Council cook book

The old and true saying is: "Small fish should swim twice — once in water and once in oil." Smelts, trout, whitebait, and perch are, perhaps, more palatable fried than broiled. Small fish may be stripped — that is, the intestines may be pushed out under the gills, so that the fish may retain their shape. Wash and dry, then dust with salt and pepper, dip in egg and roll in bread crumbs, or they may be rolled in cornmeal. Have ready a good-sized pan with sufficient oil to cover. Put the fish in a frying basket, then into the hot oil and cook five minutes. Drain on brown paper and serve. Where a small quantity/ of fat is used, and the fish cooked on one side and then turned and cooked on the other, the method is really not frying — it is sauteing; the result is much more indigestible than real frying. Lemon Fish. Boil three tablespoons of vinegar, one sliced onion, one laurel leaf, six whole peppers, salt, some celery, and a little water, then add sliced fish. When fish has boiled twenty minutes, remove and arrange it on platter. Strain the fish gravy and add to it the beaten yolks of three eggs, juice of two lemons, sugar to taste, and twelve grated almonds. Let all [illustration: Glores Cluned advertisement] come to a boil, then pour over the fish, sprinkle finely chopped parsley on top, and garnish with sliced lemons. Fresh Cod or Striped Bass, Cut into pieces ready to serve, after which salt them for an hour. Into the fish kettle put a quantity of water, large onion sliced, carrot also sliced, turnip, celery root, and boil fifteen minutes. Add the fish and large piece of butter, tiny piece of cinnamon, pepper to taste. Boil fifteen minutes longer, then add teaspoon flour mixed with cold water. Boil up well and add salt or pepper if needed. Remove fish and arrange on platter. Beat yolks of three eggs with a tablespoon cold water; after straining out vegetables, add the hot gravy in which fish was boiled. Return to fire and stir till thick enough. Garnish with chopped parsley. Salmon Trout With Capers. Put fish on to boil in a little water with celery, onion, carrot, and sliced lemon. After vegetables are cooked, take them out and add little brown sugar and dash of vinegar, chopped almonds, and capers. Thicken with one-half teaspoon corn starch. Take out fish, beat up two eggs, and pour sauce into the eggs, stirring well to prevent curdling. If the sauce be not thick enough, return it to the kettle for a few minutes. Pour over fish and serve. Sweet and Sour Fish. Place the fish in strong salt water for one hour before cooking. Take three parts of water and one [illustration: Walter Baker's Chocolates advertisement] of vinegar, put in saucepan with some sliced onions and some raisins, and let boil until tender. Add brown sugar to taste, a piece of rye bread from which the crust has been removed, and sorne molasses. Boil the sauce, then place the fish in and let all cook twenty minutes. When done, arrange on platter with sliced lemon and chopped parsley. Pompano a la Meuniere. Grease waxed papers that are a little larger than the fish. Place a fish on each piece, season with salt and little pepper, cover with chopped parsley and a slice of lemon. Fold paper closely; fasten with toothpick if necessary. Lay them in a buttered pan and bake fifteen to twenty minutes. Serve in the papers. Sandabs may be prepared in the same manner. Sole a la Normande.