Mrs Beeton coated her trout in breadcrumbs after it had been baked. She then fried it in butter before sending it to table with a tomato sauce. All in the name of extravagance, flavour and variety. Omission of the sauce and breadcrumbs however did not dull the effect of barramundi (this being Australia) cooked by me in a manner based on the recipe found in her weighty and comprehensive Family Cookery & Housekeeping (1900 edition) which is as follows:
Trout, Stuffed. Fried - INGREDIENTS for dish for 4 persons - A fine trout, a little breadcrumb and butter, 2 oz. of truffles, 6 button mushrooms, 1 teaspoonful of minced thyme, parsley and chervil for the Court bouillon, a quart of water, a pint of white wine vinegar, 1 large carrot, onion and parsnip, a small heart of celery, a little thyme, parsley, chervil and salt, 2 bay leaves, 2 oz. of butter AVERAGE COST 3s 6d
Reduce ingredients for the Court bouillon quickly over a strong fire; the vegetables being sliced up, drain, cool and preserve for cooking fish, replacing the liquid consumed each time by some good white wine. Stuff the trout with a forcemeat made of the breadcrumbs, truffles, mushrooms, butter and herbs. The fish having been washed and dried, tie up the head and simmer in the Court bouillon for 1/4 hour. Take it out, dip it in egg and breadcrumbs, fry and serve up with a tomato sauce.
TIME 1/2 HOUR
SEASONABLE from May to September
Being a time poor 21st century woman, I chose not to make a Court bouillon in which to poach the rather large barramundi bought from my local fish market in the absence of trout. I didn't have a pot large enough to put it in, in any event. So it was stuffed with Mrs Beeton's recommended forcemeat (minus truffles) and placed on a tray in the oven for about 20 minutes. Being extremely lazy, I also omitted coating it with egg and breadcrumbs and frying it and as I did not have a readymade tomato sauce to hand, simply sent it to table on a platter garnished with parsley and thyme sprigs.
When I was a dance student, I was always told to make a strong 'finish', a definite statement at the end of a routine which meant arriving at a stance with a flourish. Victorian and Edwardian cookery is the same. A dish itself can be quite simple in its ingredients and method, but its appearance is everything. 'Garnish' was the catchcry of the day and fresh herbs used in this way were plentiful on main courses placed on Victorian and Edwardian dining tables. Plain cuisine was dressed up, as were the diners of the period.
I'm pleased to report the barramundi cooked by the Downstairs Cook's granddaughter was a success, moist and tender and above all, easy to prepare using what is my favourite method of cooking - the oven, because you can just set and forget. Just don't forget to garnish!
Photography: Christian Hodge
