Middle class cookery book

into a pan or fish kettle with cold water, of which there should be sufficient to cover it completely. Salt, in the proportion of 1 oz. of salt to each quart of water, is added, and for flat fish, such as brill, a little vinegar; this makes the flesh firmer. Fish must never be allowed to boil fast ; it must be boiled gently, or it is liable to break. The scum, which rises to the surface of the water while the fish is cooking, should be carefully removed. When done, the flesh separates easily from the bone. Allow eight or ten minutes to the pound after the water begins to boil, and if the fish is thick, ten minutes over. As soon as the fish is sufficiently cooked, it should be taken from the water and placed on a drainer. It should never be allowed to remain in the water after it is done, but if not wanted immediately, should be kept hot by covering it with a cloth and placing it on a dish over hot water. Slices of fish must be rubbed with salt and put into boiling water, then allowed to simmer gently. To Fry Fish Clean and dry the fish well. Break an egg on to a plate, beat it slightly, dip the fish into this, put some bread crumbs (see “Bread Crumbs,” p. 133) on a sheet of kitchen paper, and toss the egged fish in them, shake off the loose crumbs, and fry the fish (see “General Directions for Frying,” p. 39) in very hot clarified fat, a golden brown colour. To Bake Fish Haddock, mackerel, small codfish, etc., well cleaned, are filled with veal stuffing or other forcemeat, then sewn up with a large needle and fine string, put in a baking tin with butter or dripping, and baked iu the oven. CHAP. Ill FISH 01 Filleted Sole Skin the sole by making an incision at the tail, passing the finger between the skin and the fish along the fin. Divide the sole into four fillets. Cut the fish from the bone as neatly as possible. Flatten the fillets with a knife dipped in cold water, and cut the fins off with a pair of scissors. Roll the fillets over the fingers with the side that was next the bone out- wards. Place the fillets in a buttered baking tin, squeeze lemon juice over them, add salt, cover with buttered paper, and bake in the oven for ten minutes ; serve with parsley and butter sauce poured over them. These fillets can be filled with shrimp panada. Mackerel a l’Envers 1 Mackerel 2 Tablespoonfuls Bread Crumbs J Teaspoonful Powdered Herbs 1 Small Sprig of Parsley Small Piece Onion Nutmeg, Pepper, Salt, Cayenne Cut off the head of the mackerel, and clean the fish without cutting the front. Split the fish up the back, and take out the backbone. Put the roe aside. Wash the mackerel in cold water, removing the black skin inside by rubbing it with salt. Dry the fish thoroughly, and lay it in a buttered tin with the skin side down- ward. Chop a small sprig of parsley very fine, powder the sweet herbs, mince the onion, and mix with the bread crumbs, together with a quarter of a saltspoon- ful of pepper, the same of salt, and a little cayenne and grated nutmeg. Spread the mixture on the mackerel, sprinkle some brown bread crumbs over (see “ Cliape- lure,” p. 133), put small pieces of butter on the crumbs, and bake in a moderate oven from fifteen to twenty minutes. A few mushrooms chopped with the parsley and onions are a great improvement to the dish. Bake the roe, and serve with the fish. 62 MIDDLE CLASS COOKERY BOOK