A laboratory manual of foods and cookery

From most standpoints fish and shellfish are interchangeable with meat in the dietary. There is a general similarity in the chemical structure of the proteins, and the coefficients of digestibility of fish are approximately equal to those of meat. Many kinds of fish are preserved in large quantities by drying, salting, smoking, canning, or by combinations of these methods. For outlines of the preparation of salt codfish, canned salmon and sardines in oil see Sherman's Food Products, pages 230-236. Methods of cooking fish : boiling braising frying steaming baking " planking ' broiling Technique of cooking fish. To prevent flesh falling apart, due to tendency of the connective tissue to dissolve, a. Wrap in cheesecloth when boiling. b. Coat with egg and crumbs when frying. c. Place on strips of buttered cheesecloth when baking. Cleaning fish. Rub off scales from tail to head with a sharp knife. Cut through the skin of the back and abdomen, loosen it at the tail and pull it off. Remove head, open abdomen and take out the internal organs. Wash in cold, salt water. Boning fish. Slit the flesh down the back and separate flesh from side bones. Pull out the spine and attached bones. Fish in combination with other food : With potatoes as fishballs, with eggs as souffle, with white sauce as croquettes, creamed or scalloped, with celery as salad. Vegetables suitable for serving with fish as garnish are : potato balls or curls parsley cucumber Sauces for fish: drawn butter Bechamel egg sauce tartare olive cheese Hollandaise Boiled Fish Thick pieces, or whole, small fish i tbsp. salt to 3 qts. water Wrap in cheesecloth, plunge into boiling water. Simmer 30-40 minutes, or until tender. Broiled Fish Broil the flesh side first, then turn and broil other side. The length of time for cooking depends on the thickness of the fish. Season with butter, salt, pepper, and garnish with parsley. Steamed Fish Wipe fish with damp cloth. Wrap in cheesecloth and steam or boil until tender. Time varies with size and shape of fish. At end of 5 minutes, add i tbsp. of salt. A little vinegar may also be added to the water. Baked Stuffed Fish Wash fish and dry with cheesecloth. If not cleaned, remove internal organs. Remove backbone by beginning at the tail and with a sharp knife push the flesh away from the bones. Wipe with damp cloth, sprinkle with salt, and stuff. Sew with coarse cotton, insert slices of salt pork at intervals on each side. Bake in hot oven, allowing 15 minutes to the pound with 15 minutes additional. Serve with Hollandaise Sauce. Stuffing for Fish Ingredients: 2 c. bread crumbs i tsp. onion juice ^ tsp. salt i tsp. chopped parsley | tsp. white pepper i tsp. capers or chopped pickles cayenne \ c. melted butter Fish Cooked in Fat Season with salt and pepper, dip in flour, egg, and dried crumbs. Fry in deep fat. Drain on paper. Fried Smelts Clean smelts, leaving on heads and tails. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, dip in flour, egg, and crumbs, and fry 3-4 minutes in deep fat. Arrange on hot platter. Garnish with parsley and lemon. Serve with Sauce Tartare. Shad Roe Wash and cook in boiling, salted water 10 minutes. Drain and dry. Season. Broil or brown in butter. Turbans of Flounder