FoodNetArchive

Farm and home cook book and housekeeper's assistant

1907

Page 93 · 1 recipe record on this page

Presented as published in 1907. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
To smoke fish first clean them as directed above, pack them away in salt, and let them remain there about 4 8 hours, after which wipe dry, string 2 halves on a cord, so that they can be hung over a stick, and smoke in barrel or box, if you have no smoke house (directions how to make a barrel or box smoker are printed in the department of recipes for butcher- ing time), and smoke about 2 or 3 days. — [Mrs. C. B., Minn. To Remove Skin and Bones from Fish To remove skin cut off the fins along the back, and then a strip of skin less than % inch wide down the full length of the back. Dip the fingers in salt, then loosen skin below the head and draw it off from one side by pulling gently with one hand and pushing with the back of a silver knife held in the other hand. To bone a fish begin at the tail on one side. Slip the knife in between the skin and the bone and carefully cleave the flesh from the bone its entire length. — [J. H. General Ways of Cooking Fish Pish may be boiled, baked, broiled, or fried. Red-blooded fish, as salmon, bluefish and mackerel, in which the fat is distributed throughout the fish, is better boiled, not fried in fat, but white-blooded fish, as cod, haddock, and halibut, in which the fat is concentrated in the liver, may be fried or baked. Salmon, which contains a large proportion of fat, is best cooked in boiling water. When the white-blooded varie- ties are cooked in w^ater they should be served with sauces, and when baked they should be basted often or they will be dry and tasteless. All fish should be thoroughly cooked, but HOW TO FRESHEN SALTED PISH 145 if cooked too long fish loses it flavor. When boiling fish put it on in warm water, and add 1 teasp salt and 1 tablesp vinegar or lemon juice to each 2 qts water. If the fish were put on in cold water the juices would be extracted, and putting it on. in boiling water causes the skin to contract and crack. Fish, that, when dressed, presents a flat surface, particularly those varieties in which oil is distributed throughout the flesh, as shad, bluefish and mackerel, are very nice broiled over a clear hot fire, but not too hot, or they will become hard and indigestible. Before broiling rub well with butter or oil. Fish may be baked whole or in large thick slices, and white-blooded fish should be basted frequently. Shad, halibut, salmon, bluefish, white fish and bass are very nice when baked. Baked fish is nice stuffed with any preferred dressing, but npt too full. Cut gashes in the upper side of the fish and insert strips of salt pork. Small fish are most suitable for frying. After cleaning, washing and drying, season with salt and pepper, roll in flour, then in beaten egg, and then in bread or cracker crumbs. See that every part of the fish is well covered with the egg and crumbs dressing, which forms a fat-proof cover- ing. The fat should be smoking hot and kept hot until the fish is done. After removing from the frying pan lay the fish on several layers of salted paper, to absorb the fat. — [J. H, To Freshen Salted Fish To Freshen Salted Fish