Dried Mackerel. — Take fresh caught mackerel, scale
them and cut them down the back to the tail; leave the heads
on; then hang them by the tail in a cool place to drain; strew
some salt on the bottom of the pan; sprinkle the fish plentifully
with it, and lay them two by two, the insides together, in a pan;
let them lie twelve hours, then rinse off the salt and hang them
to drain for half an hour, after which pepper the insides a little✪ Dried Mackerel
and lay them on stones, aslant towards the sun, to dry; take
care never to put them out when the sun is not hot on them,
nor until the stones are heated and dry; lay the insides to the
sun — they will be perfectly cured in one week; stretch them
open with twojsticks. Or, instead of drying, after having pre-
pared them in this manner, smoke them.
Salt Mackerel. — Split fresh caught mackerel down the
back, scrape the inside clean, spread them open on a board,
and strew them plentifully with salt✪ Salt Mackerel; then strew salt over the
bottom of a tub; lay the fish two by two, the insides together,
and lay them in the tub; strew salt between each layer; half
coarse and half fine salt; then cover them close — put plenty of
salt above the last layer of fish.
To Dress Salt Mackerel. — Take mackerel from the salt,
and lay them inside downward in a pan of cold water for two
or three days, change the water once or twice, and scrape the
fish clean without breaking it. When fresh enough, wipe one
dry and hang it in a cool place; then fry or broil, or lay one
in a shallow pan, the inside of the fish down; cover it with hot
water^ and set it over a gentle fire or in an orea for twelve or
122 HOUSEHOLD.
fifteen minutes; then pour off the water, turn the fish, put bits
of butter in the pan, and over the fish, sprinkle with pepper✪ To Dress Salt Mackerel,
and let it fry for five minutes, then dish it.
Trout. — These may be stewed, fried, boiled, or baked.
Pike or Pickerel. — These may be stewed, fried or
broiled.
There are many more fine fish not mentioned herein, but as
the process of stewing, boiling, broiling, and frying is very
nearly the same for all sorts of fish, it does not seem necessary
to mention more.
Herrings. — These are eaten in three varieties — fresk,
salted, smoked, or red herrings. Salted herrings are to be
soaked in clean water before boiling, the same as mackerel.
Red herrings are to be skinned, split in two, and the insides
and the backbone to be taken out; or they may first be broiled,
then skinned. To cook fresh herrings, scale and prepare them
the same as any other fish.
Chowder. — Slice some salt pork very thin, strew it over
with onions chopped small, and some fine pepper; then cut a
haddock, fresh cod, or any other firm fish, in thin steaks; take
out the bones; lay some of the sliced pork at the bottom of
the kettle with some of the seasoning; then put a layer of fish,
then put over some soaked crackers or biscuit, then another
layer of the seasoned pork, after which fish and crackers and a
few bits of butter, and so on alternately, pork, fish and crack-
ers, until the kettle is two-thirds full; then put in about a pint
of water✪ Chowder, and cover the pot with a thick iron cover with a rim;
set it over a gentle fire, put coals and ashes on the cover, and
bake two or three hours, or more, if the pot is large. When
done, turn it out on a dish and serve with pickles. It may be
baked in an oven.
Page 81 · 4 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1883. 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
Dried Mackerel. — Take fresh caught mackerel, scale them and cut them down the back to the tail; leave the heads on; then hang them by the tail in a cool place to drain; strew some salt on the bottom of the pan; sprinkle the fish plentifully with it, and lay them two by two, the insides together, in a pan; let them lie twelve hours, then rinse off the salt and hang them to drain for half an hour, after which pepper the insides a little and lay them on stones, aslant towards the sun, to dry; take care never to put them out when the sun is not hot on them, nor until the stones are heated and dry; lay the insides to the sun — they will be perfectly cured in one week; stretch them open with two sticks. Or, instead of drying, after having prepared them in this manner, smoke them.
Salt Mackerel. — Split fresh caught mackerel down the back, scrape the inside clean, spread them open on a board, and strew them plentifully with salt; then strew salt over the bottom of a tub; lay the fish two by two, the insides together, and lay them in the tub; strew salt between each layer; half coarse and half fine salt; then cover them close — put plenty of salt above the last layer of fish.
To Dress Salt Mackerel. — Take mackerel from the salt, and lay them inside downward in a pan of cold water for two or three days, change the water once or twice, and scrape the fish clean without breaking it. When fresh enough, wipe one dry and hang it in a cool place; then fry or broil, or lay one in a shallow pan, the inside of the fish down; cover it with hot water and set it over a gentle fire or in an oven for twelve or
fifteen minutes; then pour off the water, turn the fish, put bits of butter in the pan, and over the fish, sprinkle with pepper, and let it fry for five minutes, then dish it.
Trout. — These may be stewed, fried, boiled, or baked.
Pike or Pickerel. — These may be stewed, fried or broiled.
There are many more fine fish not mentioned herein, but as the process of stewing, boiling, broiling, and frying is very nearly the same for all sorts of fish, it does not seem necessary to mention more.
Herrings. — These are eaten in three varieties — fresk, salted, smoked, or red herrings. Salted herrings are to be soaked in clean water before boiling, the same as mackerel. Red herrings are to be skinned, split in two, and the insides and the backbone to be taken out; or they may first be broiled, then skinned. To cook fresh herrings, scale and prepare them the same as any other fish.
Chowder. — Slice some salt pork very thin, strew it over with onions chopped small, and some fine pepper; then cut a haddock, fresh cod, or any other firm fish, in thin steaks; take out the bones; lay some of the sliced pork at the bottom of the kettle with some of the seasoning; then put a layer of fish, then put over some soaked crackers or biscuit, then another layer of the seasoned pork, after which fish and crackers and a few bits of butter, and so on alternately, pork, fish and crackers, until the kettle is two-thirds full; then put in about a pint of water, and cover the pot with a thick iron cover with a rim; set it over a gentle fire, put coals and ashes on the cover, and bake two or three hours, or more, if the pot is large. When done, turn it out on a dish and serve with pickles. It may be baked in an oven.
Records on this page
Dried MackerelSalt MackerelTo Dress Salt MackerelChowder