Household science and arts

Methods of Cooking. — The methods of cooking fish are similar to those of cooking meat. As fish contains albumin, cold and boiling water have the same effect on it as on meat. Repeat the meat experiments which show these effects, and see whether they are shown any more clearly with the flesh of fish than with that of beef. Fish may be steamed, broiled, boiled, fried, or sautéed. Fish suitable for Different Ways of Cooking. — For baking whole, haddock, cod, bluefish, shad, whitefish, and small salmon are suitable. For broiling, split bluefish, mackerel, shad, trout, young cod, and whitefish are suitable. For broiling whole, smelts, perch, and other small fish may be used. For boiling whole, small cod, haddock, bluefish, or thick pieces of halibut or salmon are good. For frying or sautéing sliced haddock, cod, sword fish, and fillets of halibut and of flounders are good. Smelts are usually fried or sauted whole. RECIPE 137. BOILING FISH Wipe the fish thoroughly outside and inside and remove the head and tail. Put Digitized by Google it into a wire basket or on a plate, and tie the plate in cheesecloth so that the cloth, plate, and fish may be lifted together. Plunge the fish into boiling, salted water, or into boiling water to which J c. of vinegar has been added. Allow it to boil five minutes; then simmer it until it is done. The time for cooking varies according to size and thickness of fish. It should be cooked eight to ten minutes for each pound, or until the flesh separates from the bone. RECIPE 138. BROILING FISH Qrease a wire broiler with pork rind. Wipe the fish dry and sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and if it is not oily, rub it with melted butter. Broil as in No. 104, p. 88; Broil split fish with the flesh side near the fire until it is browned ; then broil the other side until the skin is crisp. When it is cooked, loosen both sides of the flesh carefully from broiler and slip it off on a hot platter. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and butter if desired. RECIPE 139. BAKING FISH WHOLE Clean and wipe the fish outside and inside and dry it thoroughly. Stuff (No. 143) the fish and sew it together. Cut gashes about three inches apart and insert a slice of salt pork (never substitute bacon) in each gash. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper. If the fish is not oily, rub it with melted butter. Dredge it with flour. Tie the fish to shape it like the letter S, and place it on a greased tin sheet and put it into a pan. Bake it until the flesh separates easily from the bone, allowing from twelve to fifteen minutes per pound of fish. Baste it every ten minutes while cooking, and when it is done, remove it to a hot platter, Digitized by Goode RECIPE 142. 3 lb. haddock or cod 6 c. cold water 2 slices salt pork 2 small onions sliced 4 medium potatoes (washed, pared, and sliced) 3 c. hot milk 3 tbs. butter Salt and pepper to taste crackers take out the strings, and serve it with any fish sauce. FRYING SMALL FISH Clean, wash, and dry the fish, and sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and flour ; dip them into beaten egg, drain them, and dip them into meal or sifted bread crumbs. Fry them in deep, hot fat according to page 114. When they are done, drain them and serve them on a hot platter. SAUTE OF COD OR HADDOCK Wash and dry the fish, and cut it into pieces of convenient size, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and dip them into granulated com meal. Try out slices of salt pork in a frying pan, remove the scraps, and cook the fish until it is well browned on both sides and the flesh is thoroughly done. The time will vary according to the thickness of the slice. FISH CHOWDER