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1881

Page 71 · 5 recipe records 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.
Cut the pork into dice, and fry to a light brown. Add the onions, and brown them also. Pour the remaining fat into a large saucepan, or butter it, as preferred. Put in a layer of potatoes, a little onion and pork, and a layer of the fish cut in small pieces, salting and peppering each layer. A tablespoonful of salt and one teaspoonful of pepper will be a mild seasoning. A pinch of cayenne may be added, if liked. Barely cover with boiling water, and boil for half an hour. In the meantime boil a pint of milk, and, when at boiling-point, break into it three ship biscuit or half a dozen large crackersFish Chowder ; add a heaping tablespoonful of butter. Put the chowder in a platter, and pile the softened crackers on top, pouring the milk over all. Or the milk may be poured directly into the chowder ; the crackers laid in, and softened in the steam ; and the whole served in a tureen. Three or four tomatoes are sometimes added. In clam chowder the same rule would be followed, substituting one hundred clams for the fish, and using a small can of tomatoes if fresh ones were not in season. FISH. 141 Stewed Oysters. The rule already given for oyster soup is an excellent one, omitting the thickening. A simpler one is to strain the juice from a quart of oysters, and add an equal amount of water. Bring it to boiling-point ; skim care- fully ; season with salt to taste, this depending on the saltness of the oysters, half a teaspoonful being probably enough. Add a saltspoonful of pepper, a tablespoonful of butter, and a cup of milk. The milk may be omitted, if preferred. Add the oysters. Boil till the edges curl, and no longer. Serve at once, as they toughen by standing. Fried Oysters. Choose large oysters, and drain thoroughly in a colan- der. Dry in a towel. Dip first in sifted cracker- crumbs ; then in egg, one egg beaten with a large spoonful of cold water, half a teaspoonful of saltStewed Oysters, and a saltspoonful of pepper, being enough for two dozen oysters. Roll again in crumbs, and drop into boiling lard. If a wire frying-basket is used, lay them in this. Fry to a light brown. Lay them on brown paper a moment to drain, and serve at once on a hot platter. As they require hardly more than a minute to cook, it is better to wait till all are at the table before beginning to fry. Oysters are very good, merely fried in a little hot butter ; but the first method preserves their fiavor best. Scalloped Oysters. One quart of oysters ; one large breakfast cup of cracker or bread crumbs, the crackers being nicer if freshly toasted and rolled hot ; two large spoonfuls of butter ; one teaspoonful of salt ; half a teaspoonful 142 FISH. of pepper ; one saltspoonful of mace. Mix the salt, pepper, and mace together. Butter a pudding-dish ; heat the juice with the seasoning and butter, adding a teacup of milk or creamScalloped Oysters if it can be had, though water will an- swer. Put alternate layers of crumbs and oysters, filling the dish in this way. Pour the juice over, and bake in a quick oven twenty minutes. If not well browned, heat a shovel red-hot, and brown the top with that ; longer baking toughening the oysters.