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14 First open your Pike at the Gills, and if need be, cut also a little Slit towards the Belly, out of these take his Guts, and keep his Liver, which you are to shred very small with Thyme, sweet Marjoram, and a little Winter Savory, to these put some pickled
Oysters and two or three Anchovies, both these last whole (for the Anchovies will melt, and the Oysters should not) to these you must add also a pound of sweet Butter, which you are to mix with the Herbs that are shred, and let them all be well Salted (if the Pike be more than a yard long, then you may put into these herbs more than a pound of But∣ter, if he be less, then loss will suffice) these being thus mixt with a blade or 2 of Mace, must be put into the Pikes Belly, and the Belly so sowed up, as to keep all the Butter in his belly, if it be possible, if not, then as much of it as you possibly can, but take not off the scales; then you are to thrust the spit through his month out at his tail, then take 4, 5, or 6 Split-sticks or very thin Laths, and a conve∣nient quantity of Tape or Filleting, these are to be tyed round about the Pikes body from his head to his Tail, and the Tape tyed some∣what thick to prevent his breaking or falling off from the Spit, let him be roasted very lea∣surely and basted often with Claret Wine and Anchovies and Butter mixt together, and al∣so with what moisture falls from him into the Pan, when roasted sufficiently you are to hold under him (when you unwind or cut the Tape that ties him) such a Dish as you purpose to eat him out of; and let him fall into it, with the Sawce that is roasted in his Belly, and by this means the Pike will be kept unbroken and compleat, then to the Sawce
which was within, you are to add a fit quan∣tity of the best Butter, and to squeeze there∣in the juyce of 3 or 4 Oranges; lastly, you may either put into the Pike with the Oysters 3 or 4 Cloves of Garlick, and take it whole our, when the Pike is taken off the Spit, or to give the Sawce a hogo, let the Dish (into which you let the Pike fall) be rubbed with it; the using, or not using the Garlick is left to your discretion.
15. Whensoever you do Butter for Fishes sawce, let it be very well beaten up with 3 or 4 spoonfuls of boyling Spring water, and if you desire it to be thick, dissolve a Yolk of an Egg therein well beaten with the Butter, and if you desire the Sawce to be better relished than ordinary, put an Anchovy in the water, and let it dissolve before you beat up the But∣ter, or boil Parsly by it self, and shred it, and ••eat it up with the Butter and Water, and its a good Sawce. Trouts, Chubs, Carp, Bearch, Bream, Roch, Gudgeon and Grayling should be eat the very same day they are caught, else they are worth little.
Finally, let me tell you, That in the course of my Observations, I know amongst all sorts ••f Fish, none differ amongst themselves in taste more than Eels, for I have eat of them, taken ••ut of above 30 several Rivers, and amongst ••he rest of the Thames, Severn and Trent Eel; ••et none that I ever met with, were to be com∣••ared for goodness (although not large) and
deliciousness of Taste to the Eels caught in a small River in Lancashire called Irk, which is composed of 3 small Brooks that have their conflux near unto Middleton Hall, where it assumes the name of Irk, and thence descends through Blakely and Crumpsall, &c. to Man∣chester; where under Chetham's Hospital, it mingles its waters with the Irwell, and there∣unto pays the Tribute of its Name. Neither are the Inhabitants on its Bank partial in their Judgments, by reason of their vicinity; but its highly applauded for its excellent taste, by persons meer Strangers, and such as had the estimation of curious Palats, and having often enquired of the Neighbouring People to it, what might be the reason, they have unani∣mously ascribed it to the numerousness of Fulling Mills that stand on that River, and say that the Fat, Oyl and Grease scowred out of the Cloth, make the Eels pallatable and fat, above other River Eels.