brown in a hot oven.

Fish in Dark Beer

Another dinner party favourite from the fifties.  This dish ripe for modification and some experimentation, try choosing different types of beer and vinegar to use.

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3 lbs of Fish (carp, pike or bass)
1 tablespoon of vinegar
2 chopped onions
4 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
5 whole peppers
2 ground cloves
1 teaspoon of Worcester Sauce
1 pint of Dark Beer (locally produced craft beer/real ale/stout maybe?)

1. Prepare the fish by cleaning it and scaling cutting it in to three inch slices.

2. Brown the onion in the butter, adding the flour and cook for three minutes.

3.  Add the beer and all other ingredients except the vinegar.

4.  Boil the sauce to the thickness of single cream.

5. Add the fish slices to the sauce, and continue boiling until the fish is well done.

6.  Finally add the vinegar and continue boiling for another two minutes.  Pour the sauce through a strainer and serve separately.

Related articles

• Shrimps In Beer (recipevintage.wordpress.com)


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Shrimps In Beer

This is a classic fifties seafood starter

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.

4 Cups of beer
3 shallots
2 onions sliced
5 tbsp. butter
2 pounds of raw shrimps
a Sprig parsley in a bouquet
Bayleaf
Celery
5 tablespoons flour
1. Cook the beer with the onions, shallots, bayleaf, parsley and celery for about 15 minutes.

2. Add peeled shrimps to the broth and cook for another 15 minutes then season with salt and pepper.

3.  Remove the Parsley bouquet and bind sauce with the butter and flour which have been creamed together.

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