Boston Cooking-School cook book

To Keep Fish. Because of its strong odor, cover fish closely, if put in refrigerator with other food. If fish is not to be used for a day or two, clean it, cut in pieces, and cook for a few minutes in oil. ' To Prepare Frozen Fish. Cook without thawing. To Clean Fish. Fish are cleaned and dressed at market as ordered, but need additional cleaning before cooking. Remove scales which have not been taken off. This is done by drawing a knife over fish, beginning at tail and working toward head, occasionally wiping knife and scales from fish. Incline knife slightly towards you, to prevent scales from flying. The largest number of scales will be found on the flank. Wipe fish thoroughly inside and out with cloth wrung out of cold water, removing any clotted blood which may be found adhering to backbone. Head and tail may or may not be removed, according to size of fish and manner of cooking. Small fish are often served with head and tail left on. Whether fish is dressed at home or at market, head, tail, and bones should be retained to make Fish Stock (p. 160). To Skin Fish. With sharp knife remove fins along the back and cut off a narrow strip of skin the entire length of back. Loosen skin on one side from bony part of gills. If fish is fresh, skin may be readily drawn off. If flesh is soft, work slowly and carefully, following close to skin-with knife, to tear the flesh as little as possible. After removing skin from one side, turn fish and skin the other side. To Bone Fish. Clean and skin before boning. Beginning at the tail, run a sharp knife under flesh close to backbone, and with knife follow bone (making as clean a cut as possible) its entire length, thus removing half the flesh; turn and remove flesh from other side. Pick out with fingers any small bones that may remain. Cod, haddock, halibut, and whitefish are easily and frequently boned; flounders and smelts occasionally. To Fillet Fish. Clean, skin, and bone. A piece of fish, large or small, freed from skin and bones, is known as a fillet. Haddock and similar fish are filleted, wrapped in wax paper, and sold fresh, or packed in ice or frozen. When very quickly frozen they are shipped long distances, arriving in as good condition as though freshly caught. Halibut, cut in 34-inch slices, is often cut in fillets, and fillets are frequently rolled. When flounder is cut in fillets, it is served under the name of fillet of sole. Sole found in English waters is much esteemed, and flounder is our nearest approach to it. BAKED FILLETS OF FISH Cut fish in pieces for serving and let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Dip in well-salted milk (1 tablespoon salt to each cup) and then in finely sifted bread crumbs. Place in oiled or buttered baking pan or oven-proof platter, sprinkle with oil or melted butter (about 1 tablespoon to each pound of fish) and brown quickly (10 to 20 minutes) in very hot oven (550° F.). Use no water in pan. Serve with melted butter, Maitre d'Hotel Butter (p. 204), or Lemon Butter (p. 203), etc. Bass Flounder Mackerel Pompano Trout Bluefish Hake Perch Red Snapper Tuna Cod Haddock Pickerel Salmon Weakfish Eels Halibut Pike Sole (see Flounder) _ etc. [illustration: Fish] BAKED WHOLE FISH (Small) (Fresh Sardines, Smelts, Brook Trout, etc.) For fish weighing a pound or less, clean, remove heads and tails, and cook like Baked Fillets of Fish. They may be seasoned, wrapped in buttered paper or parchment paper and baked. BAKED STUFFED FISH (Bass, Bluefish, Cod, Haddock, etc.)