The complete cook book

When a fish for broiling has been thoroughly cleaned and the fins cut off, rub it over well with soft butter (except the oily ones — salmon, blue fish and mackerel), and season with pepper and salt. The broiler must be a double one, that the fish may be handled as little as possible, and it must be greased with salt pork rind to prevent sticking. The best heat for broiling is wood coals or charcoals; but very satisfactory results may be had from hard-coal coals (if clean) or even gas. Lay the fish on the broiler flesh side down, and broil to a golden brown, holding the broiler up from the coals if the fish is thick and so needing slow broiling. When the meat side is done, brown the skin side. Sometimes the fish is so thick that it browns before cooking through, in which case slide it carefully onto a sheet of tin, which article is a necessity in a fish-cooking outfit, place in the bottom of a dripping pan, and continue the cooking in the oven. When done, slide from the broiler or sheet on to a hot platter, spread with maitre d'hotel butter (butter, salt and pepper blended with lemon juice), and serve, garnished with lemon slices. A border of watercress makes a pretty garnish. Of course, a fish sauce may be used, if preferred, such as tartare, hot maitre d'hotel, tomato, piquant, curry, etc., but a delicate broiled fish no more requires a sauce than does a choice broiled steak. TO BOIL FISH. In being boiled a fish loses more of its flavor than in any method of cooking, but for that very reason it admits of many culinary possibilities, by combination with a variety of rich sauces. A fish kettle is a great convenience, and may be used for many things — as boiling hams, legs of mutton, for heating jars in fruit preserving, etc. — ^hence is not an extravagance; but fish may be successfully boiled in a proper sized granite or porcelain-lined kettle. Many cooks sew fish in cheese cloth or thin muslin, that they may not be broken in the boiling or handling, but the writer never finds such precaution necessary, depending solely upon careful handling. When the fish is put in, the water or (court 52 The Complete Cook Book. bouillon) should be scalding hot, but not boiling, and it should never boil violently, but gently and evenly. If water is used, add a teaspoonful of salt and a tablespoonful of lemon juice (or vinegar) for each pint. Since court bouillon gives better results, why not use it instead of plain water, if one boils fish at all? The proper way to make court bouillon is as follows : Add to three quarts of water one onion, one stalk of celery, two slices of carrot, two tablespoonfuls of salt, a dozen peppercorns, six cloves, a large bay leaf, three-quarters of a cupful of vinegar, and a bouquet of sweet herbs tied in a piece of cheese cloth. Boil, covered, for half an hour before putting in the fish, A five-pound fish should cook in half an hour. Shrimp, oyster and lobster sauces are much used for boiled fish, and a rich drawn butter, made with court bouillon (or milk and cream instead of water,) with chopped hard-boiled eggs, is also a favorite; but any preferred sauce may be used, even to the plainest. When a sauce is poured over boiled fish it should be thick enough to cling to it — and appears very appetitizing, if rich and with chopped eggs, capers, bits of pickle, shrimp or lobster coral through it. But ordinarily boiled fish is served on a napkin, with a garnish of lemon slices and parsley. Fried oysters make an appetizing border and fine accompanying flavor. Serve mashed, Parisienne, French fried or plain boiled potatoes with boiled fish.