Principles of cooking

‘Fish are similar to meat in composition, structure, and ‘nutritive value, in that they are protein foods. They take the place of meat in any meal. The muscle consists ~ of bundles of fibers bound together by connective tissue. There is a marked difference in this tissue from that in meat; the connective tissue in fish is so tender that they require but little cooking, and when they are boiled, care must be taken or the connective tissue will be dissolved and the muscle fibers will fall apart. For this reason fish are best when broiled, baked, or fried. Selection and Cleaning.— Care must be taken when purchasing fish that they are fresh, because fish decompose readily and do not keep for any length of time after they are taken from the water. In fresh fish the eyes are bright, the gills are bright red, and the flesh is firm. When fish are purchased from the market, they are cleaned, though | the scales are not always removed. They may be removed with a knife or a fish scaler sold for that purpose. Begin at the tail and work towards the head, holding the fish firmly by the tail. Wash the fish inside and out with plenty of cold water, and dry with a soft cloth. Baked Fish. — Remove the head from the fish; sprinkle the inside with salt, pepper; add a tablespoon of lard, bacon drippings, or olive oil, and sew or fasten the sides together. Roll the fish in flour, place in a baking pan, add one fourth cup of lard, or bacon fat or olive oil, and bake until brown, from thirty to forty-five minutes, depending on the size of the fish. Serve with Tartare Sauce, Drawn Butter, or Hollandaise Sauce. Fried Fish. — Fish may be fried whole, or skinned and boned and cut into slices. Fish like fresh salmon and lake trout are sold sliced and ready for frying. Season with salt, pepper, and roll in flour or corn meal, or in egg and crumbs. Sauté slowly in bacon fat, salt pork, lard, or olive oil until deep brown, or fry in deep fat. Tartare Sauce. — Mix one tablespoon of vinegar, one teaspoon of lemon juice, one fourth teaspoon of salt, one tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, and heat over hot water. Brown one fourth cup of butter, and add it slowly to the mixture. Serve hot with fish. U.S. Department of Agriculture Prepared by Office of Experiment Stations C.F. LANGWORTHY A.C. True: Director Expert in Charge of Nutrition Investigations [illustration: COMPOSITION OF FISH - showing Fuel Value i a a oF eae oy He We Protein Fat Carbohydrates Ash Teagiceiies COD Lean Fish SALT COD Fuet vaLue Water:53.5 300 catories 400 CALORIES PER POUND PER POUND — rie Protein:15.8 Protein:21.5 Calieteee GVSEERY): Sous a Ash: 24.7 MACKEREL Fat Fish Carbohydrates 3.7 SMOKED HERRING Fuet vatue: 230 catories 1305 CALORIES 620 cAvories PER POUND PER POUND COMPOSITION OF FISH. ] Drawn Butter Sauce. — Melt three tablespoons of butter; add two tablespoons of flour, one fourth teaspoon of salt, one eighth teaspoon of pepper, and brown the mixture. Add one cup of water and stir until it begins to boil, and then simmer for five minutes. Add two tablespoons of butter, in bits; beat it until it is absorbed, and then serve immediately on fish. Steamed Salmon Loaf. — One can of salmon, four tablespoons of milk, three eggs, four tablespoons of melted butter, one half cup of bread crumbs, speck of pepper, one fourth teaspoon of salt, one teaspoon of chopped parsley. Rub butter into salmon, put crumbs into the beaten eggs, mix all together, season, steam one hour, or bake twenty minutes. Sauce. — One cup of milk, one tablespoon of cornstarch, one tablespoon of butter, juice from the salmon, one egg, speck of salt. Cook until it thickens, and serve with the salmon. OYSTERS