Stewed Dace is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of dace boiled in stock flavoured with onions, spices, port wine and lemon juice. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Stewed Dace.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook. This recipe is a variant of her stewed carp recipe that substitutes dace for the carp.
THE DACE, OR DARE.—This fish is gregarious, and is seldom above ten inches long; although, according to Linnaeus, it grows a foot and a half in length. Its haunts are in deep water, near piles of bridges, where the stream is gentle, over gravelly, sandy, or clayey bottoms; deep holes that are shaded, water-lily leaves, and under the foam caused by an eddy. In the warm months they are to be found in shoals on the shallows near to streams. They are in season about the end of April, and gradually improve till February, when they attain their highest condition. In that month, when just taken, scotched (crimped), and broiled, they are said to be more palatable than a fresh herring.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 dace (2 if very small)
sea salt, to taste medium stock
2 onions, sliced
6 cloves
12 black peppercorns
1 blade of mace
1 bunch of savoury herbs
150ml Port wine
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
Method:
Scale and clean the fish thoroughly. If the dace is large divide into thick steaks then rub inside and out with salt (if small, use two fish). Place in a stockpot then pour over just enough stock to cover. Add the onions, spices and herbs then bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook slowly for 1 hour.
Gently lift out the chubb and arrange in a serving bowl. Strain the stock and return to the pan. Stir in the port wine and lemon juice then season to taste.
Bring the mixture to a boil then take off the heat, pour over the fish and serve.
