Water Souchy (Greenwich Receipt)

Ingredients

• more than sufficient to just cover water
• 0.5–0.75 ounces salt
• 12 corns white pepper
• 1 small bunch green parsley
• 2–3 parsley roots
• variable portions fish (cleaned and portioned)
• 1 or more large tablespoonful minced parsley
• 0.5 lemon juice
• a little cayenne
• variable slices of brown or white bread and butter

Instructions

1. Bring water to a simmer with salt (½–¾ ounce per quart), white peppercorns (about 12 corns), a small bunch of green parsley, and parsley roots that have been cut into inch lengths and split to the size of straws.
2. Allow this to simmer for half to a whole hour until the parsley roots are tender.
3. Lay in the fish, delicately cleaned and freed from every morsel of brown skin, divided into equal portions about two inches in width.
4. Remove all scum as it rises.
5. Stew the fish softly for eight to twelve minutes, watching carefully that it does not break from being overdone.
6. Two minutes before serving, strew in a large tablespoonful or more of minced parsley, or small branches of parsley that have been boiled very green in a separate saucepan (the latter mode is preferred).
7. Lift out the fish carefully with a slice, along with the parsley roots.
8. Pour over the fish the liquor in which it has been boiled, but leave out the peppercorns.
9. If making a superior version: remove the bones from the fish and stew down the inferior portions to a strong broth for about an hour.
10. Season the broth with salt, parsley, and a little cayenne if desired.
11. Strain the broth clear through a sieve and use it instead of water for the souchy.
12. The juice of half a good lemon may be thrown in before the stew is served.
13. Serve in a deep dish, accompanied always by slices of brown or white bread and butter.