To fully describe all the kinds of fish found in our markets would
require too much space and is unnecessary, but a list of those of
which there is usually a supply is given, that housekeepers may know
what it is best to select in a certain season and have some idea of
the prices.
To Select Fish.
When fresh, the skin and scales will be bright, the eyes full and
clear, the fins stiff and the body firm. If there is a bad odor, or,
if the fish is soft and darker than is usual for that kind, and has
dim, sunken eyes, it is not fit to use.
Codfish.
This is good all the year, but best in the fall and winter. When
cooked, it breaks into large white flakes. It is not as nutritious as
the darker kinds of fish, but is more easily digested. The price
remains about the same through all seasons.
Haddock.
This is a firmer and smaller-flaked fish than the cod, but varies
little in flavor from it. The cod has a light stripe running down the
sides; the haddock a dark one.
Cusk.
This also belongs to the cod family, and is a firm, white fish. It is
best in winter.
Pollock.
This is used mostly for salting. It is much like the cod, only firmer
grained and drier.
Halibut.
This fine fish is always good. It varies in weight from two pounds to
three hundred. The flesh is a pearly white in a perfectly fresh fish.
That cut from one weighing from fifty to seventy-five pounds is the
best, the flesh of any larger being coarse and dry. The small fish are
called chicken halibut.
Flounders.
These are thin, flat fish, often sold under the name of sole. Good at
all times of the year.
Turbot.
This is a flat fish, weighing from two to twenty pounds. The flesh is
soft, white and delicate. Turbot is not common in our market.
Salmon.
Salmon is in season from April to July, but is in its prime in June.
It is often found in the market as early as January, when it brings a
high price. Being very rich, a much smaller quantity should be
provided for a given number of people than of the lighter kinds of
fish.
Shad.
This is in season in the Eastern and Middle States from March to
April, and in the Southern States from November to February. The flesh
is sweet, but full of small bones. Shad is much prized for the roe.
Blue-fish.
This is a rich, dark fish, weighing from two to eight pounds' and in
season in June, July and August. It is particularly nice broiled and
baked.
Black-fish, or Tautog.
Good all the year, but best in the spring. It is not a large fish,
weighing only from one to five pounds.
White-fish, or Lake Shad.
This delicious fish is found in the great lakes, and in the locality
where caught it is always in season. At the South and in the East the
market is supplied only in winter, when the price is about eighteen
cents a pound. The average weight is between two and three pounds.
Sea-Bass.
This fish, weighing from half a pound to six or seven, pounds, is very
fine, and is in season nearly all the year. It is best in March, April
and May.
Rock-Bass.
The weight of rock-bass generally ranges from half a pound to thirty
or forty pounds, but sometimes reaches eighty or a hundred. The small
fish are the best. The very small ones (under one pound) are fried;
the larger broiled, baked and boiled. The bass are in season all the
year, but best in the fall.
Sword Fish.
This is very large, with dark, firm flesh. It is nutritious, but not
as delicate as other kinds of fish: It is cut and sold like halibut,
and in season in July and August.
Sturgeon.
This fish, like the halibut and sword fish, is large. The flesh is of
a light red color and the fat of a pale yellow. There is a rather
strong flavor. A fish weighing under a hundred pounds will taste
better than a larger one. The season is from April to September.
Weak-Fish.
Weak-fish is found in the New York and Philadelphia markets from May
to October. In the Eastern States it is not so well known. It is a
delicate fish, and grows soft very quickly. It is good boiled or
fried.
Small, or "Pan"-Fish.
The small fish that are usually fried, have the general name of "pan"-
fish. There is a great variety, each kind found in the market being
nearly always local, as it does not pay to pack and ship them. A
greater part have the heads and skin taken off before being sold.
Smelts.
These are good at any time, but best in the winter, when they are both
plenty and cheap.
Mullet.
There are several varieties of this fish, which is much prized in some
sections of the country. It is a small fish, weighing from a quarter
of a pound to two or three pounds. It often has a slightly muddy
flavor, owing to living a large part of the time in the mud of the
rivers.
Mackerel.
This fish is nutritious and cheap. It is in the market through the
spring and summer, and averages in weight between one and two pounds.
Spanish Mackerel.
These are larger than the common mackerel, and have rows of yellow
spots, instead of the dark lines on the sides. They are in season from
June to October, and generally bring a high price.
Eels.
These are sold skinned; are always in season, but best from April to
November.
Lobsters.
This shell-fish is in the market all the year, but is best in May and
June. If the tail, when straightened, springs back into position, it
indicates that the fish is fresh. The time of boiling live lobsters
depends upon the size. If boiled too much they will be tough and dry.
They are generally boiled by the fishermen. This is certainly the best
plan, as these people know from practice, just how long to cook them.
Besides, as the lobsters must be alive when put into the pot, they are
ugly things to handle. The medium-sized are the tenderest and
sweetest. A good one will be heavy for its size. In the parts of the
country where fresh lobsters cannot be obtained, the canned will be
found convenient for making salads, soups, stews, etc.
Hard-Shell Crabs.
These are in the market all the year. They are sold alive and, also,
like the lobster, boiled. Near the coast of the Southern and Middle
States they are plenty and cheap, but in the interior and in the
Eastern States they are quite expensive. They are not used as much as
the lobster, because it is a great deal of trouble to take the meat
from the shell.
Soft-Shell Crabs.
As the crab grows, a new, soft shell forms, and the old, hard one is
shed. Thus comes the soft-shelled crab. In about three days the shell
begins to harden again. In Maryland there are ponds for raising these
crabs, so that now the supply is surer than in former years. Crabs are
a great luxury, and very expensive. In the Eastern States they are
found only in warm weather. They must always be cooked while alive.
Frying and broiling are the modes of preparing.
Shrimp.
These are found on the Southern coasts; are much the shape of a
lobster, but very small. They are used mostly for sauces to serve with
fish. Their season is through the spring, summer and fall. There is a
larger kind called big shrimp or prawns, sold boiled in the Southern
markets. These are good for sauces or stews, and, in fact, can be
used, in most cases, the same as lobster. But few shrimp are found in
the Eastern or Western markets. The canned goods are, however,
convenient and nice for sauces.
Terrapin.
This shell-fish comes from the South, Baltimore being the great
terrapin market. It belongs to the turtle family. It is always sold
alive, and is a very expensive fish, the diamond backs costing from
one to two dollars apiece. Three varieties are found in the market,
the diamond backs, little bulls and red fenders. The first named are
considered marketable when they measure six inches across the back.
They are then about three years old. The little bulls, or male fish,
hardly ever measure more than five inches across the back. They are
cheaper than diamond backs, but not so well flavored. The red fenders
grow larger than the others, and are much cheaper, but their meat is
coarse and of an inferior flavor. Terrapin are in the market all the
year, but the best time to buy them is from November to February.
Oysters.
No other shell-fish is as highly prized as this. The oyster usually
takes the name of the place where it is grown, because the quality and
flavor depend very much upon the feeding grounds. The Blue-point, a
small, round oyster from Long Island, is considered the finest in the
market, and it costs about twice as much as the common oyster. Next
comes the Wareham, thought by many quite equal to the Blue-point. It
is a salt water oyster, and is, therefore, particularly good for
serving raw. The Providence River oyster is large and well flavored,
yet costs only about half as much as the Blue-point. The very large
ones, however, sell at the same price. Oysters are found all along;
the coast from Massachusetts to the Gulf of Mexico. Those taken from
the cool Northern waters are the best. The sooner this shell-fish is
used after being opened, the better. In the months of May, June, July
and August, the oyster becomes soft and milky. It is not then very
healthful or well flavored. The common-sized oysters are good for all
purposes of cooking except broiling and frying, when the large are
preferable. The very large ones are not served as frequently on the
half shell as in former years, the Blue-point, or the small Wareham,
having supplanted them.
Clams.
There are two kinds of this shell-fish, the common thin-shelled clam
and the quahaug. The first is the most abundant. It is sold by the
peck or bushel in the shell, or by the quart when shelled. Clams are
in season all the year, but in summer a black substance is found in
the body, which must be pressed from it before using. The shell of the
quahaug is thick and round.
Scollops.
This shell-fish is used about the same as the clam, but is not so
popular, owing to a peculiarly sweet flavor. It is in season from
September to March, and is sold shelled, as only the muscular part of
the fish is used.