BASS - Recipes, Dishes and Definitions
BASS—A well known species of fish, especially adapted for culinary purposes on account of its shape and size as well as its firm meat and delicate flavor. There are four or five principal kinds chiefly used, the Black, Striped, Sea, Silver, and Spotted, of which the Black stands first.
Striped or Rock Bass
BASS BROILED—The fish is chosen of as near a pound in weight as possible, if for club or restaurant use: scaled, trimmed, seasoned, scored slantwise, rolled in flour, brushed with melted butter or olive oil, broiled; served with a slice of broiled bacon, a spoonful of melted butter, slice of lemon, and a garnish of parsley. If used as a course of a dinner, before broiling it is filleted into portion pieces.
BASS FRIED — Prepared as the preceding, except it is not scored; fried a golden brown, and served as if broiled, or with tomato, anchovy or Genevoise sauces.
BASS BOILED—Scaled, trimmed, cut into portion pieces, placed into boiling water containing slices of carrot and onion, bay leaves, whole peppers, salt and a dash of vinegar; served with either butter, cream, parsley, shrimp, anchovy, oyster or hollandaise sauces; sometimes served with green peas.
BASS BAKED—Scaled, trimmed, (left whole for restaurant and cut in portions if for hotel use), placed in pan, seasoned with wine, broth, oil, salt, pepper and minced shallots, sheet of oiled paper put over, baked; when nearly done, equal quantities of parsley and espagnole sauces added to the pan; the fish served with the sauce. (called, Bass à la Conde).
BASS BRAISED—Prepared as the preceding, placed in pan or sautoir containing slices of carrot, onion, celery and parsley, with enough Bordelaise sauce to moisten the fish, braised slowly till done; served with the sauce and garnished with shrimps. (called, Bass à la Bordelaise).
BASS BRAISED—The fish cut into fillets, lard- ed, braised in equal parts of tomato and béchamel sauces; when cooked, the sauce poured into saucepan, and added to it some Purée of mushrooms, lobster roe, sliced truffles and Sauterne wine; the fish served with the sauce, and garnished with fish quenelles, (called, bass à la Chambord).
BASS Sauté—The fish prepared as for frying, rolled in flour, and fried plain; a little gravy made in the pan the fish was fried in with flour and fish broth, and served with the fish, garnished with fancy potatoes, (called bass à la Meuniére).
BASS CROQUETTES—Cold cooked bass with the skin and bones removed, then picked and put in a thick fish cream sauce, seasoned with anchovy essence, salt, pepper and grated nutmeg, allowed to become cold, shaped into croquettes, breaded, fried, and served with either tomato, bordelaise, genoise or anchovy sauces, garnished with parsley and sliced lemon.