The picture here given shows smelts fried upon skewers.
When the fish are clean and fresh, they may be wiped with
a wet towel (for some epicures think that their delicate flavor
is injured by washing them) , and then dried upon a clean one.
The frying-kettle, partly filled with fat, should be heating ;
and a dish of beaten eggs, and another of fine crumbs sea-
soned with salt and pepper, ready near the fire. First dip
the smelts in milk, then lay them in the crumbs, covering
every part of them ; from the crumbs remove them to the
beaten egg, immersing the entire fish, and then again lay
them in the crumbs ; while they are still in the crumbs, run
FISH AND SHELLFISH {POISSON).
2IS
a sharp, thin nickel or silver skewer through the eyes or gills
of four or six, according to their size, taking care not to
brush off the crumbs ; when the fat is smoking hot, put in
one skewerful of smelts, and fry them golden brown ; when
they are done, take them up with a skimmer, lay them on
brown paper in a dripping-pan, and keep them hot on the
Fried Smelts on Skewers.
oven-door until all are fried ; arrange them on a dish with
fried parsley and lemon £is a garnish, and serve them hot.
BROILED SMELTS.
Wash the fish in cold salted water, dry them on a clean
towel ; dip them in melted butter✪ Fried Smelts on Skewers highly seasoned with salt,
pepper, and a dust of cayenne, place them between the bars
of a double wire gridiron, and broil them about eight min-
utes over a hot fire. If the fish are small, they will cook in
five minutes. Serve them on a hot dish with a sliced lemon.
Instead of dipping the smelts in melted butter, they may
be laid between very thin slices of bacon, and broiled, the
bacon being served with them.
FRIED BUTTEREISH.
After the fish have been properly cleaned, wash them in
cold salted water, dry them on a clean cloth, make several
2l6 PRACTICAL AMERICAN COOKERY.
deep cuts to the bone on each side of the fish, roll them
in Indian meal seasoned with salt and pepper, and firy them
in sufficient smoking-hot fat to prevent burning. Or, slice,
for two pounds of fish, a quarter of a pound of fat salt pork✪ Fried Butterfish,
and fry it brown ; then roll the fish in flour, pepper, and salt ;
fry them with the pork, and serve them together.
AMERICAN WHITE-BAIT.
Use any small fish about two inches long. Wash the fish,
dry them on a clean towel, put them into a sieve containing
a little flour seasoned with salt and cayenne-pepper, and
shake them about so that a little of the flour adheres to
them ; have ready over the fire a frying-kettle half full of fat,
and when it begins to smoke throw in the fish/ and let them
fry for half a minute ; then take them up with a skimmer,
and serve them at once with brown bread and butter and
lemon.
The bread should be cut very thin, buttered, and two slices
laid together ; in this form it is piled on a plate : the slices
are cut about an inch wide, and three inches long.
OLD STYLE OF FRYING WHITE-BAIT. ✪ American White-Bait
Page 123 · 5 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1885. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The picture here given shows smelts fried upon skewers. When the fish are clean and fresh, they may be wiped with a wet towel (for some epicures think that their delicate flavor is injured by washing them) , and then dried upon a clean one. The frying-kettle, partly filled with fat, should be heating ; and a dish of beaten eggs, and another of fine crumbs seasoned with salt and pepper, ready near the fire. First dip the smelts in milk, then lay them in the crumbs, covering every part of them ; from the crumbs remove them to the beaten egg, immersing the entire fish, and then again lay them in the crumbs ; while they are still in the crumbs, run
2IS
a sharp, thin nickel or silver skewer through the eyes or gills of four or six, according to their size, taking care not to brush off the crumbs ; when the fat is smoking hot, put in one skewerful of smelts, and fry them golden brown ; when they are done, take them up with a skimmer, lay them on brown paper in a dripping-pan, and keep them hot on the
Fried Smelts on Skewers.
oven-door until all are fried ; arrange them on a dish with fried parsley and lemon as a garnish, and serve them hot.
BROILED SMELTS.
Wash the fish in cold salted water, dry them on a clean towel ; dip them in melted butter highly seasoned with salt, pepper, and a dust of cayenne, place them between the bars of a double wire gridiron, and broil them about eight minutes over a hot fire. If the fish are small, they will cook in five minutes. Serve them on a hot dish with a sliced lemon. Instead of dipping the smelts in melted butter, they may be laid between very thin slices of bacon, and broiled, the bacon being served with them.
FRIED BUTTEREISH.
After the fish have been properly cleaned, wash them in cold salted water, dry them on a clean cloth, make several
deep cuts to the bone on each side of the fish, roll them in Indian meal seasoned with salt and pepper, and firy them in sufficient smoking-hot fat to prevent burning. Or, slice, for two pounds of fish, a quarter of a pound of fat salt pork, and fry it brown ; then roll the fish in flour, pepper, and salt ; fry them with the pork, and serve them together.
AMERICAN WHITE-BAIT.
Use any small fish about two inches long. Wash the fish, dry them on a clean towel, put them into a sieve containing a little flour seasoned with salt and cayenne-pepper, and shake them about so that a little of the flour adheres to them ; have ready over the fire a frying-kettle half full of fat, and when it begins to smoke throw in the fish/ and let them fry for half a minute ; then take them up with a skimmer, and serve them at once with brown bread and butter and lemon.
The bread should be cut very thin, buttered, and two slices laid together ; in this form it is piled on a plate : the slices are cut about an inch wide, and three inches long.
OLD STYLE OF FRYING WHITE-BAIT.
Records on this page
Fried Smelts on SkewersBroiled SmeltsFried ButterfishAmerican White-BaitOld Style of Frying White-Bait