Manual for army cooks

Small fish should be fried whole. Large fish should be cut up. Clean and wipe the fish dry, rub it over with dry sifted flour, or better, dip it into well-beaten egg and then into bread crumbs or rolled cracker. Put into a frying pan enough dripping to well cover the fish. When this is hot put in the fish and fry both sides a clear golden brown. Just as the fish is turning brown sprinkle it lightly with pepper and salt. When cooked serve in a hot dish. Roes may be prepared and fried as above. BAKED FISH. Any fish may be baked, provided it is large enough to admit of being stuffed. A fish of five or six pounds when stuffed will take from forty to fifty minutes to bake. To prevent scorching place over it a well-greased paper. Prepare a stuffing of bread crumbs, with sufficient butter, lard, or beef dripping to make the mixture moist. Season with pepper, salt, a little summer savory, thyme, or sage. Clean and wipe the fish dry, put in the stuffing lightly, and sew up the opening. Lay the fish in a baking pan ; rub it over with butter, lard, or beef dripping ; dredge with flour, bread crumbs, or rolled cracker ; spread on the upper side a few thin slices of raw onion and sprinkle them with salt and pepper ; or instead of dredging lay thin slices or strips of fat salt pork or bacon on the sliced onion, and above the seasoning. Put into the pan a half pint of stock or beef dripping, taking care that a part of it gets under the fish to keep it from adhering to the pan. Bake in a hot oven. Baste very frequently and serve with a fish-gravy. (See Gravy for Baked Fish.) Tomatoes laid on the onions and above the seasoning add to the taste and flavor. It may be eaten cold. FISH OR CLAM CHOWDER, No. 1. Use firm fish, such as fresh cod, catfish, etc. Do not cook the heads. Scrape, cleanse, and wash the fish. Cut it into small pieces, leaving out as many bones as possible. Cover the bottom of the pot with slices of fat salt pork ; place on tliat a layer of potatoes cut into small j)ieces ; on , the potatoes a layer of chopped onions ; on the onions a layer of tomatoes ; on the tomatoes a layer of fisli ; on the fish a layer of crackers or biscuit, first made tender by soaking in water or milk ; then repeat the process, commencing with potatoes, until the pot is nearly full. Every layer is seasoned with pepper and salt ; use only enough cold water to moisten and cook the mass. Cover the pot closely, set it over a gentle fire, let it heat gradually, and then simmer one hour. When nearly done, stir it gently, finish cooking, and serve. When cooked, if found too thin, simmer a little longer. The tomatoes may be omitted. Clam chowder is made as above, using clams instead of fish. A chowder may be made as above by using any fresh meat instead of fish. FISH CHOWDER, No. 2. i pound salt pork. 4 onions. 6 medium-sized potatoes. 3 pounds fish (about) . i pound crackers or biscuit.