Fish cookery

1, Heat the grill and grease the grid or grill rack. 2. Small whole fish should be cut across in deep gashes to allow the heat to penetrate, otherwise the outside of the fish will dry up before the inside is cooked. Season the fish well with salt and pepper. Cutlets and white fish should be basted with a little melted fat during grilling, but oily fish such as herring does not need any extra fat. 3. Grill the fish on both sides until done according to test described on page 9. The time varies from 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the size. 4, Serve at once with a suitable sauce (see page 17). Garnish with watercress, How to Fry Fish Suitable for fillets, steaks and small whole fish such as herring, sprat, whiting, dab, sole. Shallow or deep frying pan may be used. Shallow frying is better for thick slices or steaks, which require longer cooking for the heat to penetrate thoroughly, and also for herring and mackerel. Fish is improved by being coated before frying. The coating forms a crust on the outside and prevents fat from soaking through. Page 10 Td aw.) “* Ps < = eh. ai How to Coat Fish Below are five useful ways of coating fish. Whichever is used, the fish should first be thoroughly dried to make the coating stick well. 1. Dip the fish in milk or beaten egg and then in seasoned flour (1 level teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper to each ounce of flour). It is important to have the fish evenly coated with the egg or milk. A pastry brush will be found useful for this. 2. Coat the fish evenly with beaten egg and then dip it in fine breadcrumbs and pat well to make the crumbs stick. Use fine crumbs because coarse ones fall off during frying and make the fat dirty. White crumbs give a better finish than browned crumbs. Shake before frying, to remove any loose crumbs. 3. To coat in thin batter and crumbs, Ingredients required are -— 2 oz. flour Water to mix (approx. } pint) Salt and pepper Browned breadcrumbs Mix the flour and seasoning together and use enough water to mix to the consistency of thin cream. Dip the fish in the batter and then in the crumbs. Pat the crumbs well on to the fish. 4, To coat in thick batter. Ingredients required are :— 4 oz. flour 1 egg, fresh or reconstituted Salt and pepper Milk or water to mix (approx. 5 tablespoons) Mix together the flour and seasoning. Add the egg and just enough milk or water to mix to a stiff batter that will coat the back of a spoon thickly. Dip the fish in this batter and make sure it is evenly coated. If fish is first dipped in flour it helps to make the batter stick. 5. To coat herring—roll in fine or medium oatmeal seasoned with salt and pepper. How to Fry in Shallow Fat Use clean fat, free from moisture as water in fat makes it splutter badly. Heat enough fat to cover the bottom of the pan or come halfway up the food. Heat until a faint blue smoke rises. Fry the coated fish until golden brown on one side, turn carefully and brown the other side. If the fish is very thick and requires some time to cook through, lower the heat after it has browned and continue cooking until tender. The time varies from 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. When cooked, drain on absorbent paper and serve with a sauce (see pages 17-19). How to Fry Herring, Pilchards and Sprats without Fat This method is only possible with a very thick frying pan. Sprinkle the pan with salt and heat it, shaking it occasionally until very hot. Place the fish in the pan and fry until brown and crisp on both sides. Serve hot. How to Fry in Deep Fat 1. Usea deep heavy pan and sufficient fat to cover the food, but not to come more than halfway up the pan. This is essential because, when food is added to hot fat, some of the surface moisture Page 11