Table Talk's illustrated cook book

fish is nailed skin side down to a two-inch thick, well-seasoned oak plank, propped in front of the glowing coals and basted from time to time with seasoned butter until the flesh draws away from the back bone. BROILED SHAD. For broiling the bars of the broiler are greased, the cooking over a clear fire is slow and the fish is basted with melted butter when the flesh side is turned uppermost. With this fish the best green vegetables are asparagus or peas and sliced cucumber as a salad. FRESH FISH BALLS. From the remains of a fish remove skin and bones, break with a fork into fine flakes, season well and set aside over night, mixing with it next morning an equal amount of mashed and seasoned potatoes; making it into cakes or balls. This is an agreeable variation of the usual fish ball made with salted fish. Another and somewhat original variation is to substitute boiled rice for the potatoes, binding together with beaten egg. BROILED FISH, LATTICED POTATOES. Any good-sized firm-fleshed fish may be selected for broiling. It should be split from head to tail and carefully cleaned, if desired the back bone may be removed. Each half should be brushed with melted butter, laid in a wire broiler and cooked, flesh side first, over a clear fire. A five or six pound fish BROILED FISH, LATTICED POTATOES. will require twenty-five minutes. The latticed potatoes served with the fish are cut with a waved vegetable slicer. After slicing drop the potatoes into cold water for a little while, dry on a towel and fry golden brown in deep smoking-hot fat. They should be drained for a moment on unglazed paper and well salted before serving on a hot dish. FISH CUTLETS. Fish cutlets can be made from any firm-fleshed fish such as cod or halibut or, where color is desired, salmon. The fish is steamed then flaked, well seasoned with salt, pepper, lemon juice and chopped parsley and carefully added to a thick sauce ; the proportions of the latter are two tablespoonfuls each of flour and butter to one-half of a pint of milk and one cupful of the sauce is sufficient for twice as much fish. When cold this mixture is shaped, egged, crumbed and fried in deep fat. Where any quantity of shad is left from a previous dinner it may be used, care being taken to remove every bone. SMELTS. FRIED IN DEEP FAT AND PILED ON A FOLDKO NAPKIN : GARNISH OF PARSLEY AND CUT LEMONS iBsm ^i^^rf^ BAKED FISH. Bass or any firm-fleshed fish of moderate size may be used for baking. After cleaning a stuffing may be inserted ; this usually consists of crackers or bread crumbs moistened with one tablespoonful of melted butter to each cupful of crumbs; a tablespoonful of chopped onion and chopped parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper may be added at pleasure. Strips of salt pork laid into the gashes on each side of the fish serve to baste it, and a fish of from four to five pounds will take from forty-five minutes to an hour according to its thickness. BROILED MACKEREL WITH BROWNED POTATOES. Fresh mackerel are delightful when nicely broiled. In purchasing, select large sized ones and see that the eyes look full, as this denotes freshness. BROILED MACKEREL WITH BROWNED POTATOES Have them split, and after a quick washing dry on a cloth and arrange in a greased broiler. Dust with salt and pepper and place flesh side downward over a clear, but not too hot, fire. Cook for from ten to eighteen minutes, according to thickness, then turn ; while the skin side is browning spread the upper side with a little plain or maitre d'hotel butter, then serve on a hot platter, garnishing with mashed potato, which has been dropped in heaps on a pan and quickly browned in a hot oven. TO USE COLD FISH.