The girl's own cookery book

It is an e.xcellent plan to have some finely-sifted bread raspings at hand, and to sprinkle a pinch over the place where the knife was stuck in, and any other weak parts there may be, at the last moment, when the fish is dished ready for the table, just as artists give one or two finishing touches to their pictures after they are hung on the walls of the Academy. A little while ago I said that frying batter was an excellent coating for fish that was to be fried. This batter is made as follows ; — Frying Baiter. — Put a quarter of a pound of flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl, and mix it very smoothly with two tablespoonfuls of pure salad oil. Stir in gradually one gill of lukewarm water, and beat well and briskly. Let the batter stand for a while, then ten minutes before it is wanted stir lightly into it the whites of two eggs which have been whisked to a firm froth. Thick plaice neatly filleted is excellent when dipped in this batter and fried, or even when it is simply dried and rolled in flour and fried. When thus cooked and accompanied by Dutch sauce, plaice is, in my humble opinion, quite a superior dish. When I say this, I am quite aware that plaice is cheap fish, and that it is scorned by many people. This is because it is inexpensive, and therefore cooks will not condescend to find out which is the best way of cooking it. If only it were difficult to get, and sold at a high price, cooks would take the trouble to learn how to cook it properly, and then epicures would speak of it rapturously, and poor folks would wish they could 96 The Girl's Own Cookery Book. get it. But that is always the way. What comes to us easily we scorn, while we over-estimate that which is obtained with difficulty. There are still two or three little details which should be noted with regard to frying fish. One is, that when there are a number of fish or pieces of fish to be fried, all should be prepared before any are cooked, otherwise the cook may get into difficulties ; another is, that not many pieces of fish should be put into the hot fat at once : if they are, the fat will be cooled too much, and the fish will not brown properly, and will be greasy. The third point worth noticing is, that the fat should be taken from the fire as soon as it is done with ; it should be allowed to cool a minute or two, and then poured through a strainer into a basin, and put by for future use. It is necessary that it should cool before it is strained, otherwise it will spoil the strainer. The fat should be strained each time it is used, because little pieces of crumb or batter are sure to fall into it, and if these are not taken out they will burn and discolour the fat. You will remember that we have to preserve our fat and use it again and again, never throwing it out, though adding to it occasionally. To do this we must be careful of it all the way through, not by fits and starts, but constantly. I once knew a very clever cook who said that she had used the same fat for more than a year for all sorts of things — sweets, fish, and meats — and that it was excellent all through. I should not recommend you to adopt this plan, because I think it is safer to keep the fat for frying fish and the fat for frying sweets, etc., separate, but still the thing can be done, and has been done.