I’ve merged two previous posts because they seem to belong together. First:
Looking at Modern Practical Cookery and the suggestions for a February menu is crown roast of lamb. In those days lamb and mutton were cheap, these days they are too expensive to have on anything other than a special occasion. Maybe the roast crown of lamb was a special occasion as it appears in the little dinner menu for the month.As usual, as well as the main course there is a starter, a dessert and a savoury – and suggestions for a table decoration:
Anemones – crimson, purple and every shade of mauve, arranged loosely in a cut-glass bowl.
N.B. – these flowers look lovely used in conjunction with vivid Chinese table-mats.
The menu:
Halibut and cheese sauce
crown roast of lamb
potatoes, turnip tops
Peach cream
Prune toast
It seems strange to me to serve fish and cheese; halibut is such a lovely fish I would want to serve it as simply as possible! Peach cream is made from tinned peaches – all they could find in the days before supermarkets and all year round availability of everything. Prune toasts would not appeal to everyone, prunes, almonds, cream cheese and streaky bacon… I can’t imagine anyone apart from me even trying them in our family!
… and second:
I have to say to begin with that I would never serve fish with cheese sauce, nor would I choose it if I were eating elsewhere… I’m sure it is delicious but fish and cheese? I don’t really fancy that! However ninety years ago it was a suggestion in the ‘Little Dinner – for every month of the year‘ section of my Modern Practical Cookery book. I mentioned yesterday that on the suggested menu for February was the halibut, crown roast of lamb, peach cream and prune toast as a savoury. The menu, for six, also had a table setting suggestion – this month anemones in a cut glass bowl set on vivid Chinese table mats.
Halibut and cheese sauce
-
- 2 – 2½ lbs whole halibut, filleted, rinsed, dried
- lemon, and lemon juice
- butter
- salt and pepper
- 1 oz flour
- 3 oz cheese
- ¾ pint milk
- 1 egg yolk, beaten
- 1½ oz butter
- salt and pepper
- place halibut in a well buttered dish and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice, dab all over with butter
- cover and cook in a medium oven for 10 mins or until tender
- arrange in the cooking dish, or another, garnish with slices of lemon (I might use the zest as well or instead)
- in a separate pan, melt butter and stir in flour
- blend in milk, stirring well to make a smooth sauce and bring to the boil
- cook for a few minutes then add cheese and seasoning to taste
- cook a little longer until the cheese is melted and serve from a sauce-boat
I imagine this might be served with thin slices of bread and butter, without the cheese and with a very light, buttery sauce this would probably be to my taste!
I remember fish with ‘Mornay’ sauce being a big thing when I was a kid. My Mam used to roll up plaice fillets and put them in a buttered dish with cheese sauce on top and bake them in the oven. That was delicious
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OH yes!!! I remember that!!! And I also remember boil in the bag fish which had a savoury sauce – I thought it was delicious, not sure I would agree now!
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