Fish cookery

and, since the same methods of preparing, cooking and serving apply generally to all sea and freshwater fish, it will be simplest to discuss these two first and to leave shell fish for separate consideration later. This section of the book will therefore deal only with sea and freshwater fish. Of the three groups, sea fish is by far the most important as a source of food. It includes many different kinds of fish with a very wide range of natural characteristics. These offer much scope for differences in processing (smoking, salting, etc.) before they reach the consumer, and still greater scope afterwards in the kitchen. In the following list, the most important and popular varieties of edible fish are arranged alphabetically under the main groups: (1) sea fish, (2) freshwater fish. The list also shows the season when each variety is in its best condition, though, of course, all kinds of sea fish can be eaten the whole year round. Sea Fish Bream (sea) June to November Mackerel April to November Brill All the year Mullet, grey August to April Cod September to May Mullet, red May to July Coal Fish (Coley) September to May Plaice May to January Conger Eel June to March Skate October to May Flounder January, to March Smelt September to March Gurnet July to March Sole March to January Haddock (fresh) May to January Sprat November to February Hake July to January Turbot March to December Halibut July to April Whitebait March to July Herring June to February Whiting December to March John Dory January to March Witch Sole August to March Lemon Sole December to April Freshwater Fish Freshwater fish must not be caught or sold from March 14th to June 16th except where there is a special bye-law. This allows the stock to be conserved during the breeding season. Freshwater fish are defined by regulation as “‘ any fish living in fresh water, exclusive of salmon, trout and any kinds of fish which migrate to and from tidal waters.” The common varieties under the above definition are :— . Barbel Eel Pike Bleak Grayling Rainbow Trout Bream (freshwater) Gudgeon Roach Carp Loach Rudd Chub Minnow Tench Dace Perch Page 5 Fresh Salmon—Home caught. Where there is no special bye-law, the close season (é.e., season when the fish must not be sold) is between August 31st and February 1st Pollan Fresh Salmon—Impotted. ~ No close season. Fresh Grilse (young salmon). Close season as for salmon. In its prime June and July. Fresh Trout (including char, but excluding rainbow trout, which is listed under Freshwater Fish). Home caught. Where there is no special bye-law the close season for trout is between September 30th and March 1st following. Fresh Trout—Impotted. No close season. How to Select Fish Everybody who has been lucky enough to eat freshly caught fish knows the difference in flavour between this and the same kind of fish sometimes sold in shops far from the coast. Methods of keeping fish fresh during transit are now being improved. The housewife can do much to encourage improvements in fish distribution and marketing by choosing wisely and refusing to buy stale fish. The following features are important to look for when choosing fish :— 1, Eyes should be bright and full, not dull and sunken. Gills should be red. There should be no disagreeable odour. Flesh should be firm, not flabby. The tail should not droop. When selecting steaks and fillets avoid any which look watery or fibrous. Oe Ney ger eee When selecting flat fish, look at the dark side, for this shows staleness first. Thus the spots on a fresh plaice are brightly coloured, but as it grows stale they turn brownish and dull. 7. A fresh herring has bright silver scales and fins ; a fresh mackerel is even mote brightly coloured. Both fish lose their bright colouring when stale, N.B. For hints on buying shell fish see page 15.