To Bone a Fish. — Fish like herring and shad, abounding in fine
bones, are not boned, but whitefish, mackerel, cod, etc., can be boned
as follows: Clean, skin and spread it out flat on a board; then begin
at the tail, and run a sharp, thin knife under the flesh, close to the
bone, and loosen the backbone with the forefinger. Take pains not
to break the flakes, and when the flesh on one side is loosened, slip
the knife under the bone on the other; when all the bone is loosened,
pull it from the flesh. Any small bones remaining in the flesh can
be felt and removed with the fingers.
Hints — The earthy or muddy taste which taints some kinds of
fresh water fish can be removed by rubbing on salt and letting them
stand a few hours or over night; or, if in a hurry, soak them in salted
water -| to 2 hours.
If fish are dipped in hot water for a minute, they will scale
much easier. To remove scales, there is no instrument equal to a
currycomb — it is everyway superior to a knife. The scales and en-
trails should be removed, and also the blood and white skin along the
backbone, as soon after the fish is caught as possible; then rinse,
wipe dry, and keep near ice. Keep the eggs, or fish roe, and cook it
with the fish.
The quickest and best way to freshen salt fish is to soak it in
sour milk. As salt will settle, put the fish flesh side down, then the
salt as it dissolves out of the fish will settle in the bottom of the pan.
If the skin side is down the salt will settle against the skin and be
retained in the fish. All fish lose nourishing power by being salted.
Salted fish and canned fish, oysters, lobsters etc., can be kept in
the store=room against an emergency, but great care must be taken
in the case of canned meats, fish, lobsters, and vegetables, that the
4
50 FISH
brands selected are put up in j^nre tin cans; a mixture of lead with
the tin is sometimes used, the oxide of which is poisonous. All the
contents of a tin can when opened should be immediately removed
into an earthen or glass dish, as oxidation proceeds rapidly after
the can is ojpened, and the inside, with its contents, exposed to the
action of the air.
The knives and spoons used about fish should not be used for
other food till well cleaned, as they will impart a fishy flavor to it.
Eub steel knives or forks with fresh lemon or orange peel to take off
the fishy taste.
To thaw out frozen fish, put it in cold water, and leave it until it
is flexible and the frost is all drawn out; then dress and cook at once.
Fish, if kept near ice and very cold, retains much of its fresh-
ness, but if once heated, its delicate flavor cannot be restored. Fish
that is not quite fresh can be improved by washing in vinegar and
water, or permanganate of potash and water. It is afterwards better
fried than boiled, but no dressing will entirely conceal its quality.
Fish purchased in the market should be used the same day if pos-
sible.
The garnishing of fish is an art, if nicely done. Celery tops, horse-
radish, common radishes, water-cresses, parsely, nasturtium flowers,
sliced lemons and red pickled beets, cut in fanciful shapes, are
among the most effective and popular things to use.
Page 35
Presented as published in 1902. 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
To Bone a Fish. — Fish like herring and shad, abounding in fine bones, are not boned, but whitefish, mackerel, cod, etc., can be boned as follows: Clean, skin and spread it out flat on a board; then begin at the tail, and run a sharp, thin knife under the flesh, close to the bone, and loosen the backbone with the forefinger. Take pains not to break the flakes, and when the flesh on one side is loosened, slip the knife under the bone on the other; when all the bone is loosened, pull it from the flesh. Any small bones remaining in the flesh can be felt and removed with the fingers.
Hints — The earthy or muddy taste which taints some kinds of fresh water fish can be removed by rubbing on salt and letting them stand a few hours or over night; or, if in a hurry, soak them in salted water -| to 2 hours.
If fish are dipped in hot water for a minute, they will scale much easier. To remove scales, there is no instrument equal to a currycomb — it is everyway superior to a knife. The scales and entrails should be removed, and also the blood and white skin along the backbone, as soon after the fish is caught as possible; then rinse, wipe dry, and keep near ice. Keep the eggs, or fish roe, and cook it with the fish.
The quickest and best way to freshen salt fish is to soak it in sour milk. As salt will settle, put the fish flesh side down, then the salt as it dissolves out of the fish will settle in the bottom of the pan. If the skin side is down the salt will settle against the skin and be retained in the fish. All fish lose nourishing power by being salted.
Salted fish and canned fish, oysters, lobsters etc., can be kept in the store-room against an emergency, but great care must be taken in the case of canned meats, fish, lobsters, and vegetables, that the
brands selected are put up in pure tin cans; a mixture of lead with the tin is sometimes used, the oxide of which is poisonous. All the contents of a tin can when opened should be immediately removed into an earthen or glass dish, as oxidation proceeds rapidly after the can is opened, and the inside, with its contents, exposed to the action of the air.
The knives and spoons used about fish should not be used for other food till well cleaned, as they will impart a fishy flavor to it. Rub steel knives or forks with fresh lemon or orange peel to take off the fishy taste.
To thaw out frozen fish, put it in cold water, and leave it until it is flexible and the frost is all drawn out; then dress and cook at once.
Fish, if kept near ice and very cold, retains much of its freshness, but if once heated, its delicate flavor cannot be restored. Fish that is not quite fresh can be improved by washing in vinegar and water, or permanganate of potash and water. It is afterwards better fried than boiled, but no dressing will entirely conceal its quality. Fish purchased in the market should be used the same day if possible.
The garnishing of fish is an art, if nicely done. Celery tops, horseradish, common radishes, water-cresses, parsley, nasturtium flowers, sliced lemons and red pickled beets, cut in fanciful shapes, are among the most effective and popular things to use.