=Directions for Preparing.=—Clean fish carefully, slit it low enough
so as not to have any blood on the backbone, but do not make too large
a cut so as to spoil look of fish; wash thoroughly in cold water.
_Great care_ must be taken not to break gall, for it would make fish
bitter. Use good dripping or lard for frying.
=To Broil Fish.=—Clean, wash, and wipe dry. Split so that when laid
flat the backbone will be in the middle, or take the backbone out.
Sprinkle with salt and lay, inside down, upon a buttered gridiron over
a clear fire until it is nicely colored, then turn. When done, put
upon a hot dish, butter plentifully, and pepper. Put a hot cover over
it and send to table.
=Boiled Bass, or other Fish.=—Put sufficient water in pot to enable
fish, if alive, to swim easily. Add ½ cup vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1
onion, 1 dozen whole black peppers, 1 blade mace. Sew up fish in piece
of clean net or muslin, fitted to shape. Heat slowly for first ½ hour;
then boil 8 minutes, at least, to pound, quite fast. Unwrap, and pour
over it cup of drawn butter, based upon the liquor in which fish was
boiled, with juice of ½ lemon stirred into it.
=Creamed Fish.=—Steam 2 pounds codfish, break in flakes, removing
bones and skin. Make 1 pint white sauce (see Meat and Fish Sauces).
Grease a baking-dish, fill with alternate layers of fish and sauce,
seasoning with salt, pepper, chopped parsley, and lemon juice or
a few drops of vinegar. Mix together 1 cup dry bread crumbs and 3
tablespoons melted butter; spread over top and brown in quick oven.
This may be varied by using tomato, bechamel, curry, or any other
sauce, or by adding grated cheese or sliced hard-boiled eggs to the
white sauce; by baking in shells or patty-pans in place of the deep
dish, or by covering with mashed potato or biscuit crust instead of
crumbs.
=Broiled Salt Mackerel.=—Freshen by soaking it overnight in water,
taking care that the skin lies uppermost. In the morning dry it
without breaking, cut off the head and tip of the tail, place it
between the bars of a buttered fish-gridiron, and broil to a light
brown; lay it on a hot dish, and dress with a little butter, pepper,
and lemon juice, vinegar, or chopped pickle.
=Broiled Halibut.=—Slices of halibut, salt, pepper, butter. Cut the
slices of fish about an inch thick, season with pepper and salt, and
lay them in melted butter ½ hour, allowing 3 tablespoons of butter to
a pound of fish, then roll them in flour, and broil about 20 minutes.
Serve very hot.
=Codfish Balls.=—Put fish in cold water, set on back of stove; when
water gets hot, pour off and put on cold again until fish is fresh
enough; then pick it up. Boil potatoes and mash them; mix fish and
potatoes together while potatoes are hot, taking ⅔ potatoes and ⅓
fish. Put in plenty of butter; make into balls and fry in plenty of
lard. Have lard hot before putting in balls.
Variation may be had by rolling each ball in beaten egg, then in dry
bread crumbs before frying.
=Fried Blue Fish, and other Kinds.=—Clean, wipe dry, inside and out.
Sprinkle with flour, and season with salt. Fry in hot butter or sweet
lard. ½ lard and ½ butter make a good mixture for frying fish. The
moment fish are done to good brown, take them from fat and drain in
hot strainer; garnish with parsley.
=Fish Chowder.=—Cut 2 or 3 slices of salt pork into dice pieces; fry
to crisp, and turn the whole into chowder-kettle. Pare 6 medium-sized
potatoes and cut them in two. Peel small onion and chop fine. Put
potatoes into kettle with part of onion. Cut fish (which should be
fresh cod or haddock) into convenient pieces, and lay over potatoes;
sprinkle over it rest of the onion. Season well with salt and pepper,
add just enough water to come to top of fish. Pour over the whole
quart can tomatoes; cover closely and allow to cook about as long as
takes to boil potatoes; then add 2 quarts milk, and let it scald up
again. Season with tomato catsup, and more salt and pepper if required.
=To Fry Brook Trout or any other Small Fish.=—Clean fish, and let them
lie few minutes wrapped singly in clean dry towel; season with pepper
and salt; roll in corn meal, fry in ⅓ butter and ⅔ lard; drain on
sieve, and serve hot.
[Illustration: (Decorative Design)]