To Boil Pike

Ingredients

• 1 pike
• 1 cup vinegar
• water
• oyster-forcemeat or veal forcemeat
• salt
• plain melted butter or anchovy sauce

Instructions

1. Remove the gills from the pike, empty and clean the fish very thoroughly.
2. If there is any danger of its having a muddy taste, soak it for half an hour in water with a cup of vinegar mixed in.
3. Wipe the inside dry.
4. Fill the pike with oyster-forcemeat or common veal forcemeat made with butter or suet.
5. Curl the fish round and fasten it with the tail in the mouth, then lay it on a fish-plate.
6. Cover the fish well with cold water and bring to a boil.
7. Throw in salt as soon as the water boils, then skim it well.
8. Boil the fish gently for half an hour if moderate-sized, or up to a whole hour if large, depending on its size.
9. Watch attentively and lift the fish from the water as soon as it is done.
10. Serve with plain melted butter or anchovy sauce.