Blue Ribbon cook book

To Bone a Fish—Fish, like herring and shad, abounding in fine bones, are not boned; but whitefish, mackerel, cod, etc., can be boned as follows: clean, skin and spread it out flat on a board; then begin at the tail and run a sharp, thin knife under the flesh, close to the bone, and loosen the backbone with the forefinger. Take pains not to break the flakes; and when the flesh on one side is loosened, slip the knife under the bone on the other. When all the bone is loosened, pull it from the flesh. Any small bones remaining in the flesh can be felt and removed with the fingers. The earthy or muddy taste which taints some kinds of fresh water fish, can be removed by rubbing on salt and letting them stand a few hours. Hints—If fish are dipped in hot water for a minute they will scale much easier. To remove scales there is no instrument equal to a currycomb—it is every way superior to a knife. The scales and entrails should be removed, and also the blood and white skin along the backbone, as soon as possible after the fish is caught; then rinse, wipe dry, and keep near ice. Keep the eggs, or fish roe, and cook it with the fish. Baked Fish—Select medium-sized fish, as white-fish, to bake whole. Remove the eyes and leave the head and tail on. Clean the fish, bone, dry, and rub with salt; fill the cavity with dressing, allowing room for the dressing to swell slightly. Sew up the fish, using strong thread; skewer and tie in the shape of the letter S if fish is large. Season and dredge with flour and spread with butter or bacon fat or slices of fat pork, and place in a greased rack in the baking pan, If the fish is very dry put thin strips of salt pork on. Baste every 10 minutes, When the fish is brown, and the flesh may be pierced without the juice running out, remove the strings and skewers, garnish with lemon and parsley, and serve plain or with sauce. 28 Blue Ribbon Cook Book If a fish-sheet or rack is not at hand, place strips of cotton cloth under the fish, by which it may be lifted from pan. Dressing for Baked Fish—Take 1 cup bread crumbs, 14 teaspoon salt, lg teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon Blue Ribbon parsley, 4 tablespoons melted butter. This makes a dressing for a fish weighing 4 to 6 pounds. Dressing No. 2—Take bread crumbs, 1 well-beaten egg, 4 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon Blue Ribbon parsley, 2 tablespoons minced onion, a little pepper and salt. Stuff the fish, sew or tie up, and bake. 1 teaspoon chopped pickles may be added. Baked Smelts—Wash and dry them with a cloth; arrange them in a buttered flat baking dish; cover them with a layer of fresh bread crumbs, first sprinkling the fish with a little salt and Blue Ribbon white pepper; place bits of butter over the bread crumbs and bake until brown. Send to the table in the dish in which they were baked. Squeeze the juice of a lemon over them just before sending to the table. To Fry Fish—Clean fish, and wipe as dry as possible. Sprinkle with salt, dip in flour or crumbs, egg and crumbs, and fry in deep fat. To Saute a Fish—Prepare as for frying, and cook in frying pan with small amount of fat; or, if preferred, dip in granulated corn meal. Broiled Fish— Medium-sized fish may be split and broiled. Large fish may be sliced and broiled, as salmon, chicken halibut. Small fish may be opened out flat, or left in natural position to broil. Grease broiler, lay in the fish, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and if not oily rub with melted fat. Broil flesh side of split fish, then broil other side until skin is crisp. Broil small fish from 5 to 10 minutes, large fish from 15 to 20 minutes. Spread with Maitre d’Hotel sauce. Garnish with slices of lemon and parsley.