When buying fish to fillet, save in the case of halibut or salmon, it is best to get rather small fish that will not give more than four fillets to one fish. Bass and flounder are used the most for this purpose. Bass is dark and rich, and the price is rather high. Flounder 82 MISS PARLOA'S KITCHEN COMPANION. is white and delicate, and always cheap. It is very much like sole, and fashionable people always call it sole. The fact is, sole has never been caught in Ameri- can waters ; but in future years there may be a supply, as the Fish Commissioners have made an attempt to introduce them into our waters. WHEN MEAT AND FISH ARE GOOD. Almost all fish are perfect only directly after they come from the water, and begin to deteriorate soon afterward. The lighter and more delicate the fish, the poorer the keeping qualities. Nothing could be more delicate than the white fish when taken from the great Western lakes, but there are few fish that bear transportation so poorly. Again, codfish, when cooked directly after it is taken from the sea, is a fish fit to place before a king ; but when it has been packed in ice and carried over the country, it loses its fine characteristics and becomes rather ordi- nary food unless great pains be taken in its preparation. The richer fish, like salmon, halibut, bass, etc., will bear transportation and keeping better than the lighter kinds. It is well to remember this, — that an ordinary fish, freshly caught and cooked, will always surpass in deli- cacy and wholesomeness a fish of the rarer and richer kind that has been kept days or weeks, as is often the case, packed in ice. It is a good plan to confine the greater part of the fish purchased to those kinds which are found in the waters near home. Of course, there are localities where this would mean nothing but such small fry as is caught in brooks and ponds, and in such places one must get that which is brought to the market. Never buy stale fish. It will look flabby and dark, and will have an unpleasant odor. Fresh fish is firm ; the eyes are full and rather bright, and the odor, while it is always fishy, will not be disagreeable. ABOUT FOOD. 83 Turbot is an exception to the general rule. It is better for twenty-four or forty-eight hours' keeping. There is one thing which is not generally understood by butchers and housekeepers. It is that while the fibres of the flesh of an animal are set, as they are as soon as the animal cools after being killed, the meat is much harder than at any other time. For this reason it should not be cooked while in this state. The meat should hang at least twelve hours after the fibres become set. Chickens, however, may be dressed and cooked while yet warm, and the meat will be found tender, juicy, and of fine flavor. Let the same chickens stand until the fibres get hard and rigid, and then cook them, and the meat will not be nearly so tender and juicy. This is true of all animals : the meat should be cooked either while it still contains the natural heat or not until after the muscles have relaxed ; the time of relaxa- tion being from twelve to twenty-four hours after the animal is killed. This time answers very well for poultry, veal, and lamb. The last two meats will not retain a sweet flavor many days.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

When buying fish to fillet, save in the case of halibut or salmon, it is best to get rather small fish that will not give more than four fillets to one fish. Bass and flounder are used the most for this purpose. Bass is dark and rich, and the price is rather high. Flounder is white and delicate, and always cheap. It is very much like sole, and fashionable people always call it sole. The fact is, sole has never been caught in American waters ; but in future years there may be a supply, as the Fish Commissioners have made an attempt to introduce them into our waters. WHEN MEAT AND FISH ARE GOOD. Almost all fish are perfect only directly after they come from the water, and begin to deteriorate soon afterward. The lighter and more delicate the fish, the poorer the keeping qualities. Nothing could be more delicate than the white fish when taken from the great Western lakes, but there are few fish that bear transportation so poorly. Again, codfish, when cooked directly after it is taken from the sea, is a fish fit to place before a king ; but when it has been packed in ice and carried over the country, it loses its fine characteristics and becomes rather ordinary food unless great pains be taken in its preparation. The richer fish, like salmon, halibut, bass, etc., will bear transportation and keeping better than the lighter kinds. It is well to remember this, — that an ordinary fish, freshly caught and cooked, will always surpass in delicacy and wholesomeness a fish of the rarer and richer kind that has been kept days or weeks, as is often the case, packed in ice. It is a good plan to confine the greater part of the fish purchased to those kinds which are found in the waters near home. Of course, there are localities where this would mean nothing but such small fry as is caught in brooks and ponds, and in such places one must get that which is brought to the market. Never buy stale fish. It will look flabby and dark, and will have an unpleasant odor. Fresh fish is firm ; the eyes are full and rather bright, and the odor, while it is always fishy, will not be disagreeable. Turbot is an exception to the general rule. It is better for twenty-four or forty-eight hours' keeping. There is one thing which is not generally understood by butchers and housekeepers. It is that while the fibres of the flesh of an animal are set, as they are as soon as the animal cools after being killed, the meat is much harder than at any other time. For this reason it should not be cooked while in this state. The meat should hang at least twelve hours after the fibres become set. Chickens, however, may be dressed and cooked while yet warm, and the meat will be found tender, juicy, and of fine flavor. Let the same chickens stand until the fibres get hard and rigid, and then cook them, and the meat will not be nearly so tender and juicy. This is true of all animals : the meat should be cooked either while it still contains the natural heat or not until after the muscles have relaxed ; the time of relaxation being from twelve to twenty-four hours after the animal is killed. This time answers very well for poultry, veal, and lamb. The last two meats will not retain a sweet flavor many days.

Miss Parloa's kitchen companion