The Book of Household Management by Mrs. Beeton

chopped herbs, 3 tablespoonfuls of medium stock, No. 105, 3 tablespoonfuls of béchamel (_see_ Sauces); salt, cayenne, and lemon-juice to taste. _Mode_.--Clean the fish, and fillet it; scald the herbs, chop them fine, and put them with the butter and stock into a stewpan. Lay in the mackerel, and simmer very gently for 10 minutes; take them out, and put them on a hot dish. Dredge in a little flour, add the other ingredients, give one boil, and pour it over the mackerel. _Time_.--20 minutes. _Average cost_ for this quantity, 1s. 6d. _Seasonable_ from April to July. _Sufficient_ for 4 persons. _Note_.--Fillets of mackerel may be covered with egg and bread crumbs, and fried of a nice brown. Serve with _maître d'hôtel_ sauce and plain melted butter. THE VORACITY OF THE MACKEREL.--The voracity of this fish is very great, and, from their immense numbers, they are bold in attacking objects of which they might, otherwise, be expected to have a wholesome dread. Pontoppidan relates an anecdote of a sailor belonging to a ship lying in one of the harbours on the coast of Norway, who, having gone into the sea to bathe, was suddenly missed by his companions; in the course of a few minutes, however, he was seen on the surface, with great numbers of mackerel clinging to him by their mouths. His comrades hastened in a boat to his assistance; but when they had struck the fishes from him and got him up, they found he was so severely bitten, that he shortly afterward expired. PICKLED MACKEREL.