fish is boiled whole, do not cut off either tail or head. The
tail can be skewered in the mouth if liked ; or a large fish
may be boiled in the shape of the letter S by threading a
trussing-needle, fastening a string around the head, then
passing the needle through the middle of the body, draw-
ing the string tight and fastening it around the tail.
Baked Fish.
Bass, fresh shad, blue-fish, pickerel, &c., can be cooked
in this way : —
See that the fish has been properly cleaned. Wash in
salted water, and wipe dry. For stuffing for a fish weigh-
ing from four to six pounds, take four large crackers, or
four ounces of bread-crumbs ; quarter of a pound of salt
pork ; one teaspoonful of salt, and half a teaspoonful of
pepper ; a tablespoonful of chopped parsley, or a teaspoon-
ful of thyme. Chop half the pork fine, and mix with the
crumbs and seasoning, using half a cup of hot water to
mix them, or, if preferred, a beaten egg. Put this dress-
ing into the body of the fish, which is then to be fastened
together with a skewer. Cut the remainder of the pork
in narrow strips, and lay it in gashes cut across the back
of the fish about two inches apart. Dredge thickly with
flour, using about two tablespoonfuls✪ Baked Fish. Put a tin baking-
sheet in the bottom of a pan, as without it the fish can not
be easily taken up. Lay the fish on this ; pour a cup of
boiling water into the pan, and bake in a hot oven for one
hour, basting it very often that the skin may not crack ;
and, at the end of half an hour, dredging again with flour,
repeating this every ten minutes till the fish is done. If
the water dries away, add enough to preserve the original
quantity. When the fish is done, slide it carefully from
134 FISH.
the tin sheet on to a hot platter. Set the baking-pan on
top of the stove. Mix a teaspoonful of flour with quarter
of a cup of cold water, and stir into the boiling gravy.
A tablespoonful of walnut or mushroom catchup, or of
Worcestershire sauce, may be added if liked. 8erve
very hot.
Before sending a baked fish to table, take out the
skewer. When done, it should have a handsome brown
crust. If pork is disliked, it may be omitted altogether,
and a tablespoonful of butter substituted in the stuffing.
Basting should be done as often as once in ten minutes,
else the skin will blister and crack. Where the fish is
large, it will be better to sew the body together after stuff-
ing, rather than to use a skewer. The string can be cut
and removed before serving.
If any is left, it can be warmed in the remains of the
gravy, or, if this has been used, make a gravy of one cup
of hot water, thickened with one teaspoonful of flour or
corn-starch stirred smooth first in a little cold water. Add
a tablespoonful of butter and any catchup or sauce desired.
Take all bones from the fish ; break it up in small pieces,
and stew not over five minutes in the gravy. Or it can
be mixed with an equal amount of mashed potato or bread-
crumbs, a cup of milk and an egg added, with a teaspoon-
ful of salt and a saltspoonful of pepper, and baked until
brown — about fifteen minutes — in a hot oven.
To BOIL Fish.
General directions have already been given. All fish
must boil very gently, or the outside will break before the
inside is done. In all cases salt and a little vinegar, a
Page 67 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1881. 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
fish is boiled whole, do not cut off either tail or head. The tail can be skewered in the mouth if liked ; or a large fish may be boiled in the shape of the letter S by threading a trussing-needle, fastening a string around the head, then passing the needle through the middle of the body, drawing the string tight and fastening it around the tail.
Baked Fish.
Bass, fresh shad, blue-fish, pickerel, &c., can be cooked in this way : —
See that the fish has been properly cleaned. Wash in salted water, and wipe dry. For stuffing for a fish weighing from four to six pounds, take four large crackers, or four ounces of bread-crumbs ; quarter of a pound of salt pork ; one teaspoonful of salt, and half a teaspoonful of pepper ; a tablespoonful of chopped parsley, or a teaspoonful of thyme. Chop half the pork fine, and mix with the crumbs and seasoning, using half a cup of hot water to mix them, or, if preferred, a beaten egg. Put this dressing into the body of the fish, which is then to be fastened together with a skewer. Cut the remainder of the pork in narrow strips, and lay it in gashes cut across the back of the fish about two inches apart. Dredge thickly with flour, using about two tablespoonfuls. Put a tin bakingsheet in the bottom of a pan, as without it the fish can not be easily taken up. Lay the fish on this ; pour a cup of boiling water into the pan, and bake in a hot oven for one hour, basting it very often that the skin may not crack ; and, at the end of half an hour, dredging again with flour, repeating this every ten minutes till the fish is done. If the water dries away, add enough to preserve the original quantity. When the fish is done, slide it carefully from
the tin sheet on to a hot platter. Set the baking-pan on top of the stove. Mix a teaspoonful of flour with quarter of a cup of cold water, and stir into the boiling gravy. A tablespoonful of walnut or mushroom catchup, or of Worcestershire sauce, may be added if liked. Serve very hot.
Before sending a baked fish to table, take out the skewer. When done, it should have a handsome brown crust. If pork is disliked, it may be omitted altogether, and a tablespoonful of butter substituted in the stuffing. Basting should be done as often as once in ten minutes, else the skin will blister and crack. Where the fish is large, it will be better to sew the body together after stuffing, rather than to use a skewer. The string can be cut and removed before serving.
If any is left, it can be warmed in the remains of the gravy, or, if this has been used, make a gravy of one cup of hot water, thickened with one teaspoonful of flour or corn-starch stirred smooth first in a little cold water. Add a tablespoonful of butter and any catchup or sauce desired. Take all bones from the fish ; break it up in small pieces, and stew not over five minutes in the gravy. Or it can be mixed with an equal amount of mashed potato or breadcrumbs, a cup of milk and an egg added, with a teaspoonful of salt and a saltspoonful of pepper, and baked until brown — about fifteen minutes — in a hot oven.
To BOIL Fish.
General directions have already been given. All fish
must boil very gently, or the outside will break before the
inside is done. In all cases salt and a little vinegar, a
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Baked Fish