Simmered Black Fish With Mushrooms And Claret

Ingredients

• 4 lb black fish
• Salt
• Butter
• Fresh mushrooms
• 1 white onion, sliced
• 1 sprig parsley
• Peppercorns
• 4 cloves
• Mace
• Cayenne pepper
• Juice and grated rind of 1 lemon
• 1 pint claret
• 1 pint water

Method

1. 1 Sprinkle the fish with salt and let it stand for one hour to harden the flesh.
2. 2 Score the fish and brown it on a buttered gridiron or grill.
3. 3 Place the fish on a strainer in a kettle with mushrooms, sliced onion, parsley, peppercorns, cloves, mace, cayenne, lemon juice, and lemon rind.
4. 4 Add the claret and water, cover the kettle tightly, and simmer slowly until the fish is cooked through.
5. 5 Lift the fish gently onto a serving plate, strain the sauce over it, and arrange the mushrooms around the fish.