FISH.

The Indians bleed the fish as soon as caught, because the flesh is

firmer when cooked.

The Dutch and the French bleed the cod, which accounts for the better

quality and whiteness of their cod-fish.

_To select._--To be good, fish must be fresh. It is fresh when the eyes

are clear, the fins stiff, the gills red, hard to open, and without bad

odor.

_To clean and prepare for boiling._--The sooner fish is cleaned the

better. Cut the belly open, take the inside out, wash well and wipe dry

immediately with a clean towel, inside and out. Place the eggs or soft

roes inside, and tie with twine. It is then ready to be boiled.

If not cooked as soon as cleaned and prepared, keep it on ice.

_To clean and prepare for baking, frying, roasting, and to cut in

pieces, etc._--Scale the fish well, holding it by the head or tail; cut

the belly open and take the inside out; trim off the fins, gills, and

tail; wash well inside and out, and wipe dry immediately.

Keep it on ice if not used immediately.

_Same Family, or Kind._--We give only one receipt for all the fishes of

the same family, or having the same kind of flesh, as they are cooked

alike, and require the same spices.

Almost every kind of fish is boiled, broiled, fried, or stewed. Some are

better boiled than broiled, others better fried than stewed, etc. With

few exceptions, any eatable fish may be cooked in these four ways. Few

are roasted.

_To know when cooked enough._--It is very difficult, if not entirely

impossible, to tell how long it takes to cook fish, as it depends as

much on the size, kind, or quality of the fish as on the fire; but as

soon as the flesh comes off the bones easily, the fish is cooked; this

is very easy to be ascertained with a knife.

_To improve._--Clean the fish as for baking, etc., and lay it in a

crockery vessel with the following seasonings under and upon it: parsley

and onions chopped fine, salt, pepper, thyme, bay-leaves, and vinegar or

oil; turn it over occasionally, and leave thus for two or three hours.

_To bone._--Slit the fish on one side of the backbone and fins, from

head to tail; then run the knife between the bones and the flesh so as

to detach the whole side from the rest; do the same for the other side.

For a flounder, or any other flat fish, slit right in the middle of both

sides of the fish so as to make four instead of two pieces.

The head, bones, and fins are not used at all, and are left in one

piece.

_To serve, when boiled._--The fish is placed on a napkin and on a dish

or platter, surrounded with parsley, and the sauce served in a saucer.

_To skin._--Take hold of the piece of fish by the smaller end, and with

the thumb and forefinger of the left hand; run the knife between the

flesh and skin, moving the knife to and fro as if you were sawing.

Throw away the skin, and the fish is ready for cooking.

If the skin were breaking, as it happens sometimes, take hold of it

again, and proceed as before.

_To decorate._--Fish may be decorated with jelly, but it is easier and

more sightly with craw-fish. The skewers are stuck in the fish as they

are in a _fillet of beef_.

The craw-fish when boiled are red like the lobster, and, besides using

them with skewers, some may be placed all around the fish; it is

delicate eating as well as sightly. Skewers are never used with fish in

_vinaigrette_, or when the fish is cut in pieces. The craw-fish has only

to be boiled before using it for decorating fish.

_Shrimps_ and _prawns_ are used the same as craw-fish.

_Oysters_ are also used, raw or blanched; run the skewer through a large

oyster or craw-fish, then through a slice of truffle; again through an

oyster, truffle, etc.; through two, three, or more of each, according to

the size of the skewer or of the fish.

[Illustration]

_Fish-kettle._--A fish-kettle must have a double bottom. It is more

handy to take the fish off without breaking it, and there is no danger

of having it spoiled while cooking. Fish-kettles are found in every

house-furnishing store.

_Baked._--Clean and prepare the fish, as directed for baking; put it in

a baking-pan with salt, pepper, and butter spread all over it; just

cover the bottom of the pan with water or broth; place a piece of

buttered paper over it and bake. Baste two or three times; take off when

done, and serve warm with a sauce.

While the fish is baking you prepare the sauce, put it in a boat, and

serve warm with the fish.

A baked fish may be served with its gravy only, adding a few drops of

lemon-juice or vinegar, or with any kind of sauce, according to taste.

_Balls._--Fish-balls are often called _fish-cakes_ or _fish-croquettes_.

They are generally made with cold fish, but it may be cooked especially

to make balls.

Fish, full of bones, like shad, is not fit to make balls; cod is the

easiest.

Commence by chopping the flesh very fine, then chop fine also a small

piece of onion and fry it with butter (half a middling-sized onion with

two ounces of butter are enough for half a pound of fish); when fried

stir in it a tablespoonful of flour, and about half a minute after turn

the fish in with about a gill of broth or water, salt, pepper, and a

pinch of nutmeg; stir till it turns rather thick, which will take two or

three minutes; take from the fire, mix two yolks of eggs with it; put

back on the fire for about one minute, stirring the while; then add two

or three mushrooms or one truffle, or both, chopped fine. Turn the

mixture into a dish, spread it, and put it away to cool for two or three

hours, or over night.

Before cooking, mix the whole well, the upper part being more dry than

that which is under; put it in parts on the paste-board, roll each part

to the shape you wish, either round, oval, or flat; the paste-board must

be dusted with bread-crumbs or flour to help in handling the mixture,

then boil or fry, according to taste.

It may also be baked in cakes.

When fried, they may be dipped in beaten egg, rolled in bread-crumbs,

and then fried in hot fat. (_See_ Frying.)

_Boiled._--Clean and prepare the fish as directed, and put it in a

fish-kettle; cover it with cold water (sea-water is the best); add the

following seasonings to a pound of fish: two stalks of parsley, one of

tarragon if handy, one tablespoonful of vinegar, and half a

middling-sized onion sliced; salt if boiled in fresh water. Set on the

fire, and, for a fish weighing two pounds or under, take off at the

first boiling--it is done enough. For a fish weighing five pounds, boil

five minutes, etc., that is, about one minute for each pound. If it were

a thick slice of fish instead of a whole one, weighing two or three

pounds, it should be boiled two or three minutes longer, etc., according

to thickness.

_Broiled._--Slit the fish on the back and clean it; salt and pepper it;

have a little melted butter and spread it all over the fish, on both

sides, with a brush, and broil it. (_See_ Broiling.)

While the fish is broiling, prepare a _maitre d'hotel_ sauce, spread it

on the fish as soon as dished, and serve.

It may also be served with anchovy butter.

_Fried._--Any small fish of the size of a smelt, or smaller, is better

fried than prepared in any other way.

Clean and prepare the fish as directed, wipe it dry. Dip it in milk,

place in a colander for five minutes, then roll in flour, and fry. It

may also be fried just rolled in flour.

_Another way._--When wiped dry, dip in beaten egg, roll in bread-crumbs,

and fry.

_Another._--When wiped dry, dip the fish in butter, and fry. Then the

fish is dropped in hot fat (_see_ Frying), turned into a colander,

salted, and served hot, with fried parsley around or in the middle,

according to how the fish is arranged in the dish.

Fry the following as above: _carp_, _tench_, _frost_, _bass_, _perch_,

_black and blue fish_, _gold_, _loach_, _mullet_, _porgy_, _weak_,

_flounder_, _pike_, _pickerel_, _smelt_, _sun_, _herring_, and

_white-fish of the lakes_.

_A la Orly._--If it is small fish, like the smelt, it is prepared whole;

if the fish is larger, it must be boned and skinned, and cut in pieces

about two inches long. Roll the fish, or pieces of fish, slightly in

flour; dip it in beaten egg, and roll it again in bread-crumbs; then fry

it in hot fat as above.

When fried, serve it with a tomato-sauce.

The fish may be served on a napkin in a dish, and the sauce in a boat or

saucer.

_Roasted._--The following fishes only are roasted: _eel_, _salmon_,

_shad_, _pike_, _turbot_.

Clean and prepare as directed, and then tie with twine. Spread salt,

pepper, and melted butter (with a brush) all over the fish, and then

envelop it in buttered paper; set on the spit and roast. Baste with a

little melted butter, and remove the paper about five minutes before it

is done.

When on the dish the twine is cut off and removed, and it is served as

hot as possible with the following sauces, to which tarragon is added in

making them, if handy: _caper_, _Hollandaise_, _Mayonnaise_, _piquante_,

_poivrade_, and _remolade_. A roast fish is served after roast meat.

_Another way._--Clean, and cut in slices half an inch thick, or leave

entire, as it suits you; skin it well; lay it in a crockery vessel,

spread over it some chopped parsley, grated nutmeg, salt, pepper, and

two gills of white wine (this is for about three pounds), leave thus

two hours; then take the fish only, envelop it in buttered paper, fix it

on the spit before a good fire, baste with the wine and seasonings from

the crockery dish, and when nearly done take the paper off; finish the

cooking, basting the while, and serve with the drippings, to which you

may add a little vinegar, sweet-oil, and mustard.

If there is any left, you can serve it cold the next day with an

oil-sauce.

_Saute._--Scale, clean, and prepare the fish as directed. For one pound

of fish put about one ounce of butter in a frying-pan on the fire, and

when melted put the fish in; fry it on both sides, and serve it with a

_maitre d'hotel_.

_Stewed._--Clean and prepare as directed three pounds of fish, cut it in

pieces about two inches long. Put in a fish-kettle four ounces of

butter, kneaded with a teaspoonful of flour, and the same of chopped

parsley, add two or three mushrooms cut in pieces, salt and pepper, then

the fish and a glass of claret wine, or a wine-glass of vinegar; cover

with water, set on a good fire, boil gently till cooked; dish the pieces

of fish, strain the sauce on them, spread the pieces of mushrooms over,

and serve.

_Stuffed._--When cleansed, cut out the backbone from the head to within

two inches of the tail, and fill its place with the following mixture:

soak stale bread in cold water and then squeeze the water out; put one

ounce of butter into a saucepan and set it on the fire; as soon as

melted, fry in it one middle-sized onion, chopped fine; then add the

bread; stir for two minutes, add also salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg,

two or three tablespoonfuls of broth; stir again two or three minutes;

take the pan from the fire, add a yolk of egg, put back on the fire for

half a minute, stirring the while, take off again, add a teaspoonful of

chopped parsley, and use. When full, tie the fish with twine; place it

in a baking-pan, salt and pepper it; spread a little butter on it also;

cover the bottom of the pan with cold water, bake and serve with its

gravy.

If there is not gravy enough, or if it has dried away, add a little

broth a few minutes before taking from the oven.

_Fish au Gratin._--Bone and skin the fish as directed. For a fish

weighing about two pounds, spread one ounce of butter on a tin plate or

baking-pan, spread over it half an onion, chopped; place the pieces of

fish on them; add salt, pepper, a tablespoonful of vinegar or a

wine-glass of white wine, and half an ounce of butter; spread over and

bake.

While it is baking, put in a small saucepan one ounce of butter, and set

it on the fire; when melted, add half a tablespoonful of flour, stir,

and, when it is turning yellow, add also about one gill of broth, two

tablespoonfuls of meat-gravy, the juice of the fish when baked (if the

fish be not done when the time comes to put the juice in the pan, keep

the pan in a warm place, and wait), salt, and pepper; boil gently about

five minutes, stirring occasionally. Place the fish in a tin or silver

dish, spread three or four mushrooms sliced over it; turn the sauce

gently over the whole, dust with bread-crumbs; put half an ounce of

butter, in four or five pieces, on the whole; bake ten or twelve

minutes, and serve in the dish in which it is.

_In Matelote._--Every kind of fish is good in _matelote_, but the

following are the best: _bass_, _black-fish_, _blue-fish_, _carp_,

_eel_, _perch_, _pickerel_, _pike_, _porgy_, _tench_, _trout_, and

_craw-fish_.

A _matelote_ may be made of eels alone, but it is better with eels and

one, two, or three other kinds of fish.

Eels tasting of mud are not good. There is a sure way of taking away the

muddy taste, but it is a rather expensive one. Boil them a few minutes

in claret wine and a little salt, before using them.

Clean, and prepare as directed, one pound of eels, one pound of pike,

and one pound of trout, or one pound of any of the fishes named

above--in all, three pounds. Cut the fish in pieces about two inches

long, fry it slightly with a little butter, and put it away for awhile.

Put four ounces of butter in a saucepan and set it on the fire; when

melted, add two tablespoonfuls of flour, stir, and, when the flour is

turning rather brown, add also about a quart of broth, a pint of claret,

a bunch of seasonings, composed of half a dozen stalks of parsley, two

of thyme, two bay-leaves, and two cloves, also salt, pepper, two cloves

of garlic, and six button onions; boil gently for about half an hour.

Then put the fish in with from six to twelve mushrooms, broth enough to

cover the whole, if the broth and wine already in do not cover it; boil

gently for about half an hour, or till the fish is cooked, tossing the

saucepan now and then; dish the fish; place the mushrooms and onions all

over; sprinkle the sauce over it through a strainer, and serve warm.

_Croutons_ may be served around.

_Another, or Mariniere._--Prepare and cut the fish as for the above, but

instead of frying it put it in a saucepan, into which you have put

previously about half a dozen sprigs of parsley, two of thyme, two

bay-leaves, two cloves of garlic, twelve small onions, two cloves, salt,

and pepper; when the fish is placed over the above seasonings, cover

entirely with claret wine. Set the saucepan on a sharp fire, and, as

soon as it boils, throw into it a glass of French brandy, set it on

fire, and let it burn. It will not burn very long, but enough to give a

good taste to it. As soon as it stops burning, knead four ounces of

butter with a tablespoonful of flour, and put it in the pan; toss the

pan gently now and then till done. It takes about forty minutes with a

good fire.

When done, dish the fish carefully, place the mushrooms all over it, the

onions all around, strain the sauce over the whole, and serve warm.

_Croutons_ may also be served with the rest; put around the fish one

_crouton_, then an onion, and so on, all around.

_Another._--Proceed as for the above, in every particular, except that

you cover the fish and seasonings with broth and white wine, half of

each, instead of claret. Serve in the same way.

A _matelote_ may be made three or four days in advance, and then warmed

in boiling water (_bain-marie_) just before serving it.

Many prefer a _matelote_ made four days before eating it, and prepared

in the following way: When made, put it away to cool as quickly as

possible; twenty-four hours after that, warm it in boiling water; cool,

and warm again in the same way once a day. If the sauce becomes thick,

add a little broth. Serve warm.

_Vinaigrette_.--Boil a fish as directed, take it from the kettle and let

cool; then dish it. Chop fine the yolks of two hard-boiled eggs; do the

same with the two whites; chop also a handful of parsley. Put a string

of the yolks on both sides of the fish, then along that a string of the

whites, and along these a string of the parsley; along the parsley, and

about half an inch apart, a string of capers. Cut a lemon in sixteen

slices, and in the following way: first split the lemon in two

lengthwise, then split again each half in two and lengthwise also; by

splitting four times, you have sixteen pieces, resembling somewhat the

carpels of oranges. After the first splitting, hold the piece of lemon

with the nail of the left thumb, the rind downward, and always split

lengthwise and in the middle. Place eight pieces on each side of the

dish and along the capers, and serve cold, with stalks of parsley on top

of the fish, and also two or three in its mouth.

Serve with it a vinaigrette, in a saucer or boat.

The following fishes, _bass_, _black and blue fish_, _carp_, _cat_,

_dory_, _drum_, _gar_, _gurnard_, _herring_, _king_, _lump_, _mackerel_,

_parr_, _perch_, _pickerel_, _pike_, _pilot_, _porgy_, _roach_, _rock_,

_scup_, _sucker_, _sword_, _tautog_, _tench_, _trout_, _troutlet_,

_weak_, and _weaver_, after being baked or boiled as directed, may be

served with the following sauces: _anchovy_, _caper_, _genevoise_,

_genoise_, _au gratin_, _Hollandaise_, _Italienne_, _matelote_,

_tomato_, _Tartar_, and _vinaigrette_.

It would be perfectly useless to have a receipt for each fish, since the

preparation is the same.

The same fishes are also prepared _au court bouillon_. Clean and prepare

about three pounds of fish, as directed for baking, etc. It may be one

fish or several, according to size. Place the fish in a fish-kettle,

just cover it with cold water and a gill of vinegar, or with half water

and half white wine; season with three or four sprigs of parsley, one of

thyme, a bay-leaf, one clove, one onion, half a carrot (in slices), two

cloves of garlic, salt, pepper, and a little tarragon, if handy. Set on

the fire, and boil gently till done. Dish the fish, and serve it warm

with a caper or anchovy sauce in a boat, or with currant jelly.

_The same--a la Bretonne._--Slit the fish on the back, as for broiling,

and clean it. When wiped dry, lay it in a bake-pan in which there is a

little melted butter, the inside of the fish under; place thus on a

good fire, turn over when done on one side, and, when cooked, spread

some _maitre d'hotel_ on it, and serve warm.

_The same--aux fines herbes._--Clean and prepare as for baking, etc.,

and also improve it as directed. Envelop the fish in buttered paper, and

also the seasonings in which it has been improved, except the thyme and

bay-leaves, broil it, and serve with _piquante_ sauce.

_Cod-fish_, _cusk_, _haddock_, _hake_, _halibut_, _pollack_, and

_torsk_, after being baked or boiled as directed, are served with the

following sauces:

_Anchovy_, _Bechamel_, _caper_, _cream_, _egg_, _Hollandaise_, _maitre

d'hotel_, _tomato_, _vinaigrette_.