fry fish. First rub salt and pepper and flour or meal on the fish,
then keep it well covered while frying, as you should do to every
thing that is being fried. Doing this will enable you to fry the fish
(or other article of food) a pretty amber color, while at the same
time it will be perfectly done.
Always have a tin sheet for lifting boiled fish and for turning
broiled fish. Before broiling, rub with pepper and salt, and then
grease with fresh butter. Lay the fish on a gridiron well greased with
sweet lard and lay the tin sheet over it. When you wish to turn, take
the gridiron from the fire, holding the tin sheet on top the fish.
Hold them together, then lay them on a table with the tin sheet down
and the gridiron uppermost. Carefully raise the gridiron, leaving the
fish lying unbroken on the tin sheet. The cook may now easily slide
the fish on the gridiron, put it again on the fire and brown the other
side, putting the tin sheet back on top of it. Every thing should be
covered while being broiled. When done, lay it on a dish and pour over
it melted butter in which has been stirred pepper, salt, and minced
parsley. If devilled fish is desired, add to this dressing, one
tablespoonful pepper vinegar, one of celery vinegar, one of walnut
catsup, one of made mustard, one wine-glassful of acid fruit jelly. In
making sauces for fish, never use the water in which the fish has been
boiled.
Full directions for stewing fish are to be found in the subsequent
pages.
FISH À LA CRÊME.
Boil a firm fish, remove the bones, pick it to pieces. Mix one pint
cream or milk with two tablespoonfuls flour, one onion, one-half pound
butter (or less), and salt.
Set it on the fire and stir until it is as thick as custard. Fill a
baking-dish alternately with fish, cracker, and cream. Bake for thirty
minutes, use four crackers.--_Mrs. W. C. R._
HALIBUT.
Boil one pound halibut, then chop it very fine and add eight eggs well
beaten; pepper and salt to taste, then one cup butter.
Put it in a stewpan and cook until the eggs are done sufficiently.
Serve very hot on toast.--_Miss F. N._
_Halibut._
Halibut should be cut in slices of four pounds each. If to be boiled,
cover with salt water, and skim often; drain off and serve with butter
sauce.
If baked or fried, garnish with horseradish and serve with melted
butter.
FISH CHOWDER.
Fry a few slices of salt pork, cut the fish in small pieces, pare and
slice the potatoes, add a little onion chopped fine.
Place all in layers in the kettle; season with salt and pepper. Stew
over a slow fire thirty minutes.
CAT-FISH CHOWDER.
To be made of New River cat-fish.
Wash the fish in warm water, put it on in just water enough to cover
it, boil until tender or until the bones will slip out; take out the
largest bones, chop up the fish, put it in a stewpan with a pint of
water, a large lump of butter.
1 cup of cream, pepper and not much salt.
1 onion, one teaspoonful mustard, one-half teacupful walnut catsup.
Stew until quite thick, garnish with sliced lemon and serve
hot.--_Mrs. P. W._
CAT-FISH CHOWDER OR HOG-FISH.
Take two cat-fish, skin, and boil till thoroughly done; pick very fine
and add:
2 good sized onions.
¼ pound butter.
1 tablespoonful salt.
1 tablespoonful pepper.
2 tablespoonfuls Worcestershire sauce.
Add a little celery or celery-seed, a little thyme, a little parsley.
Pour over all about one quart of boiling water and cook fast about
half an hour.--_Miss F. N._
FISH CHOWDER.
Take any large fish, and cut in thin slices, lay some slices of fat
bacon at the bottom of the pot and then a layer of fish, onions,
cracker dust, red and black pepper, salt, and butter.
Then more layers, until you have used all the fish. Cover the whole
with water and cook until well done.--_Mrs. D._
BOILED SHEEP'S-HEAD.
Clean the fish and boil well done. Serve hot with butter and egg
sauce.
TO BAKE A SHEEP'S-HEAD.
Put two tablespoonfuls butter and two tablespoonfuls lard in a
skillet; also, with that, two tablespoonfuls flour, a little parsley,
one pint boiling water, a little wine, catsup, salt, and cayenne
pepper. Boil a few minutes; then take four eggs, half a pint cream or
butter; beat well together. Lay the fish in a large deep dish, pour
gravy from skillet over it; spread butter over top of fish. The bottom
of the oven to be quite hot, top slow.--_Miss E. W._
BOILED SHEEP'S-HEAD OR ROCK.
Lay the fish in a fish boiler, in a cloth, to prevent breaking. Throw
into the water a handful parsley, and when the fish is done, lay some
sprigs on it in the dish.--_Mrs. D._
BAKED SHEEP'S-HEAD.
Put the fish in a pan and cover with water; put a little parsley,
onions, and fat bacon, chopped up together, black pepper and salt, in
the fish and over it, and when nearly done, beat up one egg and a
little flour, and pour over it to thicken the gravy. Rock or shad may
be cooked the same way.--_Mrs. D._
_Baked Sheep's-head._
When ready for cooking, salt and pepper well, gash the sides in three
or four places. Cut four onions very fine, to which add one pint bread
crumbs, fat meat minced very fine, as it suits better than lard,
cayenne pepper, thyme, a little salt, and the yolks of two eggs, all
mashed together, with which stuff the fish inside and gashes on the
outside. Then sprinkle over with flour and black pepper; put into a
large pan with one quart cold water. Bake two hours, slowly. Serve
with or without sauce, according to taste.--_Miss F. N._
BOILED ROCK-FISH.
Clean the fish nicely, rub well with salt and pepper. Put into a large
deep pan, that it may lie at full length; cover with cold water,
adding salt and pepper. Boil steadily for three-quarters of an hour;
dish and serve with melted butter and sauce or catsup.--_Miss F. N._
_Boiled Rock-fish._
Clean nicely and hang it up; do not lay it in water, but wash it when
ready for cooking. Put on in boiling water, seasoning with salt to
taste. It takes two hours to boil, if large. Serve with egg sauce, and
send to the table in a napkin to keep hot.--_Mrs. W._
TO STEW ROCK-FISH.
Take a rock, clean and season with parsley, sweet marjoram, onions,
one-half pint water, salt to taste, one pint Port wine, one-half pound
butter, and a little flour. Put them in a dish, and set in a stewpan.
One hour is sufficient for cooking.--_Mrs. J. T._
BAKED ROCK.
Boil the fish and take out the bones. Season with cream, butter,
pepper, and salt, and grated bread crumbs over the top. Bake slightly
in a flat dish or scollop shells.--_Mrs. R._
TO PICKLE ROCK.
Cut a rock-fish into pieces and put in a kettle with sufficient water
to cover it. Put in a handful of salt, some white pepper, one
tablespoonful allspice, a few cloves and mace.
When the fish is nearly done, add a quart of vinegar. In putting away,
use as much liquor as will cover it.--_Mrs. J. W. S._
BAKED SHAD.
Open the shad down the back, wash well and salt it; wipe dry and rub
inside and out with a little cayenne pepper. Prepare a stuffing of
bread, seasoned with pepper, salt, thyme, or parsley, celery-seed, a
little chopped onion, piece of butter, size of a walnut.
Tie up the fish and put in a baking pan with one pint water (to a good
sized fish) and butter, size of a hen's egg. Sprinkle with flour,
baste well and bake slowly an hour and a half.--_Mrs. J. H. F._
TO FRY SHAD.
Clean and hang in a cool place. When ready to use wash thoroughly, cut
up and sprinkle lightly with flour, pepper, salt, and fry with
lard.--_Mrs. R----._
TO ROAST SHAD.
Fill the inside with forcemeat, sew it up and tie it on a board, not
pine, cover with bread crumbs, a little salt, and pepper, and place
before the fire. When done one side, turn it; when sufficiently done,
pull out the thread; dish and serve with drawn butter and
parsley.--_Mrs. D._
TO BROIL SHAD.
Clean, wash, and split the shad, and wipe it dry.
Sprinkle with pepper and salt, and place it over a clear, slow fire,
with the skin down so as to retain the juice; put on a clean gridiron,
rubbed with lard. Turn it when nearly done; take up, and season with a
generous piece of butter, salt, and pepper to taste.--_Mrs. S._
POTTED SHAD.
Cut the fish as for frying; pack in a stone jar with layers of mixed
spices, seasoning with salt; after the jar is filled, pour vinegar
over; cover tightly with a cloth. Put the jar in a large pot of water
and boil until the fish is thoroughly done.
A nice relish for tea.--_Mrs. C. L. T._
TO BARBECUE A SHAD.
Split the back of the fish, pepper and salt it, and put on the
gridiron with the skin down.
Baste the upper side of the fish with butter; brown a little piece of
butter with a small quantity of flour, and when brown add pepper,
salt, and a little water.
Dish in a tureen.--_Mrs. J. W. S._
SCOLLOPED STURGEON.
Four pounds sturgeon, boiled; when cold, pick to pieces and then wash
and squeeze out the water. Make a mayonnaise dressing, using celery,
cayenne pepper instead of black pepper, and salt. Serve on white
lettuce leaves.--_Mrs. R. R._
STURGEON CUTLET.
Remove all the fat from the fish; cut it into steak pieces. Beat up
the yolks of eggs enough to moisten the pieces well; dip them into the
beaten egg. Have ready a dish of grated bread crumbs (stale bread is
best), then roll them in the bread crumbs and pepper them well.
Prepare a vessel of melted lard, have it boiling hot, but not burnt;
lay in the pieces of fish and cover with a lid. Turn them over as
they brown and remove the lid when they are nearly done.--_Mrs. Dr. P.
C._
STURGEON OR DRUM.
Slice it like beefsteak, and roll in a thin egg batter, and fry in hot
lard.
Chopped parsley and black pepper may be added, if liked.--_Mrs. D.,
Suffolk._
BAKED STURGEON.
Wash the skin _well_, put in a pan and bake for three-quarters of an
hour. Then take it out on a dish; pierce it with a knife in several
places. Make a stuffing of pot-meat, bread crumbs, onions, parsley,
thyme, pepper, and salt, all chopped well together. Stuff the holes
with the mixture and put the rest in the gravy; return to the pan and
bake until done.--_Mrs. D._
TO FRY PERCH.
Sprinkle with salt and dredge with flour; after a while dredge with
flour the other side. When the lard boils hard, skim it well and put
in the fish. Serve hot.--_Mrs. W._
TO FRY TROUT.
Split the fish down the back, insert a thin slice of fat pork. Squeeze
lemon juice over it and fry brown.--_Mrs. J. I., La._
BOILED COD-FISH.
Boil over a slow fire and skim frequently. Season with salt. Garnish
with parsley and rings of hard boiled eggs, and serve with butter and
egg-sauce.
COD-FISH BALLS.
One-fourth fish, to three-fourths potatoes, eggs enough to moisten.
Season with pepper and salt, and fry brown.
NANTUCKET COD-FISH.
Cut the thick part out of a firm, white dried codfish, and soak it
over night, then cut into very small pieces and parboil for a few
minutes, changing the water until the fish remains but slightly
salted. Drain off the water, leaving the fish in the saucepan. Pour
over a little more milk than will cover it; when it becomes heated,
add a little butter and pepper, thicken with flour stirred smooth in
milk. Stir constantly for a few minutes.
TO DRESS SALT COD-FISH.
Take one-third of a large fish; soak it from three to four hours;
next, boiling it till thoroughly done, pick the meat fine, taking out
all the bones. Then add:
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped fine.
3 to 4 Irish potatoes, boiled and mashed.
Mix all well together in a stewpan, with--
1 teacup of hot water.
Salt and mustard to the taste.
Boil half an hour, and add a liberal supply of butter just before
serving. If preferred, the salt and mustard need not be put in until
during the cooking.--_Mrs. A. C._
BOILED MACKEREL.
Well wash the fish, put it into nearly boiling water with one
tablespoonful salt in it; boil up quickly, then let it simmer gently
for a quarter of an hour, and if the fish be very large, a few minutes
longer. Serve in a hot dish.--_Mrs. B._
TO BROIL MACKEREL.
If the mackerel is fresh, after it is nicely scaled and cleaned, dry
it; pepper and salt and broil it on a gridiron; baste it with fresh
butter. After it is broiled, put it on a hot dish, pour melted butter
over it, and serve. If the fish is salt, pour boiling water over it,
soak it several hours; butter and pepper, and broil; serve in the same
way as the fresh.--_Mrs. R._
TO COOK SALT MACKEREL.
Soak the fish over night in fresh water. In the morning drain off the
water and place on a gridiron to broil, dressing with hot
butter.--_Mrs. T._
BAKED SALMON.
When washed and dried, sprinkle over pepper and salt. Have ready in a
baking-pan a small grating; lay the fish on this, with bits of butter
over it; set in a hot oven, basting often and freely with butter. When
nicely browned, butter a sheet of white paper and lay over it, to
prevent its getting too dry; when done and tender, place on a hot
dish. Add to the gravy one teacupful milk, one tablespoonful pepper
vinegar, pepper, salt, and a mashed Irish potato smoothly mixed in;
boil, and pour over the fish. Sift over all browned cracker. Garnish
with bleached tops of celery and curled parsley alternately.--_Mrs.
T._
BOILED SALMON.
After the fish has been cleaned and washed, dry it and sew it up in a
cloth; lay it in a fish-kettle, cover with warm water, and simmer
until done and tender. Meanwhile have ready in a saucepan one pint
cream, two tablespoonfuls fresh butter, salt, pepper, minced parsley,
and thyme; let it boil up once, not too quickly. Take the fish from
the kettle, carefully unwrap it, lay it for a moment on a folded
napkin to dry. Have ready a hot dish, lay the fish on it carefully,
without breaking it, pour over the cream. Slice some hard-boiled eggs,
and lay over the fish alternately with sliced lemon. Border the edges
of the dish with curled parsley.--_Mrs. S. T._
SALMON STEAK.
When well dried, pepper and salt, sift over powdered cracker, and lay
upon a gridiron, which has been first greased with butter or lard,
over hot coals. As soon as the side next to the fire is brown, turn it
by carefully slipping under it a batter-cake turner and holding the
fish on it with the other hand, lest it should break. When both sides
are of a light brown, lay in a hot dish; pepper and salt again; pour
over melted butter; place the cover on, and serve.--_Mrs. T._
PICKLED SALMON.
Soak the salmon twenty-four hours, changing the water. Put it in
boiling water, with a little vinegar. When done and cold, boil your
vinegar with spice and pour on the fish.--_Mrs. A. P._
GERMAN FISH STEW.
Put the fish in a kettle to boil. Stew together in a saucepan one
onion chopped fine and a wine-glass of sweet oil; when well done, pour
them in with the fish. Then mix yolks of three eggs, juice of two
lemons strained, one tablespoonful sifted flour. Beat these well
together, and pour upon the fish when nearly done. Then add ginger,
pepper, and salt to taste; stew three or four minutes, after mixing
all the ingredients. Oysters may be cooked by the same receipt, only
substituting one quart oysters for the fish.--_Mrs. A. D._
GAME.
HAUNCH OF VENISON.
Rub the venison over with pepper, salt, and butter. Repeat the
rubbing. After it has been put in the oven, put in as much cold water
as will prevent burning and draw the gravy. Stick five or six cloves
in different parts of the venison. Add enough water to make sufficient
gravy. Just before dinner, put in a glass of red wine and a lump of
butter rolled in flour, and let it stew a little longer.--_Mrs. T._
VENISON HAUNCH.
Prepare the venison as you would mutton.
Put in a baking-pan, lard with a little bacon, add a pint of water, a
gill of red wine, salt, and a little cayenne pepper. Bake quickly, and
serve with or without gravy.
STEWED VENISON.
Cut in tolerably thick slices. Put in an oven with two spoonfuls of
water and a piece of lard. Cook till nearly done, then pour off the
gravy and baste it well with a large spoonful of butter, pepper, and
salt.
_Stewed Venison._
Slice cold venison in a chafing dish and add--
A cup of water.
A small teacup of red wine.
A small teacup of currant jelly.
A tablespoonful of butter.
A teaspoonful of made mustard.
A little yellow pickle.
A little chopped celery.
A little mushroom catsup.
Salt and cayenne pepper to the taste.
The same receipt will answer for cold mutton.--_Mrs. R. L. O._
TO BARBECUE SQUIRREL.
Put some slices of fat bacon in an oven. Lay the squirrels on them and
lay two slices of bacon on the top. Put them in the oven and let them
cook until done. Lay them on a dish and set near the fire. Take out
the bacon, sprinkle one spoonful of flour in the gravy and let it
brown. Then pour in one teacup of water, one tablespoonful of butter,
and some tomato or walnut catsup. Let it cool, and then pour it over
the squirrel.
ROAST RABBIT.
Stew the rabbit. After boiling the haslet and liver, stew them with
parsley, thyme, celery-seed, butter, salt, and pepper, for gravy. Soak
a piece of loaf bread, a short time, in water. Mix with it the yolk of
an egg and some butter, for stuffing; then soak it in milk and cream.
Sprinkle the inside of the rabbit with salt and pepper, fill it with
the above dressing, sew it up, and roast or bake quickly.--_Mrs. B._
BARBECUED RABBIT.
Lay the rabbit in salt and water half an hour, scald with boiling
water, wipe dry, grease with butter, and sprinkle with pepper and a
little salt. Lay it on the gridiron, turning often so that it may cook
through and through, without becoming hard and dry. When brown, lay on
a hot dish, butter plentifully on both sides, and add a little salt
and pepper. Set in the oven, while preparing four teaspoonfuls of
vinegar, one of made mustard, and one of currant jelly or brown sugar.
Pour this over the rabbit, rubbing it in, then pour over the gravy and
serve hot.--_Mrs. T._
STEWED RABBIT.
Cut up the rabbit and wash it. Put it in a stewpan and season it with
salt and pepper. Pour in half a pint of water, and when this has
nearly stewed away, add half a pint of Port wine, two or three blades
of mace, and a tablespoonful of flour, mixed with a quarter of a pound
of butter. Let it stew gently till quite tender, and then serve
hot.--_Mrs. C. C._
_Stewed Rabbit._
Cut a rabbit into eight pieces. After soaking in salt and water, put
it in a stewpan, with a slice of pork or bacon, and with more than
enough water to cover it. When nearly done, take out the pieces,
strain the water in which they have boiled, and return all to the
stewpan, with a teacup of milk, a little pepper, salt, chopped onion
and parsley. After this boils up, stir in a heaping tablespoonful of
butter, in which a tablespoonful of flour has been rubbed. Let it boil
up once more; then serve in a covered dish, with four hard-boiled eggs
sliced over it, and grated bread crumbs. The same receipt will answer
for squirrel.--_Mrs. T._
WILD TURKEY.
If the turkey is old, after it is dressed wash it inside thoroughly
with soda and water. Rinse it and plunge it into a pot of boiling
water for five minutes. Make a stuffing of bits of pork, beef, or any
other cold meat, plenty of chopped celery, stewed giblets, hard-boiled
eggs, pounded cracker, pepper, and salt, and a heaping spoonful of
butter. Work this well and fill the turkey. With another large
spoonful of butter grease the bird, and then sprinkle salt and pepper
over it. Lay in a pan, with a pint of stock or broth in which any kind
of meat has been boiled. Place in a hot oven. When it begins to brown,
dredge with flour and baste, turning often, so that each part may be
equally browned. Put a buttered sheet of paper over the breast, to
prevent dryness. When thoroughly done, lay on a dish, brown some
crackers, pound and sift over it, and serve with celery or oyster
sauce.--_Mrs. T._
_A Simpler Way to Prepare Wild Turkey._
Prepare the turkey as usual, rub the inside with salt and cayenne
pepper, and put in the baking-pan, with water enough to make gravy.
Cut up the gizzard and liver with a lump of butter and a spoonful of
cream. Mix with the gravy and serve hot.
_To Roast Wild Fowl in a Stove._
Put them on a rack above a pan, so that the gravy will drip through.
This makes them as delicate as if roasted on a spit. If roasted in a
pan, they will be exceedingly greasy and have the _stovey_ taste to
which so many persons object.--_Mrs. J. W. S._
WILD GOOSE.
After the goose is dressed, soak it several hours in salt and water.
Put a small onion inside and plunge it into boiling water for twenty
minutes. Stuff with chopped celery, chopped eggs, mashed potatoes,
bits of fat pork or other cold meat; a little butter; raw turnip
grated; a tablespoonful of pepper vinegar; a little chopped onion;
pepper and salt to the taste.
A teacup of stock or broth must be put in the pan with the fowl.
Butter it, dredge with flour, and baste often. Pin a buttered paper
over the breast to prevent its becoming hard. Serve with mushroom or
celery sauce, or, for a simpler taste, serve merely with its own
gravy.--_Mrs. T._
_Wild Goose._
Put a small onion inside, a slice of pork, pepper, salt, and a
spoonful of red wine.
Lay in a pan with water enough to make gravy. Dredge with flour, and
baste with butter frequently. Cook quickly and serve with gravy made
as for wild turkey.
WILD DUCK.
When the duck is ready dressed, put in it a small onion, pepper, salt,
and a spoonful of red wine. Lay in a pan with water enough to make the
gravy. Cook in fifteen or twenty minutes, if the fire is brisk. Serve
with gravy made as for wild turkey.
Canvas-back ducks are cooked in the same way, only you leave on their
heads and do not use onion with them.--_Mrs. R. L. O._
_To Cook Wild Duck for Breakfast._
Split open in the back, put in a pan with a little water, butter,
pepper and salt, and cook till tender. Baste with flour. If for
dinner, cook whole.--_Mrs. J. L. C._
TO BROIL PARTRIDGES.
Place them in salt and water, an hour or two before broiling. When
taken out, wipe them dry, and rub them all over with fresh butter,
pepper and salt. First broil the under or split side on the gridiron,
over bright, clear coals, turning until the upper side is of a fine,
light brown. It must be cooked principally from the under side. When
done, rub well again with fresh butter and if not ready to serve them
immediately, put them in a large shallow tin bucket, cover it and set
it over a pot or kettle of boiling water, which will keep them hot
without making them hard or dry and will give time for the many "last
things" to be done before serving a meal. When served, sift over them
powdered cracker, first browned.--_Mrs. T._
TO ROAST PARTRIDGES.
Clean the birds as for stuffing. Rub with butter, salt and pepper. Put
in sheets of letter paper and allow to cook in this way.--_Mrs. W. C._
TO COOK PARTRIDGES AND PHEASANTS.
Place them in a steamer, over a pot of boiling water, till tender.
Have ready a saucepan of large fresh oysters, scalded just enough to
make them plump and seasoned with pepper-sauce, butter, and a little
salt. Rub the cavity of the birds with salt and pepper, fill with
oysters and sew up. Broil till a light brown. Place on a hot dish and
sift over them browned cracker. Add a large tablespoonful of butter
and one of pounded cracker to the oyster liquor. Boil it up once and
pour into the dish, but not over the birds.--_Mrs. T._
TO BROIL PIGEONS.
Pigeons may be broiled the same as chickens, only cover the breast
with slices of bacon. When nearly done, remove the bacon, dredge with
flour and baste with butter. They will be done in half an hour.
STEWED PIGEONS.
The pigeons must be seasoned with pepper, salt, cloves, mace and sweet
herbs. Wrap the seasoning up in a piece of butter and put it in the
pigeon. Then tie up the neck and vest and half roast the pigeons. Then
put them in a stewpan with a quart of good gravy, a little white wine,
some pickled mushrooms, a few peppercorns, three or four blades of
mace, a bit of lemon peel, a bit of onion and a bunch of sweet herbs.
Stew until done, then thicken with butter and yolks of eggs. Garnish
with lemon.
PIGEON PIE.
Take six young pigeons. After they are drawn, trussed, and singed,
stuff them with the chopped livers mixed with parsley, salt, pepper,
and a small piece of butter. Cover the bottom of the dish with rather
small pieces of beef. On the beef, place a thin layer of chopped
parsley and mushrooms, seasoned with pepper and salt. Over this place
the pigeons, between each putting the yolk of a hard-boiled egg. Add
some brown sauce or gravy. Cover with puff paste and bake the pie for
an hour and a half.--_Mrs. C. C._
TO DRESS REED BIRDS.