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 crackers✪ Fish 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 salt✪ Stewed 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 cream✪ Scalloped 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.
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.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
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 crackers ; 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.
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 carefully ; 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 colander. 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 salt, 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 flavor 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
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 cream if it can be had, though water will answer. 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.
Records on this page
Salt Cod with CreamFish ChowderStewed OystersFried OystersScalloped Oysters