Cassell's dictionary of cookery

The two, however, are not to be found in every kitchen, and a cook must make the best of the materials she has at command. She can, at any rate, see that her pan is perfectly clean, and free from damp and dust. It should never be more than half -filled with fat, for fear it should rise too high in the pan, and boil over. One great secret of success in frying is, to allow the fat to attain the proper degree of heat before placing whatever is to be cooked in it. This varies, of course, according to the nature of the article. Fat is quite hot when it ceases hissing, and is still. In order to be quite certain on this point, hold a small piece of bread in the pan for five or six seconds. If, when it is taken out, it is crisp and brown, put in immediately what you wish to cook ; if the bread is burnt, the fat is too FRY ( 236 ) GAL hot ; if it is pale and soft, it is not hot enough. All iish which is to be fried requires a certain amount of preparation. After being washed and gutted, it must be well dried. To insure this, it should first be patted all over with a soft cloth, and afterwards di-edged with flour. The preparation should then be finished in one of two ways. The first is to dip the fish into an egg, which has been well beaten, for three or foui- minutes, and mixed with a teaspoonful of oil and a tea-spoonful of cold water, and then to cover it all over with bread-crumbs made from stale bread, which has been finely grated. The second is to dip it into a batter made of flour and water of the consistency of thick cream ; this batter is improved by the addition of a beaten egg, though it is very good without. For inexperienced cooks the latter plan is much the best. It is well to have at hand some light brown bread-raspings, such as are used for hams. They can be obtained at the baker's, price Id. for a bag containing about a pint, or, if it is necessary to prepare them at home, can be easily made from crusts of bread which have been kept in a slow oven till they are browned all over, and then have been rolled, pounded, and sifted, till they are as fine as possible. The baker's raspings will require this. They should then be put into a box with a closely-fitting lid, and stored in a dry place,' and they will keep any length of time. After drying, flouring, egging, and bread-crumbing the fish, sj^rinkle a few of these crumbs lightly over the toj^, and press them down with the fingers. They will insure the appearance being good ; and, if after cooking, any spot is deficient, sprinkle a few more on that place. The fat in which fish rissoles, croquettes, patties, cutlets, and all sinular articles are fried, should be sufliciently deep to cover them entirely, so that they may truly be said to be boiled in hot fat. As we should never say that we had boiled a piece of meat if we had put a spoonful of water j at the bottom of the saucepan, and placed the meat upon it, so we cannot say that we have properly fried fish, &c., if we merely place a small quantity of dripping or butter at the bottom of the frying-pan, and lay the article to be cooked on it. If the proper depth cannot bo obtained, the fat must, at any rate, be sufficiently deep to dip the fish into, and then first one side can be done, and then the other. In tiu-ning a fish, the fork should be stuck into the head.